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US 12,654,439 B2Granted
System and method for controlling inkjet operation in an inkjet printer using image content data
AssigneeGenesee Valley Innovations, LLC
InventorsSeemit Praharaj, Jason M. LeFevre, Douglas K. Herrmann, Varun Sambhy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printer and method of operating the printer adjusts firing signal waveforms for inkjets that eject at least one ink drop into one or more ink images produced by the printer to reduce the ink drop variability of the ink drops ejected into the one or more images. A range of acceptable ink drop volumes is identified using a nominal ink drop volume and a maximum ink drop volume deviation. The firing signals for the inkjets outside of this identified range are adjusted to shift the ink drops ejected by these inkjets into the range of acceptable ink drop volumes.
Claims20
A printer comprising:
- a plurality of printheads, each printhead being configured to eject ink drops onto a substrate as the substrate passes each printhead in a process direction;
- a plurality of printhead drivers, each printhead driver being operatively connected to one of the printheads in the plurality of printheads in a one-to-one correspondence and each printhead driver being configured to operate inkjets within the one printhead operatively connected to the printhead driver;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to each printhead driver, the controller being configured to:
- receive ink image content data for each ink image to be printed in a print job;
- identify a nominal ink drop volume based on the ink image content data;
- identify, based at least in part on the received ink image content data for each ink image to be printed, inkjets to be operated during the print job that eject ink drops having a volume outside a range of ink drop volumes about the nominal ink drop volume;
- identify a firing signal waveform adjustment for each inkjet identified as being outside the range of ink drop volumes about the nominal ink drop volume;
- and
- each printhead driver being further configured to generate firing signals for the inkjets identified as being outside of the range of ink drop volumes about the nominal ink drop volume that are operatively connected to the printhead driver using the identified firing signal waveform adjustment, wherein the firing signals are generated for use during the print job.
7 more elements
A method for operating a printer comprising:
- receiving ink image content data for each ink image to be printed in a print job by inkjets in a plurality of printheads;
- identify a nominal ink drop volume for the inkjets in the plurality of printheads based on the received ink image content data;
- identifying, based at least in part on the received image content data for each ink image to be printed, inkjets in the plurality of printheads to be operated during the print job that eject ink drops having a volume outside a range of ink drop volumes about a nominal ink drop volume;
- identifying a firing signal waveform adjustment for each inkjet identified as being outside the range of ink drop volumes about the nominal ink drop volume;
- and
- generating, during the print job, firing signals for the inkjets identified as being outside of the range of ink drop volumes about the nominal ink drop volume using the identified firing signal waveform adjustment.
3 more elements
A method for operating a printer comprising:
- receiving ink image content data for each ink image to be printed in a print job;
- identifying inkjets in a plurality of printheads that are operated to eject ink drops having a volume outside a range of ink drop volumes about a nominal ink drop volume;
- identifying a firing signal waveform adjustment for each inkjet identified as being outside the range of ink drop volumes about the nominal ink drop volume;
- and
- generating firing signals for the inkjets identified as being outside of the range of ink drop volumes about the nominal ink drop volume using the identified firing signal waveform adjustment;
- the identification of the range of ink drop volumes further comprising:
- identifying a frequency of inkjet operation for each inkjet ejecting at least one ink drop into at least one ink image in the ink image content data;
- identifying an inkjet drop volume ejected by each inkjet ejecting at least one ink drop into the at least one ink image;
- identifying the nominal ink drop volume using the identified ink drop volumes for the inkjets ejecting at least one ink drop into the at least one ink image;
- and
- identifying the range of ink drop volumes about the nominal ink drop volume using a maximum ink drop volume deviation.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.