Printer Controller Nozzle Firing Sequence Peak Current Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pagewidth inkjet printers face challenges in reducing peak current requirements for nozzle firing, leading to heat and noise issues, and require efficient methods to manage nozzle layout and firing sequences to minimize delays and skew in dot placement.
Innovation Solution
A printer controller that supplies control signals to printhead modules with specific firing sequences, including firing nozzles at positions 1 and n, and subsequent pairs, to reduce peak current demands and compensate for rotational displacement errors, allowing for efficient ink dot placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If all nozzles are fired simultaneously, then dot placement accuracy is maintained, but peak current requirements increase causing heat and noise issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the nozzles into multiple groups (first group, second group, third group) and fires them in sequential segments rather than simultaneously. This segmentation reduces the peak current required at any given moment while maintaining acceptable dot placement accuracy through controlled timing sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic firing sequences where different nozzle groups are activated at different time periods. The controller fires nozzles in a structured temporal pattern (first group, then second group, then third group) which distributes the current load over time, reducing peak power requirements while completing the line quickly.
2Power
If nozzles are fired sequentially to reduce peak current, then heat and noise are reduced, but firing delays and dot skew increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial sequential action by dividing nozzles into only three groups rather than firing each nozzle individually. This partial segmentation reduces the number of sequential steps from potentially dozens to just three firing sequences, thereby reducing total firing time and delays while still achieving the current reduction benefit.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller is pre-configured with optimized firing sequences that anticipate the current and timing requirements. By predetermined which nozzles belong to which groups and establishing the firing order in advance, the system minimizes decision delays and ensures the fastest possible sequential firing pattern.
3Power
If nozzles are grouped into sets of n adjacent nozzles, then current load is distributed, but complex firing sequences are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric group boundaries where the first group contains nozzles 1 through m1, the second group contains nozzles m1+1 through m2, and the third group contains the remaining nozzles. This asymmetric segmentation simplifies the control logic compared to equal divisions, as the boundary conditions are clearly defined and the sequence progresses naturally from one group to the next without requiring complex coordination.
Data Source
AI summary
A printer controller for supplying one or more control signals to a printhead module, the printhead module including at least one row that comprises a plurality of sets of n adjacent nozzles, each of the nozzles being configured to expel ink in response to a fire signal, such that:(a) a fire signal is provided to nozzles at a first and nth position in each set of nozzles;(b) a fire signal is provided to the next inward pair of nozzles in each set;(c) in the event n is an even number, step (b) is repeated until all of the nozzles in each set has been fired; and(d) in the event n is an odd number, step (b) is repeated until all of the nozzles but a central nozzle in each set have been fired, and then the central nozzle is fired.