EP0476860B1 - Tintentropfenpositionierung für den Bildaufbau - Google Patents

Tintentropfenpositionierung für den Bildaufbau Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0476860B1
EP0476860B1 EP19910307849 EP91307849A EP0476860B1 EP 0476860 B1 EP0476860 B1 EP 0476860B1 EP 19910307849 EP19910307849 EP 19910307849 EP 91307849 A EP91307849 A EP 91307849A EP 0476860 B1 EP0476860 B1 EP 0476860B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
pen
ink
drops
printed
clusters
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19910307849
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English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0476860A2 (de
EP0476860A3 (en
Inventor
Mark S. Hickman
Peter C. Morris
Alpha Nghia Doan
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
HP Inc
Original Assignee
Hewlett Packard Co
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Hewlett Packard Co filed Critical Hewlett Packard Co
Publication of EP0476860A2 publication Critical patent/EP0476860A2/de
Publication of EP0476860A3 publication Critical patent/EP0476860A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0476860B1 publication Critical patent/EP0476860B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/205—Ink jet for printing a discrete number of tones
    • B41J2/2054—Ink jet for printing a discrete number of tones by the variation of dot disposition or characteristics, e.g. dot number density, dot shape

Definitions

  • the present invention pertains to ink-jet printing methods for controlling ink drop placement to improve the appearance of the printed image.
  • Ink-jet printers include one or more pens for delivering drops of ink to a printing medium, such as paper.
  • An ink-jet pen typically includes a nozzle plate that has formed in it a plurality of nozzles. The nozzles are in fluid communication with an ink reservoir.
  • thermal-type ink-jet printing includes a thin-film resistor mounted adjacent to each nozzle. To expel a drop of ink from a nozzle, a current pulse is applied to the resistor for heating the resistor. The heated resistor vaporizes a portion of the ink near the nozzle. The rapid expansion of the ink vapor forces a drop of ink through the nozzle. This "firing" of drops is controlled by a microprocessor in response to external data that is provided to the printer and that represents part of the desired image to be printed.
  • the ink-jet printer includes mechanisms for moving the pen and for advancing the paper relative to the pen. Typically, the pen is scanned across the paper one or more times, the paper is advanced, and the pen is again scanned across the paper.
  • the microprocessor-controlled firing of selected nozzles at selected times during scanning of the pen produces on the paper an arrangement of ink dots in a resolution high enough to represent an image or textual information.
  • a measure of the quality of an ink-jet printed image is the uniformity of the printed ink density across the surface of the image.
  • individual ink drops will penetrate the permeable printing medium and diffuse evenly through the medium, joining with adjacently printed drops to form a continuous image element of substantially uniform ink density.
  • Unevenness in ink density causes an undesirable mottled appearance in the printed image. Uneven ink density may result in instances where adjacently printed ink drops randomly coalesce prior to penetration of the drops into the printing medium. This coalescence problem frequently occurs when the printing medium has low permeability, such as is characteristic of the clear films that are used for overhead projection displays.
  • U.s. Patent No. 4,748,453 entitled “Spot Deposition for Liquid Ink Printing,” discloses a method wherein drops of ink printed in one scan of the pen are placed on the medium in a pattern that is intended to prevent overlap of flowable ink drops, thereby eliminating coalescence.
  • a subsequent scan of the pen (which scan is delayed until the previously deposited dropa sufficiently dry) prints new drops that overlap the previously printed drops. While this technique may be somewhat effective, the pattern in which the drops are printed during one scan results in diagonally adjacent drops being in tangential or perimeter contact. It has been found that this perimeter contact between simultaneously printed individual drops will cause coalescence of at least some of the diagonally adjacent drops. This uneven or random coalescence of ink drops will produce the mottled image mentioned earlier.
  • the present invention is directed to an ink drop placement method for applying ink to a printing medium to produce a high-density image without mottling, and as specified in claims 1, 3 and 5 hereinafter.
  • the placement method involves controlling a conventional ink-jet pen so that drops of ink are fired in clusters of two or more for covering selected portions or "pixels" of the printing medium. As the clusters are printed during a scan of the pen, pixels that are horizontally and vertically and diagonally adjacent to each printed cluster remain blank.
  • the drops that comprise each cluster overlap in the center of the cluster. This intentional overlapping of drops within the central region of the printed clusters results in a concentration of forces due to surface tension at the center of the cluster. Accordingly, during the period immediately following the instant a cluster is printed, the cluster-drops tend to coalesce toward the center of the printed cluster.
