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US 6,582,044 B2Granted
Ink-jet printing and servicing by predicting and adjusting ink-jet component performance
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsWen-Li Su, David Wetchler
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Abstract
Ink-jet pen drop firing elements having extended use—namely, printheads used with a plurality of replaceable reservoirs—are provided with a more accurate life span and performance gauge by monitoring energy accumulations over time and using monitored data for certain printer activity or maintenance.
Claims15
A method of dynamically adjusting thermal ink-jet printhead drop generator firing energy for a given set of drop generators, the method comprising:
- monitoring energy accumulation values for each separately addressable set of the drop generators;
- and
- adjusting firing energy to addressed drop generators for a next firing sequence based on the energy accumulation values.
A computer memory comprising:
- computer code for monitoring energy accumulation values for each separately addressable set of drop generators of an ink-jet printhead having a predetermined matrix of drop generators;
- and
- computer code for indicating printhead performance characteristics based on the energy accumulation values.
A method for determining printhead life, the method comprising:
- monitoring energy accumulation data for a first printhead;
- comparing data derived from said step of monitoring with predetermined energy accumulation data empirically derived for at least one printhead of a substantially comparable printhead type to said first printhead;
- and
- predicting remaining printhead life from data derived from said comparing.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.