Claims
- 1. A method for determining positional correction factors for an ink-jet clear fluid writing instrument fixedly mounted with respect to an ink-jet colorant writing instrument, the method comprising:printing a first predetermined pattern in predetermined target regions on a blank print medium by firing from said clear fluid writing instrument; printing a second predetermined pattern on the print medium by firing from the colorant writing instrument such that first regions of colorant print occur superjacent the first predetermined pattern and second regions of colorant print occur substantially adjacent the first regions such that the first regions wherein the first and second regions have differences in reflectivity recognizable by the optical sensing device; determining differences in reflectivity between the first regions and the second regions; and calculating, said positional correction factors from said differences.
- 2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein printing a second predetermined pattern on the print medium by firing from the colorant writing instrument is such that first regions of print occur superjacent the first predetermined pattern and second regions of print occur substantially adjacent the first regions such that the first regions and the second regions have differences in reflectivity recognizable by an optical sensing device-fixedly mounted with respect to said ink-jet clear fluid writing instrument and sad colorant writing instrument.
- 3. The method as set forth in claim 1, the step of printing a first predetermined pattern comprising the step of:scanning the ink-jet clear fluid writing instrument across the print medium and firing clear fluid droplets toward predetermined target pixels to form a pattern of a series of positional-calibration indicia.
- 4. The method as set forth in claim 3, the step of printing a first predetermined pattern further comprising the step of:forming one series of positional-calibration indicia for each ink-jet colorant writing instrument.
- 5. The method as set forth in claim 4, the step of printing a second predetermined pattern comprising the step of:printing a respective band of colorant over and between each respective series of positional-calibration indicia from each the respective ink-jet colorant writing instrument.
- 6. A test pattern for aligning a clear fixer first printhead of a first ink-jet pen to a second printhead of a second ink-jet pen firing drops of colorant, comprising:at least one series of positional-calibration indicia of clear fixer formed on a print medium by the first printhead; and at least one colorant deposited by the second printhead onto the series of positional-calibration indicia of clear fixer and on regions of the print medium adjacent to the indicia.
- 7. The test pattern as set forth in claim 7, comprising:the positional-calibration indicia provide data obtained with respect to corrections for deviations in a x-axis and, a y-axis.
- 8. An apparatus for aligning a clear fixer first printhead to second printheads firing drops of color ink, comprising:an optical sensor mounted for detecting reflectivity of adjacently positioned print medium wherein the first printhead prints a predetermined fractional fill pattern on a first region of the medium and the second printheads print both superjacently onto the fractional fill pattern and regions adjacent the fractional fill pattern on blank regions of the medium such that bleed of the clear fixer with the superjacent color ink converts the fractional fill pattern into a fill pattern that has a different reflectivity than the regions adjacent the fractional fill pattern; and a controller for calculating data representative of the predetermined fractional fill pattern to actual position of the first region.
- 9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 8, comprising:the sensor includes means for projecting light and receiving light to which the clear fixer is optically unrecognizable when deposited on blank print media, wherein the color ink has a reflectivity that is optically recognizable when compared to the blank print media and means for exposing the print media to the optical sensor while the sensor is operated wherein the means for exposing the print media includes a mounting wherein the first ink-jet pen and the at least one ink-jet pen firing drops of color ink are fixedly mounted and the sensing means are fixedly aligned in a predetermined relationship to each other.
- 10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, comprising:the mounting is a scanning carriage for carrying the first ink-jet pen and the at least one inkjet pen firing drops of color ink across predetermined swath positions of the print medium.
- 11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, the controller comprises:means for comparing data representative of the predetermined fractional fill pattern to the actual position of the first region and means for relating data obtained by the sensor with respect to corrections for deviations in a carriage-scan x-axis and a paper scan y-axis.
- 12. A ink-jet pen hard copy apparatus for depositing droplets of marking fluid on targeted pixels of a print media, comprising:first printing for printing a clear fluid on a print medium in a print zone of the apparatus; second printing means for printing ink on the print medium in the print zone of the apparatus; means for calculating first printing means to second printing means offset data with respect to predetermined patters printed by said first printing means and second printing means form overlaying ink patterns on said clear fluid and on blank regions of said medium wherein said offset data is based on reflectivity differences therebetween.
- 13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, comprising:the clear fluid is an ink fixer; the first printing means is an ink-jet fixer printhead for firing droplets of fixer onto targeted pixels of the print medium; the second printing means is a plurality of ink-jet, inking printheads, each firing droplets of a different colorant onto targeted pixels of the print medium, wherein the fixer printhead and the inking printheads are fixedly mounted with respect to each other in predetermined positions in a printhead scanning carriage associated with a positional encoder.
- 14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:optical sensing means, including a light emitting diode, for emitting a predetermined wavelength light selected for determining reflectivity each different ink; and the means for calculating including determining means, including a fixed mounting for the optical sensing means, for projecting known light beams, wherein the optical sensing means is fixedly mounted with respect to the fixer printhead and the inking printheads in a predetermined position in the printhead scanning carriage associated with the positional encoder.
- 15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, the patterns further comprising:at least one series of positional-calibration indicia of clear fixer formed on a print medium by the first ink-jet pen; and at least one ink deposited on the series of positional-calibration indicia of clear fixer and on regions of the print medium adjacent to the indicia, wherein the indicia having ink deposited thereon and the regions of the print medium adjacent to the indicia have different coefficients of reflectivity.
- 16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, comprising:the positional-calibration indicia provide data obtained with respect to corrections for deviations in a carriage-scan x-axis and a paper scan y-axis.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 09/379,521 filed on Aug. 23, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/379521 |
Aug 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/900422 |
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US |