Thermal printing system
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsIzumi Kariya, Yzsuhito Eguchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermal transfer printing system of the kind having a plurality of resistive elements substantially aligned for printing an image line-by-line includes a resistance value variation detector selectively connected to each of the resistive elements in order to derive compensation data based upon resistance variations in such elements. The resistant compensation data is retained in a memory at addresses corresponding to each of the resistive elements in the printing head and the compensation information is read-out from the memory to thereby compensate the printing data prior to being fed to the thermal printing head.
Claims18
Apparatus for use in a thermal printing system of the kind having a thermal print head with a plurality of resistive elements for printing an image line-by-line from printing data fed thereto, comprising:
- detector means selectively connected to each of said resistive elements for deriving data corresponding to an actual resistance value of each of said resistive elements;
- memory means connected to receive said derived data from said detector means for retaining said derived data at addresses corresponding to each of said resistive elements;
- and
- compensating means connected to said memory means and receiving said printing data for compensating said printing data according to said derived data retained in said memory means.
A thermal printing system, comprising:
- plurality of resistive elements arranged substantially in a line for line-by-line printing of an image contained in a data signal;
- resistance determining means selectively connected to each of said plurality of resistive elements for deriving data representing an actual resistance value of each of said resistive elements;
- memory means connected to said resistance determining means for retaining said data representing said actual resistance values of said resistive elements;
- and
- compensating means connected to said memory means and receiving said data signal for altering said data signal in accordance with said actual resistance values retained within said memory means.
A method for use in a thermal printing system of the kind having a thermal print head that includes a plurality of resistive elements for printing an image line-by-line in accordance with input printing data fed thereto, comprising the steps of:
- determining the actual resistance value of each of said plurality of resistive element of said thermal print head;
- retaining said actual resistance values in a memory at an addresss corresponding to each of said plurality of resistive elements;
- multiplying each of said retained actual resistance values with a corresponding element in said input printing data for producing a compensation signal therefrom;
- adding said compensation signal with said input printing data for compensating said input printing data;
- and
- energizing said thermal print head with said compensated input printing data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.