Zink Imaging, Inc.

Polaroid Corporation

Zink Holdings, LLC

Other

Mitcham Global Investments Ltd.

Senshin Capital, LLC

Brian David Busch

William T Vetterling

Stephen J Telfer

Chien Liu

Suhail Shabbir Saquib

Jay E Thornton

Fariza B Hasan

Daniel P Bybell

Anemarie DeYoung

F Richard Cottrell

Jayprakash C Bhatt

Peter Zelten

Dirk Hertel

Leif D Hille

Alain Bouchard

Michael S Viola

Michael L Reisch

Dana Frederic Schuh

James Peter Zelten

Sandra B Lawrence

Juan Carlos Van Dijk

William J Donovan

Dana F Schuh

Felix J Lin

Fariza B Hansan

Dirk W Hertel

The present invention relates generally to a printing system, and more specifically to an ordering of color-forming layers in a direct thermal printing medium. The present invention provides a direct thermal print medium with an ordering of the color layers that improves the perceived image sharpness and color uniformity of prints.

Ordering of color-forming layers in a direct thermal printing medium

A method and apparatus for expanding a color gamut of a direct thermal printer is described. The method includes, in a three-color direct thermal printer having at least a print head, the print head including print head elements, dynamically adjusting a duty cycle of at least one of the colors depending on the color to be printed in each pixel of an image.

Expanding a color gamut of a direct thermal printer

A multicolor direct thermal imaging method wherein a multicolor image is formed in a thermal imaging member comprising at least first and second different image-forming compositions and a thermal printer for use in practicing the method. Heat is applied to at least the second image-forming composition while the first image-forming composition is at a first baseline temperature (T) to form an image in at least the second image-forming composition, and heat is applied to at least the first image-forming composition while it is at a second baseline temperature (T) to form an image in at least the first image-forming composition, wherein Tis different from T.

Multicolor thermal imaging method and thermal printer

There are disclosed imaging members wherein a chemical compound in a crystalline form is converted, at least partially, and preferably substantially completely or completely, to an amorphous form that has intrinsically a different color from the crystalline form. Also described are imaging methods utilizing the imaging members. The conversion of the compound from the crystalline form to an amorphous form can be effected by laser exposure.

Imaging system

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 segments, each of which is divided into a plurality of subintervals. All of the pulses within the segments have the same energy. In one embodiment, every pulse has the same amplitude and duration. Different colors are selected for printing during the different segments 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.

Print head pulsing techniques for multicolor printers

The input energies provided to a print head of a thermal printer are adjusted based on the temperature of a platen in the thermal printer. The platen temperature may be measured by a sensor or predicted by a platen temperature model. Such a model may derive the predicted platen temperature from an observed temperature of a heat sink in the thermal printer. A thermal history control algorithm may use the platen temperature, whether actual or predicted, to compensate for the platen temperature by adjusting the input energies.

Platen temperature model

The present invention provides a thermal printer in which the temperature of the thermal printing head can be modulated by means of an auxiliary heat sink, and methods for printing using such a thermal printer.

Thermal printer with auxiliary heat sink and methods for printing using same

A model of a thermal print head is provided that models the thermal response of thermal print head elements to the provision of energy to the print head elements over time. The amount of energy to provide to each of the print head elements during a print head cycle to produce a spot having the desired density is calculated based on: (1) the desired density to be produced by the print head element during the print head cycle, (2) the predicted temperature of the print head element at the beginning of the print head cycle, (3) the ambient printer temperature at the beginning of the print head cycle, and (4) the ambient relative humidity.

Thermal response correction system

A multicolor direct thermal imaging method and an imaging member for use therein, wherein a multicolor image is formed in a thermal imaging member having at least two different image-forming compositions capable of forming two different colors. Heat is used to form an image in the first color at a first speed of travel of the thermal imaging member with respect to the source of heat, and heat is used to form an image in the second color at a second speed of travel of the thermal imaging member with respect to the source of heat, where the first speed of travel and the second speed of travel are different from each other.

Multicolor thermal imaging method and thermal imaging member for use therein

A method for controlling the print density of individual heating elements of a thermal print head array determines respective energy values for each heating element in response to image pixel data to be printed, multiplies determined energy values by a respective predetermined correction factor for one or more respective heating elements for improving print density consistency between individual heating elements, and dithers adjusted energy values from the step of multiplying as a function of adjacent image pixels.

Method and apparatus for controlling the uniformity of print density of a thermal print head array

Growing community of inventors

Sudbury, MA, United States of America

Brian David Busch