# US 8,540,348 B2 · Fluid ejection device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,540,348 B2 - Document ID: US8540348B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/191,114 - Filed: 2008-08-13 - Published: 2009-01-01 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2004-04-19 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Applicants: Trudy L. Benjamin - Inventors: Trudy L. Benjamin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540348B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/0458: {controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles} - B41J 2/04521: {reducing number of signal lines needed} - B41J 2/04541: {Specific driving circuit} - B41J 2/04543: {Block driving} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A fluid ejection device comprising firing cells including a first group of firing cells and a second group of firing cells and control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to respond to the control signal to selectively initiate a first sequence adapted to enable the first group of firing cells for activation and a second sequence adapted to enable the second group of firing cells for activation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fluid ejection device comprising: a printhead die including: fire lines configured to receive energy signals having energy pulses; firing cells including a first bank of firing cells and a second bank of firing cells, wherein the firing cells are configured to receive the energy signals; and a first address generator configured to respond to control signals to provide all of a first group of address signals to the first bank of firing cells and to provide all of the first group of address signals to the second bank of firing cells and to selectively provide a first sequence of varying first address signals in the first group of address signals to enable only the first bank of firing cells for activation and a second sequence of varying second address signals in the first group of address signals to enable only the second bank of firing cells for activation, wherein the second sequence of varying second address signals is selectively provided independent of the first sequence of varying first address signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fluid ejection device of claim 1, wherein one of the control signals comprise control pulses and the first address generator is configured to respond to the control pulses to initiate the first sequence and to initiate the second sequence. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fluid ejection device of claim 1, wherein the control signals comprise a series of timing pulses and the first address generator is configured to respond to the series of timing pulses to provide the first address signals and the second address signals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fluid ejection device of claim 1, wherein the control signals comprise control pulses and a series of timing pulses and the first address generator is configured to initiate the first sequence and to initiate the second sequence in response to receiving control pulses coincident with timing pulses in the series of timing pulses. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fluid ejection device of claim 1, wherein the control signals comprise control pulses and a series of timing pulses and the first address generator is configured to initiate the first sequence in response to receiving a first control pulse in the control pulses coincident with a first timing pulse in the series of timing pulses. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The fluid ejection device of claim 5, wherein the first address generator is configured to initiate the second sequence in response to receiving a second control pulse in the control pulses coincident with a second timing pulse in the series of timing pulses. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fluid ejection device of claim 6, wherein the first timing pulse and the second timing pulse are different timing pulses in the series of timing pulses. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The fluid ejection device of claim 6, wherein the first address generator further comprises: a direction circuit configured to set a first direction signal in response to receiving a third control pulse in the control pulses coincident with a third timing pulse in the series of timing pulses. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fluid ejection device of claim 8, wherein the third timing pulse and the first timing pulse are different timing pulses in the series of timing pulse and the third timing pulse and the second timing pulse are different timing pulses in the series of timing pulses. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fluid ejection device of claim 9, wherein the direction circuit receives a fourth timing pulse in the series of timing pulses and responds to the fourth timing pulse to set a second direction signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The fluid ejection device of claim 10, wherein the first timing pulse and the second timing pulse and the third timing pulse and the fourth timing pulse are different timing pulses in the series of timing pulses. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The fluid ejection device of claim 10, wherein the fourth timing pulse follows the third control pulse and the first timing pulse occurs at a different time than between the third control pulse and the fourth timing pulse. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The fluid ejection device of claim 10, wherein the fourth timing pulse follows the third control pulse and the first timing pulse and the second timing pulse occur at different times than between the third control pulse and the fourth timing pulse. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The fluid ejection device of claim 1, wherein the firing cells comprise a third bank of firing cells and a fourth bank of firing cells and the printhead die further comprises: a second address generator configured to respond to the control signals to provide a second group of address signals to the third bank of firing cells and to provide the second group of address signals to the fourth bank of firing cells and to selectively provide a third sequence of varying third address signals in the second group of address signals to enable the third bank of firing cells for activation and a fourth sequence of varying fourth address signals in the second group of address signals to enable the fourth bank of firing cells for activation, wherein the third sequence of third address signals is selectively provided independent of the fourth sequence of fourth address signals. ### Claim 15 A method for ejecting fluid from a fluid ejection device, the method comprising: receiving, in a printhead die, energy signals having energy pulses at firing cells including a first bank of firing cells and a second bank of firing cells; receiving, in the printhead die, control signals; providing, in the printhead die, in response to the control signals, all of a first group of address signals to the first bank of firing cells; providing, in the printhead die, in response to the control signals, all of the first group of address signals to the second bank of firing cells; selectively providing, in the printhead die, in response to the control signals, a first sequence of varying first address signals in the first group of address signals to enable only the first bank of firing cells for activation; and selectively providing, in the printhead die, in response to the control signals, a second sequence of varying second address signals in the first group of address signals to enable only the second bank of firing cells for activation, wherein the second sequence of varying second address signals is selectively provided independent of the first sequence of varying first address signals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein selectively providing comprises: responding to control pulses in one of the control signals to initiate the first sequence and to initiate the second sequence. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein selectively providing comprises: responding to a series of timing pulses in the control signals to provide the first address signals and the second address signals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein selectively providing comprises: receiving control pulses in one of the control signals; receiving a series of timing pulses in the control signals; and responding to control pulses received coincident with timing pulses in the series of timing pulses to initiate the first sequence and to initiate the second sequence. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein selectively providing comprises: receiving control pulses in one of the control signals; receiving a series of timing pulses in the control signals; and responding to a first control pulse received coincident with a first timing pulse in the series of timing pulses to initiate the first sequence. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein selectively providing comprises: responding to a second control pulse received coincident with a second timing pulse in the series of timing pulses to initiate the second sequence. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein selectively providing comprises: responding to a third control pulse received coincident with a third timing pulse in the series of timing pulses to set a direction signal. ### Claim 22 A fluid ejection device comprising: fire lines configured to receive energy signals having energy pulses; firing cells including a first bank of firing cells and a second bank of firing cells, wherein the firing cells are configured to receive the energy signals; and a first address generator configured to respond to control signals to selectively provide a first sequence of varying first address signals adapted to enable the first bank of firing cells for activation and a second sequence of varying second address signals adapted to enable the second bank of firing cells for activation, wherein the second sequence of varying second address signals is selectively provided independent of the first sequence of varying first address signals and the control signals comprise control pulses and a series of timing pulses and the first address generator is configured to initiate the first sequence in response to receiving a first control pulse in the control pulses coincident with a first timing pulse in the series of timing pulses and the first address generator further comprises: a direction circuit configured to set a first direction signal in response to receiving a second control pulse in the control pulses coincident with a second timing pulse in the series of timing pulses and the direction circuit receives a third timing pulse in the series of timing pulses and responds to the third timing pulse to set a second direction signal.