Patent ID: 7284809

Claim:
A printhead controller implemented within a printhead, wherein said printhead is one of a plurality of printheads in a printer, comprising: a circuit, for receiving an address signal and a selection signal, said selection signal being one of a plurality of selection signals provided by a printhead selection circuit of a printhead drive unit in said printer to selectively enable said printhead, said circuit including a plurality of inverters connected in series, said plurality of inverters including at least a first inverter and a second inverter, said first inverter receiving said selection signal, each of said plurality of inverters of said circuit receiving the same said address signal, and said second inverter outputting a switching signal corresponding to said selection signal and said address signal; and an ink jetting circuit, for receiving said switching signal from said circuit and determining whether or not to jet out ink based on said switching signal, and wherein said address signal and said selection signal have a voltage level of a logic high voltage level and a logic low voltage level, said switching signal is a logic high voltage level and selectively enables said ink jetting circuit when said address signal and said selection signal are at the logic high voltage level.