Signaling method for a pen driver circuit interface
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorKirkpatrick William Norton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A signaling method for a pen driver circuit interface is embodied in a signal interface between a controller circuit and a pen driver circuit for a printer. At least one signal of the interface is omitted; and the pen driver circuit is modified to process a combination of signals including at least one of the signals on the signal interface to provide information pertaining to the at least one omitted signal. According to a preferred method, the combination of signals are processed when data is not being transferred via the signal interface to provide a pen firing control signal for the printer such as a warm enable signal or a fire enable signal.
Claims18
A method of signaling for a pen driver interface, the method comprising the steps of:
- eliminating a warm enable pulse signal from an interface between a controller and a pen driver circuit;
- and
- employing the pen driver circuit to derive the warm enable pulse signal from a combination of signals remaining on the interface.
A method of signaling for a pen driver interface, the method comprising the steps of:
- reducing a number of signal lines for a signal interface between a controller circuit and a pen driver circuit for a printer;
- and
- when data is not being transferred via the signal interface, employing the pen driver circuit to process a combination of signals including at least one data transfer signal from the signal interface to provide information associated with a signal line which has been eliminated from the signal interface.
A method of signaling for a pen driver interface, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a signal interface between a controller circuit and a pen driver circuit for a printer;
- extending the duration of a data transfer signal of the signal interface;
- and
- configuring the pen driver circuit to process a combination of signals from the signal interface including the data transfer signal to provide a pen firing control signal.
A method of signaling for a pen driver interface, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a signal interface between a controller circuit and a pen driver circuit for a printer;
- and
- employing the pen driver circuit to derive a warm enable pulse signal for the printer from a combination of signals, the combination of signals including at least one data transfer signal provided to the pen driver circuit by the signal interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.