EP0376596A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Printing of pixel locations by an ink jet printer using multiple nozzles for each pixel or pixel row
Assignee: HP Inc
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Filing: 1989-12-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-12-20
Abstract
Abstract An ink jet printer (60) prints dots (30) of colorant at pixel locations using a printing strategy that reduces the visual impact of improperly operating or inoperable nozzles (18), by using multiple nozzles (18) per pixel location or per pixel. In one approach, used either for single color or multicolor images, multiple droplets of colorant of the same color are deposited upon a single pixel location from two different nozzles (18). In another approach, used primarily for multicolor images, different pixels of a single pixel row are printed using a droplets of a single color from different nozzles (18).
Inventors
- 👤 Mark S. Hickman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 11:59
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/21; B41J2/2132
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
103 words
A method for depositing two dots (30) of a single colorant onto a printing medium (32) at a single selected pixel location using two or more colorant delivery nozzles (18) that each deposit colorant of the same selected color, including a first colorant delivery nozzle and a second colorant delivery nozzle; the method comprising the steps of: (1) depositing a first droplet of colorant onto the printing medium at the selected pixel location, from the first colorant delivery nozzle; and (2) depositing a second droplet of colorant onto the printing medium at the same selected pixel location, from the second colorant delivery nozzle.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
103 words
A method for depositing two dots (30) of a single colorant onto a printing medium (32) at a single selected pixel location using two or more colorant delivery nozzles (18) that each deposit colorant of the same selected color, including a first colorant delivery nozzle and a second colorant delivery nozzle; the method comprising the steps of: (1) depositing a first droplet of colorant onto the printing medium at the selected pixel location, from the first colorant delivery nozzle; and (2) depositing a second droplet of colorant onto the printing medium at the same selected pixel location, from the second colorant delivery nozzle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the colorant is deposited by thermally ejecting droplets from the nozzles (18).
Claim 4
Independent Claim
29 words
The method of claims 1 or 2, wherein the nozzles (18) are mounted on a traversing mechanism (66) that traverses across the printing medium (32) parallel to its surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 3, wherein the step of depositing a second droplet is accomplished on the same traverse across the printing medium (32) as the step of depositing a first droplet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 3, wherein the step of depositing a second droplet is accomplished on a different traverse across the printing medium (32) as the step of depositing a first droplet.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
84 words
A method for depositing dots (30) of colorant of a single color onto a printing medium (32) in a selected pattern of pixel locations, comprising the steps of: furnishing at least two sets of colorant delivery nozzles (18) that all deposit colorant of the same selected color, including a first set of said first colorant delivery nozzles and a second set of said second colorant delivery nozzles; and operating each of said first and second nozzles according to the method of any preceding claim.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
130 words
The method of any preceding claim wherein the colorant delivery nozzles (18) are incorporated in printhead that is mounted on a traversing mechanism (66) that moves the print head parallel to and across the surface of a printing medium (32); the method comprising the steps of traversing the print head over the printing medium in a first pass; depositing a first set of droplets of colorant onto the printing medium in a selected pattern of pixel locations during the first pass, from the first colorant delivery nozzle(s); traversing the print head across the printing medium in a second pass; and depositing a second set of droplets of colorant onto the printing medium in the same selected pattern of pixel locations during the second pass, from the second colorant delivery nozzle(s).
Claim 9
Independent Claim
73 words
The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein steps (1) & (2) are repeated to deposit at least two sets of droplets of colorant onto a first subset of pixel locations along a pixel row, each set of droplets of colorant being deposited by one of the colorant delivery nozzles (18), and each subset of locations being selected such that one droplet from each of the colorant nozzles is deposited therein.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 8 when appended to claim 3, wherein the nozzles are mounted on a traversing mechanism (66) that traverses across the printing medium parallel to its surface and parallel to the pixel row.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
33 words
The method of claims 8 or 9, further comprising the step of depositing at least two further sets of droplets of colorant onto a second subset of pixel locations along the pixel row.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the first subset of pixel locations is the same as the second as the second subset of pixel locations.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the first subset of pixel locations and the second subset of pixel locations are not the same, but the two subsets together include all pixel locations of the row that require a droplet of the selected color according to the predetermined color scheme.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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