Inkjet print head with shared data lines
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsJoseph M. Torgerson, Trudy Benjamin, Kevin Bruce
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Abstract
An inkjet print head includes data signal lines configured to supply inkjet control voltages and non-volatile memory cell random access addresses. The inkjet print head includes an inkjet nozzle array wherein each nozzle in the array is configured to communicate with a data signal line. Also a non-volatile attribute memory cell array is included in the inkjet print head wherein each memory cell in the array is accessed through a data signal line shared with the nozzle array.
Claims20
An inkjet print head, comprising:
- a plurality of data signal lines configured to supply inkjet control voltages and non-volatile memory cell random access addresses;
- an inkjet nozzle array having a plurality of nozzles wherein each nozzle in the array is configured to communicate with a data signal line from the plurality of data signal lines;
- and
- a non-volatile attribute memory cell array wherein each memory cell in the array is accessed through a data signal line from the plurality of data signal lines shared with the nozzle array.
A method of using an inkjet print head having a nozzle array and a corresponding attribute non-volatile memory cell array, comprising:
- accessing a nozzle in the nozzle array through a data signal line;
- converting data on the data signal line into a random access address;
- addressing a memory cell in the attribute memory array through the random access address;
- and
- performing one of a read and a write of the memory cell using random access addresses converted from the data signal line.
A method of using an inkjet print head as in 9, wherein converting data on the data signal line into a random access address further comprises:
- latching a plurality of data signals into a shift register wherein each latched signal has a corresponding data signal line;
- applying data from the plurality of data signal lines as converted by the shift register to the memory cell array;
- and
- reading an attribute memory cell in the memory cell array at a random access address defined by the data signal lines.
A method of making an inkjet print head in a single process technology, comprising:
- generating a plurality of masks wherein each mask comprises inkjet nozzle geometries and non-volatile memory cell geometries on a single layer in the process technology;
- providing a substrate support for a plurality of inkjet print heads;
- and
- fabricating semiconductor layers, conductor layers, vias and contacts onto the substrate using the plurality of masks in a photolithographic process.
An inkjet print head, comprising:
- a plurality of data signal means for supplying inkjet control voltages and non-volatile memory cell random access addresses;
- an inkjet nozzle array means having a plurality of nozzles for delivering ink onto a medium, wherein each nozzle in the array means communicates with a data signal means from the plurality of data signal means;
- and
- a non-volatile attribute memory cell array means for storing print head identification data, wherein each memory cell in the array communicates through a data signal means from the plurality of data signal means shared with the nozzle array means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.