Magnet operating time compensation system

Claim 2

A time compensation control system for use in a line printer wherein for each successive line of characters to be printed in accordance with printing information supplied to the system, the line printer presents, in common, at each character print position of the print line and in each print interval of a cycle of plural time sequential print intervals, a corresponding one of plural character types available for printing, and wherein printing of a common type character at print positions of a line selected in accordance with said printing information is effected by a drive voltage generated for each such print interval, the generation of the drive voltage and thus the instant of printing in response to the drive voltage in a given print interval being controlled in accordance with the duration of a compensation time, comprising: means for storing printing information signals corresponding to the characters to be printed in a line, for each of successive lines, means for detecting from the printing information signals of said storing means each character of a given, common type to be printed on a line simultaneously and during a corresponding print interval, means responsive to the number of common type characters detected by said detecting means for predicting a resultant change in the drive voltage during the said corresponding print interval, and means for adjusting the duration of the compensation time in accordance with the said predicted resultant change in the drive voltage, thereby to control the timing of the drive voltage and thereby the instant of printing impact during the said corresponding print interval.

Claim 3

A time compensation control system as recited in claim 1 wherein: said detecting means comprises a counter for counting the said number of characters of a common type to be printed during a print interval, and said predicting means comprises a multiplier for multiplying the count content of said counter by a preselected constant.

Claim 4

A time compensation control system as recited in claim 1 wherein: said detecting means comprises: first means for counting the number of characters of a first common type to be printed simultaneously during a given print interval, second means for counting the number of characters of a second common type corresponding to a preceding print interval, and third means for counting the number of characters of a third, common type corresponding to a succeeding print interval, and said predicting means comprises first, second and third multipliers for multiplying the count content of said first, second and third counting means by respectively corresponding first, second and third preselected constants, and means for accumulating the multiplication outputs of said first, second and third multiplying means.

Claim 5

A time compensation control system as recited in claim 1 wherein: said detecting means produces an output signal for each said character of said common type to be printed simultaneously on a line during a corresponding print interval, and said predicting means comprises a divider circuit for receiving the output signals produced by said detecting means and dividing the number thereof by a pre-established constant, and means for accumulating the divided outputs of said multiplying means.

Claim 6

A time comPensation control system as recited in claim 1 wherein: said detecting means produces an output signal for each said character of said common type to be printed simultaneously on a line during a corresponding print interval, and said predicting means comprises means for receiving and counting the output signals from said detecting means for each print interval, and means for converting the count accumulated by said counting means in each said print interval to an analog value, and said adjusting means delays the output therefrom of a trigger signal for producing the drive voltage in accordance with said analog value, thereby to control the timing of the drive voltage.

Claim 7

A time compensation control system as recited in claim 1 wherein there is further provided means for storing signals identifying each said character type available for printing in the sequence of said corresponding time sequential print intervals, and said detecting means comprises means for comparing each said stored character type signal with each of the signals stored in said printing information storing means corresponding to characters to be printed in a line, in sequence for said corresponding, time sequential print intervals.

Claim 8

A time compensation control system as recited in claim 6 wherein said detecting means further comprises: first and second delay circuits, each producing a delay corresponding to a print interval, and connected in series to receive the output of said character type signal storing means, the output of said first delay circuit comprising a signal defining the character type corresponding to a current print interval, the output of said second delay circuit comprising a signal defining the character type corresponding to the next preceding print interval, and the output of said storing means comprising a signal defining the character type corresponding to the next succeeding print interval of said time sequential print intervals of a cycle, first, second and third comparing means respectively receiving the character type signal output of said storing means and the character type signal outputs of said first and second delay circuits, said second comparing means thereby supplying an output signal for each character in the line of printing information corresponding to the common character type and said first and third comparing means respectively producing output signals for each character in the said line of the said common types of the respectively corresponding, next succeeding and next preceding print intervals of said cycle, and said predicting means includes first, second and third means receiving the output signals of said first, second and third comparing means, respectively, for weighting the respective said output signals by respectively corresponding first, second and third preselected weighting constants, and means for accumulating the weighted outputs of said weighting means, the accumulated output thereof comprising the said predicted resultant change in the drive voltage to which said adjusting means responds for adjusting the duration of the compensation time.

Claim 9

A time compensation control system for use in a line printer wherein for each successive line of characters to be printed in accordance with printing information supplied to the system, the line printer presents, at each character print position of the print line and in sequential print intervals of a cycle of plural time sequential print intervals, respectively corresponding plural character types available for printing, and wherein printing of characters, selected in accordance with said printing information, is effected by a drive voltage generated for each such print interval, the generation of the drive voltage and thus the instant of printing in response to the drive voltage in a given print interval being controlled in accordance with the duration of a compensation time, comprising: means for storing printing information signals correspoNding to characters to be printed, means for detecting from the stored printing information signals of said storing means each character to be printed on a line during a corresponding print interval, means responsive to the number of characters detected by said detecting means for predicting a resultant change in the drive voltage during the said corresponding print interval, and means for adjusting the duration of the compensation time in accordance with the said predicted resultant change in the drive voltage, thereby to control the timing of the drive voltage and thereby the instant of printing impact during the said corresponding print interval.

Claim 10

A time compensation control system for use in a line printer wherein for each successive line of characters to be printed in accordance with printing information supplied to the system, the line printer presents, at each character print position of the print line and in sequential print intervals of a cycle of plural time sequential print intervals, respectively corresponding plural character types available for printing, and wherein printing of characters, selected in accordance with said printing information, is effected by a drive voltage generated for each such print interval, the generation of the drive voltage and thus the instant of printing in response to the drive voltage in a given print interval being controlled in accordance with the duration of a compensation time, comprising: means for storing printing information signals correspoNding to characters to be printed, means for detecting from the stored printing information signals of said storing means each character to be printed on a line during a corresponding print interval, means responsive to the number of characters detected by said detecting means for predicting a resultant change in the drive voltage during the said corresponding print interval, and means for adjusting the duration of the compensation time in accordance with the said predicted resultant change in the drive voltage, thereby to control the timing of the drive voltage and thereby the instant of printing impact during the said corresponding print interval.