# US 8,770,685 B2 · Logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart-line for 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 8,770,685 B2 - Document ID: US8770685B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/201,460 - Filed: 2009-02-22 - Published: 2011-12-29 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2009-02-22 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Applicants: Matthew A. Shepherd; Walter D. Clark; Trudy Benjamin - Inventors: Matthew A. Shepherd; Walter D. Clark; Trudy Benjamin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770685B2 ## CPC - G06K 15/102: {using ink jet print heads} - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract A fluid-ejection device includes physical data lines, a controller, and a fluid-ejection mechanism. The physical data lines communicatively connect the controller and the fluid-ejection mechanism. The controller is to assert a logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line to denote that a first data sub-packet of a new data packet of nozzle data for a predetermined sequence of fluid-ejection nozzles of the fluid-ejection mechanism is being transmitted over the physical data lines. The fluid-ejection mechanism is to listen for the controller to assert the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line, to discern that the first data sub-packet of the new data packet is being transmitted over the physical data lines. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fluid-ejection device comprising: a plurality of physical data lines; a controller communicatively connected to the physical data lines and to assert a logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line to denote that a first data sub-packet of a new data packet of nozzle data for a predetermined sequence of a plurality of fluid-ejection nozzles has been transmitted over the physical data lines; and, a fluid-ejection mechanism including the plurality of fluid-ejection nozzles, the fluid-ejection mechanism communicatively connected to the physical data lines and to listen for the controller to assert the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line to discern that the first data sub-packet of the new data packet has been transmitted over the physical data lines. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fluid-ejection device of claim 1, wherein the controller is transmit one or more predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits corresponding to assertion the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line, and wherein the fluid-ejection mechanism is to listen to the physical data lines for the predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits corresponding to assertion of the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line by the controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The fluid-ejection device of claim 2, wherein controller is to transmit the predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits corresponding to assertion of the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line in lieu of asserting a physical nozzle-fire-restart line communicatively connecting the controller and the fluid-ejection mechanism. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The fluid-ejection device of claim 2, further comprising the physical nozzle-fire-restart line communicatively connecting the controller and the fluid-ejection mechanism. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The fluid-ejection device of claim 2, wherein no physical nozzle-fire-restart line communicatively connects the controller and the fluid-ejection mechanism. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The fluid-ejection device of claim 2, wherein the fluid-ejection mechanism is a first fluid-ejection mechanism, the predetermined sequence is a first predetermined sequence, and the nozzle data is first nozzle data for the first fluid-ejection mechanism, wherein the fluid-ejection device further comprises a second fluid-ejection mechanism communicatively connected to the physical data lines, and the controller is to transmit second nozzle data over the physical data lines for the second fluid-ejection mechanism in a second predetermined sequence of a plurality of fluid-ejection nozzles of the second fluid-ejection mechanism. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fluid-ejection device of claim 6, wherein the second fluid-ejection mechanism is to listen to the physical data lines for the predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits corresponding to the controller asserting the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line, and wherein the predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits that the second fluid-ejection mechanism is to listen to the physical data lines for are identical to the predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits that the first fluid-ejection mechanism is to listen to the physical data lines for, such that the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line is asserted by the controller for both the first fluid-ejection mechanism and the second fluid-ejection mechanism. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The fluid-ejection device of claim 6, wherein the predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits are first predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits for the first fluid-ejection mechanism and the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line is a first logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line for the first fluid-ejection mechanism, wherein the second fluid-ejection mechanism is to listen to the physical data lines for one or more second predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits corresponding to the controller asserting a second logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line, and wherein the first predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits are different than the second predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits, such that the first logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line is asserted by the controller for the first fluid-ejection mechanism and the second logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line is asserted by the controller for the second fluid-ejection mechanism. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The fluid-ejection device of claim 1, wherein the nozzle data controls how fluid is ejected by the fluid-ejection mechanism via the fluid-ejection nozzles of the fluid-ejection mechanism. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The fluid-ejection device of claim 1, wherein the nozzle data corresponds to at least a portion of an image to be formed on a medium resulting from fluid ejected by the fluid-ejection mechanism onto the medium. ### Claim 11 A method for performance by a fluid-ejection mechanism of a fluid-ejection device, comprising: listening for assertion of a logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line asserted by a controller communicatively connected to the fluid-ejection, to discern that a first data sub-packet of a new data packet of nozzle data for a predetermined sequence of a plurality of fluid-ejection nozzles of the fluid-ejection mechanism has been transmitted by the controller to the fluid-ejection mechanism over the physical data lines; upon the controller asserting the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line, receiving the nozzle data sent by the controller in the predetermined sequence over the physical data lines; and, ejecting fluid from a plurality of fluid-ejection nozzles of the fluid-ejection mechanism in accordance with the nozzle data received from the controller. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein listening for assertion of the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line comprises listening to the physical data lines for one or more predetermined nozzle-fire-restart bits corresponding to the controller of the fluid-ejection device asserting the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the method is performed where no physical nozzle-fire-restart line communicatively connects the fluid-ejection mechanism to the controller. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: where a physical nozzle-fire-restart line communicatively connects the fluid-ejection mechanism to the controller, listening for the controller to assert the physical nozzle-fire-restart line to discern that the first data sub-packet of the new data packet of the nozzle data for the predetermined sequence of the fluid-ejection nozzles has been transmitted over the physical data lines by the controller; and, upon the controller asserting the physical nozzle-fire-restart line, receiving the nozzle data sent by the controller in the predetermined sequence over the physical data lines. ### Claim 15 A computer-readable medium having one or more computer programs that are executable by a fluid-ejection mechanism of a fluid-ejection device for the fluid-ejection mechanism to perform a method comprising: where a physical nozzle-fire-restart line communicatively connects the fluid-ejection mechanism to a controller of the fluid-ejection device, listening for the controller to assert the physical nozzle-fire-restart line before beginning to discern that a first data sub-packet of a new data packet of nozzle data for a predetermined sequence of a plurality of fluid-ejection nozzles of the fluid-ejection mechanism has been transmitted by the controller to the fluid-ejection mechanism over a plurality of physical data lines communicatively connecting the fluid-ejection mechanism to the controller; and, upon the controller asserting the physical nozzle-fire-restart line, receiving the nozzle data sent by the controller in the predetermined sequence over the physical data lines; where no physical nozzle-fire-restart line communicatively connects the fluid-ejection mechanism to the controller, listening for the controller to assert a logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line, to discern that the first data sub-packet of the new data packet of the nozzle data for the predetermined sequence of the fluid-ejection nozzles has been transmitted over the physical data lines; upon the controller asserting the logical and virtual nozzle-fire-restart line, receiving the nozzle data sent by the controller in the predetermined sequence over the physical data lines; and, ejecting fluid from a plurality of fluid-ejection nozzles of the fluid-ejection mechanism in accordance with the nozzle data received from the controller.