Automatic Printhead Gap Compensation Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed production printers face issues with visible print artifacts due to inaccurate physical gaps between adjacent printheads, leading to undesired artifacts like voids or banding, which current uniformity compensation methods struggle to address effectively, requiring prior knowledge of ink spread and printhead gap models or time-consuming manual tuning.
Innovation Solution
A mechanism for automatic printhead gap compensation is introduced, using measurement data from pel forming elements in adjacent printheads and tint levels to determine optimal compensation halftone designs that align with target values, selecting the design that minimizes print medium measurement deviations across various tint levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual tuning and prior knowledge of ink spread models are used for compensation, then compensation accuracy can be achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic compensation by having the printing system itself generate test patterns, measure the actual output, and compute compensation parameters without external manual intervention. The processor automatically analyzes measurement data and determines optimal compensation halftone designs, eliminating the need for operator expertise and manual tuning processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical tuning processes with an automated computational system. Instead of operators physically adjusting parameters based on experience and models, a processor automatically calculates compensation parameters by comparing measured print output against target values, substituting human expertise with algorithmic analysis.
2Measurement precision
If manual tuning methods are used for printhead gap compensation, then compensation can be achieved, but the operation becomes complex and requires expert knowledge
Solution Approach 1:
The system autonomously performs the entire compensation process: generating test patterns, measuring output, analyzing data, and determining compensation parameters. This self-service approach eliminates the need for operators to understand complex ink spread models or perform manual adjustments, making the system easy to operate while maintaining high accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates test patterns that copy or replicate the actual printing conditions and analyzes their output to determine compensation parameters. By measuring actual print output from test patterns rather than relying on theoretical models, the system simplifies operation while achieving accurate compensation based on real-world performance data.
3Productivity
If automatic compensation is implemented, then the process becomes simpler and faster, but achieving high compensation accuracy becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a closed-loop feedback mechanism where test patterns are printed, their actual output is measured, and the measured data is fed back to the processor to automatically compute compensation parameters. This feedback loop enables the system to achieve high accuracy automatically by continuously comparing actual output against target values and adjusting compensation accordingly, without requiring manual intervention or complex prior models.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex manual analysis and model-based computation with automated image processing and data analysis algorithms. The processor automatically analyzes measurement data from test patterns, compares it against target values, and determines optimal compensation halftone designs, achieving both high speed and high accuracy through computational automation rather than manual methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing system is disclosed. The printing system includes at least one physical memory device to store compensation logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the compensation logic to receive measurement data corresponding to a print medium printed with a plurality of pel forming elements in adjacent printheads and a plurality of tint levels, wherein the plurality of pel forming elements comprise gap adjacent pel forming elements that print with applied compensation halftone design and non-gap adjacent pel forming elements, associate measurement data values with the gap adjacent pel forming elements, the applied compensation halftone design and the plurality of tint levels and determine optimal compensation by selecting the compensation halftone design that has corresponding measurement data values closest to compensation target values for each of the plurality of tint levels.