Thermal or density management of imaging device
First Claim
1. A method of density control for imaging output devices, comprising:
- storing a first profile, the first profile identifying densities produced on a media by a thermal element and the associated temperature of a heat sink of the thermal element; and
storing a second profile, the second profile identifying densities produced on the media by the thermal element and the associated energy applied to the thermal element.
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Abstract
A multi-media printer includes an engine controller, a printhead controller, and a pulse activation table. The engine controller transmits a row of energy values. The printhead controller receives the row of energy values and transmits an activation signal. The activation signal is transmitted based on a comparison of an activating energy level for each pulse position in a pulse stream with the energy values in the row of energy values. Comparison logic performs the comparison and transmits an activation signal if the energy value for the row of energy values is greater than or equal to the activating energy level for the corresponding pulse positions.
42 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of density control for imaging output devices, comprising:
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storing a first profile, the first profile identifying densities produced on a media by a thermal element and the associated temperature of a heat sink of the thermal element; and
storing a second profile, the second profile identifying densities produced on the media by the thermal element and the associated energy applied to the thermal element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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4. A method of density control for output devices, comprising:
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storing a first profile, the first profile identifying a change in energy applied to the thermal element in relation to a temperature of a heat sink needed to obtain a corresponding density; and
measuring an actual temperature of the heat sink; and
adjusting an energy applied to the thermal element to obtain a desired density utilizing the stored first profile and the measured temperature.
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9. A method of density control, comprising:
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printing, by a printer, a plurality of areas of an image on a calibration media, each of the plurality of areas having a different energy applied;
measuring densities of each of the plurality of areas of the calibration media and storing the measured densities with the corresponding energy;
identifying a number of densities corresponding to a number of areas of the calibration media which surround a target density reading, the target density reading being a density of a reference printer printing on a media from a same group of media as the calibration media; and
interpolating an adjusted energy value to be applied to the thermal element to achieve the target density, the adjusted energy value being based on the target density, the measured densities, and corresponding energy levels used to produce the measured densities. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of density control for a printer, comprising:
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measuring a density for a plurality of points on a uniform gray value image, the plurality of points each representing a pixel;
generating a profile, the profile identifying the measured density for each of the plurality of points;
identifying density variation for each of the plurality of points due to bowing of the print head; and
pre-adjusting a new image being printed on the printer including the plurality of points based on the identified density variation of each of the plurality of points.
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14. A method of density control for a printer, comprising:
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generating a density change profile for each of a plurality of points, where the plurality of points each represent a pixel and the generated profile is based on a prediction of the effect of printhead bowing; and
pre-adjusting a new image being printed on the printer which includes the plurality of points based on the density change profile for each of the plurality of points.
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15. A method of density control for an imaging device, comprising:
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setting a plurality of energy storage elements and a plurality of energy transfer impedances to initial values, the energy transfer impedances being impedances between adjacent energy storage elements, the plurality of energy storage elements and the plurality of energy transfer impedances representing the imaging device;
converting each pixel in a line of image data into a line of desired energy values;
comparing a potential developed by energy stored in a first level of energy storage elements to a nominal potential developed by nominal energy expected in each of the first level of energy storage elements to generate a delta potential value for the first level of energy storage elements; and
compensating the desired energy value for each of the pixels in the line of image data based on the delta potential value for the first level of energy storage elements to produce an adjusted energy value for each of the pixels in the line of image data. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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20. The method of clam 19, further including storing, in the model, the resulting energy and resulting potential for the at least one storage element in the first level and the corresponding at least one storage element in the second level.
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26. A method of density control for an imaging device, comprising:
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setting a plurality of energy storage elements and a plurality of energy transfer impedances to initial values, the energy transfer impedances being impedances between adjacent energy storage elements, the plurality of energy storage elements and the plurality of energy transfer impedances representing the imaging device, the plurality of storage elements and the plurality of energy transfer impedances forming a three-dimensional model of the imaging device, the three-dimensional model including a plurality of first levels of storage elements and additional levels behind the storage elements in each of the plurality of first levels, wherein a selected first level of the plurality of first levels of energy storage elements corresponds to imaging elements of the imaging device which correspond to pixels in a line of image data;
converting each pixel in the line of image data into a desired energy value;
comparing a potential developed by energy stored in a selected first level of the plurality of first levels of energy storage elements to a nominal potential developed by nominal energy expected in each of the selected first level of energy storage elements to generate a delta potential value for the selected first level of energy storage elements;
compensating the desired energy value for each of the pixels in the line of image data based on the delta potential value for the selected first level of energy storage elements to produce an adjusted energy value for each of the pixels in the line of image data;
introducing a portion of the adjusted energy value to the selected first level of the energy storage elements; and
propagating the portion of the adjusted energy value across the selected first level of the energy storage elements;
propagating the portion of the adjusted energy value from the selected first level of the energy storage elements to the additional levels behind the selected first level of energy storage elements and also the remaining plurality of first levels of energy storage elements along with the additional levels behind a remaining plurality of first level of energy storage elements to simulate an operation of the imaging device.
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27. A method of density control for an imaging device, comprising:
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setting a plurality of energy storage elements and a plurality of energy transfer impedances to initial values, the energy transfer impedances being impedances between adjacent energy storage elements, the plurality of energy storage elements and the plurality of energy transfer impedances forming a two-dimensional model of the imaging device, the two-dimensional model including the first level of energy storage elements and additional levels of energy storage elements behind the storage elements in the first level of storage elements, wherein the first level of storage elements corresponds to imaging elements of the imaging device which correspond to pixels in the lines of image data;
generating a line of image data representing a medical image acquired by a medical imaging device;
converting each pixel in the generated line of image data into an acquired energy value in a line of desired energy values;
comparing a potential developed by energy stored in a first level of energy storage elements to a nominal potential developed by nominal energy expected in each of the first level of energy storage elements to generate a delta potential value for the first level of energy storage elements;
adjusting the acquired energy value for each of the pixels in the line of image data based on the delta potential value for the first level of energy storage elements to produce an adjusted acquired energy value for each of the pixels in the line of image data introducing a portion of the adjusted acquired energy value to the first level of the energy storage elements;
propagating the portion of the adjusted acquired energy value across the first level of the energy storage elements; and
propagating the adjusted acquired energy value from the first level of the energy storage elements to a second level of energy storage elements to simulate an operation of the imaging device, the second level of energy storage elements being part of the additional levels of storage elements.
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Specification