System and method for controlling firing operations of an inkjet printhead
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsMichael J. Barbour, Jeffery S. Beck, George H Corrigan, III, Adam L. Ghozeil, Richard I Klaus
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Abstract
The present invention is a printing system and method having a printhead assembly that controls firing operations of an inkjet printhead. In particular, the system and method control the firing and timing decisions pertaining to ink drop ejection through the use of various types of delays. The printing system includes a controller, a power supply and a printhead assembly. The printhead assembly includes a memory device and distributive processor integrated with an ink driver head.
Claims29
A printhead assembly, comprising:
- a processing driver head having an ink ejection driver head integrated with a distributive processor;
- and
- a thermal element disposed on the processing driver head providing thermal energy to eject ink;
- a firing sequence sub-controller disposed on the distributive processor for selectively activating the thermal element in a firing sequence;
- and
- an address start variable used by the firing sequence sub-controller to generate a plurality of different firing sequences.
A printhead assembly, comprising:
- a processing driver head having an ink ejection driver head integrated with a distributive processor;
- a thermal element disposed on the processing driver head providing thermal energy for ejecting ink;
- a fire controller for sending plural fire pulses that direct the thermal element to eject ink;
- and
- a delay device for delaying the fire pulses between at least two thermal elements.
An inkjet printing system, comprising:
- a controller;
- a printhead assembly comprising a processing driver head having an ink ejection driver head integrated with a distributive processor;
- and
- a plurality of thermal elements disposed on the processing driver head providing thermal energy to eject ink;
- and
- a firing delay sub-controller disposed on the distributive processor for reducing electromagnetic interference in the processing driver head.
A printing method for a printhead assembly having a register, a distributive processor and a plurality of thermal elements, comprising:
- loading firing data into the register;
- determining a firing sequence for the firing data;
- selectively activating the plurality of thermal elements according to the firing sequence;
- and
- changing a starting address in the firing sequence to generate a different firing sequence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.