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US4343012A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Printer control circuit

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1980-12-30
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Granted: 1982-08-03
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Expires: 2000-12-30
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Abstract

Abstract Circuit for generating from a pair of pulse trains produced in phase quadrature both an indication of the direction of print head motion and the production of timing signals from the leading and trailing edges of the pulses of only one of the two pulse trains. A pair of transducers is used to sense a timing disk rotating in synchronism with the movement of a carrier for a plurality of print elements moving along a print line which transducers are generating respective output pulse trains which are in phase quadrature relation to the other. The circuit provides timing signals for controlling the energization of the print elements at print positions along the print line and retains the same polarity for printing in either direction.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert F. Knapp

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 12:32
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/22; B41J2/23; B41J19/00; B41J19/18; B41J19/20; B41J19/202

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 197 words
In a printer having a recording medium supported on a platen and a carrier with energizable print elements thereon movable along said platen for recording data serially on a print line, the combination comprising: drive means for moving said carrier along said platen to advance said print elements from one print position to another; timing means connected to said drive means movable in synchronism with said carrier comprising a disk of alternate transparent and opaque sectors in a band of constant radius about said disk; sensing means including light source means and a pair of tansducers fixedy disposed on opposite sides of said disk with said transducers each generating as an output waveform a succession of pulses representing the quantity of light passing through said sectors as said disk moves, said transducers being spaced from each other along said band to provide their respective output pulses in phase quadrature; and circuit means for combining the two successions of said pulses to produce an output timing signal for enabling said print elements at the leading and trailing edges of each of the pulses in only one of said successions of pulses as said disk moves in one direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 197 words
In a printer having a recording medium supported on a platen and a carrier with energizable print elements thereon movable along said platen for recording data serially on a print line, the combination comprising: drive means for moving said carrier along said platen to advance said print elements from one print position to another; timing means connected to said drive means movable in synchronism with said carrier comprising a disk of alternate transparent and opaque sectors in a band of constant radius about said disk; sensing means including light source means and a pair of tansducers fixedy disposed on opposite sides of said disk with said transducers each generating as an output waveform a succession of pulses representing the quantity of light passing through said sectors as said disk moves, said transducers being spaced from each other along said band to provide their respective output pulses in phase quadrature; and circuit means for combining the two successions of said pulses to produce an output timing signal for enabling said print elements at the leading and trailing edges of each of the pulses in only one of said successions of pulses as said disk moves in one direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
Apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said drive means is a rotary drive means and said disk rotates therewith.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 20 words
Apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the said two pulse successions are supplied to an exclusive OR logic circuit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
Apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein said timing pulses are generated on only the leading edge of each output pulse from said exclusive OR circuit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 55 words
Apparatus as described in claim 3, further including means for detecting a predetermined direction of motion of said drive means and means for combining the output of the direction detecting means and the inverted output pulses of said exclusive OR circuit to provide output timing signals during motion of said carrier in an opposite direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
Apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said circuit means includes a single shot circuit responsive to said timing signal.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4037230A Cited
US4285606A Cited
US4195938A Cited
US4225251A Cited
US4176977A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1985-08-02 1986-02-01 1986-08-03 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1989-08-02 1990-02-01 1990-08-03 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1993-08-02 1994-02-01 1994-08-03 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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