Eastman-kodak Company

Samuel Chen

Mark C Rzadca

Joe E Maskasky

Victor P Scaccia

John A Agostinelli

Seshadri Jagannathan

Thomas J Ludemann

Gary E Labelle

Charles I Levey

David E Fenton

Michael Joseph Piatt

David T Southby

Krishnan Chari

Thomas N Blanton

Jin-Shan Wang

Eric Karl Zeise

John T Keech

YuanQiao Rao

Martin C Kaplan

Douglas Lincoln Vizard

Roland J Koestner

James Michael Enge

Andrei Andrievsky

Dale E DeCann

Joaquin Calcines

Debasis Majumdar

Jose M Mir

James Douglas Shifley

Kenneth Joseph Reed

David B Bailey

Tomohiro Ishikawa

Xiaoru Wang

Aparna V Bhave

Allen K Tsaur

Robert J Kress

Yun C Chang

Tommie L Royster, Jr

Charles Warren Lander

Giana M Phelan

Alfred P Marchetti

Darlene F Philip

Jeri L Mount

Allan F Camp

Harold G Judd

Gerrit Lubberts

Stephen C Stoker

Nancy L Furbeck

Theodore R Vandam

Yuan Q Rao

Vincent J Andrews

Anthony E Taddei

Christopher Demario

Shuit-Tong Lee

Kei-Yu Ko

An inkjet printing method and system includes an arrangement that is adapted to repair a printed image using a combination of in-line imaging and feedback control of an inkjet printhead or printing with a redundant inkjet printhead. The inkjet printing method and system is further adapted to print at higher optical density than is normally possible by use of multi-pass capabilities.

Inkjet printing method and apparatus with feedback control

A printing system includes a linehead that jets ink onto a moving print media to print a test block and an integrated imaging system positioned downstream of the linehead with respect to a media transport direction. The integrated imaging system includes an opening in a housing for receiving light reflected from a moving print media. A folded optical assembly in the housing receives the reflected light and transmits the light a distance. One or more image sensors, having known color filter arrays, within the housing each receive the light and capture one or more images of the printed test block. An image processing device is connected to the integrated imaging system for receiving pixel data from the one or more image sensors and configured to determine a color of the ink and a density of the printed test block using the pixel data.

Printhead color density correction in printing systems

A method for color density correction in a printing system that includes a linehead, with one or more printheads, that jets ink onto a moving print media and an integrated imaging system that captures images of content printed on the moving print media is provided. One or more pixel data values and a measured density value trace for a printed test block are produced by scanning the test block and averaging pixel data in a print media transport direction. A color and a density of the ink in the printed test block are determined using the pixel data values. The measured density value trace is compared with a respective reference density value. It is determined whether there is a difference between the measured density value trace and a reference density value is determined. If there is a difference, ink laydown for the printhead is adjusted based on the difference.

A printing system includes at least one linehead that jets ink onto a print media and an integrated imaging system that captures images of the content printed on the print media. Each linehead includes one or more printheads. A flat field correction method for the printing system includes one or more printheads printing a test block having a known print density on the print media and producing a density variation trace for each of the one or more printheads by capturing an image of each printed test block and averaging pixel data in a transport direction. A negative print mask is then produced for each printhead in the one or more printheads by inverting each density variation trace. Each negative print mask is added to, or subtracted from, respective print data values transmitted to each respective printhead in the one or more printheads.

Flat field and density correction in printing systems

A method for making a printed wiring member including wire-bondable contact pads and wear-resistant connector pads, the method includes the steps of a) providing a blank printed wiring member comprising a copper foil laminated to a dielectric substrate; b) masking the blank printed wiring member to protect regions of the copper foil; c) removing copper in unprotected regions of the blank printed wiring member to form a patterned printed wiring member including contact pads and connector pads; d) depositing a nickel coating on the patterned printed wiring member using an electroless nickel deposition process; e) depositing a gold layer on the nickel coating using an electroless gold deposition process; and f) depositing palladium on the gold layer using an electroless palladium deposition process to improve wear resistance of the connector pads while preserving bondability of the contact pads.

Method of making bondable printed wiring member

A method for monitoring stitching between two adjacent printheads includes capturing one or more images of content printed on a moving print media in at least a stitch boundary or overlap region to obtain pixel data. The pixel data is then averaged in a media transport direction to produce blur in an image or images. Derivative data of the averaged pixel data is determined and one or more peaks is detected in the derivative data. A type of stitching artifact is determined based on the detected peak in the derivative data.

