IP Library Granted Patent US 12,636,895
Granted Patent B2
US 12,636,895 · App. 18/607,136 · Granted May 26, 2026

Print artifact compensation mechanism

Inventors: Mikel Stanich (Boulder, CO); Walter F. Kailey (Boulder, CO)
Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
B41J2/2142B41J2/2139B41J2202/13
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,636,895
App. No.
18/607,136
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system is disclosed. The system includes at least one physical memory device to store compensation logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the compensation logic to generate first and second sets of transfer functions to compensate for a gap region, wherein each set of transfer functions is generated for a corresponding group of overlapping pel forming elements based on ink deposition functions associated with the corresponding group and a joint target response; wherein the gap region is located between overlapping pel forming elements of the corresponding groups.

Claims (23)

1 . A system comprising:

at least one physical memory device to store compensation logic; and

one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the compensation logic to:

generate first and second sets of transfer functions to compensate for a gap region, wherein each set of transfer functions is generated for a corresponding group of overlapping pel forming elements based on ink deposition functions associated with the corresponding group and a joint target response; wherein the gap region is located between overlapping pel forming elements of the corresponding groups.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein generating the first and the second sets of transfer functions comprises generating the first set of transfer functions based on first ink deposition functions and third ink deposition functions and generating the second set of transfer functions based on second ink deposition functions and the third ink deposition functions; wherein the first ink deposition functions correspond to a first local group of pel forming elements including first overlapping pel forming elements, the second ink deposition functions correspond to a second local group of pel forming elements including second overlapping pel forming elements, and the third ink deposition functions correspond to the joint target response.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein generating the first, second and third ink deposition functions comprises generating a first Gaussian shaped ink deposition profile associated with the first local group, generating a second Gaussian shaped ink deposition profile associated with the second local group of pel forming elements and generating a third Gaussian shaped ink deposition profile associated with the joint target response.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein generating the first, second and third ink deposition functions further comprises combining the first, second and third Gaussian shaped ink deposition profiles.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the overlapping pel forming elements in a first local group comprise first overlapping pel forming elements adjacent to the gap region and the pel forming elements in a second local group comprise second overlapping pel forming elements adjacent to the first overlapping pel forming elements.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the compensation logic applies the first and second sets of transfer functions to generate fourth ink deposition functions, verifies whether a difference between the fourth ink deposition functions and large-scale ink deposition functions is within a predetermined threshold and validates an acceptable compensation upon determining that the difference is within the predetermined threshold.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein an ink deposition function further comprises a function of a pel forming element position and input digital count.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a print engine comprising a plurality of pel forming elements.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein transfer functions transform input digital counts, and the ink deposition functions represent output ink amount versus input digital count.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each corresponding group has no overlapping pel forming element in common.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each set of transfer functions is generated based on weighted contributions to the joint target response.

12 . A method comprising generating first and second sets of transfer functions to compensate for a gap region, wherein each set of transfer functions is generated for a corresponding group of overlapping pel forming elements based on ink deposition functions associated with the corresponding group and a joint target response; wherein the gap region is located between overlapping pel forming elements of the corresponding groups.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the first and the second sets of transfer functions comprises generating the first set of transfer functions based on first ink deposition functions and third ink deposition functions and generating the second set of transfer functions based on second ink deposition functions and the third ink deposition functions; wherein the first ink deposition functions correspond to a first local group of pel forming elements including first overlapping pel forming elements, the second ink deposition functions correspond to a second local group of pel forming elements including second overlapping pel forming elements, and the third ink deposition functions correspond to the joint target response.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein generating the first, second and third ink deposition functions comprises generating a first Gaussian shaped ink deposition profile associated with the first local group, generating a second Gaussian shaped ink deposition profile associated with the second local group of pel forming elements and generating a third Gaussian shaped ink deposition profile associated with the joint target response.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein generating the first, second and third ink deposition functions further comprises combining the first, second and third Gaussian shaped ink deposition profiles.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the overlapping pel forming elements in a first local group comprise first overlapping pel forming elements adjacent to the gap region and the pel forming elements in a second local group comprise second overlapping pel forming elements adjacent to the first overlapping pel forming elements.

17 . At least one computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to generate first and second sets of transfer functions to compensate for a gap region, wherein each set of transfer functions is generated for a corresponding group of overlapping pel forming elements based on ink deposition functions associated with the corresponding group and a joint target response; wherein the gap region is located between overlapping pel forming elements of the corresponding groups.

18 . The computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein generating the first and the second sets of transfer functions comprises generating the first set of transfer functions based on first ink deposition functions and third ink deposition functions and generating the second set of transfer functions based on second ink deposition functions and the third ink deposition functions; wherein the first ink deposition functions correspond to a first local group of pel forming elements including first overlapping pel forming elements, the second ink deposition functions correspond to a second local group of pel forming elements including second overlapping pel forming elements, and the third ink deposition functions correspond to the joint target response.

19 . The computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein generating the first, second and third ink deposition functions comprises generating a first Gaussian shaped ink deposition profile associated with the first local group, generating a second Gaussian shaped ink deposition profile associated with the second local group of pel forming elements and generating a third Gaussian shaped ink deposition profile associated with the joint target response.

20 . The computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the overlapping pel forming elements in a first local group comprise first overlapping pel forming elements adjacent to the gap region and the pel forming elements in a second local group comprise second overlapping pel forming elements adjacent to the first overlapping pel forming elements.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2024
From: STANICH, MIKEL; STANICH, WALTER F.
To: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 066813/0658 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250289241A1 · Sep 18, 2025
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