Regional Ink Density Control for Curl-Free Duplex Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Duplex print modes in printing systems often fail due to media curling caused by excessive ink density on the first side, leading to paper path issues and preventing the second side from being printed.
Innovation Solution
A printing system that selectively reduces ink density in high-density regions of the first side of a print media based on local ink density analysis, using an algorithm to generate an optimized image by depleting ink in regions exceeding a threshold, while preserving text and thin lines, thereby preventing media curl and enabling duplex printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If ink density is increased to improve print quality, then image fidelity is improved, but media curling occurs causing print mechanism failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by analyzing ink density in different regions of the image and selectively adjusting ink application only in high-density regions that exceed a threshold. This allows the system to maintain high image fidelity in most areas while preventing media curling only where necessary, rather than uniformly reducing ink density across the entire image.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the ink density parameter based on regional analysis of the image. By comparing local ink density values against a threshold and selectively depleting ink in exceeding regions, the system adjusts the ink application parameter locally to prevent media curling while preserving overall print quality.
2Reliability
If uniform ink depletion is applied to prevent media curl, then print mechanism reliability is improved, but text and thin lines appear washed out
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying uniform ink depletion across the entire image, the system performs regional analysis and applies ink depletion only in specific high-density regions that exceed the threshold. This localized approach prevents media curling while preserving the clarity of text and thin lines in regions that do not exceed the threshold.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by selectively depleting ink only in regions where it is necessary (those exceeding the density threshold) rather than applying depletion uniformly across the entire image. This partial application of the depletion action maintains text clarity while still preventing media curling in problematic areas.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing system includes a machine readable storage medium storing instructions and a processor to execute the instructions. The processor is to execute the instructions to receive a source image comprising a plurality of regions and analyze each region of the plurality of regions to determine an ink density of each region. The processor is to execute the instructions to further in response to the ink density for a region exceeding a threshold, deplete the ink density for the region; and in response to the ink density for a region not exceeding the threshold, maintain the ink density for the region. The processor is to execute the instructions to further combine the depleted regions and the maintained regions to generate an optimized image.