  • coalescence that occurs within the printed clusters does not produce observable mottling because this coalescence is present in all printed clusters, thereby producing a substantially uniform appearance across the entire printed image.
  • the method for placing drops in accordance with the present invention may be employed to produce a 25% coverage pattern in one scan.
  • the 25% coverage pattern is particularly useful in instances where the ink drop size cannot be controlled to prevent excessive cluster to cluster overlap (hence, coalescence) with a 50% coverage pattern EP-A-0 420 399 (cited under Art. 54(3) & (4) EPC) discloses ink jet printing with clusters covering, in one scan, 50% of the print medium, with the pixels which are horizontally and vertically adjacent remaining blank; contact between clusters is limited to tangential or perimeter contact between drops of diagonally-adjacent clusters.
  • Fig. 1 is a diagram of an ink-jet printer that is suitable for carrying out the ink drop placement method of the present invention.
  • Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a medium printed with an arrangement of two-drop clusters covering 25% of the printing medium surface.
  • Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a medium printed with another arrangement of two-drop clusters covering 25% of the printing medium surface.
  • Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a medium printed with another arrangement of four-drop clusters covering 25% of the printing medium.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an ink-jet printer 20 having known mechanisms for securing and advancing relative to the printer a printing medium, such as a sheet of film 22 used with an overhead projector.
  • the film 22 is advanced relative to, and in close proximity with, an ink-jet pen 24.
  • the pen 24 is mounted to a slide mechanism 26.
  • the pen 24 is reciprocally driven along the slide mechanism 26 between the side edges 28 of the film 22.
  • the film 22 is advanced in a direction 30 that is perpendicular to the direction 32 in which the pen 24 is reciprocated.
  • the movement of the pen 24 from one edge 28 to another is hereafter referred to as a scan. All ink drops printed by the pen 24 during a single scan will be referred to as being simultaneously printed.
  • the pen 24 includes a conventional nozzle plate (not shown) that has formed in it a plurality of nozzles through which drops of ink are expelled by mechanisms such as the thermal-type system described above. As the pen 24 is scanned across the film 22, it "covers" a single swath 34.
  • a single swath 34 is illustrated in Fig. 1 as the space between the dashed reference lines 36 that extend between the film edges 28.
  • covered is meant that the pen 24 may be controlled during the scan for firing ink drops through the nozzles to cover any selected area within the swath 34.
  • a new swath is defined as the film 22 is advanced. Each new swath is immediately adjacent to the prior swath to ensure printing continuity from the top to the bottom of the film 22.
  • each swath 34 hence, the entire film surface, as being defined as a continuous matrix of discrete elements, or pixels.
  • Fig. 2 depicts a 25% coverage pattern printed with two-drop clusters 60.
  • Each two-drop cluster 60 comprises two ink drops 60a, 60b arranged to overlap about the horizontal centerline H of the pixel group 65.
  • the centers of drops 60a, 60b are vertically aligned.
  • the 25% pattern is printed so that every fourth pixel group 65 in a row of pixel groups, and every other pixel group 65 in a column of pixel groups, is printed with a two-drop cluster 60.
  • Fig. 3 depicts an alternative arrangement of a two-drop cluster 70 for printing a 25% coverage pattern.
  • the two-drop cluster 70 is arranged so that the drops 70a, 70b overlap about the vertical centerline V of the pixel group 75.
  • the centers of the drops 70a, 70b are horizontally aligned.
  • the pixel groups 75 are oriented to correspond with the orientation of the drop cluster 70. Accordingly, the rectangular-shaped pixel groups 75, are oriented with long axes in the horizontal direction.
  • the 25% pattern depicted in Fig. 3 is printed so that every other pixel group 75 in a row of pixel groups, and every fourth pixel group in a column of pixel groups is printed with a two-drop cluster 70.
  • Fig. 4 depicts another alternative arrangement for printing a 25% coverage pattern, using four-drop clusters 80.
  • the individual drops 80a, 80b, 80c, 80d overlap along the vertical V and horizontal H centerlines of the pixel groups 85.
  • the 25% pattern depicted in Fig. 4 is printed so that every other pixel group 85 in a row of pixel groups 85, and every other pixel group in a column of pixel groups is simultaneously printed with the four-drop cluster 80.
  • the 25% coverage pattern (Figs. 2 - 4) is advantageous in this regard because the minimum distance between any two simultaneously printed clusters 60, 70, 80 is increased compared to clusters printed in a 50% coverage pattern. Accordingly, there is no tangential contact between simultaneously printed pixel groups 60, 70, 80, and the distance provided between the simultaneously printed pixel groups accommodates oversize ink drops that would otherwise overlap with diagonally adjacent printed clusters.
  • a 100% coverage pattern may be produced from the 25% patterns of Figs. 2 - 4 by repeating three times the pen scan across a single swath with the pen fired so that the uncovered pixel groups are covered with the drop clusters.

