Thermal response correction system for multicolor printing

An apparatus for printing of a digital image on a thermal imaging member with a thermal print head comprising at least one print head element, the apparatus comprising:

• means for identifying a density value of a color component of a pixel in the digital image, the pixel comprising N color components, each of the color components associated with one of N printing segments of a printing line time where N>1;
• means for identifying a print head element temperature;
• means for identifying at least one amount of energy supplied to the print head element during each of N−1 previous printing segments;
• means for identifying an energy computation function associated with the color component;
• means for identifying at least one function of the amount of the identified energy;
• means for identifying an input energy amount using the energy computation function and the density value, the print head element temperature, and the at least one function of the amount of energy;
• and
• means for supplying energy equal to the input energy amount to the print head element.

A method for thermal printing of a digital image on a thermal imaging member with a thermal print head comprising at least one print head element, comprising:

• (A) identifying a density value of a color component of a pixel in the digital image, the pixel comprising N color components, each of the color components associated with one of N printing segments of a printing line time where N>1;
• (B) identifying a print head element temperature;
• (C) identifying at least one amount of energy supplied to the print head element during each of N−1 previous printing segments;
• (D) identifying an energy computation function associated with the color component;
• (E) identifying an input energy amount using the energy computation function and the density value, the print head element temperature, and the at least one amount of energy supplied to the print head element during each of the previous N−1 printing segments;
• (F) supplying energy equal to the input energy amount to the print head element;
• (G) storing a record of the input energy;
• (H) repeating (A)-(G), wherein (C) comprises identifying the recorded input energy;
• wherein (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), and (G) are performed by a processor executing computer program instructions tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium.

An apparatus for thermal printing of a digital image on a thermal imaging member with a thermal print head comprising at least one print head element, the apparatus comprising:

• first means for identifying a density value of a color component of a pixel in the digital image, the pixel comprising N color components, each of the color components associated with one of N printing segments of a printing line time where N>1;
• second means for identifying a print head element temperature;
• third means for identifying at least one amount of energy supplied to the print head element during each of N−1 previous printing segments;
• fourth means for identifying an energy computation function associated with the color component;
• fifth means for identifying an input energy amount using the energy computation function and the density value, the print head element temperature, and the at least one amount of energy supplied to the print head element during each of the previous N−1 printing segments;
• sixth means supplying energy equal to the input energy amount to the print head element;
• seventh means for storing a record of the input energy;
• means for applying the first means, second means, third means, fourth means, fifth means, sixth means, and seventh means a first time;
• and
• means for applying the first means, second means, third means, fourth means, fifth means, sixth means, and seventh means a second time, wherein the third means comprises means for identifying the recorded input energy.

A method for estimating a set of parameters for use in an energy computation function, the method comprising:

• (A) choosing a set of non-zero input energies, associated with more than one segment of a line printing time of a printer, to supply to the printer;
• (B) printing an image using the printer with the set of input energies;
• (C) measuring the printed densities of regions of the image corresponding to each input energy in the set of input energies;
• (D) estimating the energies required to attain each of the measured printed densities using a set of parameters;
• and
• (E) adjusting the set of parameters so as to minimize the differences between the estimates of the energy required to attain the measured printed densities and the input energies supplied to the printer to achieve the measured printed densities.

An apparatus for estimating a set of parameters for use in an energy computation function, the apparatus comprising:

• means for choosing a set of non-zero input energies, associated with more than one segment of a line printing time of a printer, to supply to the printer;
• means for printing an image using the printer with the set of input energies;
• means for measuring the printed densities of regions of the image corresponding to each input energy in the set of input energies;
• means for estimating the energies required to attain each of the measured printed densities using a set of parameters;
• and
• means for adjusting the set of parameters so as to minimize the differences between the estimates of the energy required to attain the measured printed densities and the input energies supplied to the printer to achieve the measured printed densities.