Color video printer and a photo CD system with integrated printer

A color video printer using a printing head comprising:

• (a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles;
• (b) a body of ink associated with said nozzles, said body of ink forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle;
• (c) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles;
• and
• (d) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles, said drop selection apparatus being capable of producing said difference in meniscus position in the absence of said drop separation apparatus.

A color video printer using a printing head comprising:

• (a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles;
• (b) a body of ink associated with said nozzles, said body of ink forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle and said ink exhibiting a surface tension decrease of at least 10 mN/m over a 30.degree. C. temperature range;
• (c) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles;
• and
• (d) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles.

A color video printing apparatus including:

• (a) a video input format conversion process;
• (b) a digital frame store;
• (c) a digital halftoning unit which converts the continuous tone image data stored in said digital frame store to bi-level image data;
• (d) a data distribution and timing system which provides the bi-level image data to the printing head at the correct time during a printing operation;
• and
• (e) a bi-level color printing mechanism including a printer having a print head comprising:
• (1) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles,
• (2) a body of ink associated with said nozzles;
• (3) a pressurizing device adapted to subject ink in said body of ink to a pressure of at least 2% above ambient pressure, at least during drop selection and separation to form a meniscus with an air/ink interface;
• (4) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles;
• and
• (5) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles.

A color video printing apparatus including:

• (a) a video input format conversion process;
• (b) a digital frame store;
• (c) a digital halftoning unit which converts the continuous tone image data stored in said digital frame store to bi-level image data;
• (d) a data distribution and timing system which provides the bi-level image data to the printing head at the correct time during a printing operation;
• and
• (e) a bi-level color printing mechanism including a printer having a print head comprising:
• (1) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles;
• (2) a body of ink associated with said nozzles, said body of ink forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle,
• (3) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles, and
• (4) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles, said drop selection apparatus being capable of producing said difference in meniscus position in the absence of said drop separation apparatus.

A color video printing apparatus including:

• (a) a video input format conversion process;
• (b) a digital frame store;
• (c) a digital halftoning unit which converts the continuous tone image data stored in said digital frame store to bi-level image data;
• (d) a data distribution and timing system which provides the bi-level image data to the printing head at the correct time during a printing operation;
• and
• (e) a bi-level color printing mechanism including a printer having a print head comprising:
• (1) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles.
• (2) a body of ink associated with said nozzles, said body of ink forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle and said ink exhibiting a surface tension decrease of at least 10 mN/m over a 30.degree. C. temperature range.
• (3) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles, and
• (4) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles.

A PhotoCD player incorporating a printing mechanism using a printing head comprising:

• (a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles;
• (b) a body of ink associated with said nozzles;
• (c) a pressurizing device adapted to subject ink in said body of ink to a pressure of at least 2% above ambient pressure, at least during drop selection and separation to form a meniscus with an air/ink interface;
• (d) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles;
• and
• (e) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles.

A PhotoCD player incorporating a printing mechanism using a printing head comprising:

• (a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles;
• (b) a body of ink associated with said nozzles, said body of ink forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle;
• (c) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles;
• and
• (d) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles, said drop selection apparatus being capable of producing said difference in meniscus position in the absence of said drop separation apparatus.

A PhotoCD player incorporating a printing mechanism using a printing head comprising:

• (a) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles;
• (b) a body of ink associated with said nozzles, said body of ink forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle and said ink exhibiting a surface tension decrease of at least 10 mN/m over a 30.degree. C. temperature range;
• (c) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles;
• and
• (d) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles.

A PhotoCD player incorporating a printing apparatus including:

• (a) a computing element;
• (b) digital data storage system;
• (c) a CD-ROM drive;
• (d) an image decompression system;
• (e) a digital halftoning system;
• (f) a bi-level image memory;
• (g) a data distribution and timing system which provides the bi-level image data to the printing head at the correct time during a printing operation;
• and
• (h) a bi-level printing mechanism including a printer having a print head comprising:
• (1) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles
• (2) a body of ink associated with said nozzles,
• (3) a pressurizing device adapted to subject ink in said body of ink to a pressure of at least 2% above ambient pressure, at least during drop selection and separation to form a meniscus with an air/ink interface,
• (4) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles, and
• (5) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles.

A PhotoCD player incorporating a printing apparatus including:

• (a) a computing element;
• (b) digital data storage system;
• (c) a CD-ROM drive;
• (d) an image decompression system;
• (e) a digital halftoning system;
• (f) a bi-level image memory;
• (g) a data distribution and timing system which provides the bi-level image data to the printing head at the correct time during a printing operation;
• and
• (h) a bi-level printing mechanism including a printer having a print head comprising:
• (1) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles.
• (2) a body of ink associated with said nozzles, said body of ink forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle,
• (3) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzlesL and
• (4) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles, said drop selection apparatus being capable of producing said difference in meniscus position in the absence of said drop separation apparatus.

A PhotoCD player incorporating a printing apparatus including:

• (a) a computing element;
• (b) digital data storage system;
• (c) a CD-ROM drive;
• (d) an image decompression system;
• (e) a digital halftoning system;
• (f) a bi-level image memory;
• (g) a data distribution and timing system which provides the bi-level image data to the printing head at the correct time during a printing operation;
• and
• (h) a bi-level printing mechanism including a printer having a print head comprising:
• (1) a plurality of drop-emitter nozzles.
• (2) a body of ink associated with said nozzles, said body of ink forming a meniscus with an air/ink interface at each nozzle and said ink exhibiting a surface tension decrease of at least 10 mN/m over a 30.degree. C. temperature range,
• (3) drop selection apparatus operable upon the air/ink interface to select predetermined nozzles and to generate a difference in meniscus position between ink in selected and non-selected nozzles, and
• (4) drop separation apparatus adapted to cause ink from selected nozzles to separate as drops from the body of ink, while allowing ink to be retained in non-selected nozzles.