Patent ID: 6595611
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink recorder for receiving raster print data and printing an image on a recording medium corresponding to the raster print data received, comprising:a printhead with a plurality of ink ejecting nozzles, wherein the plurality of the ink ejecting nozzles include a plurality of active nozzles; a print controller for controlling conversion of the raster print data to a print data stream and for controlling printhead maintenance procedures, the print controller further comprising: raster buffers adapted to receive and store a predetermined amount of the raster print data, wherein the raster print data stored in the raster buffers is divided into a linked sequence of print data blocks of a predetermined size; stroke buffers adapted to receive and store at least one print data block from the raster buffers; a DMA channel interconnecting the raster buffers and the stroke buffers for communicating the print data blocks from the raster buffer to the stroke buffers; a print engine in communication with the stroke buffers and the printhead, wherein the print engine receives multiple strings of print data from the stroke buffers, wherein the print engine forms the print data stream from the multiple strings of print data and communicates the print data stream to the printhead; and a maintenance controller in communication with the DMA channel and the print controller, wherein the maintenance controller monitors the DMA channel for the print data blocks communicated from the raster buffers to the stroke buffers, wherein the maintenance controller establishes a timed maintenance cycle, determines whether each of the active nozzles in the printhead ejected ink during the maintenance cycle from the print data in the print data blocks, and communicates maintenance bypass information to the print controller.