Sequential scan method for determining ink drying time in an inkjet printer
AssigneeFunai Electric Co., Ltd.
InventorsJohn Thomas Writt, Jose Paul Sacoto Aguilar
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Abstract
A method for determining drying time of a print swath of ink deposited on a media sheet by an inkjet printer. The method comprises performing a predetermined number of sequential scans of a print swath with a gloss sensor; processing output responses thereof to determine and store gloss values; calculating percent differences between the gloss values; and, based on the calculated percent differences, selecting one of a long dry time and a short dry time before moving the media sheet.
Claims16
In an inkjet printer including a gloss sensor and at least one printhead for depositing ink onto a surface of a sheet of media being processed therein with a controller being communicatively coupled to the at least one printhead and gloss sensor, a method for determining a drying time of a print swath of the ink deposited on the surface of the sheet of media, the method comprising:
- forming a print swath on side of the sheet of media with the at least one printhead;
- performing with the gloss sensor a predetermined number of sequential scans S1-Sn, where n is at least 3, on the last print swath forming a corresponding number of gloss sensor output responses;
- processing the gloss sensor output responses to determine corresponding gloss values G1-Gn;
- and
- for at least three consecutive scans:
- calculating a first percent difference between corresponding gloss values for the first and second scans of the at least three consecutive scans and a second percent difference for the second and third scans of the at least three consecutive scans;
- determining if the first percent difference is above a first threshold and, if so, selecting a first predetermined drying time and if the first percent difference is not above the first threshold:
- determining if the second percent difference is above a second threshold and, if so, selecting a second predetermined drying time that is greater than the first predetermined drying time, and, if the second percent difference is not above the second threshold, selecting the first predetermined drying time.
In an inkjet printer including a gloss sensor and at least one printhead for depositing ink onto a surface of a sheet of media being processed therein with a controller being communicatively coupled to the at least one printhead and gloss sensor, a method for determining a drying time of a print swath of the ink deposited on the surface of the sheet of media, the method comprising:
- forming a last print swath on side of the sheet of media with the at least one printhead;
- performing with the gloss sensor a predetermined number of sequential scans S1-Sn, where n is at least 3, on the last print swath forming a corresponding number of gloss sensor output responses;
- processing the gloss sensor output responses to determine corresponding gloss values G1-Gn;
- and
- for at least three consecutive scans:
- calculating a first percent difference between corresponding gloss values for the first and second scans of the at least three consecutive scans and a second percent difference for the second and third scans of the at least three consecutive scans;
- determining if the first percent difference is above a first threshold and, if so, selecting a first predetermined drying time and if the first percent difference is not above the first threshold:
- determining if the second percent difference is above a second threshold and, if so, selecting a second predetermined drying time that is greater than the first predetermined drying time, and, if the second percent difference is not above the second threshold, selecting the first predetermined drying time.
In an inkjet printer including a gloss sensor and at least one printhead for depositing ink onto a surface of a sheet of media being processed therein with a controller being communicatively coupled to the at least one printhead and gloss sensor, a method for determining a drying time of a print swath of the ink deposited on the surface of the sheet of media, the method comprising:
- forming a last print swath on a side of the sheet of media with the at least one printhead;
- performing with the gloss sensor three sequential scans on the last print swath forming a corresponding number of a gloss sensor output responses;
- processing the gloss sensor output responses to determine corresponding gloss values G1-G3 and storing the gloss values;
- for the three scans:
- calculating a first percent difference between corresponding gloss values between the first and second scans and a second percent difference between the second and third scans;
- determining if the first percent difference is above a first threshold and, if so, selecting a first predetermined drying time and if the first percent difference is not above the first threshold:
- determining if the second percent difference is above a second threshold and, if so, selecting a second predetermined drying time that is greater than the first predetermined drying time, and, if the second percent difference is not above the second threshold, selecting the first predetermined drying time;
- and
- moving the sheet of media once the selected predetermined drying time has elapsed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.