Thermal line printer with staggered head segments and overlap compensation
First Claim
1. A line-type printer for printing image pixels corresponding to print line data bits in an image line in a print line direction on a receiver comprising:
- a plurality of print head segments arrayed in first and second rows in the print line direction, each of said print head segments further comprising a plurality of printing elements responsive to the print line data bits applied thereto for printing the image pixels to form an image line on the receiver and responsive to sequentially applied print line data bit sets for printing successive image lines on the receiver;
means for positioning the first and second rows of said print head segments so that a first overlap sub-set of a number of the printing elements of each of said print head segments in the first row spatially overlaps with a second overlap sub-set of a like number of the printing elements of each adjacent print head segment in the second row, if any, thereby defining overlapping printing elements in an overlap region;
moving means for moving the receiver relative to the first row and the second row of said print head segments in printing each image line; and
printing data control means for distributing the print line data bits among the plurality of print head segments so that print line data bits are distributed in a complementary blended pattern among said overlapping printing elements of said plurality of print head segments in said first and second rows.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of and apparatus for sequentially printing lines of image pixels in the thermal printing of a two-dimensional image on a wide receiver media employing a print head arrangement of the type comprising a plurality N of linear thermal print head segments each comprising a set n of thermal print elements, each element having a data bit input terminal, in an alternating, staggered pattern in first and second rows of N1 and N2 print head segments arranged across the media in a print line direction such that respective sub-sets of n1 thermal print elements of the adjacent ends of the N1 and N2 print head segments arranged in the first and second rows overlap in the print line direction. Each line of image print data into first and second print line data sub-sets which, when applied to the respective first and second rows of print head segments, print respective first and second line sub-images each having a complete segment and a partially complete segment, wherein the partially complete segments positionally overlap one another. The partially complete segments of the first and second line sub-images have their complete areas distributed throughout the respective segment in complementary patterns, which may reflect an arbitrary or random distribution.
154 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A line-type printer for printing image pixels corresponding to print line data bits in an image line in a print line direction on a receiver comprising:
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a plurality of print head segments arrayed in first and second rows in the print line direction, each of said print head segments further comprising a plurality of printing elements responsive to the print line data bits applied thereto for printing the image pixels to form an image line on the receiver and responsive to sequentially applied print line data bit sets for printing successive image lines on the receiver; means for positioning the first and second rows of said print head segments so that a first overlap sub-set of a number of the printing elements of each of said print head segments in the first row spatially overlaps with a second overlap sub-set of a like number of the printing elements of each adjacent print head segment in the second row, if any, thereby defining overlapping printing elements in an overlap region; moving means for moving the receiver relative to the first row and the second row of said print head segments in printing each image line; and printing data control means for distributing the print line data bits among the plurality of print head segments so that print line data bits are distributed in a complementary blended pattern among said overlapping printing elements of said plurality of print head segments in said first and second rows. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of operating a line-type printer having a plurality of print head segments arrayed in first and second rows in a print line direction, each print head segment further comprising a plurality of printing elements responsive to print line data bits applied thereto for printing image pixels in an image line on a receiver and responsive to sequentially applied print line data bit sets for printing successive image lines on the receiver, wherein the first and second rows of print head segments are positioned so that a first overlap sub-set of a number of the printing elements of each print head segment in the first row spatially overlaps with a second overlap sub-set of a like number of the printing elements of each adjacent print head segment in the second row, if any, thereby defining an overlap region, and wherein the receiver is moved relative to the first row and the second row of print head segments in printing each image line, the method comprising the steps of:
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distributing a first sub-set of print line data bits among all print head segments in the first row to enable printing of a first line sub-image, the first line sub-image formed of complete line sub-image segments of image pixels between overlap regions and partially complete line sub,image segments of image pixels in each overlap region, each partially complete line sub-image segment having its image pixels distributed in a first interleave pattern in the overlap region; distributing a second sub-set of print line data bits among all print head segments in the second row to enable printing of a second line sub-image, the first line sub-image formed of complete line sub-image segments of image pixels between overlap regions and partially complete line sub-image segments of image pixels in each overlap region, each partially complete line sub-image segment having its image pixels distributed in a second interleave pattern in the overlap region that is complementary to the first interleave pattern of image pixels, so that the first and second line sub-images combine to produce a complete line image for each set of line image data bits when printed by the first and second rows of print head segments. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for thermally recording image data on a wide receiver media employing a print head arrangement of the type comprising a plurality N of linear print head segments each comprising a set n of printing elements extending between ends thereof, each of said printing elements having a data bit input terminal and adapted to be energized by a print data bit to effect the recording of an image pixel in a line on the receiver media, said N linear print head segments arranged in an alternating, staggered pattern in first and second rows of N1 and N2 print head segments extending across the media in a print line direction such that respective sub-sets of n1 printing elements of adjacent ends of the N1 and N2 print head segments arranged in the first and second rows overlap in an overlap region or regions in the print line direction, the method comprising the steps of:
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printing a first line sub-image employing the first row of N1 print head segments, the first line sub-image having first blank image pixels for the overlapping sub-sets of n1 thermal print elements which are distributed in the overlap region in accordance with a first blank data bit pattern that does not produce a substantial linear alignment of resulting blank image pixels of successive line sub-images with one another; advancing the receiver media to the second row of N2 print head segments and into a printing position aligned with respect to the first line sub-image; printing a second line sub-image in alignment with the first line sub-image employing the second row of N2 print head segments, the second line sub-image having second blank image pixels for the overlapping sub-sets of n1 thermal print elements which are distributed in a complementary second blank data bit pattern with respect to the first blank image pixels of the first line sub-image; and repeating the printing steps to print each complete line image while changing the complementary patterns of said first and second blank data bits for each successive image line formed of first and second line sub-images. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification