High speed adaptive thermal printhead interface

• US 9,561,646 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Dipert, Dwight D., Charles, Ashok K., Donato, Daniel, Ehrhardt, Robert, Schmitt, David
• Primary Examiner(s): HUFFMAN, JULIAN D
• Application Number:
  US14/670,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20160368265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04551 using several operating modes
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14072 Electrical connections, e.g. details on electrodes, connecting the chip to the outside...
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/32 using thermal heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/35 providing current or voltage to the thermal head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/355 Control circuits for heating-element selection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/34 Bodily-changeable print heads or carriages

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed for providing a high speed adaptive thermal printhead interface. In one embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program instructions, the computer program instructions being configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to determine identifier information for a connected printhead; retrieve printhead interface configuration data for a configurable printhead interface based at least in part on the identifier information; configure printhead interface circuitry in accordance with the printhead interface configuration data; and enable communication with the printhead through the configurable printhead interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program instructions, the computer program instructions being configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

determine identifier information for a connected printhead;

retrieve printhead interface configuration data for a configurable printhead interface based at least in part on the identifier information;

configure printhead interface circuitry for differential electrical signaling when the printhead interface configuration data corresponds to a first type of printhead;

configure the printhead interface circuitry for single-ended electrical signaling when the printhead interface configuration data corresponds to a second type of printhead; and

enable communication with the printhead through the configurable printhead interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the connected printhead comprises a thermal printhead.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine the identifier information for the connected printhead at least in part by querying the connected printhead for the identifier information.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the identifier information is stored in a memory of the connected printhead.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the identifier information is queried from the connected printhead using a dedicated signal bus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine whether the connected printhead is a valid printhead based in part on the identifier information.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to retrieve printhead configuration data from the connected printhead.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein configuring the printhead interface circuitry comprises one or more of:

selecting one or more of pre-defined input/output and configurable input/output;

selecting the active signal lines for the printhead interface;

defining inputs and outputs for the printhead interface;

selecting input/output voltage for each signal line;

selecting driver/receiver type;

selecting synchronization domain or type;

selecting switching thresholds;

selecting differential paring;

selecting pre-emphasis;

selecting data rates; and

selecting on chip termination.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configurable printhead interface is configured to provide for serialization and deserialization of multiple data streams.

10. A system comprising:

a printhead comprising;

printhead circuitry; and

at least one printhead memory;

a configurable printhead interface comprising;

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program instructions; and

configurable printhead interface circuitry;

the computer program instructions being configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the configurable printhead interface at least to;

query the printhead for identifier information stored in the at least one printhead memory;

retrieve printhead interface configuration data based at least in part on the identifier information;

configure the configurable printhead interface circuitry for differential electrical signaling when the printhead interface configuration data corresponds to a first type of printhead;

configure the configurable printhead interface circuitry for single-ended electrical signaling when the printhead interface configuration data corresponds to a second type of printhead; and

enable communication with the printhead using the configured configurable printhead interface circuitry.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the printhead comprises a thermal printhead.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the configurable printhead interface at least to retrieve printhead configuration data from the at least one printhead memory of the printhead.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to, when executed by at least one processor, cause the configurable printhead interface to determine whether the printhead is a valid printhead based in part on the identifier information.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein configuring the printhead interface circuitry comprises one or more of:

selecting one or more of pre-defined input/output and configurable input/output;

selecting the active signal lines for the printhead interface;

defining inputs and outputs for the printhead interface;

selecting input/output voltage for each signal line;

selecting driver/receiver type;

selecting synchronization domain or type;

selecting switching thresholds;

selecting differential paring;

selecting pre-emphasis;

selecting data rates; and

selecting on chip termination.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the identifier information is queried from the printhead and transmitted to the configurable printhead interface using a dedicated signal bus.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the configurable printhead interface is configured to provide for serialization and deserialization of multiple data streams.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the printhead further comprises printhead safety circuitry, the printhead safety circuitry configured to, in association with the printhead circuitry, detect a defined safety condition, and cause the printhead to be de-energized as a result of the detected safety condition.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the printhead safety circuitry is further configured to transmit a signal to provide notification of the detected safety condition.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein one or more of the printhead circuitry, the printhead safety circuitry, or the configurable printhead interface circuitry is configured to perform error correction on received signals enabling recovery from signal errors.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein one or more of the printhead circuitry, the printhead safety circuitry, or the configurable printhead interface circuitry further comprises redundant circuitry to provide fault tolerance.

21. A method comprising:

determining, by a processor, identifier information for a connected printhead;

retrieving printhead interface configuration data for a configurable printhead interface based at least in part on the identifier information;

configuring, by the processor, printhead interface circuitry for differential electrical signaling when the printhead interface configuration data corresponds to a first type of printhead;

configuring, by the processor, the printhead interface circuitry for single-ended electrical signaling when the printhead interface configuration data corresponds to a second type of printhead; and

enabling communication with the connected printhead through the configurable printhead interface.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the printhead comprises a thermal printhead.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein determining identifier information for the connected printhead comprises querying the connected printhead for the identifier information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the identifier information is stored in a memory of the connected printhead.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the identifier information is queried from the connected printhead using a dedicated signal bus.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising determining whether the connected printhead is a valid printhead based in part on the identifier information.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising retrieving printhead configuration data from the connected printhead.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein configuring the printhead interface circuitry comprises one or more of:

selecting one or more of pre-defined input/output and configurable input/output;

selecting the active signal lines for the printhead interface;

defining inputs and outputs for the printhead interface;

selecting input/output voltage for each signal line;

selecting driver/receiver type;

selecting synchronization domain or type;

selecting switching thresholds;

selecting differential paring;

selecting pre-emphasis;

selecting data rates; and

selecting on chip termination.

29. The method of claim 21 further comprising configuring the configurable printhead interface to provide for serialization and deserialization of multiple data streams.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the printhead comprises a thermal printhead.

31. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium and computer program instructions stored therein, the computer program instructions comprising program instructions configured, when executed, at least to:

determine identifier information for a connected printhead;

retrieve printhead interface configuration data for a configurable printhead interface based at least in part on the identifier information;

configure printhead interface circuitry for differential electrical signaling when the printhead interface configuration data corresponds to a first type of printhead;

configure the printhead interface circuitry for single-ended electrical signaling when the printhead interface configuration data corresponds to a second type of printhead; and

enable communication with the printhead through the configurable printhead interface.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the computer program instructions further comprise program instruction configured, when executed, to query the connected printhead for the identifier information.

33. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the computer program instructions further comprise program instruction configured, when executed, to determine whether the connected printhead is a valid printhead based in part on the identifier information.

34. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the computer program instructions further comprise program instruction configured to, when executed, retrieve printhead configuration data from the connected printhead.

35. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein configuring the printhead interface circuitry comprises one or more of:

selecting one or more of pre-defined input/output and configurable input/output;

selecting the active signal lines for the printhead interface;

defining inputs and outputs for the printhead interface;

selecting input/output voltage for each signal line;

selecting driver/receiver type;

selecting synchronization domain or type;

selecting switching thresholds;

selecting differential paring;

selecting pre-emphasis;

selecting data rates; and

selecting on chip termination.