Selecting nozzles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9994014-B2
Application number	US-201415306016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2014
Priority date	Apr 25, 2014
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

Selecting nozzles can include selecting nozzles of a plurality of nozzles to print a portion of a print job based on content of the print job and assigning firing reservations to the selected nozzles, where a total number of the firing reservations assigned to the selected nozzles is comparatively less than a total number of the plurality of nozzles.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for selecting nozzles, comprising:
analyzing content of a print job sent to a printer, wherein the printer includes a printhead having a plurality of nozzles arranged in a primitive;
selecting a first set of, selected nozzles of the plurality of nozzles to print a portion of the print job based on the content of the print job;
assigning firing reservations to the selected nozzles, wherein a total number of the firing reservations assigned to the first set of selected nozzles is comparatively less than a total number of the plurality of nozzles; and
send firing data only to the first set of selected nozzles to reduce an amount of firing data sent to the plurality of nozzles;
fire the first set of the selected nozzles based can the firing data to print a portion of the print job; and
reassign at least some of the firing reservation to a second set of addresses associated with a second set of the selected nozzles.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of selected nozzles include a plurality of sets of nozzles, wherein assigning firing reservations includes assigning the firing reservations across the plurality of sets of nozzles, and wherein each set of nozzles has a respective color associated therewith.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the first set of acted nozzles includes selecting some but not all of the plurality of nozzles arranged in the primitive.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the total number of the firing reservations assigned is no more than a peak number of the first set of selected nozzles sent firing reservations during printing of the portion of the print job.

5. The method of claim 1 , including sending firing data to the first set of selected nozzles assigned firing reservations in an order that is the same as a firing order of the first set of selected selected nozzles.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the content includes analyzing page dot density of the print job.

7. A drive circuit including logic, embedded in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to control a printhead having a plurality of nozzles, the drive circuit to:
select a first set of selected nozzles of a plurality of nozzles based on content of a print job;
assign a plurality of firing reservations to the first set of selected nozzles, wherein a total number of the firing reservations assigned to the first set of selected nozzles at a given time is comparatively less than a total number of the plurality of nozzles;
select a firing order of the first set of selected nozzles assigned firing reservations;
send firing data, including the firing order, to the each of the first set of selected nozzles assigned firing reservations in the same order as the firing order of the first set of selected nozzles assigned firing reservations; and
fire the first set of the selected nozzles based on the firing data to print a portion of the print job; and
reassign at least some of the firing reservations to a second set of addresses associated with a second set of the selected nozzles.

8. The drive circuit of claim 7 , wherein the firing data is transmitted only to the first set of selected nozzles, not non-selected nozzles included in the plurality of nozzles.

9. The drive circuit of claim 7 , wherein the firing data includes a respective firing instruction for each of the first set of selected nozzles assigned firing reservations.

10. The drive circuit of claim 9 , wherein the respective firing instruction for each of the first set of selected nozzles assigned firing reservations includes a firing instruction corresponding to a blank for a member of the first set of selected nozzles.

11. The drive circuit of claim 7 , wherein the firing data includes a row and a column corresponding to a respective address associated with a selected nozzle of the first set of selected nozzles.

12. A system for selecting nozzles, the system comprising a processing resource in communication with a memory resource including instructions and the processing resource designed to carry out the instructions, the instructions executable to:
analyze content of a print job sent to a printer, wherein the printer includes a printhead having a plurality of nozzles arranged in a primitive;
select nozzles of the plurality of nozzles to print a portion of the print job based on the content of the print job;
determine a peak number of the selected nozzles to print the print job;
assign a number of firing reservations to a first set of addresses associated with a first set of the selected nozzles, wherein a total number of the firing reservations is no more than the peak number of the selected nozzles;
send firing data only to the first set of selected nozzles to reduce an amount firing data sent to the plurality of nozzles;
fire the first set of the selected nozzles based on the firing data to print a portion of the print job; and
reassign at least some of the firing reservations to a second set of addresses associated with a second set of the selected nozzles.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first set of selected nozzles corresponds to a first color, wherein the second set of selected nozzles corresponds to a second color, and wherein the first color and the second color are different colors included in a plurality of colors.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the firing data sent to the selected nozzles includes a sequence of firing data sent to at least two of the first set of selected nozzles simultaneously.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of nozzles includes a total number of the plurality of nozzles in a range of from 32 nozzles to 128 nozzles arranged in the primitive.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Cumbie Michael W
• Clark Garrett E
• Mackenzie Mark H

Classifications

• B41J2/0458

  controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles · CPC title

• B41J2/04581

  controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J2/04545 Primary

  Dynamic block driving · CPC title