Patent · US Expired

Method and structure for controlling the energizing of an ink jet printhead in a value dispensing device such as a postage meter

US5815172A · kind A · utility

41Cited by
21References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 23, 1996
Grant dateSep 29, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 23, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J2/04591
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A method for controlling energizing of an ink jet printhead includes the steps of generating encoder pulses to a motor to activate the motor to move the printhead at a desired speed over a recording medium; generating and sending fire pulses at a fire pulse frequency from an ASIC to an ink jet printhead driver chip to selectively energize ink jet printhead nozzles to eject drops of ink onto the recording medium based on a predetermine relationship between an expected encoder pulse frequency and the fire pulse frequency; compensating for variations in the speed of the ink jet printhead movement caused by variations in the encoder pulse frequency by using the ASIC for continuously comparing the encoder pulse frequency to the fire pulse frequency and for adjusting the fire pulse frequency based upon the variations to the encoder pulse frequency to maintain the predetermined relationship thereby synchronizing the ink jet printhead movement with the energizing of the printhead nozzles.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.