Thermal Inkjet Printhead EPROM Shared Fire Line Architecture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printing systems face inefficiencies in identifying and programming print cartridges due to bottlenecks in programming and reading from EPROM cells, which limits performance and increases manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a shared array of firing and EPROM cells on the printhead, where EPROM cells receive programming/reading energy from the same fire lines as firing cells, using select lines to selectively couple cells to fire lines, allowing for faster programming and reading times and increased capacity without increasing real estate or addressing time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If EPROM cells use dedicated programming/reading lines separate from fire lines, then programming and reading operations can be performed independently, but the number of required conductors increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fire lines are designed to serve dual purposes: delivering firing energy to thermal ink jet firing cells and delivering programming/reading energy to EPROM cells. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated lines, reducing conductor count while maintaining operational capability through selective coupling mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the firing energy delivery function and EPROM programming/reading energy delivery function into a single shared conductor system. By merging these functions into the fire lines, the design reduces overall system complexity while maintaining the ability to perform both operations independently through selective activation.
2Quantity of substance
If more EPROM cells are added to the printhead, then storage capacity increases, but the real estate required and addressing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
EPROM cells are integrated into the same physical array structure as firing cells, sharing the same conductive grid and fire lines. This merging allows EPROM cells to occupy the same spatial footprint as firing cells, increasing storage capacity without proportionally increasing printhead real estate requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared fire lines and conductive grid serve both firing and EPROM functions simultaneously. This multi-functional approach allows the same physical infrastructure to support both ink jet firing operations and EPROM programming/reading operations, effectively doubling the utility of the existing conductor network.
3Productivity
If dedicated programming/reading lines are used, then programming and reading speeds can be optimized independently, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fire lines are designed to accommodate both firing energy delivery and EPROM programming/reading operations. By using the existing high-current-capable fire lines for dual purposes, the design achieves optimized programming and reading speeds without requiring additional dedicated infrastructure, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The fire line infrastructure, already designed to handle high currents for firing operations, is leveraged to also handle programming and reading operations. This self-service approach allows the existing conductor network to serve multiple functions without requiring additional manufacturing investment in separate dedicated lines.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces programming and reading time, enables more EPROM cells on the printhead, accommodates higher currents, and lowers manufacturing costs by utilizing existing fire lines for both firing and EPROM cell operations.
Implementation Method 1
The cells are coupled to the fire lines to receive programming/reading energy
Implementation Method 2
The firing cells receive firing energy from a plurality of fire lines on the printhead
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit (IC) erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) structure for a thermal inkjet printhead includes: a fire line to provide fire line data; a select line to provide selecting data; a firing cell coupled to the fire line; an EPROM cell coupled to the fire line; a selector cell coupled to the select line, the firing cell and the EPROM cell; and a data switching circuit to provide address data to the firing cell or the EPROM cell. The data switching circuit and the selector cell selectively enable transfer of the fire line data from the fire line to the firing cell or the EPROM cell as a function of state of the selecting data on the select line and the address data from the data switching circuit.