Printing head, printing method and apparatus using same, and apparatus and method for correcting said printing head
First Claim
1. A printing head mounted on a printing apparatus and driven for printing an image on a printing medium, comprising:
- a plurality of element substrates each having a plurality of printing elements for forming pixels on the printing medium, and drive means for driving said plurality of printing elements based upon printing data sent from the printing apparatus; and
memory means for storing correction data for correcting a variance in characteristics of each of said plurality of element substrates.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A printing head has a plurality of heater boards, each of which includes a shift register to which printing data and selection data for selecting preheating pulse signals are applied as inputs, a latch circuit for latching the printing data, a selection-data latch circuit for latching the selection data, a selection circuit for selecting any one of a plurality of preheating pulse signals inputted in accordance with the latched selection data, and a plurality of heating resistors driven by the printing data or preheating pulse signals. Correction data, obtained by a head correcting apparatus, for performing printing at an average density by correcting the characteristics of each heater board is stored in a memory of the printing head. A printing apparatus decides the selection data in accordance with the correction data and sets the selection data in the selection-data latch circuit.
-
Citations
57 Claims
-
1. A printing head mounted on a printing apparatus and driven for printing an image on a printing medium, comprising:
-
a plurality of element substrates each having a plurality of printing elements for forming pixels on the printing medium, and drive means for driving said plurality of printing elements based upon printing data sent from the printing apparatus; and
memory means for storing correction data for correcting a variance in characteristics of each of said plurality of element substrates. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A printing-head correction apparatus for creating correction data which corrects characteristics of printing elements constituting a printing head, comprising:
-
head driving means for driving the printing head to print an image on a printing medium;
detecting means for detecting a variance in density of dots that have been printed on the printing medium;
correction data generating means for generating correction data for correcting the variance in density detected by said detecting means; and
transmitting means for transmitting the correction data to a memory of the printing head, said memory storing the correction data. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20)
-
-
15. A printing-head correction apparatus for creating correction data which corrects characteristics of printing elements constituting a printing head, comprising:
-
first detecting means for detecting a variance in density of dots that have been printed on a printing medium based upon prescribed image data;
first correction data generating means for generating first correction data for correcting the variance in density detected by said first detecting means;
head driving means for printing an image based upon the prescribed image data on the printing medium while controlling said printing head on the basis of the first correction data;
second detecting means for detecting a variance in density of dots printed on the printing medium in conformity with drive by said head driving means;
second correction data generating means for generating second correction data for correcting the variance in density detected by said second detecting means; and
storage means for generating final correction data on the basis of the first and second correction data and storing the final correction data in a memory of said printing head.
-
-
18. A printing-head correction method for creating correction data which corrects characteristics of printing elements constituting a printing head, comprising the steps of:
-
printing an image on a printing medium by the printing head;
detecting a variance in density of dots that have been printed on the printing medium;
generating correction data for correcting the detected variance in density of the dots; and
storing the correction data in a memory of the printing head.
-
-
21. A printing-head correction method for creating correction data which corrects characteristics of printing elements constituting a printing head, comprising the steps of:
-
detecting a variance in density of dots that have been printed on a printing medium based upon prescribed image data;
generating first correction data for correcting the detected variance in density;
printing an image based upon the prescribed image data on the printing medium while controlling said printing head on the basis of the first correction data;
detecting a variance in density of dots printed on the printing medium;
generating second correction data for correcting the detected variance in density; and
generating final correction data on the basis of the first and second correction data and storing the final correction data in a memory of said printing head. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 56, 57)
-
-
24. A printing head having resistive elements for driving a plurality of printing elements and a circuit for performing printing by flowing a current through said resistive elements in dependence upon printing data, said printing head comprising:
-
an input terminal for entering a plurality of pulse signals for flowing current through said resistive elements;
memory means for storing inputted selection information for selecting any one of the plurality of pulse signals entering from said input terminal; and
applying means, which is responsive to the selection information stored in said memory means, for selecting, and applying to said resistive elements, any one of the plurality of pulse signals entering from said input terminal.
-
-
26. A printing head constructed using a plurality of element substrates each having resistive elements for driving a plurality of printing elements and a circuit for performing printing by flowing a current through said resistive elements in dependence upon printing data, said printing head including a memory for storing data for correcting printing characteristics of each of said element substrates;
-
each of said element substrates having;
an input terminal for entering a plurality of pulse signals for flowing current through said resistive elements;
memory means for storing inputted selection information for selecting any one of the plurality of pulse signals entering from said input terminal; and
applying means, which is responsive to the selection information stored in said memory means, for selecting, and applying to said resistive elements, any one of the plurality of pulse signals entering from said input terminal.
-
-
36. A printing apparatus for printing an image on a printing medium by electrifying and driving a printing-head, wherein said printing head has resistive elements for driving a plurality of printing elements, an input terminal for entering a plurality of pulse signals for flowing current through said resistive elements, memory means for storing inputted selection information for selecting any one of the plurality of pulse signals entering from said input terminal, and applying means, which is responsive to the selection information stored in said memory means, for selecting, and applying to said resistive elements, any one of the plurality of pulse signals entering from said input terminal, said apparatus comprising:
-
characteristic information storing means for storing printing characteristics of the printing elements of said printing head;
transfer means for deciding the selection information on the basis of the printing characteristics, which have been stored in said characteristic information storing means, and transferring this selection information to said printing head;
preliminary electrifying means for outputting a plurality of pulse signals to said printing head and for performing preliminary electrification of said printing head; and
printing electrifying means for performing printing by flowing current through said resistive elements of said printing head in conformity with image information.
-
-
45. A printing head having resistive elements for driving a plurality of printing elements, and a circuit for performing printing by flowing a current through said resistive elements in dependence upon printing data, said printing head comprising:
-
an input terminal for entering data which decides pulse width of pulses for flowing current through said resistive elements;
memory means for storing the data, entered from said input terminal, which decides said pulse width and timing of said pulses;
counting means for counting a clock signal applied thereto; and
electrifying means for flowing current through said resistive elements in dependence upon a count recorded by said counting means and said data stored in said memory means.
-
-
46. A printing head having resistive elements for driving X plurality of printing elements and a circuit for performing printing by flowing a current through said resistive elements in dependence upon printing data, said printing head comprising:
-
an input terminal for entering data which decides pulse width of pulses for flowing current through said resistive elements;
memory means for storing plural items of the data, e red from said input terminal, which decides said pulse width;
counting means for counting a clock signal applied thereto;
detecting means for detecting resistance values or temperature values of said resistive elements; and
electrifying means for flowing current through said resistive elements upon selecting any one of the plural items of data, stored in said memory means, in dependence upon a count recorded by said counting means and the resistance values or temperature values detected by said detecting means.
-
-
51. A printing apparatus for printing an image on a printing medium by electrifying and driving a printing head, wherein said printing head has resistive elements for driving a plurality of printing elements, an input terminal for entering data which decides pulse width of pulses for flowing current through said resistive elements, memory means for storing the data, entered from said input terminal, which decides said pulse width, counting means for counting a clock signal applied thereto, and electrifying means for flowing current through said resistive elements in dependence upon a count recorded by said counting means and said data stored in said memory means, said apparatus comprising:
-
characteristic information storing means for storing printing characteristics of the printing elements of said printing head;
transfer means for deciding said data on the basis of the printing characteristics, which have been stored in said characteristic information storing means, and transferring this data to said printing head; and
printing electrifying means for outputting the clock signal to said counting means when printing is performed by flowing current through said resistive elements of said printing head in conformity with image data. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55)
-
Specification