Claims
- 1. A method for printing characters on a recording medium with a thermal printer having means to selectively generate heat at each of a plurality of pels in a column on a thermal transfer medium during each of a plurality of cycles to print each character including:
- selecting certain of the pels for heating during each cycle in accordance with a character to be printed;
- determining whether the pel in the same location in the column was heated during the prior cycle or whether either of the two adjacent pels in the column is not to be heated during the same cycle;
- increasing the total generated heat for a pel unless the pel at the same location in the column was heated during the prior cycle and there is to be heating of each of the two adjacent pels in the column during the same cycle;
- applying heat to each of the selected pels for each cycle during one of two time periods of each cycle;
- and applying heat during the other of the two time periods of each cycle to each of the selected pels to which the total heat is to be increased during the cycle.
- 2. The method according to claim 1 in which an electrode is the selectively heat generating means at each pel and the thermal transfer medium is a resistive ribbon including:
- applying power to an electrode at the pel to generate the heat;
- the other time period being the first of the two time periods;
- and the one time period being the second of the two time periods.
- 3. The method according to claim 2 in which at least two adjacent electrodes are required to print substantially all vertical and horizontal lines of the character to be printed.
- 4. The method according to claim 1 in which at least two adjacent pels are required to print substantially all vertical and horizontal lines of the character to be printed.
- 5. A method for printing characters on a recording medium with a thermal printer having means to selectively generate heat at each of a plurality of pels in a column on a thermal transfer medium during each of a plurality of cycles to print each character with at least two contiguous pels being required to print substantially all vertical and horizontal lines of the character to be printed including:
- selecting certain of the pels for heating during each cycle in accordance with a character to be printed;
- determining whether the pel at the same location in the column was heated during the prior cycle or whether either of the two adjacent pels in the column is not to be heated during the same cycle;
- and increasing the total generated heat for a pel unless there was heating of the pel at the same location in the column during the prior cycle and there is to be heating of each of the two adjacent pels in the column in the same cycle.
- 6. The method according to claim 5 including:
- applying heat to each of the selected pels for each cycle during one of two time periods of each cycle;
- and applying heat during the other of the two time periods of each cycle to each of the selected pels to which the total heat is to be increased during the cycle.
- 7. The method according to claim 6 in which:
- the other time period is the first of the two time periods;
- and the one time period is the second of the two time periods.
- 8. The method according to claim 7 in which the first and second time periods are continuous.
- 9. A method for printing characters on a recording medium with a thermal printer having means to selectively generate heat at each of a plurality of pels in a column on a thermal transfer medium during each of a plurality of cycles to print each character with at least two contiguous pels being required to print substantially all vertical and horizontal lines of the character to be printed including:
- selecting certain of the pels for heating during each cycle in accordance with a character to be printed;
- and increasing the total generated heat for a pel if the pel is at a leading edge of any vertical line of the character or at a vertical edge of any horizontal line of the character.
- 10. The method according to claim 9 including:
- applying heat to each of the selected pels for a cycle during one of two time periods of the cycle;
- and applying heat during the other of the two time periods of each cycle to each of the selected pels to which the total heat is to be increased during the cycle.
- 11. The method according to claim 10 in which:
- the other time period is the first of the two time periods;
- and the one time period is the second of the two time periods.
- 12. A method for printing characters on a recording medium with a thermal printer having electrodes arranged in a column to selectively generate heat at each of a plurality of pels in a column on a resistive ribbon with each pel corresponding to one of the electrodes during each of a plurality of cycles to print each character with at least two contiguous pels being required to print substantially all vertical and horizontal lines of the character to be printed including:
- selecting certain of the electrodes for heating during each cycle in accordance with the character to be printed;
- applying a first level of energy to the electrode when the corresponding pel is at a leading edge of any vertical line of the character;
- and applying a second, lower level of energy to the same electrode in at least the next two cycles except when the pel corresponding to the electrode constitutes an edge of the character to be printed.
- 13. The method according to claim 12 including applying the first level of energy to the electrode when the corresponding pel constitutes a vertical edge of any horizontal line of the character.
- 14. The method according to claim 13 including applying the first level of energy to the electrode at the top or bottom of the column whenever the electrode at the top or bottom of the column is to be energized.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 793,354, filed Oct. 31, 1985.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0068702 |
Jan 1983 |
EPX |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
793354 |
Oct 1985 |
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