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:
May. 02, 2006
Filed:
Feb. 27, 2003
Rudi Vanhooydonck, Zwijndrecht, BE;
Patrick Van Den Bergen, Hove, BE;
Rudi Vanhooydonck, Zwijndrecht, BE;
Patrick Van den Bergen, Hove, BE;
Agfa Gevaert, Mortsel, BE;
Abstract
A dot matrix printer and printing method for being able to print a dot matrix on a printing medium using a plurality of marking elements on a printing head is described. A set of combinations of firing order of the plurality of marking elements is determined as well as a sequence of relative translation movements between the printing medium and the printing head so that all the dots in the dot matrix can be printed by application of each of the set of combinations, and any dot in the dot matrix can be printed by at least a first and a second equivalent marking element from a set of equivalent marking elements. For printing sets of dots in the dot matrix, a first equivalent marking element is selected from the set of equivalent marking elements to print the set of dots as part of a first firing order. If a pre-set number of equivalent marking elements of the set of equivalent marking elements are defective, the printing head is reconfigured so that other sets of at least first and second equivalent marking elements are determined.