US3703949A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
High-speed printer
Assignee: Genicom Corp
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Filing: 1970-05-07
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Granted: 1972-11-28
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Expires: 1990-05-07
Abstract
Abstract A high-speed printer of the dot matrix type in which incoming information to be printed, presented in either serial or parallel form, is examined for invalid bits and loaded into a buffer in parallel fashion. Printing does not begin until the buffer is loaded to print a line of the desired length. Printing begins as soon as the first character loaded into the buffer reaches the output stage at which time the actuation of the print wires of the dot matrix are moved across the paper document at a substantially constant speed. Detection of the location of the carriage assembly moving the printer head assembly is performed independent of the movement of the carriage to actuate the print wires at the appropriate locations. Logical circuitry is provided for detecting the presence of invalid characters and the buffer and serial-to-parallel converter are cleared prior to the loading of the next group of characters to be printed on the next line of print. During serial transmission, the printer assembly generates Acknowledge signals to indicate to the transmitting facility that the previous character has been received and stored.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Howard
- 👤 Prentice I Robinson
- 👤 Herbert E Menhennett
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:40
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/22; B41J2/23; B41J2/235; B41J2/265; B41J2/27; B41J2/285; G; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
267 words
A high speed printer of the dot-matrix type for forming a plurality of spaced dot patterns upon the surface of a document, comprising: a movable print assembly for sequentially forming vertically aligned dot patterns at closely spaced intervals to generate each symbol; means for moving said assembly in a first direction across a document at a substantially constant rate of speed to cause each character to be printed in a sequential fashion; holding means receiving said document for preventing movement of said document in said first direction; said print assembly including slender movable impact members having their impact ends positioned a small spaced distance from said document; control means for selectively conditioning the impact members to control the next vertical dot pattern to be formed; an elongated stationary mounted code strip extending substantially parallel to both the printing surface of said document and the line of travel of said assembly and being positioned adjacent said print assembly, said strip being provided with a plurality of narrow indicia, which are located at each and every print position at which said assembly is capable of printing; said print assembly including means movable therewith and positioned adjacent said strip for scanning said strip to detect the presence of each successIve indicia as said assembly moves in said first direction to enable those impact members conditioned by said control means to print a vertical dot pattern only when that indicia associated with the next print position is detected and regardless of the rate of movement or any change in the rate of movement of said print assembly in said first direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
267 words
A high speed printer of the dot-matrix type for forming a plurality of spaced dot patterns upon the surface of a document, comprising: a movable print assembly for sequentially forming vertically aligned dot patterns at closely spaced intervals to generate each symbol; means for moving said assembly in a first direction across a document at a substantially constant rate of speed to cause each character to be printed in a sequential fashion; holding means receiving said document for preventing movement of said document in said first direction; said print assembly including slender movable impact members having their impact ends positioned a small spaced distance from said document; control means for selectively conditioning the impact members to control the next vertical dot pattern to be formed; an elongated stationary mounted code strip extending substantially parallel to both the printing surface of said document and the line of travel of said assembly and being positioned adjacent said print assembly, said strip being provided with a plurality of narrow indicia, which are located at each and every print position at which said assembly is capable of printing; said print assembly including means movable therewith and positioned adjacent said strip for scanning said strip to detect the presence of each successIve indicia as said assembly moves in said first direction to enable those impact members conditioned by said control means to print a vertical dot pattern only when that indicia associated with the next print position is detected and regardless of the rate of movement or any change in the rate of movement of said print assembly in said first direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
104 words
The printer of claim 1, wherein all of said indicia are of a first color and are located at spaced intervals along said strip which is of a second color which is different from said first color; said detecting means comprising: a light source; means for directing the light rays from said light source to impinge upon the surface of said strip containing said indicia; and a light sensitive means for generating an output signal only when the light rays impinge upon one of said indicia; said output signals being coupled to said control means to enable said control means to operate said assembly.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
124 words
The printer of claim 1, wherein said strip is formed of a thin strip of flexible material; said indicia being comprised of a plurality of narrow light-transparent slits arranged at spaced intervals along said strip and being parallel to one another; said print assembly further including: a light source for directing light rays to impinge upon said strip and being positioned to one side of said strip; a light sensitive means mounted upon said assembly and being positioned upon the opposite side of said strip for generating an output signal only when said light rays pass through one of said indicia and are picked up by said light sensitive means; said output signals being adapted to enable said control means to operate said assembly.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
90 words
The printer of claim 1 further comprising: means for receiving coded information signals representing the symbols to be printed; means coupled to said receiving means for storing a group of said information signals sufficient to print any predetermined number of characters and/or symbols up to a full line of print; storage detecting means coupled to said storing means for detecting the completion of the storing of said information signals to initiate a printing operation; said control means being coupled to said storage means and responsive to said storage detecting means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
186 words
A high speed printer of the dot-matrix type comprising: a movable carriage movable between a ready to print position and an end of print position, said carriage having a printer head assembly for sequentially forming vertical columns of dots to represent characters or other symbols; shift register means for storing a plurality of groups of binary signals, each of said groups representing a character; means for sequentially shifting each group of signals into said register; first drive means for moving said carriage in a print direction; second drive means for moving said carriage in a carriage return direction opposite said print direction; means for detecting the return of said carriage to said ready-to-print position for loading a print control code into said register preparatory to receipt of said group of signals; control means coupled between the output of said register and said printer head assembly for controlling the operation of said printer head assembly; print control means coupled to the output of said register to enable said control means to initiate a printing operation when said print control code appears at the output of said register.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
186 words
