IPC분류정보
| 국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
| 국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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| 출원번호 |
US-0423868
(2012-03-19)
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| 등록번호 |
US-8502846
(2013-08-06)
|
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Liu, Chien
- Vetterling, William T.
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| 출원인 / 주소 |
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| 대리인 / 주소 |
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| 인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
84 |
초록
▼
In one aspect of the invention there is disclosed a multicolor thermal imaging system wherein different heating elements on a thermal print head can print on different color-forming layers of a multicolor thermal imaging member in a single pass. The line-printing time is divided into portions, each
In one aspect of the invention there is disclosed a multicolor thermal imaging system wherein different heating elements on a thermal print head can print on different color-forming layers of a multicolor thermal imaging member in a single pass. The line-printing time is divided into portions, each of which is divided into a plurality of subintervals. All of the pulses within the portions have the same energy. In one embodiment, every pulse has the same amplitude and duration. Different colors are selected for printing during the different portions by varying the fraction of subintervals that contain pulses. This technique allows multiple colors to be printed using a thermal print head with a single strobe signal line. Pulsing patterns may be chosen to reduce the coincidence of pulses provided to multiple print head elements, thereby reducing the peak power requirements of the print head.
대표청구항
▼
1. A direct thermal printer for reducing peak power requirements, comprising: a thermal print head comprising a plurality of heating elements;a control circuit connected to the thermal print head that applies: (i) a first pulse pattern for printing a first pixel to a first heating element of the plu
1. A direct thermal printer for reducing peak power requirements, comprising: a thermal print head comprising a plurality of heating elements;a control circuit connected to the thermal print head that applies: (i) a first pulse pattern for printing a first pixel to a first heating element of the plurality of heating elements at a first start time, and(ii) a second pulse pattern for printing a second pixel to a second heating element of the plurality of heating elements at a second start time;wherein the first start time and second start time differ from each other such that at least one pulse of the second pulse pattern is not coincident with any pulse of the first pulse pattern. 2. The direct thermal printer of claim 1, wherein the first pulse pattern comprises a period including no pulses, and wherein the at least one pulse of the second pulse pattern not coincident with any pulse of the first pulse pattern is applied during the period of the first pulse pattern including no pulses. 3. The direct thermal printer of claim 1, wherein the first pulse stream and second pulse stream each comprise an initial plurality of consecutive pulses, and wherein the second start time is after the initial plurality of consecutive pulses of the first pulse stream have been applied, such that the initial plurality of consecutive pulses of the second pulse stream are not coincident with any of the initial plurality of consecutive pulses of the first pulse stream. 4. The direct thermal printer of claim 1, wherein the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern are provided in a plurality of subintervals, and wherein the first start time and second start time differ by a multiple of subintervals. 5. The direct thermal printer of claim 1, wherein the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern each comprise a plurality of pulses with a common predetermined amplitude. 6. The direct thermal printer of claim 1, wherein the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern each comprise a plurality of pulses with a common predetermined duration. 7. The direct thermal printer of claim 6, wherein the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern are provided in a plurality of subintervals and a portion of the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern comprise a plurality of nonconsecutive subintervals with a period of N, where N>1, and wherein the first start time and second start time differ by less than N. 8. The direct thermal printer of claim 1, wherein the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern comprise a first plurality of pulses having a first average power and a second plurality of pulses having a second average power that differs from the first average power. 9. The direct thermal printer of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of pulses of the first pulse pattern are provided to the first heating element in a first portion of the printing time, and wherein the second plurality of pulses of the first pulse pattern and the first plurality of pulses of the second pulse pattern are provided to the corresponding heating elements in a second portion of the printing time. 10. The direct thermal printer of claim 9, wherein the first plurality of pulses are provided to the corresponding heating element to produce output having a first color, and wherein the second plurality of pulses are provided to the corresponding heating to produce output having a second color that differs from the first color. 11. The direct thermal printer of claim 9, wherein the first portion of the printing time is less than the second portion of the printing time. 12. The direct thermal printer of claim 1, wherein the control circuit has a single strobe signal to produce the first plurality of pulses and the second plurality of pulses. 13. A method of reducing peak power requirements while printing onto different color forming layers of a multicolor thermal imaging member using a thermal print head, comprising steps of: providing, by a control circuit of a direct thermal printer, to a first heating element of a plurality of heating elements of a thermal print head of the direct thermal printer, a first pulse pattern for printing a first pixel at a first start time; andproviding, by the control circuit, to a second heating element of the plurality of heating elements of the thermal print head, a second pulse pattern for printing a second pixel at a second start time, the second start time differing from the first start time such that at least one pulse of the second pulse pattern is not coincident with any pulse of the first pulse pattern. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first pulse pattern comprises a period including no pulses, and wherein the at least one pulse of the second pulse pattern not coincident with any pulse of the first pulse pattern is provided during the period of the first pulse pattern including no pulses. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first pulse stream and second pulse stream each comprise an initial plurality of consecutive pulses, and wherein the second start time is after the initial plurality of consecutive pulses of the first pulse stream have been provided, such that the initial plurality of consecutive pulses of the second pulse stream are not coincident with any of the initial plurality of consecutive pulses of the first pulse stream. 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern are provided in a plurality of subintervals, and wherein the first start time and second start time differ by a multiple of subintervals. 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern each comprise a plurality of pulses with a common predetermined amplitude. 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern each comprise a plurality of pulses with a common predetermined duration. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern in a plurality of subintervals, and wherein a portion of the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern comprise a plurality of nonconsecutive subintervals with a period of N, where N>1, and wherein the first start time and second start time differ by less than N. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first pulse pattern and second pulse pattern comprise a first plurality of pulses having a first average power and a second plurality of pulses having a second average power that differs from the first average power. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing the first plurality of pulses of the first pulse pattern during a first portion of the printing time, and providing the second plurality of pulses of the first pulse pattern and the first plurality of pulses of the second pulse pattern in a second portion of the printing time. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising producing, by the direct thermal printer via the first plurality of pulses provided to the corresponding heating elements, output having a first color; and producing, by the direct thermal printer via the second plurality of pulses provided to the corresponding heating elements, output having a second color different from the first color. 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the first portion of the printing time is less than the second portion of the printing time. 24. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the first pulse pattern and the second pulse pattern comprise providing the first pulse pattern and the second pulse pattern via a single strobe signal of the control circuit.
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