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US 2006/0066655 A1Published application
Printhead die warming
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsWayne Richard, John Watanabe, Jacint Humet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for printing with a plurality of dies. A plurality of dies is provided, with each die having a plurality of drop generators that are configured to eject drops of a same colored fluid. The drops from each die have a corresponding nominal drop weight at a reference temperature of the die. At least one of the dies is warmed to a corresponding elevated temperature higher than the reference temperature in order to substantially equalize the nominal drop weights of all of the dies.
Claims72
A method for printing with a multi-die printhead, comprising:
- providing in the printhead a first die having a plurality of drop generators configured to emit drops of a colored fluid, the drops having a first nominal drop weight at a reference temperature;
- providing in the printhead a second die having a plurality of drop generators configured to emit drops of the colored fluid, the drops having a second nominal drop weight at the reference temperature;
- and
- warming at least one of the first die and the second die a predetermined amount associated with the respective first or second die so as to substantially equalize the first and second nominal drop weights.
1 more element
A method of calibrating a printhead having a plurality of dies, comprising:
- emitting drops of a same colored fluid from each of the plurality of dies;
- for each of the dies, ascertaining from the corresponding emitted drops a characteristic representative of a nominal drop weight for the corresponding die;
- and
- determining from the characteristics of the dies an amount of warming to be applied to at least one of the dies during operation of the printhead.
1 more element
A method of calibrating a printhead having a plurality of dies, comprising:
- emitting drops of a same colored fluid from at least some drop generators of each die onto a distinct region of a medium associated with the die, each distinct region forming a printed patch;
- ascertaining an optical density of each printed patch, the optical density representative of a nominal drop weight of the corresponding die;
- determining from the optical densities of all the printed patches an amount of warming to be applied to at least one of the dies so as to substantially equalize the nominal drop weights for the plurality of dies.
A printing system, comprising:
- a print mechanism adapted to receive a printhead having a plurality of dies, each die including a plurality of drop generators configured to emit drops of a same colored fluid, the drops from each die having a corresponding nominal drop weight at a reference temperature of the die, the nominal drop weight of at least one of the dies different from the nominal drop weight of at least one other of the dies;
- and
- a controller configured to determine from the emitted drops at least one amount of warming, each amount of warming associated with a corresponding one of the dies, needed to substantially equalize the nominal drop weights of all of the dies, the controller further configured to control a heating arrangement disposed in the printhead and thermally coupled to individual ones of the dies so as to apply the at least one amount of warming to the corresponding one of the dies.
A printing system, comprising:
- means for receiving a printhead having a plurality of dies, each die including a plurality of drop generators configured to emit drops of a same colored fluid, the drops from each die having a corresponding nominal drop weight at a reference temperature of the die, the nominal drop weight of at least one of the dies different from the nominal drop weight of at least one other of the dies;
- and
- means for warming each of at least some of the dies to a corresponding elevated temperature higher than the reference temperature so as to substantially equalize the nominal drop weights of all of the dies.
A program stored on a computer-readable medium for equalizing drop weights of a plurality of dies in a multi-die printhead, comprising:
- code that generates a test plot including a plurality of printed patches, each printed patch produced by drops emitted from a corresponding one of the plurality of dies and having an optical density, the optical density representative of a nominal drop weight of the corresponding one of the plurality of dies;
- code that optically analyzes each of the printed patches and determines an optical density of each of the printed patches;
- and
- code that determines from the optical density at least one amount of warming, each amount of warming associated with a corresponding one of the dies, needed to equalize the nominal drop weights of all of the dies.
1 more element
A method for printing with a multi-die printhead, comprising:
- providing in the printhead a first die having a plurality of first sets of drop generators, each first set of drop generators configured to emit drops of one of a set of different colored fluids, the drops of each of the different colored fluids having a corresponding first nominal drop weight at a reference temperature;
- providing in the printhead a second die having a plurality of second sets of drop generators, each second set of drop generators configured to emit drops of one of the set of the different colored fluids, the drops of each of the different colored fluids having a corresponding second nominal drop weight at the reference temperature;
- and
- warming at least one of the first die and the second die a predetermined amount associated with the respective first or second die so as to substantially equalize the first and second nominal drop weights for the drops of each of the different colors fluids.
1 more element
A method for printing, comprising:
- providing a plurality of dies, each die having a plurality of drop generators configured to eject drops of a same colored fluid, the drops from each die having a corresponding nominal drop weight at a reference temperature of the die;
- and
- warming each of at least one of the dies to a corresponding elevated temperature higher than the reference temperature so as to substantially equalize the nominal drop weights of all of the dies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.