Datamax-O'neil Corporation

Hand Held Products, Inc.

Teck Siong Soh

Yaw Horng Yap

Boon Kheng Lim

Aravindkumar Harinarayanan

A method for printing includes analyzing print quality requirements for a printing area; adjusting settings for heater elements (e.g., energy and/or firing durations) of strobe lines based on the requirements analysis; and providing a plurality of individual strobe signals to the strobe lines. The strobe signals can be transmitted simultaneously, for example with a field-programmable gate array. Analyzing print quality requirements can include separating the printing area into one or more areas of interest, such as rows and/or columns. For each area of interest individual print quality settings (e.g., darkness, contrast, and/or media sensitivity) may be selected.

Region-of-interest based print quality optimization

A printer ribbon supply spindle assembly is provided. The ribbon spindle has multiple segments contiguous to each other. The spindle assembly includes a commutator disposed circumferentially on the first segment of the ribbon spindle and two carbon brushes connected to a voltage source and disposed generally in electrical contact with and on either side of the commutator. The voltage source, the carbon brushes, and the commutator complete an electrical circuit. C-shaped conductive springs are disposed over each of the multiple segments. The c-shaped conductive springs compress when covered by a printer ribbon and become in electrical contact with the commutator and adjacent compressed c-shaped springs, forming additional parallel circuits. An electronic element is disposed at the center of the c-shaped conductive springs. Measuring a change in the circuit due the additional parallel circuits with the electronic element indicates the printer ribbon width.

Growing community of inventors

Singapore, Singapore

Teck Siong Soh