Incorrect stitching detection in a printing system

A density variation correction method for a printing system includes printheads in at least one linehead printing a test block pattern on a print media. A density variation trace is produced for each printed test block in the test block patterns by capturing an image of each test block and averaging pixel data in a transport direction. The density variation traces associated with a known print density represented in the test block pattern are compared with a respective reference density value. A determination is made as to whether there is a difference between each density variation trace and the respective reference density value. If there is a difference, the density variation trace is adjusted to match the reference density value. The method can be repeated for all of the known print densities represented in the test block pattern and for all of the lineheads in the printing system.

A method for making a printed wiring member including wire-bondable contact pads and wear-resistant connector pads, the method includes a) providing a blank printed wiring member comprising a copper foil laminated to a dielectric substrate; b) masking the blank printed wiring member to protect regions of the copper foil; c) removing copper in unprotected regions of the blank printed wiring member to form a patterned printed wiring member including contact pads and connector pads; d) depositing a nickel coating on the patterned printed wiring member; e) electrolytically depositing a hard gold layer on the nickel coating; and f) depositing palladium on a surface of the hard gold layer to improve bondability of the contact pads while preserving wear resistance of the connector pads.

Method of making wear-resistant printed wiring member

A printing system includes a print media having two sets of test patterns formed or printed in at least two margins adjacent a content area on the print media. The two sets of test patterns are separated by a pattern distance and at least two test patterns in each set of test patterns have a different number of marks. Two integrated imaging systems are disposed opposite the print media and are mechanically tied together and separated by a fixed distance. The integrated imaging systems substantially simultaneously capture images of the two sets of test patterns. An image processing device can process the images to determine if one or more size variations have occurred in the print media in the in-track direction.

Detecting stretch or shrink in print media

A print media in a printing system includes multiple test patterns with each test pattern having one or more marks. Each test pattern can have a different number of marks. A method for detecting size variations in the print media while the print media is moving through the printing system includes scanning the test patterns as the print media is moving in a transport direction to produce test pattern signals, with each signal representing a respective test pattern, and analyzing the measured test pattern signals to determine whether a size variation has occurred in the print media. One or more compensation values can be determined based on the size variation. If a size variation is detected, the operation or setting of one or more components in the printing system can be adjusted based on the one or more compensation values.

A printing system includes a print media and one or more non-objectionable test patterns formed or printed on the print media. An integrated imaging system captures images of the one or more non-objectionable test patterns. The integrated imaging system includes a housing, an opening in the housing for receiving light reflected from a moving print media, a folded optical assembly in the housing that receives the reflected light and transmits the light a predetermined distance, and an image sensor within the housing that receives the light and captures one or more images of the one or more non-objectionable test patterns. A processing device can process the one or more images to determine if one or more size variations have occurred in the print media.

A linehead that is producing an artifact in the content printed on a print media is identified by capturing an image of the content as the print media is moving to obtain pixel data and averaging the pixel data to produce blur in a direction the print media is moving. A determination is made as to whether the averaged pixel data is associated with content printed by a first linehead in a printing module. If the averaged pixel data is not associated with the first linehead, the averaged pixel data from an image captured by a preceding linehead is subtracted from the averaged pixel data in the image to produce averaged pixel data that is associated with a single linehead. Derivative data of the averaged pixel data is then determined. A determination is made as to whether one or more peaks are present in the derivative data.

Identifying a linehead producing an artifact in content printed on a moving print media

A printed wiring member includes a dielectric substrate; a patterned copper layer formed on the dielectric substrate. The patterned copper layer includes i) contact pads for wire bonding; ii) connector pads for making electrical connection with an electrical connector; and iii) conductor traces between contact pads and corresponding connector pads. A nickel coating is formed on the contact pads and the connector pads, and a gold layer is formed on the nickel coating on the contact pads and the connector pads. A palladium deposit is formed on the gold layer on at least the connector pads.

Bondable printed wiring with improved wear resistance

A recyclable continuous ink jet print head is provided that includes a manifold formed from a metal such as stainless steel, a die having ink jet nozzles formed from a ceramic material such as silicon, a control circuit connected to the die via microwiring, and an interposing member disposed between the manifold and the die. The interposing member is formed from a composite material such as Al&#x2014;SiC having a coefficient of thermal conductivity that is higher than that of the silicon die, and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is between that of the die and the manifold. During manufacture, the CTE value of the interposing member allows long-lasting, heat-cured epoxy compositions to be used to bond the die to the manifold and to encapsulate the microwiring between the die and a control circuit with while maintaining proper alignment of the die ink jet nozzles on the manifold. When the die wears out, the high thermal conductivity of the interposing member allows the die to be easily removed from the manifold, thereby facilitating re-cycling of the manifold.

Recyclable continuous ink jet print head and method

Growing community of inventors

Penfield, NY, United States of America

Samuel Chen