Lexmark International, Inc.

David John Mickan

Eric Wayne Westerfield

Kevin Dean Schoedinger

Douglas Anthony Able

Daniel Richard Klemer

Martin Christopher Klement

Wilson Morgan Routt, Jr

Craig Palmer Bush

Mark Stephen Underwood

Jichang Cao

James Douglas Gilmore

Daniel Eugene Pawley

Scott Stephen Williams

Thomas Campbell Wade

Cyrus Bradford Clarke

Matthew David Heid

Cuong Manh Hoang

Raymond Michael Marowski

Daniel E Pawtey

A method and apparatus for providing a relatively short period of time for a fuser assembly to be ready to perform a fusing operation. Included is a fusing assembly having a heat transfer member and a backup member positioned to engage the heat transfer member so as to define a fusing nip therewith; and a controller coupled to the fuser assembly, wherein during a period of time when the fuser assembly is not performing a fusing operation, the controller activates the heat transfer member while causing the backup member to rotate at one or more relatively slow speeds relative to a fusing speed of the fuser assembly.

Method and system for controlling a fuser assembly

Methods and apparatus include improving print quality of a bi-directionally scanning electrophotographic (EP) device, such as a laser printer or copy machine, according to ambient pressure in which operated. A moving galvanometer or oscillator reflects a laser beam to create scan lines of a latent image in opposite directions. A damping of the motion occurs per air density implicated by temperature and pressure, where the pressure changes occurring especially from altitude changes. During use, a drive signal, such as a pulse train, moves the galvanometer or oscillator at or near its resonant frequency. Based on a parameter of the drive signal, such as pulse width, the ambient pressure can be made known. In general, a high-pressure environment requires a relatively longer pulse width to resonate the galvanometer or oscillator in comparison to a shorter pulse width for a low-pressure environment. Corrections to print quality stem from the determined ambient pressure.

Obtaining pressure of an operating environment of a bi-directionally scanning electrophotographic device for implementing corrections per pressure

A method and apparatus for handling a time based error condition in an imaging apparatus. The method includes transporting a first media sheet from the media input tray towards the transfer nip of the imaging apparatus; and determining, when the first media sheet reaches a predetermined point in the media path, whether the print engine of the imaging apparatus is ready to transfer a first image of the plurality of images to the media sheet at the transfer nip. Upon a determination that the print engine is not ready, the first media sheet is transported through the transfer nip without transferring the first image thereto, until the first media sheet is placed in the output area, and a second media sheet is transported to the transfer nip, a first image is transferred to the second media sheet and the second media sheet is transported to the output area.

Methods and apparatus for automatic recovery within an imaging device

Systems and methods for marking media are provided. The method may include preparing an image for printing on print media, the image including an indication of a first and a second event. The method may further include printing a first portion of the image on the print media, evaluating data and electing to print a second portion of the image wherein the second portion includes the indication of either of the first or second event.

System and method for marking print media

In an electrophotographic (EP) device, methods and apparatus include determining a delay of one or more sensors (hsync) to accurately know when to start the process of scanning latent images. In one aspect, the sensor includes a leading and trailing edge defined along a direction of laser beam scan travel. Determining the delay includes learning a position of a laser beam on the sensor at a time when a controller connected to the sensor receives a signal from the sensor indicating the sensor is being sufficiently impinged upon by the laser beam. It also includes learning a latest possible position of the laser beam along the direction of laser scan travel where the laser beam can be turned on and still have the sensor assert a signal indicating it has been sufficiently impinged upon by the laser beam. Bi-directionally scanning EP devices are also disclosed, including controllers, photoconductors, sensors, etc.

Methods and apparatus for ascertaining sensor signal delay in an electrophotographic device

Generally, an imaging device is capable of applying respective EP engine settings to different zones within a page of media. In an example embodiment, a method includes printing in first and second zones on a page of media using first and second EP engine settings that are respectively associated with the first and second zones. The imaging device prints in the first zone on the page of media based on a first EP engine setting that is associated with the first zone. The imaging device switches from the first zone on the page of media to the second zone on the page of media responsive to a size indicator. The imaging device prints in the second zone on the page of media based on a second EP engine setting that is associated with the second zone.

Methods and apparatuses for applying respective EP engine settings to different zones within a page of media

Obtaining pressure of an operating environment of a bi-directionally scanning electrographic device for implementing corrections per pressure

Methods and apparatus include aligning printing of a bi-directionally scanning electrophotographic (EP) device, such as a laser printer or copy machine. At least first and second scan lines formed in opposite directions define a calibration page for manufacturing, servicing or end-user operation. The page includes pluralities of objects with one formed from either the first or second scan lines, but not both, and another of the objects formed from the other of the first or second scan lines, but not both. In this manner, corrections can be implemented by simply observing misalignments between the objects. Printed calibration pages also include visually or mechanically read objects for implementing corrections. In this regard, calibrating devices external to the EP device are contemplated. Objects include lines, squares or other shapes and their arrangement on a page varies. Fiducials for macro-scale observations are also contemplated.

Calibrating a bi-directionally scanning electrophotographic device

A printing device () such as a laser printer includes a radio frequency controller () which permits the detection and redirection of media having one or more defective radio frequency device tags, such as an RFID tag, to a specific one of two or more output options (). The radio frequency controller () may include radio frequency control logic () that communicates with the base printer () and the output options () over a down port () and up port () to intercept commands from the printer () to the options () and to also respond to such commands. A defective tag can be detected by attempting to program a tag using an RF reader/programmer ().

Systems and methods for handling defective RFID media according to available printer output options

The number of pages of a print job received at printer () is determined (). If the number of pages is low, printing is conducted at intermediate speed (). If the number of pages is higher, printing is conducted at high speed (). If the number of pages is not known, a default is selected (). The default often will be to print at intermediate speed because most jobs are short. If high speed printing is in progress when a job is received, the next job is printed at high speed (). Alternatively, a predetermined number of the first pages of a job may be printed at intermediate speed.

Dynamic time to first print selection

Control (P) of imaging device () senses the period of time sensor () senses media () at input feed roller (). When a too-long-over-sensor condition is sensed, drive of input feed roller () is terminated by operation of clutch (C). A feed roller () farther in the media path continue to operate. One sheet of media () is fed while a dual fed sheet is held in the nip of feed roller () and idle roller (). Subsequently, feed roller () is again driven to feed the dual fed sheet for normal imaging.

Recovery from double media feed

A laser printer having a rotating mirror ( ) and a heat fuser ( ) is operated with a sequence of standby conditions. At the end of a print job mirror ( ) is continued to be rotated at printing speed while the temperature of fuser ( ) is reduced somewhat. This is maintained for a short time, after which the speed of rotation of mirror ( ) is reduced significantly and the fuser ( ) temperature is reduced significantly. This is maintained for a time, after which the mirror is no longer rotated (or, if practical, is rotated very slowly) and the fuser temperature is further reduced. At any time when a subsequent print job is received, the mirror and fuser are brought to printing state and the period of times are next started from a beginning state.

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Lexington, KY, United States of America

David John Mickan