Method and apparatus for drop weight encoding
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsGopalan Raman, Charles R. Steinmetz
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Abstract
The present invention is an inkjet print cartridge for use in an inkjet printing apparatus for forming images on print media. The inkjet print cartridge includes an inkjet printhead that is responsive to print control signals for ejecting ink drops onto print media. The inkjet printhead has a manufacturing tolerances associated therewith producing a range of drop weights. The inkjet printhead has a corresponding drop weight from the range of drop weights. Included with the inkjet print cartridge is an information storage device that is associated with the inkjet printhead for storing information for identifying the corresponding drop weight.
Claims11
An inkjet print cartridge for use in an inkjet printing apparatus for forming images on print media, the inkjet print cartridge comprising:
- a pen body;
- an inkjet printhead mounted to the pen body for ejecting ink drops onto print media, the inkjet printhead having a manufacturing tolerance associated therewith and producing a corresponding actual drop weight for said printhead which is dependent on the manufacturing tolerance in a range of drop weights;
- and
- an information storage device supported by the pen body and associated with the inkjet printhead for storing information for identifying said corresponding actual drop weight for said printhead, said information readable by the inkjet printing apparatus.
A method for encoding an inkjet print cartridge for use in an inkjet printer, the cartridge including a pen body, an inkjet printhead supported by the body, and an information storage device associated with the printhead and carried by the pen body, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining an actual drop weight for the inkjet printhead;
- and
- encoding data corresponding to the actual drop weight for the inkjet printhead in the information storage device associated with the inkjet printhead, the data being encoded in a form which is readable by the inkjet printer.
An inkjet printing system for forming images on print media, the inkjet printing system comprising:
- inkjet print cartridge apparatus including pen body apparatus, printhead apparatus carried by the pen body apparatus for ejecting ink onto print media, and information storage apparatus supported by the pen body apparatus, the inkjet printhead apparatus having a manufacturing tolerance associated therewith producing a range of possible drop volumes said inkjet printhead apparatus having a corresponding actual drop volume due to the manufacturing tolerance;
- the information storage apparatus having drop volume information associated with the inkjet printhead apparatus stored therein, said drop volume information determined by said corresponding actual drop volume;
- a printer configured for receiving the inkjet print cartridge apparatus for forming images on print media, the printer including an information reading device for reading the drop volume information associated with the inkjet printhead apparatus, the printer using the drop volume information for compensating for the manufacturing tolerance.
A method for encoding an inkjet print cartridge including a pen body, an inkjet printhead mounted to the pen body, and an information storage device associated with the printhead and attached to the pen body, and using the encoded print cartridge in an inkjet printer, the method comprising the following steps:
- determining an actual drop weight for the inkjet printhead associated with a particular manufacturing tolerance for the printhead;
- encoding the actual drop weight for the inkjet printhead in the information storage device;
- installing the inkjet print cartridge in an inkjet printer;
- reading the drop volume information associated with the inkjet printhead;
- and
- using the drop volume information to compensate for the manufacturing tolerance during printing operations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.