Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Peter L Cheng

Takao Aichi

Akihiko Hamamoto

Akitoshi Yamada

Kazuyuki Masumoto

Hiromitsu Hirabayashi

Steven Noyes

Hiroyuki Ueda

Tetsu Kaneko

Tetsuya Kawanabe

A printer in which the speed at which the recording medium is loaded into the printer prior to printing, at which the recording medium is moved through the printer during printing, and at which the recording medium is ejected from the printer after printing, are automatically selected based upon existing print modes and printing-related conditions, and which provides for concurrent pre-printing processes and tasks to occur during the loading of the recording medium.

Automatic sheet feed control

A printer driver executable in a computer connectable to a driven printer. In response to initiation of a print job, the print driver obtains current status of the printer. Based on the status of the printer, the print driver modifies operational parameters of the printer prior to commencement of the print job, so that the operational parameters are different from default ones of such parameters. In addition, the print driver modifies its own operational sequence based on the printer status, so that the operational sequence of the printer is different from a default sequence without such status information.

Status-based control over printer

A system and method for generating an audible sound in an imaging device is provided, the device having an electronic motor controllable by a first operation sequence to perform a first function. When a condition is detected for which an audible sound is to be generated as notification of the condition, a motor is rotated according to a second operation sequence so as to create the audible sound as notification of the condition, wherein the second operation sequence causes the motor to rotate in a manner, other than the motor rotation resulting from the first operation sequence, so as to cause the motor to perform only the notification function.

Alarm generation using a motor

A method of preventing printing artifacts by detecting a distance between the print head and the recording medium as the print head and the recording medium and utilizes the detected distance in determining an adjusted ink ejection frequency. The adjusted ejection frequency for each print head scan position may be stored in a look up table.

Variable ink firing frequency to compensate for paper cockling

Feeding a plurality of successive sheets of a recording medium by calculating an expected time for a page end detection of a current sheet, and feeding a next sheet of the successive sheets in accordance with the calculated time, but prior to detection of the page end of the current sheet. Calculating the expected time may be detecting the page end for the current sheet, and mathematically filtering the page end detection of the current sheet with a current estimate of expected time for page end detection of the next sheet. The current estimate may be initialized after a first sheet of the successive sheets with a page end detection of the first sheet. The feeding of the next sheet may be controlled by controlling a time between the current sheet and the next sheet based on a time between the page end detection of the current sheet and a detection of the next sheet so as to obtain and maintain the time within a target range. Whether the page end detection of the current sheet is detected within a threshold amount of time after feeding of the next sheet has commenced may be determined, and where the page end of the current sheet is not detected within the threshold, the feeding of the next sheet is interrupted and a recovery process is engaged. The recovery process may be waiting for a page end detection of the current sheet and re-initiating feeding of the next sheet.

Printer with improved page feed

A printing method is provided for use with a printer which reads and then outputs to a printer head a fixed number of bits at a time so as to permit the printer to use a printer head having a number of nozzles which is different than the fixed number of bits. According to this technique, bit data corresponding to an image band to be printed is obtained, the band including multiple pixel arrays, the pixels in each pixel array being arranged in a manner similar to the nozzles in a printer head. In a first loading step, bit data for m pixels of an i-th pixel array are loaded into a register in the printer head, m being a predetermined integer, and i being an arbitrary integer. In a second loading step, bit data for n pixels of an (i+1)-th pixel array are loaded into the register in the printer head, n being a predetermined integer. Finally, the printer head is caused to print an array of dots based on the contents of a register which includes the bit data loaded pursuant to the first and second loading steps, the printed array of dots corresponding to the i-th pixel array.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Peter L Cheng