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:
Nov. 20, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 24, 2000
John Booth Bates, Lexington, KY (US);
Curt Paul Breswick, Georgetown, KY (US);
Lexmark International, Inc., Lexington, KY (US);
Abstract
An ink jet printer receives image data defining a pattern of dots in a non-square rectangular grid and prints the pattern of dots on a print medium based on the image data. The pattern of dots consists of at least four interlaced checkerboard arrays of dots printed in four passes of the print head across the print medium, where each one of the four checkerboard arrays is printed during a different one of the four passes. Each of the checkerboard arrays is offset from the other checkerboard arrays by a predetermined spacing in at least one of the first and second directions. The printer prints the second checkerboard array horizontally offset from the first checkerboard array by a distance substantially equivalent to {fraction (5d/4)}, where d is the diameter of the printed dots. The printer prints the third checkerboard array vertically offset from the second checkerboard array by a distance substantially equivalent to {fraction (−d/2)} and horizontally offset by a distance substantially equivalent to {fraction (−3d/4)}. The printer prints the fourth checkerboard array horizontally offset from the third checkerboard array by a distance substantially equivalent to {fraction (−3d/4)}. This dot placement method optimally covers a grid having a resolution of {fraction (4/d)}×{fraction (2/d)} dpi with dots having diameters that are much larger than optimal for the resolution of the grid. Thus, the invention avoids excessive dot overlap which could lead to ink saturation of the print medium.