Methods and apparatus for a high resolution inkjet fire pulse generator

• US 7,637,580 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Mirro, Eugene, Kurita, Shinichi, Shang, Quanyuan, White, John M., Shamoun, Bassam, Jozwiak, Janusz
• Primary Examiner(s): Huffman; Julian D
• Application Number:
  US11/238,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20060109290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 347/9, 347/11
• US Class Current: 347/9
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04505 aiming at correcting alignment
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04581 controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04588 using a specific waveform
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0459 Height of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04593 Dot-size modulation by changing the size of the drop
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/125 Sensors, e.g. deflection sensors nozzle clogging detection for cleaning reasons B41J2/16579; detection for compensation for failed nozzles B41J2/2139
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/001 Mechanisms for bodily moving print heads or carriages parallel to the paper surface
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/003 for changing the angle between a print element array axis and the printing line, e.g. for dot density changes
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/005 for serial printing movements superimposed to character- or line-spacing movements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/15 Script supports connected to the typewriter or printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/28 for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes , envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/543 with multiple inkjet print heads B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence

Abstract

The invention provides methods, systems, and drivers for controlling an inkjet printing system. The driver may include logic including a processor, memory coupled to the logic, and a fire pulse generator circuit coupled to the logic. The fire pulse generator may include a connector to facilitate coupling the driver to a print head. The fire pulse generator circuit may also include a fixed current source circuit adapted to generate a fire pulse with a constant slew rate that facilitates easy adjustment of ink drop size. The logic is adapted to receive an image and to convert the image to an image data file. The image data file is adapted to be used by the driver to trigger the print head to deposit ink into pixel wells on a substrate as the substrate is moved in a print direction. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a fire pulse comprising:

a first input adapted to receive a first control signal;

a second input adapted to receive a second control signal;

a first component coupled to and controlled by the first input, the first component comprising at least a first transistor, at least one first capacitor, and at least one first resistor selected to enable the first component to function as a first fixed current source;

a second component coupled to and controlled by the second input, the second component comprising at least a second transistor, at least one second capacitor, and at least one second resistor selected to enable the second component to function as a second fixed current source;

an output terminal coupled to the first transistor and to the second transistor;

wherein the first component is adapted to charge a piezoelectric element coupled to the output terminal at a constant rate in response to a state of the first input; and

wherein a slew rate of a charge signal generated by the first component is constant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the output terminal is adapted to be coupled to a piezoelectric element of an inkjet print head.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second inputs are adapted to receive logic level control signals indicative of a drop size.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second component is adapted to discharge a piezoelectric element coupled to the output terminal in response to a state of the second input.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a slew rate of a discharge signal generated by the second component is constant.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein an amplitude of a fire pulse generated by the apparatus is linearly related to drop size information represented by the first and second control signals.

7. A system for generating a fire pulse comprising:

logic including a processor;

a memory coupled to the logic; and

a fire pulse generator circuit coupled to the logic and including;

a first input adapted to receive a first control signal from the logic;

a second input adapted to receive a second control signal from the logic;

a first component coupled to and controlled by the first input, the first component comprising at least a first transistor, at least one first capacitor, and at least one first resistor selected to enable the first component to function as a first fixed current source;

a second component coupled to and controlled by the second input, the second component comprising at least a second transistor, at least one second capacitor, and at least one second resistor selected to enable the second component to function as a second fixed current source;

an output terminal coupled to the first transistor and to the second transistor;

wherein the first component is adapted to charge a piezoelectric element coupled to the output terminal at a constant rate in response to a state of the first input; and

wherein a slew rate of a charge signal generated by the first component is constant.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the output terminal is adapted to be coupled to a piezoelectric element of an inkjet print head.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the first and second inputs are adapted to receive logic level control signals indicative of a drop size.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the second component is adapted to discharge a piezoelectric element coupled to the output terminal in response to a state of the second input.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein a slew rate of a discharge signal generated by the second component is constant.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein an amplitude of a fire pulse generated by the apparatus is linearly related to drop size information represented by the first and second control signals.

13. A method of generating a fire pulse comprising:

receiving a first control signal at a first input;

receiving a second control signal at a second input;

controlling a first component coupled to the first input in response to the first control signal, the first component comprising at least a first transistor, at least one first capacitor, and at least one first resistor selected to enable the first component to function as a first fixed current source;

controlling a second component coupled to the second input in response to the second control signal, the second component comprising at least a second transistor, at least one second capacitor, and at least one second resistor selected to enable the second component to function as a second fixed current source;

outputting a fire pulse to an output terminal coupled to the first transistor and to the second transistor;

wherein controlling a first component includes charging a piezoelectric element coupled to the output terminal at a constant rate in response to a state of the first input; and

wherein charging a piezoelectric element includes generating a charge signal having a constant slew rate.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein outputting a fire pulse to an output terminal includes transmitting the fire pulse to a piezoelectric element of a inkjet print head coupled to the output terminal.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein receiving the first and second control signals includes receiving logic level control signals indicative of a drop size.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein controlling a second component includes discharging a piezoelectric element coupled to the output terminal in response to a state of the second input.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein discharging a piezoelectric element includes generating a discharge signal having a constant slew rate.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein an amplitude of a fire pulse generated by the apparatus is linearly related to drop size information represented by the first and second control signals.