| US 7,413,272 B2 | ||
| Methods and apparatus for precision control of print head assemblies | ||
| Bassam Shamoun, Fremont, Calif. (US); Janusz Jozwiak, San Ramon, Calif. (US); Quanyuan Shang, Saratoga, Calif. (US); and Hongbin Ji, Santa Clara, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Samta Clara, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 18, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/61,120. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/625550, filed on Nov. 04, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0092207 A1, May 04, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. B41J 29/38 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 347—14 [347/11; 347/15] | 17 Claims |
| 11. An apparatus comprising:
a controller including at least one driver;
a print head coupled to the controller and adapted to be controlled by the driver based on pixel data; and
a memory coupled to the controller and adapted to store data representative of an image converted into pixel data wherein:
the pixel data includes a plurality pixels,
each pixel is represented by N bits,
the N bits represent a drop size, and
a union of the N bits represents a nozzle status;
wherein the driver includes logic adapted to convert the drop size into a pulse voltage operable to cause a nozzle of a plurality
of nozzles of the print head to dispense a volume of fluid related to the drop size; and
wherein the logic is adapted to relate each possible value of the drop size to a pulse voltage within a range of voltages
from Vmin to Vmax, and wherein a set of possible pulse voltage values between Vmin to Vmax includes pulse voltage values that are stored for each value of i from 0 to (2N−2).
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