The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 20, 1987
Filed:
Jan. 30, 1987
Frank J Horlander, Lexington, KY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A thermal printer has a plurality of electrodes arranged in a column for applying heat to a resistive ribbon to transfer material from the resistive ribbon to a recording medium. When the electrode is to be energized in the present cycle but was not energized in the previous cycle or either of the contiguous electrodes is not to be energized in the present cycle, additional power is applied to the electrode during a first portion of the present cycle to increase the total power applied to the electrode. This improves the print quality through enhancing the left leading edge and/or either vertical edge of the character. During a second portion of the cycle, power is applied for the same period of time to all of the electrodes, which are to be activated, during the particular cycle. The additional power applied during the first portion of the cycle is obtained through comparing stored data of the specific electrode as to its activation in the prior cycle and the stored data of the two contiguous electrodes during the particular cycle.