Die alignment with indexing scanbar
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsHsue-Yang Liu, Matthew A Shepherd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method including printing a calibration pattern with a wide array printhead having a plurality of printhead dies. The method includes scanning the calibration pattern with a scanbar having a width less than a width of the wide array printhead by indexing the scanbar to a plurality of selected positions across a width of the calibration pattern and providing a scanned calibration image at each selected position, the calibration images together providing a scan of the full width of the calibration pattern, and measuring alignment between successive printhead dies based on the calibration images.
Claims15
A method comprising:
- printing a calibration pattern with a wide array printhead having a plurality of printhead dies, the calibration pattern having alignment regions;
- scanning the calibration pattern with a scanbar having a width less than a width of the wide array printhead by indexing the scanbar to a plurality of selected positions across a width of the calibration pattern and providing a scanned calibration image at each selected position, the calibration images together providing a scan of the full width of the calibration pattern, wherein the scanbar has a plurality of sensor chips with gaps between successive sensor chips and the selected positions are selected so that the scanbar scans each alignment region at least once at a non-chip gap location of the scanbar;
- and
- measuring alignment between successive printhead dies based on the calibration images.
A printer comprising:
- a wide array printhead having a plurality of printhead dies arranged transversely across a printing path, the printhead to print a calibration pattern having alignment regions;
- a scanner having a width less than the printhead, a plurality of sensor chips with gaps between successive sensor chips, and being moveable across the printing path, the scanner to provide calibration images by scanning the calibration pattern at a plurality of selected positions across the printing path, the calibration images together providing a scan of a full width of the calibration pattern, the selected positions are selected so that each alignment region is scanned at least once at a non-chip gap location of the scanner;
- and
- an alignment controller to measure alignment between dies based on the calibration images.
A die alignment system comprising:
- a scanner moveable across a printing path, the scanner having a width less than a width of the calibration pattern and a plurality of sensor chips with gaps between successive sensor chips, the scanner to scan a calibration pattern when positioned at plurality of selected positions across the printing path to provide a calibration image at each selected position, the calibration images together providing a scan of the full width of the calibration pattern, wherein the calibration pattern is printed by a wide array printhead comprising printhead dies and the selected positions are selected so that the scanner scans each alignment region at least once at a non-chip gap location of the scanner;
- and
- an alignment controller to measure alignment between the printhead dies based on the calibration images.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.