Nozzle Combination Control for Uniform Display Ink Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the printing process of display devices, variations in ink application amount across the substrate lead to visible stripes due to color or luminance irregularities, which affect the display quality.
Innovation Solution
A printing device and method that utilize a nozzle combination calculator to determine a final nozzle combination for each pixel column based on discharge rates, using an average value calculator to set a usable nozzle group and a nozzle combination determiner to adjust the nozzle positions, ensuring uniform ink application by calculating moving average values to smooth out rate variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a single nozzle is used for printing, then the device complexity is low, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to position-dependent ink application variation
Solution Approach 1:
The printing system divides the substrate into multiple pixel columns, and for each pixel column, selects a specific combination of nozzles from the available plurality of nozzles. This segmentation approach allows different nozzle combinations to be optimized for different regions, improving ink application uniformity across the entire substrate while managing device complexity through systematic organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by determining different final nozzle combinations for different pixel columns based on their specific position requirements. Each pixel column receives ink from nozzles that are locally optimized for that region, compensating for position-dependent variations in ink application. This localized optimization ensures uniform ink thickness and luminance across different areas of the display device.
2Productivity
If nozzle discharge rates vary by position, then the productivity is high, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to stripe defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of nozzle combination for each pixel column based on position-dependent discharge rates. By calculating and selecting specific nozzle combinations that account for variations in discharge rates across different positions, the system compensates for these variations and maintains uniform ink application. This allows the system to operate at high productivity while preventing stripe defects caused by discharge rate variations.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple nozzles are used per pixel column, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-calculating the final nozzle combinations for all pixel columns before the actual printing process. The nozzle combination calculator determines the optimal nozzle combination for each pixel column in advance, based on position-dependent discharge rates. This preliminary calculation eliminates the need for complex real-time adjustments during printing, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high manufacturing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing device includes: a printer, which to include a plurality of nozzles; a discharge detection sensor configured to detect an amount of ink discharged from the plurality of the nozzles; and a nozzle combination calculator configured to determine a final nozzle combination for each pixel column on a substrate based on discharge rates of the plurality of the nozzles, where the nozzle combination calculator includes: an average value calculator configured to set a usable nozzle group for each pixel column of the substrate among the plurality of the nozzles; and a nozzle combination determiner configured to determine the final nozzle combination corresponding to each pixel column by using a moving average value of nozzle discharge rates of the nozzle group set for each pixel column.