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US 6,712,439 B1Granted
Integrated circuit and drive scheme for an inkjet printhead
AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.
InventorsFrank Edward Anderson, George Keith Parish
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit in an ink jet printhead selectively activates one or more printing elements on the printhead based on a multi-dimensional addressing scheme. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of pass switching, power switching, and one or more ground switching devices for selectively connecting one or more power switching devices to ground to activate one or more of the printing elements to print an image on a print medium. The integrated circuit includes a number of first, second, third, and fourth control lines for selectively controlling the activation of one or more of the printing elements.
Claims20
A method of activating a printing element within an array of printing elements on a printhead of an inkjet printer comprising:
- (a) providing a plurality of printing elements,
- (b) providing a plurality of power switching devices coupled to the plurality of printing elements, each power switching device having a power source, power drain, and power gate,
- (c) providing a plurality of pass switching devices, each pass switching device coupled to a corresponding power switching device, each pass switching device having a pass source, pass drain, and a pass gate,
- (d) providing one or more ground switching devices, the one or more ground switching devices having a ground source, ground drain, and ground gate, where the pass drain of each pass switching device is connected to the power gate of a corresponding one of the power switching devices, where a ground drain of the one or more one ground switching devices is coupled to one or more power sources of one or more of the power switching devices, and where the power drain of each power switching device is connected to a corresponding one of the printing elements,
- (e) defining a plurality of groups of printing elements and associated pass switching and power switching devices,
- (f) within each group defining a plurality of subsets of printing elements and associated pass switching devices,
- (g) providing a subset selection signal to the pass switching devices and power switching devices of a selected one of the subsets to thereby select a subset of printing elements in the array of printing elements based on the subset selection signal,
- (h) providing an address signal to a selected subset of the pass switching devices to thereby select a one or more printing elements based on the address signal,
- (i) providing a heater select signal to one or more of the ground switching devices,
- (j) providing a primitive signal to a select one of the groups of printing elements on the printhead, and
- (k) activating a selected printing element within the select group based on the primitive signal and the heater select signal.
8 more elements
An integrated circuit for controlling a printing operation of an inkjet printhead based on first, second, third, and fourth control signals provided by a printer controller, the integrated circuit comprising:
- a plurality of printing elements arranged in selectable groups for printing an image on a print medium,
- a plurality of power switching devices, each coupled to a corresponding one of the printing elements,
- a plurality of pass switching devices, each coupled to a corresponding one of the power switching devices,
- one or more ground switching devices coupled to one or more of the power switching devices,
- p number of first control lines each coupled to a corresponding one of the selectable groups of printing elements, each first control line for providing the first control signal to one or more of the selectable groups of printing elements, thereby selectively enabling activation of one or more of the selectable groups of the printing elements,
- q number of second control lines each coupled to a corresponding selectable subset of power switching devices and pass switching devices within one or more of the selectable groups of printing elements, each second control line for providing the second control signal to the corresponding selectable subset of power switching devices and pass switching devices, the second control lines for selectively enabling activation of the corresponding subset of power switching devices and pass switching devices within the one or more selectable groups,
- a number of third control lines, each coupled to corresponding pass switching devices within each subset of printing elements, the third control lines for providing the third control signal to the corresponding selectable subset of pass switching devices, the third control signal for selectively enabling activation of one of the printing elements within the corresponding selectable subset, and
- h number of fourth control lines coupled to the one or more of the ground switching devices, the fourth control lines for providing the fourth control signal to the one or more ground switching devices, the fourth control signal for selectively activating the one or more of the ground switching devices to connect the one or more power switching devices to ground, thereby activating a selected printing element within the selected subset of printing elements.
5 more elements
An ink jet printer comprising:
- a printer controller for generating print signals,
- a printhead for generating a printed image on a print medium, the printhead including:
- a plurality of printing elements arranged in selectable groups for printing the image on the print medium,
- a plurality of power switching devices, each coupled to a corresponding one of the printing elements,
- a plurality of pass switching devices, each coupled to a corresponding one of the power switching devices,
- one or more ground switching devices coupled to one or more of the power switching devices,
- p number of first control lines each coupled to a corresponding one of the selectable groups of printing elements, each first control line for providing the first control signal to one or more of the selectable groups of printing elements, thereby selectively enabling activation of one or more of the selectable groups of the printing elements,
- q number of second control lines each coupled to a corresponding selectable subset of power switching devices and pass switching devices within one or more of the selectable groups of printing elements, each second control line for providing the second control signal to the corresponding selectable subset of power switching devices and pass switching devices, the second control lines for selectively enabling activation of the corresponding subset of power switching devices and pass switching devices within the one or more selectable groups,
- a number of third control lines, each coupled to corresponding pass switching devices within each subset of printing elements, the third control lines for providing the third control signal to the corresponding selectable subset of pass switching devices, the third control signal for selectively enabling activation of one of the printing elements within the corresponding selectable subset, and
- h number of fourth control lines coupled to the one or more of the ground switching devices, the fourth control lines for providing the fourth control signal to the one or more ground switching devices, the fourth control signal for selectively activating the one or more of the ground switching devices to connect the one or more power switching devices to ground, thereby activating a selected printing element within the selected subset of printing elements.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.