Patent US4049583A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0244604A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0244604A2
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EP
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Method and apparatus for quieting the operation of a dot matrix printer
Assignee: Lexmark International Inc
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Filing: 1987-03-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-03-17
Abstract
Abstract Method and apparatus for quieting the operation of a dot matrix printer by logically dividing the data to be printed among timed spaced printing passes. A matrix of data to be printed is stored in a memory. A slice of data is selected from the stored data and the number of dots to be printed simultaneously is reduced by logically allocating the data in each slice among complementary submatrices. Each submatrix of data is printed substantially aligned with each other submatrix in two passes of the print head across the print medium to represent the entire selected slice of data. Noise reduction is achieved by reducing the number of data dots simultaneously printed at each print location
Inventors
- 👤 Tim Valentine Angst
- 👤 Mark Edward Bunke
- 👤 Phuc K. Do
- 👤 Nicholas Johnathon Krull
- 👤 Demetrios Troupes
- 👤 Carol E. Wyke
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 14:57
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/485; B41J2/505; B41J2/5056; G; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/10; G06K2215/00; G06K2215/0002; G06K2215/0062; G06K2215/0071; G06K2215/0074; G06K2215/111
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
Method of quieting the operation of a dot matrix printer comprising a print head with at least one column of print wires movable across a record carrier characterized by the following steps: a) storing a matrix of binary data to be printed; b) selecting a slice of the data from the stored matrix of data to be printed; c) reducing the number of data dots in the selected slice of data taking the form of a matrix, to be simultaneously printed by logically allocating/dividing the matrix data among submatrices; and d) printing each submatrix of data substantially aligned with each corresponding submatrix of data to represent the entire selected slice of data, each submatrix of data being printed at a different time so that there is a reduction in the number of data dots simultaneously printed at substantially every print location.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
141 words
Method of quieting the operation of a dot matrix printer comprising a print head with at least one column of print wires movable across a record carrier characterized by the following steps: a) storing a matrix of binary data to be printed; b) selecting a slice of the data from the stored matrix of data to be printed; c) reducing the number of data dots in the selected slice of data taking the form of a matrix, to be simultaneously printed by logically allocating/dividing the matrix data among submatrices; and d) printing each submatrix of data substantially aligned with each corresponding submatrix of data to represent the entire selected slice of data, each submatrix of data being printed at a different time so that there is a reduction in the number of data dots simultaneously printed at substantially every print location.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
Method of claim 1 wherein the data to be printed in each slice are logically divided into a first and second submatrix.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
Method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the step of reducing the number of data dots in the selected slice of data comprises addressing a predetermined data table with the data in the selected slice of data to logically identify the submatrices.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
Method according to anyone of the claims 1 to 3 wherein the data are printed among time spaced printing passes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
Method according to anyone of the claims 1 to 4 wherein the step of storing a matrix of binary data to be printed comprises storing, for each sequential print location, all of the data to be printed at each print location.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
Method according to anyone of one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the step of selecting a slice of the data from the stored matrix of data comprises selecting a slice of data column-by-column, wherein the print head passes parallel to the row direction of the matrix-shaped dots to be printed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
Method according to claim 4 wherein the step of printing the first submatrix of data comprises printing the first submatrix of data during a first pass of the print head and the step of printing the second submatrix of data comprises printing during a second pass of the print head over the same print line as the first pass of the print head.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
153 words
Method according to claim 3 wherein the step of reducing the number of data dots in the selected slice of data comprises logically dividing the slice of data into upper and lower data portions; addressing a first predetermined data table using the data in each upper and lower slice portion and logically identifying first upper and lower submatrices that correspond to the data in the upper and lower data portions; logically combining the first upper and lower submatrices and forming a first submatrix having approximately one half as many data dots as the slice of data; addressing a second predetermined data table complementary to the first predetermined data table using the data in each upper and lower slice portion and logically identifying second upper and lower submatrices that correspond to the data in the upper and lower data portions; and logically combining the second upper and lower submatrices and forming a second submatrix.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
Method according to anyone of the claims 1, 2, 3 or 8 wherein the step of reducing the number of data dots comprises logically dividing the data into a first submatrix having approximately one half of the data dots of the slice of data and a second submatrix having the other approximately one half of the data dots of the slice of data.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
Method according to anyone of the claims 1, 2, 3, 8 or 9 wherein the step of reducing the number of data dots by logically allocating the data further comprises logically allocating the data by separating data dots by a data space so as to eliminate adjacent dots in each submatrix.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
Method according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein for a first submatrix printing operation in a first printing pass, a slice of the data from the stored matrix of data to be printed is selected and for a succeeding second submatrix printing operation, the same slice of data from the stored matrix of data to be printed is selected.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
130 words
Apparatus for performing the method according to claim 1 comprising: a) means (51) for storing a matrix of data to be printed, b) means (52) for selecting a slice of the data from the means for storing a matrix of data to be printed; c) means (53) for logically reducing the number of data dots in the selected slice of data to be simultaneously printed by logically allocating the data to be printed among submatrices; and d) means (54A, 54B) for printing each submatrix of data substantially aligned with each other submatrix of data to represent the entire selected slice of data, said means printing each submatrix at a different time, so that there is a reduction in the number of data dots simultaneously printed at substantially every print location.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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