Eastman-kodak Company

Christopher Rueby

Douglas W Couwenhoven

Kevin Edward Spaulding

Gary Alan Kneezel

Young No

Steven A Billow

Keith Aaron Hadley

Richard C Reem

David Scott Uerz

Alan J Swire

Timothy F Donahue

An ink tank that is detachably mountable to an inkjet printhead, the ink tank includes a first ink source including a first ink supply port; a second ink source including a second ink supply port, the second ink supply port being separated from the first supply ink port along a first direction; and a latch for securing the detachably mountable ink tank, wherein the latch extends from an exterior wall of the ink tank, and wherein the exterior wall is adjacent the second ink source and is not adjacent the first ink source.

Ink tank configuration for inkjet printer

A method for printing images on an inkjet printer having grayscale print and color print modes, comprising performing an inspection process to inspect lines of image data in an inspection region downstream from a current swath of image data to determine a print mode for a future swath of image data. The inspection process includes inspecting the lines of image data in the inspection region according to a predetermined inspection sequence, determining whether an inspected line contains any pixels to be printed with color ink, and if so terminating the inspection process and designating that the future swath is to be printed with the color print mode; otherwise, if none of the lines are found to contain any pixels to be printed with color ink, designating the future swath to be printed with the grayscale print mode.

Efficient data scanning for print mode switching

A method for resizing an input digital image having input pixel values to produce an output digital image having output pixel values, wherein the output digital image has a lower resolution and wherein single pixel width details in the input digital image are preserved, the method being performed by a processor and comprising: determining an output pixel value for the output digital image by interpolating within a corresponding neighborhood of image pixels in the input digital image; detecting whether the input digital image contains a fine detail within the corresponding neighborhood of image pixels; adjusting the output pixel value when a fine detail is detected; and repeating steps a)-c) for a plurality of output pixels.

Image down-sampling with fine detail enhancement

A method for using a processor to process image data received from an image data source in preparation for multipass printing, comprising multitoning the image data to produce a multitoned image, using the multitone level of a pixel in the multitoned image to select a plane of a print mask, using the location of the pixel in the multitoned image to select a cell of output pixels in the selected plane of the print mask, and copying the selected cell of output pixels to corresponding locations within a print buffer.

Image data expansion by print mask

A method for reducing banding artifacts for bi-directional multi-pass printing on an inkjet printer utilizing a printhead with a plurality of ink nozzles includes defining different print masks to be used for leftward and rightward printing passes such that both the order of ink laydown and the timing between ink laydown on different passes are each substantially constant for a given horizontal position within the image, independent of the vertical position within the image; and printing an input image on the inkjet printer with the defined print masks using a bi-directional multi-pass print mode.

Bi-directional print masking

A method for reducing banding artifacts in a printed image, including irregularly advancing a media that will be printed upon while employing an entire single mask for marking elements of a printhead; and calculating a difference between an irregular advance amount of the media versus a nominal advance amount of the media. Finally, the single mask is nonuniformly circulated by the difference calculated in order to compensate for the media being irregularly advanced.

Nonuniform mask circulation for irregular page advance

A system and a method for improving the quality of prints using a print mask for a printer with at least one printhead with a plurality of dot forming elements arranged in dot forming element sections, and at least one of the masks are altered so that mask data corresponding to at least one complementary set of dot forming elements is activated or deactivated in response to the paper location and the dot forming element section is shifted as the printhead passes a transition position. As the mask size is reduced, for example, the mask contents are shifted to one end of the printhead. This remapping of the mask within the head allows the page advance distance to be changed to the new page advance distance only once.

Printer control system and method for changing print mask height

A method for compensating for failed nozzles in multi-pass printing using an inkjet printer having at least one printhead containing a plurality of nozzles to print an input image having a plurality of raster lines on a receiver media.

Failed nozzle correction system and method for borderless printing

A method of determining and applying a protective ink amount to be printed in addition to a plurality of colored ink amounts to make colored pixels in an image including determining a first protective ink amount responsive to the colored ink amounts, determining multitoned colored ink amounts using a multitone processor responsive to the colored ink amounts, and determining a second protective ink amount responsive to the multitoned colored ink amounts. The method also includes determining the protective ink amount responsive to the first protective ink amount and the second protective ink amount to provide adequate durability for the image, and applying using an inkjet printer the colored ink amounts and the protective ink amount to make the colored image pixels.

Using inkjet printer to apply protective ink

An electronic imaging system and method are provided that include an image capturing component, such as a digital camera, an image rendering component, such as a printer, digital projector, video screen, etc., each of which requires an intelligence circuit for operation, and an intelligence module detachably connectable to either of the imaging components for providing the required control circuit. The intelligence module includes a microprocessor and memory, and each of the image capturing and rendering components of the system includes a memory for storing operating instructions. The intelligence module downloads the operating instructions of the particular imaging component it is connected to in order to operate the same. The use of a single control module to operate a broad spectrum of digital imaging components advantageously simplifies the circuitry of the components, reduces manufacturing costs, and enhances reliability by minimizing processing steps and circuit interfaces.

System and method for using a single intelligence circuit for a plurality of imaging rendering components

An arrangment is disclosed for reducing edge artifacts produced when printing a digital image on a digital printer, which printer is capable of producing multiple output levels, said digital image being represented as a rectangular array of pixels. In this arrangement, the following steps are accomplished by: computing difference signals between a center pixel value and pixel values of a set of one or more neighboring pixels; determining a pixel correction value responsive to the computed difference signals; and computing a new center pixel value by modifying the center pixel value using the pixel correction value.

Growing community of inventors

North Chili, NY, United States of America

Christopher Rueby