Landscapes

  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)

Claims (5)

  1. Ein Verfahren zum Steuern eines bewegbaren Stifts, der wirksam ist, um Tintentropfen auf einem Medium (22) zu plazieren, das eine durch eine Matrix von benachbarten Pixelgruppen (65), die in horizontalen Reihen und vertikalen Spalten angeordnet sind, definierbare Oberfläche besitzt, wobei das Verfahren folgende Schritte aufweist:
    Richten von Gruppen (60) von mindestens zwei sich überlappenden Tintentropfen während eines ersten Durchlaufs des Stifts, um im wesentlichen jede vierte Pixelgruppe (65) einer Reihe von Pixelgruppen (65) zu bedecken; und
    Richten von Gruppen (60) von mindestens zwei sich überlappenden Tintentropfen während des ersten Durchlaufs des Stifts, um im wesentlichen jede zweite Pixelgruppe (65) in jeder zweiten Spalte der Pixelgruppen zu bedecken.
  2. Das Verfahren gemäß Anspruch 1, bei dem die Gruppe (60) zwei sich überlappende Tintentropfen mit Mittelpunkten aufweist, welche vertikal ausgerichtet sind.
  3. Ein Verfahren zum Steuern eines bewegbaren Stifts, der wirksam ist, um Tintentropfen auf ein Medium (22) zu plazieren, das eine durch eine Matrix von benachbarten Pixelgruppen (75), die in horizontalen Reihen und vertikalen Spalten angeordnet sind, definierbare Oberfläche besitzt, wobei das Verfahren folgende Schritte aufweist:
    Richten von Gruppen (70) von mindestens zwei sich überlappenden Tintentropfen während eines ersten Durchlaufs des Stifts, um im wesentlichen jede zweite Pixelgruppe (75) in jeder zweiten Reihe von Pixelgruppen (75) zu bedecken; und
    Richten von Gruppen (70) von mindestens zwei sich überlappenden Tintentropfen während des ersten Durchlaufs des Stifts, um im wesentlichen jede vierte Pixelgruppe (75) einer Spalte von Pixelgruppen (75) zu bedecken.
  4. Das Verfahren gemäß Anspruch 3, bei dem die Gruppe (70) zwei sich überlappende Tintentropfen mit Mittelpunkten aufweist, welche horizontal ausgerichtet sind.
  5. Ein Verfahren zum Steuern eines bewegbaren Stifts, der wirksam ist, um Tintentropfen auf ein Medium (22) zu plazieren, das eine durch eine Matrix von benachbarten Pixelgruppen (85), die in horizontalen Reihen und vertikalen Spalten angeordnet sind, definierbare Oberfläche besitzt, wobei das Verfahren folgenden Schritt aufweist:
    Richten von Gruppen (80) von vier sich überlappenden Tintentropfen, während eines ersten Durchlaufs des Stifts um im wesentlichen jede zweite Pixelgruppe (85) in jeder zweiten Reihe von Pixelgruppen und jede zweite Pixelgruppe in jeder zweiten Spalte von Pixelgruppen zu bedecken.
EP19910307849 1990-09-17 1991-08-28 Tintentropfenpositionierung für den Bildaufbau Expired - Lifetime EP0476860B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US58378590A 1990-09-17 1990-09-17
US583785 1990-09-17

