Redundancy Print Mode Nozzle Grouping for Image Quality
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Print apparatuses with fixed print bars struggle to achieve high image quality due to limitations in nozzle redundancy, leading to suboptimal color reproduction and image fidelity, especially when compared to systems with multiple print bars or multiple passes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a redundancy print mode that groups nozzles to operate in redundancy groups, allowing for synchronized actuation across a drop domain, which enables improved image quality without the need for additional print bars or passes by utilizing a redundancy engine, separation engine, and print engine to generate instructions for the print head.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a print apparatus uses a fixed print bar with limited nozzle redundancy, then the device complexity is reduced, but the image quality and color reproduction deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the print head into multiple independent nozzle groups (first nozzle group, second nozzle group, etc.), each capable of being selectively activated. This segmentation allows the system to use only the necessary number of nozzles for a given print job, effectively reducing the operational complexity while maintaining high image quality through selective nozzle activation based on image data characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic nozzle selection where the system adapts which nozzles are activated based on the specific print job requirements, image data characteristics, and detected nozzle states. This dynamic adaptation allows the fixed print bar to operate with optimal effective complexity - using more nozzles when needed for quality and fewer when sufficient, without requiring physical reconfiguration
2Manufacturing precision
If additional print bars or multiple passes are used to improve image quality, then the image quality and color accuracy are enhanced, but the productivity and print speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary detection of nozzle operational states and pre-determines the optimal nozzle group configuration before actual printing begins. By pre-identifying which nozzles are functional and selecting the appropriate nozzle groups in advance, the system prepares the optimal print configuration that achieves high color accuracy in a single pass, eliminating the need for subsequent correction passes while maintaining productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system detects the operational state of individual nozzles and uses this information to dynamically adjust which nozzle groups are activated. This feedback loop ensures that the optimal combination of functional nozzles is used, achieving high image quality and color reproduction accuracy without requiring multiple passes or additional print bars, thus maintaining high print speed
3Manufacturing precision
If all nozzles in a print head are activated to ensure complete coverage, then the image fidelity is improved, but the use of energy and print material increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by activating specific nozzle groups based on the local requirements of different regions of the image data. Rather than uniformly activating all nozzles, the system selectively activates only those nozzle groups whose coverage areas correspond to regions requiring print output, thereby maintaining high image fidelity in printed areas while conserving energy and material in areas where no printing is needed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by activating only the necessary subset of nozzle groups required to achieve complete and accurate image coverage, rather than activating all nozzles. By calculating the minimum sufficient nozzle activation set based on image data analysis and nozzle group coverage characteristics, the system achieves full image fidelity with reduced energy consumption and print material usage compared to full nozzle activation
Data Source
AI summary
In an example, a print system includes a redundancy engine, a separation engine, and a print engine. In that example, the redundancy engine may identify a group of nozzles based on a redundancy characteristic of a plurality of print head nozzles of a print head to be received at the print head station and the separation engine may select a color separation operation corresponding to a drop domain associated with the group of nozzles identified by the redundancy engine to operate the print head with redundancy. In that example, the print engine may generate instructions using the selected color separation operation to cause the print head to eject print fluid from a combination of nozzles corresponding to the group of nozzles based on the drop domain to operate the print head with a redundancy print mode.