EP0471488A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Interlaced printing using spaced print arrays
Assignee: Tektronix Inc
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Filing: 1991-08-02
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-08-02
Abstract
Abstract Printing is by an array (102, 106) of color-printing elements (110) or nozzles in order to produce interlaced color printing while printing each line only once with each color. Print head (16) array configurations for printing two, three and four colors include linear and parallel arrays (102, 104, 106, 108). In one embodiment, a first color and a second color are printed on alternate lines of a first set of print lines. The first color and a third color are printed on alternate lines of a second set of print lines. Also, the second color and the third color are printed on alternate lines of a third set of print lines. By sequentially printing these consecutive sets of lines on a print medium, with each of the three pairs of colors, all of the lines of an image are printed once with each color. Other color-printing configurations are also shown.
Inventors
- 👤 Joern B. Eriksen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 15:41
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/485; B41J2/505; B41J2/5056; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/21; B41J2/2132; B41J19/00; B41J19/14; B41J19/142
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
233 words
An apparatus (10) for printing a color image formed of lines printed selectively over a predetermined area of a print medium (22), which lines have centers spaced a predetermined interline distance apart, the apparatus comprising a print head (16) movable relative to the print medium and having first and second linear arrays (102 and 104, 106 and 108) having a predetermined number of printing elements (110) for printing at least one color; and means (18) for moving the print head relative to a print medium in a first direction for addressing simultaneously a number of print lines corresponding to the number of printing elements in the two linear arrays, with the first array addressing only odd-numbered lines, and the second array printing only even-numbered lines, the moving means also being provided to move the print head relative to the print medium in a second direction transverse to the first direction an advance distance equal to the interline distance between the centers of adjacent lines multiplied by the numberof lines printed with each color in both arrays so that the second array addresses lines not addressed by the first array and all lines on the image area are addressed by the two arrays, the two arrays being spaced apart in the second direction so that no adjacent lines are addressed at the same time during movement of the print head in the first direction.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
233 words
An apparatus (10) for printing a color image formed of lines printed selectively over a predetermined area of a print medium (22), which lines have centers spaced a predetermined interline distance apart, the apparatus comprising a print head (16) movable relative to the print medium and having first and second linear arrays (102 and 104, 106 and 108) having a predetermined number of printing elements (110) for printing at least one color; and means (18) for moving the print head relative to a print medium in a first direction for addressing simultaneously a number of print lines corresponding to the number of printing elements in the two linear arrays, with the first array addressing only odd-numbered lines, and the second array printing only even-numbered lines, the moving means also being provided to move the print head relative to the print medium in a second direction transverse to the first direction an advance distance equal to the interline distance between the centers of adjacent lines multiplied by the numberof lines printed with each color in both arrays so that the second array addresses lines not addressed by the first array and all lines on the image area are addressed by the two arrays, the two arrays being spaced apart in the second direction so that no adjacent lines are addressed at the same time during movement of the print head in the first direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1 wherein the distance between the line of one of the arrays ( 102, 106 ) and the line of the other of the arrays (104, 108) in the second direction is equal to an odd integer times the interline distance.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
113 words
An apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first and second arrays (106 and 108) are for printing three colors, each array having an equal number of print elements (110) for printing each color, the apparatus including third and fourth linear arrays (102 and 104) of print elements having the same number and spacing of print elements as the first and second arrays for printing a fourth color, with the third and fourth arrays being spaced in the first direction from the first and second arrays, respectively, the printing elements in the third array addressing odd-numbered lines and the printing elements in the fourth array addressing even-numbered lines.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 3 wherein the third and fourth arrays (102 and 104) are offset in the second direction relative to the first and second arrays (106 and 108) by an offset distance equal to an integer times the advance distance.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
An apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the first and second arrays (106 and 108) are sufficiently separated so that printing elements (110) in the third and fourth arrays (102 and 104) address lines not addressed by printing elements in the first and second arrays.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
72 words
An apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 5 wherein the printing element (110) in the first array (106) that addresses a line that is closest in the second direction to a line addressed by a printing element in the second array (108), is separated from the printing element in the second array addressing the closest line by a distance equal to the advance distance times N. 5, where N is an integer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1 wherein the distance between the line of one of the arrays (102, 106) and the line of the other of the arrays (104, 108) in the second direction is equal to the product of the advance distance and N.5, within ± the interline distance, where N is an integer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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