ION writing calibration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10579161-B2
Application number	US-201415307769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2014
Priority date	Jul 31, 2014
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

An ion writing system includes a writing unit and a calibration module. The writing unit includes an array of selectable electrode nozzles to direct ions onto passive e-paper to form a pattern of dots on the e-paper. The calibration module calibrates the writing unit for image optical intensity via information from a sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An external, contactless writing system for e-paper, the system comprising:
a writing unit including an ion generator to generate airborne ions and an array of selectable electrode nozzles to direct the airborne ions onto a passive e-paper to form a pattern of dots on the passive e-paper;
a processor; and
a non-transitory memory storing machine readable instructions, executable via the processor, to calibrate the writing unit for image optical intensity of at least one of the respective dots, via information from a sensor, according to a total number of charges per dot parameter.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a sensor coupled to at least the writing unit, the sensor to sense the image optical intensity.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ion generator of the writing unit includes a corona wire at a first voltage to produce the airborne ions, wherein each nozzle operates at a current, and wherein the instructions to calibrate include a nozzle current parameter to modify the current for each respective nozzle based on at least the first voltage and thereby adjust the total number of charges per dot parameter.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the stored instructions comprises instructions to modify, via a single pulse duty cycle parameter, a single duty cycle of each respective nozzle to adjust the total number of charges per dot parameter.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the stored instructions comprises at least one of:
instructions to modify, via a nozzle bias parameter, a bias potential of each respective nozzle to adjust the total number of charges per dot parameter; and
instructions to, via a pulse quantity parameter control a number of individual current pulses to build each pixel via each respective one of the selectable nozzles.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an optical sensor to sense the image and the instructions comprise instructions to adjust at least one of a dot size/shape parameter, line width parameter, text boldness parameter, image corners parameter, and image halftone parameter.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzles are adjustable according to a nozzle current uniformity parameter.

8. An external, contactless writing system for e-paper, the system comprising:
a writing unit including an ion generator to generate airborne ions and an array of selectable electrode nozzles to direct the airborne ions onto a passive e-paper to form a pattern of dots on the passive e-paper;
a sensor to sense image optical intensity of at least one of the respective dots on the passive e-paper;
a processor; and
a non-transitory memory storing machine readable instructions, executable via the processor, to calibrate the writing unit, based on the sensed image optical intensity, according to at least one of a dot size parameter, line width parameter, and a dot shape parameter.

9. The writing system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions includes at least one of:
instructions to modify, via a single pulse duty cycle parameter, a single pulse duty cycle for each nozzle; and
instructions to, via a pulse quantity parameter, control a number of individual current pulses to build each pixel via each respective one of the selectable nozzles.

10. The writing system of claim 8 , wherein the sensor is separate from, and independent of, the writing unit.

11. The writing system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions comprises instructions to to perform the calibration based on a known look-up table (LUT) for at least one of: image optical intensity, line width, dot size, text boldness, gray level relative to at least one of nozzle bias potential, nozzle duty cycle, and image halftoning.

12. The writing system of claim 8 , wherein the image optical intensity includes at least one of a black color intensity and a non-black color intensity.

13. A method of manufacturing a calibratable writing system, the method comprising:
arranging an array of selectable electrode nozzles of an ion writing unit to direct airborne ions onto a spaced apart, e-paper to form a pattern of dots on the e-paper;
arranging an optical sensor to sense image optical intensity on at least one portion of the e-paper, wherein the image optical intensity includes at least one of a black color and a non-black color; and
arranging a calibration module to calibrate the writing unit, based on the sensed image optical intensity of the at least one portion, according to at least one of a dot size, a dot shape, and a line width.

14. The method of manufacturing of claim 13 , wherein the calibration module includes a total charges parameter to adjust the dot size or the dot shape according to an adjustable total number of charges per dot.

15. The method of manufacturing of claim 14 , wherein the total charges parameter is based on at least one of a single pulse duty cycle, a nozzle bias potential, a pulse quantity parameter, and a corona voltage of the ion writing unit.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Gila Omer
• Leoni Napolean J
• Birecki Henryk

Classifications

• G09G2360/145

  the light originating from the display screen · CPC title

• G09G2354/00

  Aspects of interface with display user · CPC title

• G06F3/0321 Primary

  by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet (constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037) · CPC title

• G06F3/03

  Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form · CPC title

• G09G5/26

  for modifying the character dimensions, e.g. double width, double height · CPC title