IP Library Granted Patent US 7,978,372
Granted Patent B2
US 7,978,372 · App. 12/475,558 · Granted Jul 12, 2011

Printhead driven by multiple print engine controllers

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,978,372
App. No.
12/475,558
Granted
Jul 12, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A print engine controller configured to be coupled with others to drive an ink drop printhead comprising: an interface at which to receive compressed page data; image decoders to decode compressed image planes in the received compressed page data; a half-toner/compositer to composite respective strips of the decoded image planes; and a printhead interface to output the composite strip to a printhead, the printhead interface including: a multi-segment printhead interface outputting printhead formatted data; and a synchronization signal generator outputting a synchronization signal to couple print engine controllers to synchronize their respective strips at the printhead.

Claims (11)

1. A print engine controller configured to co-operate with other print engine controllers to drive an ink drop printhead, the print engine controller comprising:

a half-toner/compositer to composite a strip of one or more decoded image planes; and

a printhead interface to output the composite strip to a printhead, the printhead interface including:

a multi-segment printhead interface outputting printhead formatted data; and

a synchronization signal generator outputting a synchronization signal to the other print engine controllers to synchronize their respective strips at the printhead.

2. A print engine controller as claimed in claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of image planes and the halftoner/compositor further scales input image planes, with at least two image planes being scaled to a different resolution.

3. An inkdrop printer with a printhead driven by multiple print engine controllers, each print engine controller comprising:

an interface at which to receive page data;

a half-toner/compositer to composite a strip of the page data; and

a printhead interface to output the composite strip to a segment of the printhead;

wherein the printhead interface of one of the multiple print engine controllers generates a synchronization signal to synchronize the print engine controllers.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 25, 2014
From: ZAMTEC LIMITED
To: MEMJET TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 033244/0276 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2012
From: SILVERBROOK RESEARCH PTY. LIMITED AND CLAMATE PTY LIMITED
To: ZAMTEC LIMITED
Reel/Frame 028522/0526 →