Mixed resolution printing for color and monochrome printers
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A mixed-resolution printer for printing images in plural colors on print media;
- said printer comprising;
a frame for holding media in a print zone;
a carriage supported on the frame adjacent to the print zone for traversing the media along a carriage-scan axis;
means, supported on the frame, for establishing a media-advance axis that is fixed with respect to the frame and is substantially at right angles to the carriage-scan axis, and for providing relative motion between the media and the carriage, along the media-advance axis;
first printing means, comprising a first printhead, for printing an entire first-color portion of an image and having a first print resolution, said first printing means being capable of no finer resolution, in a single print pass, than said first print resolution;
said entire first-color portion being as distinguished from merely filling in unprinted space between dots printed in the same first color by other printing means; and
said printer having no first-color printhead other than the first printhead of the first printing means;
second printing means, comprising a second printhead, for concurrently printing an entire second-color portion of the image, said second-color portion being a different color than said first color, while the first printhead prints at the first print resolution, and having a second print resolution lower than the first print resolution;
said entire second-color portion being as distinguished from merely filling in unprinted space between dots printed in the same second color by other printing means;
said second printing means being capable of no finer resolution, in a single print pass, than said second resolution; and
said printer having no second-color printhead other than the second printhead of the second printing means; and
means for mounting the first and second printheads on the carriage for composite printing by the first and second printheads on the media in the print zone.
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Abstract
A printer with mixed base resolution capabilities, having a higher resolution monochrome component such as black and lower resolution components such as cyan, magenta and yellow. The different resolution components are integrated into the same printing mechanism for composite printing of higher resolution black and lower resolution color at the same time. For increased throughput, a higher resolution black printhead has a wider swath.
37 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A mixed-resolution printer for printing images in plural colors on print media;
- said printer comprising;
a frame for holding media in a print zone; a carriage supported on the frame adjacent to the print zone for traversing the media along a carriage-scan axis; means, supported on the frame, for establishing a media-advance axis that is fixed with respect to the frame and is substantially at right angles to the carriage-scan axis, and for providing relative motion between the media and the carriage, along the media-advance axis; first printing means, comprising a first printhead, for printing an entire first-color portion of an image and having a first print resolution, said first printing means being capable of no finer resolution, in a single print pass, than said first print resolution;
said entire first-color portion being as distinguished from merely filling in unprinted space between dots printed in the same first color by other printing means; and
said printer having no first-color printhead other than the first printhead of the first printing means;second printing means, comprising a second printhead, for concurrently printing an entire second-color portion of the image, said second-color portion being a different color than said first color, while the first printhead prints at the first print resolution, and having a second print resolution lower than the first print resolution;
said entire second-color portion being as distinguished from merely filling in unprinted space between dots printed in the same second color by other printing means;
said second printing means being capable of no finer resolution, in a single print pass, than said second resolution; and
said printer having no second-color printhead other than the second printhead of the second printing means; andmeans for mounting the first and second printheads on the carriage for composite printing by the first and second printheads on the media in the print zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- said printer comprising;
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13. A mixed-resolution printer for printing images in plural colors on print media;
- said printer comprising;
a frame including means for establishing a media-advance axis that is fixed with respect to the frame, and for advancing media along the media-advance axis through a print zone; a carriage mounted on the frame for traversing the print zone, along a carriage-scan axis that is substantially at right angles to the media-advance axis; first printing means, including a black component, for printing an entire black portion of an image at a first print resolution, said first printing means being capable of no finer resolution, in a single print pass, than said first print resolution;
said entire black portion being as distinguished from merely filling in unprinted space between dots printed in black by other printing means; and
said printer having no black printhead with a finest resolution different from the first print resolution;second printing means, including a chromatic-color component, for concurrently printing an entire chromatic-color portion of the image at a second print resolution lower than said first print resolution, said second printing means being capable of no finer resolution, in a single print pass, than said second resolution;
said entire chromatic-color portion being as distinguished from merely filling in unprinted space between dots printed in a same said chromatic color by other printing means; and
said printer having no chromatic-color printhead with a finest resolution different from the second print resolution; andmeans for mounting said first and second print means on said carriage for composite printing by the first and second printheads on the media in the print zone. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
- said printer comprising;
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28. A method a mixed-resolution printing of images in plural colors, comprising the steps of:
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applying, with a first printing means, a first monochrome printed component, having a first resolution, to a given area on media in a print zone to produce an entire first-monochrome component being as distinguished from merely filling in unprinted space between dots printed in a same first monochrome color by other printing means; and concurrently applying, with a second printing means, a second monochrome printed component, having a different color than the first monochrome component and having a second resolution less than first resolution to produce an entire second-monochrome component of the image, said entire second-monochrome component being as distinguished from merely filling in unprinted space between dots printed in a same second monochrome color by other printing means, to said given area on the media to create composite mixed resolution printout. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification