Patent ID: 9216603
Filing Date: 2015-12-22
Classification: B29C,B33Y,B41J,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a three-dimensional object printer comprising: operating with a controller a plurality of ejectors in a printhead with reference to stored image data to form a first predetermined test pattern including a first plurality of marks arranged in a cross-process direction on a surface of a substrate; generating with an image sensor first generated image data of the first plurality of marks on the substrate; identifying with the controller a plurality of cross-process direction offsets for the first plurality of marks in the first generated image data of the first predetermined test pattern, each cross-process direction offset being identified with reference to a difference between a location of a mark in the first generated image data and a predetermined location of the mark in the stored image data referenced to form the first predetermined test pattern; generating with the controller second test pattern data that correspond to a second plurality of marks arranged in the cross-process direction to be formed by only a portion of the plurality of ejectors in the printhead and without a mark formed by at least one other ejector in the plurality of ejectors, the mark corresponding to the at least one other ejector having an identified cross-process direction offset that is less than another identified cross-process direction offset of at least one ejector in the portion of the plurality of ejectors in the printhead; and storing with the controller the second test pattern data in a memory for operation of the portion of the plurality of the ejectors to enable identification of a z-axis distance between the printhead and the substrate, the z-axis being perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.