A high speed printer of the dot-matrix type comprising: a movable carriage movable between a ready to print position and an end of print position, said carriage having a printer head assembly for sequentially forming vertical columns of dots to represent characters or other symbols; shift register means for storing a plurality of groups of binary signals, each of said groups representing a character; means for sequentially shifting each group of signals into said register; first drive means for moving said carriage in a print direction; second drive means for moving said carriage in a carriage return direction opposite said print direction; means for detecting the return of said carriage to said ready-to-print position for loading a print control code into said register preparatory to receipt of said group of signals; control means coupled between the output of said register and said printer head assembly for controlling the operation of said printer head assembly; print control means coupled to the output of said register to enable said control means to initiate a printing operation when said print control code appears at the output of said register.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The printer of claim 5, further comprising input means comprised of means for receiving each group of signals in serial fashion and loading each group of signals into said register in parallel fashion.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
65 words
The printer of claim 6, further comprising means for detecting the initiation of each signal; means responsive to said detecting means for enabling each signal to be loaded into said input means a predetermined time after said initiation of each signal whereby the leveL of the signal at said predetermined time determines the binary state of the signal which is loaded into said input means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
134 words
The printer of claim 6 wherein each binary bit is of equal length and wherein the beginning of each bit is distinguished from the end of the previous bit by a difference in signal level and wherein a first portion of a bit interval of a first binary state is greater in length than a first portion of a bit of the opposite binary state; timing means initiated by the start of each bit to generate a timing signal a predetermined time period longer than the interval of a bit, said timing means adapted to be reset in the presence of each newly received bit to begin a new cycle before generating said timing signal; means coupled to said timing means to clear said serial to parallel converter upon receipt of a timing signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
109 words
The printer of claim 6 wherein said enabling means further comprises second timing means coupled to said input means for generating an output pulse a predetermined time after the beginning of each input interval which predetermined interval is longer than the interval of the first portion of said first binary state and shorter than the interval of the first portion of said opposite binary state; means coupled to said second timing means and said input means to shift each bit into said register whereby the state of the bit shifted into said register is determined by the state of the bit at the time said output pulse is generated.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
The printer of claim 6, further comprising means coupled to said register means for preventing the loading of groups of signals into said input means when said print control code appears at the output of said register.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
74 words
The printer of claim 6, further comprising shift control means coupled between said shift means and said input means for shifting the groups of signals previously loaded into said register toward the output thereof when said shift control means detects the presence of a print control code in said input means; said print control means including means for disabling said shift means when a print control signal appears in the output of said register.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
The printer of claim 6, further comprising means for determining the duration of each signal; means coupled to said determining means for clearing said input means prior to shifting of the contents of said input means to said register when any one of the signal intervals are of non-uniform length.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
85 words
The printer of claim 12, wherein each group of signals is comprised of a plurality of data signals of equal time duration followed by a stop signal of a time duration greater than said data signals; means for enabling said shift means prior to the activation of said determining means to enable the contents of said input means to be shifted into said register prior to the clearing of said input means which prepares the input means for receipt of the next group of signals.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
84 words
The printer of claim 13, wherein each group of data signals is preceded by a start signal of a predetermined binary state and having a time duration equal to said data signals; means for detecting the state of said start signal when a group of signals has been loaded into said input means to clear said input means prior to shifting the contents of said input means into said register when the binary state of said start signal is opposite said predetermined binary state.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
87 words
The printer of claim 5, further comprising: switch means operable to generate a ready to print signal when said carriage is in said ready-to-print position; said print control means including means responsive to said switch means to prevent a printing operation until said carriage is in said ready-to-print position; means coupled between said print control means and said first drive means to energize said first drive means when said carriage is in the ready-to-print position and said print control code appears at the output of said register.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
52 words
The printer of claim 15, wherein said means for energizing said first drive means is further coupled to said shift means for shifting said print control out of said register and for shifting the first group of signals representing a character or symbol to be printed into the output of the register.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
The printer of claim 5, further comprising switch means operable to generate a carriage return signal when said carriage is in said end of print position; means responsive to said carriage return position for deenergizing said first drive means and for energizing said second drive means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
The printer of claim 17, wherein said second drive means moves said carriage at a faster speed in the carriage return direction than the speed of said carriage in the print direction.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
The printer of claim 17, further comprising means coupled to said means for energizing said second drive means for clearing the contents of said register during a carriage return operation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
73 words
The printer of claim 5, further comprising: an elongated stationary code strip extending substantially parallel to the line of travel of said assembly, said strip being provided with a plurality of narrow indicia each designating a print position; said assembly including means for detecting the presence of each indicia as said assembly moves in said first direction to prevent the assembly from printing each vertical dot pattern until its associated indicia is detected.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
67 words
The printer of claim 20, wherein said control means is further comprised of a matrix code generator for receiving a group of said data signals for converting said group of data signals into a plurality of groups of print signals; means coupled to the position detecting means for sequentially coupling said each of said groups of print signals to said printer head assembly during succeeding print positions.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
69 words
The printer of claim 21, wherein said printer head assembly is comprised of: a plurality of print wires having their forward ends adjacent a paper document to be printed upon and having their rearward ends coupled to and driven by an associated print solenoid; each of said solenoids being coupled to receive an associated one of said print signals; said forward ends being arranged along an imaginary straight line.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
47 words
The printer of claim 21, further comprising means coupled to said indicia detection means for operating said shift means to shift the next group of signals into the output of said register after the last group of print signals has been coupled to said printer head assembly.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-11-28 | 1976-05-29 | 1976-11-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-11-28 | 1980-05-29 | 1980-11-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-11-28 | 1984-05-29 | 1984-11-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |