Liquid Ejecting Head Driving Waveform Determination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid ejecting apparatuses, such as ink jet printers, face user burden in manually determining driving waveforms for optimal ink ejection characteristics, leading to increased simulation or measurement times and ink consumption.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that determine a driving waveform for a liquid ejecting head by generating waveform candidates based on measured ejection characteristics, notifying the user, and allowing user instruction for final waveform determination, thereby reducing user burden and optimizing ejection characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual determination of driving waveform is performed by user, then determination can be based on user knowledge, but user burden increases excessively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetermination accuracyVSAvoiduser burden

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs automated determination of driving waveform parameters through simulation and measurement, reducing reliance on manual user operation. The processing circuit automatically adjusts parameters based on ejection characteristics data, allowing the system to serve itself in the determination process while minimizing user burden.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an automated determination system that acts as an intermediary between user knowledge and final waveform determination. This intermediary processes simulation results and measurement data to objectively determine optimal parameters, bridging the gap between manual expertise and automated execution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If automated determination of driving waveform is performed, then user burden is reduced, but number of simulations or measurements increases excessively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser burdenVSAvoiddetermination time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary simulation to generate multiple candidate waveforms before actual measurement. By pre-evaluating candidates through simulation, the number of required actual measurements is reduced, saving time and ink while maintaining determination accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent systematically changes waveform parameters in simulation to generate diverse candidates, then uses measurement results to refine the search. This parameter exploration strategy reduces the need for exhaustive measurements by guiding the search toward promising candidates identified through simulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If number of simulations or measurements is increased, then determination accuracy improves, but time consumption and ink consumption increase excessively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetermination accuracyVSAvoidtime and ink consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates virtual copies of waveform candidates through simulation before physical measurement. These simulated waveforms serve as proxies that can be evaluated without consuming actual ink, allowing extensive parameter exploration with minimal material consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs simulation for all candidate waveforms (excessive action in computation) but only performs measurement for selected candidates (partial action in physical resource consumption). This imbalance favors simulation to reduce overall ink and time consumption while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 the time and cost associated with determining driving waveforms by automating the process while allowing user input, minimizing unnecessary simulations and ink consumption.

Implementation Method 1

liquid such as ink is ejected from a nozzle when a driving pulse is applied to a driving element such as a piezoelectric element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS11970001B2Driving waveform determining method, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing driving waveform determining program, liquid ejecting apparatus, and driving waveform determining system

Publication Date: 2024.04.30 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

A driving waveform determining method with which a waveform of a driving pulse applied to a driving element provided in a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid is determined includes: a first step of determining a waveform candidate of the driving pulse; a second step of notifying a user of candidate information of the waveform candidate; a third step of receiving an instruction issued by the user in accordance with the candidate information; and a fourth step of determining the waveform of the driving pulse in accordance with the instruction.