Thermal response correction system
First Claim
1. A method comprising steps of:
- (A) identifying a density of a pixel in a digital image, the density including;
(1) a first color component associated with a first printing subinterval of a printing line time and having a first value, and (2) a second color component associated with a second printing subinterval of the printing line time and having a second value;
(B) identifying a first print head element temperature;
(C) identifying a first energy computation function associated with the first color component;
(D) identifying a first input energy using the first energy computation function based on the first value and the first print head element temperature;
(E) identifying a second print head element temperature;
(F) identifying a second energy computation function associated with the second color component; and
(G) identifying a second input energy using the second energy computation function based on the second value and the second print head element temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are disclosed for performing thermal history control in a thermal printer in which a single thermal print head prints sequentially on multiple color-forming layers in a single pass. Each pixel-printing interval may be divided into subintervals, which may be of unequal duration. Each sub-interval may be used to print a different color. The manner in which the input energy to be provided to each print head element is selected may be varied for each of the subintervals. For example, although a single thermal model may be used to predict the temperature of the print head elements in each of the subintervals, different parameters may be used in the different subintervals. Similarly, different energy computation functions may be used to compute the energy to be provided to the print head in each of the subintervals based on the predicted print head temperature.
193 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method comprising steps of:
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(A) identifying a density of a pixel in a digital image, the density including;
(1) a first color component associated with a first printing subinterval of a printing line time and having a first value, and (2) a second color component associated with a second printing subinterval of the printing line time and having a second value;
(B) identifying a first print head element temperature;
(C) identifying a first energy computation function associated with the first color component;
(D) identifying a first input energy using the first energy computation function based on the first value and the first print head element temperature;
(E) identifying a second print head element temperature;
(F) identifying a second energy computation function associated with the second color component; and
(G) identifying a second input energy using the second energy computation function based on the second value and the second print head element temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A device comprising:
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first identification means for identifying a density of a pixel in a digital image, the density including;
(1) a first color component associated with a first printing subinterval of-a printing line time and having a first value, and (2) a second color component associated with a second printing subinterval of the printing line time and having a second value;
second identification means for identifying a first print head element temperature;
third identification means for identifying a first energy computation function associated with the first color component;
fourth identification means for identifying a first input energy using the first energy computation function based on the first value and the first print head element temperature;
fifth identification means for identifying a second print head element temperature;
sixth identification means for identifying a second energy computation function associated with the second color component; and
seventh identification means for identifying a second input energy using the second energy computation function based on the second value and the second print head element temperature. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method comprising steps of:
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(A) identifying a density of a pixel in a digital image, the density including a first color component having a first value and a second color component having a second value;
(B) predicting a first temperature of a print head element at the beginning of a first subinterval associated with the first color component; and
(C) predicting a second temperature of a print head element at the beginning of a second subinterval associated with the second color component;
wherein the first subinterval differs in duration from the second subinterval. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A device comprising:
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first identification means for identifying a density of a pixel in a digital image, the density including a first color component having a first value and a second color component having a second value;
first prediction means for predicting a first temperature of a print head element at the beginning of a first subinterval associated with the first color component; and
second prediction means for predicting a second temperature of a print head element at the beginning of a second subinterval associated with the second color component;
wherein the first subinterval differs in duration from the second subinterval. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification