Determination of printer dryer target temperatures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10894429-B2
Application number	US-201616332058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

According to an example, an apparatus may include a fluid coverage engine to determine which pixels of an image are to receive print fluid. The apparatus may also include a pixel count engine to compute a count of pixels at which print fluid is to be applied onto a media from the determined pixels of the image that are to receive print fluid, a target temperature engine to determine a target temperature for a dryer based upon the computed count of pixels, and a dryer engine to cause the dryer to become heated to the determined target temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on the processor to:
determine which pixels of an image are to receive print fluid;
assign a first value to each pixel of a first subset of pixels that are to receive the print fluid;
assign a second value to each pixel of a second subset of to pixels that are not to receive the print fluid;
compute, based on adding the first and second values assigned to the first subset of pixels and the second subset of pixels, respectively, a count of pixels at which the print fluid is to be applied onto a media;
determine whether the computed count exceeds a predetermined threshold count;
in response to a determination that the computed count exceeds the predetermined threshold count, determine a target temperature to be a first target temperature for a dryer; and
cause the dryer to become heated to the determined target temperature.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to:
determine the target temperature for the dryer prior to print data pertaining to the image being halftoned; and
cause the dryer to become heated to a second target temperature that is determined based upon halftone information of the print data pertaining to the image.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to determine the target temperature for the dryer solely based upon the computed count.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor further to:
in response to a determination that the computed count falls below the predetermined threshold count, determine the target temperature to be a second target temperature that is lower than the first target temperature.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold count is a first predetermined threshold count, and wherein the instructions are executable on the processor further to:
in response to a determination that the computed count exceeds the first predetermined threshold count, determine whether the computed count exceeds a second predetermined threshold count; and
determine the target temperature to be the first target temperature based upon the computed count exceeding both the first predetermined threshold count and the second predetermined threshold count.

6. A method comprising:
accessing, by a processor, print data that identifies pixels on a media where print fluid is to be deposited;
assigning, by the processor, a first value to each pixel of a first subset of pixels that are to receive the print fluid;
assigning, by the processor, a second value to each pixel of a second subset of pixels that are not to receive the print fluid;
computing, by the processor based on adding the first and second values assigned to the first subset of pixels and the second subset of pixels, respectively, a count of the pixels that are to receive the print fluid;
determining, by the processor, whether the computed count exceeds a predetermined threshold count; and
in response to a determination that the computed count exceeds the predetermined threshold count, determining, by the processor, a target temperature to be a first target temperature for a dryer.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
activating the dryer to reach the target temperature, and
wherein the determining the target temperature for the dryer comprises determining the target temperature for the dryer solely based upon the computed count.

8. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
selecting a colormap of the print data; and
halftoning the print data, wherein determining the target temperature comprises determining the target temperature prior to the selecting of the colormap and the halftoning of the print data.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
determining a second target temperature for the dryer based upon the halftoning; and
manipulating the dryer to achieve the second target temperature.

10. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
in response to a determination that the computed count falls below the predetermined threshold count, determining the target temperature to be a second target temperature that is lower than the first target temperature.

11. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the predetermined threshold count is a first predetermined threshold count, and the method further comprising:
in response to a determination that the computed count exceeds the first predetermined threshold count, determining whether the computed count exceeds a second predetermined threshold count; and
determining the target temperature to be the first target temperature based upon the computed count exceeding both the first predetermined threshold count and the second predetermined threshold count.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed cause a system to:
access print data that identifies pixels on a media where print fluid is to be deposited;
assign a first value to each pixel of a first subset of pixels that are to receive the print fluid;
assign a second value to each pixel of a second subset of pixels that are not to receive the print fluid;
compute, based on adding the first and second values assigned to the first subset of pixels and the second subset of pixels, respectively, a count of the pixels that are to receive the print fluid;
determine whether the computed count exceeds a predetermined threshold count;
set a target temperature as a predefined lower target temperature for a dryer in response to the computed count falling below the predetermined threshold count;
set the target temperature to a predefined higher target temperature for the dryer in response to the computed count exceeding the predetermined threshold count number; and
instruct the dryer to become heated to the target temperature.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the system to:
set the target temperature prior to halftoning of the print data; and
determine a second target temperature for the dryer based upon the halftoning of the print data; and
instruct the dryer to become heated to the second target temperature.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first value assigned to each pixel of the first subset of pixels is 1, and the second value assigned to each pixel of the second subset of pixels is 0.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to compute the count by summing each instance of 1 assigned to the pixels of the first subset of pixels, and summing each instance of 0 assigned to the pixels of the second subset of pixels.

16. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the first value assigned to each pixel of the first subset of pixels is 1, and the second value assigned to each pixel of the second subset of pixels is 0.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the computing of the count comprises summing each instance of 1 assigned to the pixels of the first subset of pixels, and summing each instance of 0 assigned to the pixels of the second subset of pixels.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the first value assigned to each pixel of the first subset of pixels is 1, and the second value assigned to each pixel of

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Sun Weiyun
• Beachnau Hood Dawn M
• Yraceburu Robert
• Mackenzie Mark H
• Hoyer Brooke

Classifications

• B41J11/0024

  using conduction means, e.g. by using a heated platen · CPC title

• B41J11/002 Primary

  Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating · CPC title

• B41J2/01

  Ink jet · CPC title