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0476860A2 EP0476860A2 (de) 1992-03-25
EP0476860A3 EP0476860A3 (en) 1992-09-30
EP0476860B1 true EP0476860B1 (de) 1995-08-23

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EP19910307849 Expired - Lifetime EP0476860B1 (de) 1990-09-17 1991-08-28 Tintentropfenpositionierung für den Bildaufbau

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EP (1) EP0476860B1 (de)
JP (1) JPH04234664A (de)
CA (1) CA2048048C (de)
DE (1) DE69112323T2 (de)

Families Citing this family (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4207623C2 (de) * 1992-03-06 1998-08-27 Eastman Kodak Co Verfahren zum Drucken mit einem seriellen Tintenstrahldrucker
US5633663A (en) * 1992-03-31 1997-05-27 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ink jet recording method and apparatus
US6106102A (en) * 1992-05-01 2000-08-22 Hewlett-Packard Company Odd number of passes, odd number of advances, and separated-diagonal-line masking, in liquid-ink printers
JP3339724B2 (ja) * 1992-09-29 2002-10-28 株式会社リコー インクジェット記録方法及びその装置
JP3376027B2 (ja) * 1992-12-04 2003-02-10 キヤノン株式会社 布帛用画像形成装置、布帛用画像形成方法および画像形成がなされた布帛からなる物品、並びにプリント物の製造方法
US5600352A (en) * 1994-06-27 1997-02-04 Tektronix, Inc. Apparatus and method for controlling coalescence of ink drops on a print medium
US5625390A (en) * 1995-01-30 1997-04-29 Tektronix, Inc. Pairing of ink drops on a print medium
US5734393A (en) * 1995-08-01 1998-03-31 Tektronix, Inc. Interleaved interlaced imaging
US5774144A (en) * 1995-08-01 1998-06-30 Tektronix, Inc. Image interlacing and joining in a printer
US5731827A (en) * 1995-10-06 1998-03-24 Xerox Corporation Liquid ink printer having apparent 1XN addressability
NL1008762C2 (nl) * 1998-03-31 1999-10-01 Stork Digital Imaging Bv Werkwijze voor het vormen van beeldpunten op een substraat.
US6575558B1 (en) 1999-03-26 2003-06-10 Spectra, Inc. Single-pass inkjet printing
US6592204B1 (en) 1999-03-26 2003-07-15 Spectra, Inc. Single-pass inkjet printing
US6338544B1 (en) 1999-06-29 2002-01-15 Xerox Corporation Reduction of stitch joint error by alternating print head firing mode
GB0220227D0 (en) 2002-08-30 2002-10-09 Xaar Technology Ltd Droplet deposition apparatus

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4617580A (en) * 1983-08-26 1986-10-14 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Apparatus for recording on different types of mediums
US4748453A (en) * 1987-07-21 1988-05-31 Xerox Corporation Spot deposition for liquid ink printing
JPH024523A (ja) * 1988-06-22 1990-01-09 Canon Inc インクジェット記録方法及び該方法に用いる装置
US4967203A (en) * 1989-09-29 1990-10-30 Hewlett-Packard Company Interlace printing process

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0476860A2 (de) 1992-03-25
EP0476860A3 (en) 1992-09-30
DE69112323D1 (de) 1995-09-28
DE69112323T2 (de) 1996-01-25
JPH04234664A (ja) 1992-08-24
CA2048048C (en) 2000-11-28
CA2048048A1 (en) 1992-03-18

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