Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett-packard Development, L.p.

Bruce A Axten

Steven H Walker

Jefferson Patrick Ward

Wesley R Schalk

Steven B Elgee

Trudy L Benjamin

Timothy L Weber

Iue-Shuenn Chen

Wen-Li Su

Thomas F Uhling

Michael Thomas Dangelo

James Walter Pearson

Kerry J Lundsten

Xiuting C Man

Tamara L Hahn

Bryan D Woll

Matthew Allen Shepherd

Howard G Wong

Daniel James Magnusson

Mike Burton

Mark H MacKenzie

Mark S Hickman

Mark D Lund

Richard F Beaufort

Volker Smektala

Robert D Davis

Jerrod Houston Tyler

Jafar N Jefferson

Francisco Javier Gomez Maurer

Kevin Witkoe

Alexander Toia

Thieu X Dang

Elizabeth Ezetta

Lee Walter Jackson

Catherine Elizabeth Gould

Wesley R Dchalk

Thomas Griffiths

Mark H Mackenzie

A printer and method having a print assembly movable over a print zone, and a controller associated with the print assembly. The printer is capable to receive a second print assembly with an associated second controller. The first controller positions the first print assembly over the print media and to position the second print assembly over the print media. The first controller directs the first print assembly in printing. The second controller to direct the second print assembly in printing.

Printer having print assembly

A pick attempt of a media sheet from a media tray is initiated by rotating a pick roller a number of rotations that is set to greater than one in response to the sheet having been designated as a special media sheet type and that is set to one in response to the sheet not having been so designated. In response to a pick sensor detecting the sheet after the pick attempt has been attempted, a turn roller is rotated to advance the sheet to a print engine, and while the turn roller is rotating, the pick roller is rotated to assist advancement of the media sheet. A controller manages per-sheet and per-tray pick attempt counters while the sheet is individually attempted to be picked and advanced, using the counters to determine whether to initiate another pick attempt of the sheet when a current pick attempt has failed.

Media sheet pick from media tray

Example implementations relate to print zone coordination. For example, a system for print zone coordination may include a plurality of printing zones, and a plurality of fibers, each fiber among the plurality of fibers assigned to a different printing zone among the plurality of printing zones. The system may further include a threading coordination system to coordinate a print job through the plurality of printing zones using the plurality of fibers.

Coordination of zones in printers

According to an example, to eject print media from an image forming apparatus, a variable page feed velocity of a first page of print media exiting a feed zone is detected. An acceleration value and a deceleration value based on the variable page feed velocity of the first page is calculated. The calculated acceleration is applied to a media movement component in the output zone when the entire first page has cleared a media sensor in the front of the output zone, and the deceleration is applied when the tail end of the first page is in a brake zone. In some examples, a second page of print media and a variable page feed velocity of the second page exiting the feed zone is detected, and the media movement component in the output zone is accelerated to match the variable page feed velocity of the second page.

Print media ejection

A method and apparatus align an adjuster with an edge of media supported by a tray. The adjuster is operably coupled to a gauge that moves in response to movement of the adjuster. A sensor senses the gauge to detect a dimension of the media while the media is supported by the tray.

In tray media sensing

A system and method for printing on media includes a printhead assembly, a memory, and a controller. The printhead assembly is configured to make physical print sweeps relative to print regions of the media and to print within the print regions during the physical print sweeps. The memory communicates with the printhead assembly and is configured to receive data associated with a logical print sweep. The data associated with the logical print sweep controls printing within a first print region of the media during a corresponding first physical print sweep. The controller communicates with the printhead assembly and memory. The controller initiates the first physical print sweep of the printhead assembly before all of the data associated with the logical print sweep is received by the memory.

Printing system and method

A method and apparatus for adjusting the print area by positioning a sheet in an imaging device utilizing length data from a prior sheet. A first sheet length is measured and thereafter utilized to determine the print zone for a subsequent sheet.

Method and apparatus for sheet handling in an imaging device

A method for reducing a servicing noise is provided. In a measuring action, a servicing position is measured using a full pushing force of an actuator applied to a service station. In a disengaging action, the actuator is disengaged from the service station. In a reducing action, the pushing force is reduced to a minimum value. In an engaging action, the service station is engaged with the actuator. In a monitoring action, a position of the actuator is monitored during the engagement. In a comparing action, the actuator position is compared to the stored servicing position. In an increasing action, the pushing force is increased for future engagements if the servicing position has not been reached. A printing mechanism configured to employ such a method is also provided.

Reducing printhead servicing noise

A monitoring system monitors a pressure wave developed in the surrounding ambient environment during inkjet droplet formation. The monitoring system uses either acoustic, ultrasonic, or other pressure wave monitoring mechanisms, such as a laser vibrometer, an ultrasonic transducer, or an accelerometer sensor, for instance, a microphone to detect droplet formation. One sensor is incorporated in the printhead itself, while others may be located externally. The monitoring system generates information used to determine current levels of printhead performance, to which the printer may respond by adjusting print modes, servicing the printhead, adjusting droplet formation, or by providing an early warning before an inkjet cartridge is completely empty. During printhead manufacturing, an array of such sensors may be used in quality assurance to determine printhead performance. An inkjet printing mechanism is also equipped for using this monitoring system, and a monitoring method is also provided.

Acoustic and ultrasonic monitoring of inkjet droplets

A monitoring system monitors a pressure wave developed in the surrounding ambient environment during inkjet droplet formation. The monitoring system uses either acoustic, ultrasonic, or other pressure wave monitoring mechanisms, such as a laser vibrometer, an ultrasonic transducer, or an accelerometer sensor, for instance, a microphone to detect droplet formation. One sensor is incorporated in the printhead itself, while others may be located externally. The monitoring system generates information used to determine current levels of printhead performance, to which the printer may respond by adjusting print modes, servicing the printhead, adjusting droplet formation, or by providing an early warning before an inkjet cartridge is completely empty. During printhead manufacturing, an array of such sensors may be used in quality assurance to determine printhead performance. An inkjet printing mechanism is also equipped for using this monitoring system and a monitoring method is also provided.

A method of generating an image on a printable surface from a stream of incoming print data containing data of a first data type for generating an image of a first image type and containing data of a second data type for generating an image of a second image type, the method comprising the following steps. While printing in a first mode, depositing a first partial density image swath having a first swath width on the printable surface to overlap at least a portion of a partial density image swath previously printed on the surface, thereby generating a shingle tab extending from the previous swath having a first length. After depositing the first swath, the surface is advanced by a first amount. While printing in the first mode, incoming print data is scanned to determine whether the incoming print data includes the second data type. If so, there is a transition to a second print mode, which includes depositing a second partial density image swath having a second swath width different from the first swath width on the printable surface to overlap at least a portion of a partial density image swath previously printed on the surface, and generating a shingle tab extending from the previous swath having a second length different from the first length. After depositing the second swath, the surface is advanced by a second amount different from the first advance amount.

Method of transitioning between ink jet printing modes

A peripheral unit is provided with a control panel that includes a plurality of indicators, each indicator displaying to a user a state condition of the peripheral unit. The control panel also includes a user operable key. A 'state' circuit is responsive to a functional state of the peripheral unit to cause the state indicators to manifest a selected one of a set of state conditions. A controller is provided for initiating peripheral unit operations. A state logic machine is responsive to each manifested state of the set and user actuation of the key, to cause the controller to initiate a peripheral unit operations, that operation uniquely related to a state manifested by the indicators.

Peripheral unit control panel with smart key

Growing community of inventors

Camas, WA, United States of America

Bruce A Axten