System and method for compensating for non-functional ink cartridge ink jet nozzles

Abstract

A system for compensating for non-functional ink cartridge ink jet nozzles is provided. The system includes an ink jet compensation system that receives ink jet nozzle failure data, such as each nozzle that is clogged or damaged, and that generates nozzle correction data, such as a nozzle to fire instead of each failed nozzle for a given print pattern or a nozzle firing sequence that compensates for the failed nozzle, such as by printing at that location during a subsequent or previous printer head pass. An ink control system receives the nozzle correction data and image data and generates printer control data, such as by receiving image data in a standard format for printing and modifying the printer control data that would be generated if all ink jet heads were functioning properly to include the nozzle correction data.

1 . An ink jet printer system comprising: 
 an ink jet printer having a carriage adapted to hold at least one ink jet cartridge having a plurality of ink jet nozzles; and    a printer driver adapted to transmit image data and control commands to the ink jet printer, the printer driver adapted to process data correlative to any non-functional ink jet nozzles on the at least one ink jet cartridge to generate the control commands, the control commands adapted to control the ink jet printer to print an image correlative to the image data using only functional ink jet nozzles on the at least one ink jet cartridge.    
     
     
         2 . The printer system of  claim 1 , wherein the printer driver comprises an ink jet compensation system having a nozzle correction pattern system adapted to receive nozzle failure data and generate nozzle correction pattern data.  
     
     
         3 . The printer system of  claim 1 , wherein the printer driver comprises an ink jet compensation system having a nozzle control sequence system adapted to receive nozzle failure data and generate nozzle control sequence data.  
     
     
         4 . The printer system of  claim 1 , comprising at least one ink jet cartridge, the at least one ink jet cartridge having stored therein the data correlative to any non-functional ink jet nozzles on the at least one ink jet cartridge, the data being retrievable by the printer driver.  
     
     
         5 . The printer system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one ink jet cartridge comprises a cartridge memory adapted to store the data correlative to any non-functional ink jet nozzles on the at least one ink jet cartridge.  
     
     
         6 . The printer system of  claim 1 , wherein the printer driver comprises an index interface system adapted to receive data identifying the at least one ink jet cartridge and to retrieve data correlative to any non-functional ink jet nozzles on the at least one inkjet cartridge based on data identifying the at least one ink jet cartridge.  
     
     
         7 . A method of manufacturing an ink jet cartridge having ink jet nozzles, comprising the acts of: 
 identifying one or more non-functional ink jet nozzles of the ink jet cartridge; and    programming the ink jet cartridge to use one or more functional ink jet nozzles of the ink jet cartridge instead of the non-functional ink jet nozzles.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the act of programming comprises the act of: 
 storing non-functional ink jet nozzle data in a memory of the ink jet cartridge.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the act of programming comprises the act of: 
 programming the ink jet cartridge to use functional ink jet nozzles of the ink jet cartridge in one or more predetermined ink jet nozzle fire patterns.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the act of programming comprises the act of: 
 programming the ink jet cartridge to use functional ink jet nozzles of the ink jet cartridge in one or more predetermined ink jet nozzle fire sequences.    
     
     
         11 . A printer driver, comprising: 
 a tangible medium having stored thereon code adapted to transmit image data and control commands to an ink jet printer, the printer driver adapted to process data correlative to any non-functional inkjet nozzles on an inkjet cartridge associated with the ink jet printer to generate the control commands, the control commands adapted to control the ink jet printer to print an image correlative to the image data using only functional ink jet nozzles on the ink jet cartridge.    
     
     
         12 . The printer driver of  claim 11 , wherein the code comprises an ink jet compensation system having a nozzle correction pattern system adapted to receive nozzle failure data and generate nozzle correction pattern data.  
     
     
         13 . The printer driver of  claim 11 , wherein the code comprises an ink jet compensation system having a nozzle control sequence system adapted to receive nozzle failure data and generate nozzle control sequence data.  
     
     
         14 . The printer driver of  claim 11 , comprising code adapted to retrieve the data correlative to any non-functional ink jet nozzles from a cartridge memory on the ink jet cartridge.  
     
     
         15 . The printer driver of  claim 11 , comprising code adapted to receive data identifying the ink jet cartridge and to retrieve the data correlative to any non-functional ink jet nozzles from a database based on the data identifying the ink jet cartridge.  
     
     
         16 . A computer system, comprising: 
 a computer having a printer driver stored in memory, the printer driver comprising: 
 code adapted to transmit image data and control commands to an ink jet printer, the printer driver adapted to process data correlative to any non-functional ink jet nozzles on an ink jet cartridge associated with the ink jet printer to generate the control commands, the control commands adapted to control the ink jet printer to print an image correlative to the image data using only functional ink jet nozzles on the ink jet cartridge.  
   
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the code comprises an ink jet compensation system having a nozzle correction pattern system adapted to receive nozzle failure data and generate nozzle correction pattern data.  
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the code comprises an ink jet compensation system having a nozzle control sequence system adapted to receive nozzle failure data and generate nozzle control sequence data.  
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 16 , comprising code adapted to retrieve the data correlative to any non-functional ink jet nozzles from a cartridge memory on the ink jet cartridge.  
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 16 , comprising code adapted to receive data identifying the ink jet cartridge and to retrieve the data correlative to any non-functional ink jet nozzles from a database based on the data identifying the ink jet cartridge.  
     
     
         21 . An ink jet cartridge having ink jet nozzles, comprising: 
 a memory device; and    data stored on the memory device, wherein the data comprises at least one of non-functional nozzle data and nozzle correction data.    
     
     
         22 . The ink jet cartridge of  claim 21 , wherein the nozzle correction data comprises at least one of nozzle correction pattern data and nozzle control sequence data.  
     
     
         23 . The inkjet cartridge of  claim 21 , wherein the nozzle correction data is generated by an ink jet compensation system that receives non-functional nozzle data.  
     
     
         24 . The ink jet cartridge of  claim 21 , wherein the data stored on the memory device comprises cartridge identification data.  
     
     
         25 . A method of using an ink jet printer, comprising the acts of: 
 processing data correlative to one or more non-functional ink jet nozzles of an ink jet cartridge to generate nozzle correction data; and    controlling one or more functional ink jet nozzles of the ink jet cartridge to compensate for the non-functional ink jet nozzles in response to the nozzle correction data.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , comprising the acts of: 
 receiving identification data correlative to the ink jet cartridge; and    retrieving the data correlative to the one or more non-functional ink jet nozzles of the ink jet cartridge from a remote location.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the identification data is input by a user.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the identification data is received from a data storage device of the ink jet cartridge.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , comprising the act of: 
 retrieving the data correlative to the one or more non-functional ink jet nozzles from a data storage device of the ink jet cartridge.    
     
     
         30 . A test system, comprising: 
 an ink jet cartridge test system adapted to identify non-functional ink jet nozzles of an ink jet cartridge and to store data correlative to any identified non-functional ink jet nozzles in one of a memory device on the ink jet cartridge and a database adapted to store data correlative to a plurality of ink jet cartridges.    
     
     
         31 . The test system of  claim 30 , wherein the data correlative to any identified non-functional ink jet nozzles is utilized to generate nozzle correction data.  
     
     
         32 . The test system of  claim 31 , wherein the nozzle correction data comprises at least one of nozzle correction patterns and nozzle control sequences.  
     
     
         33 . The test system of  claim 30 , wherein the ink jet test system is adapted to generate a sequence of test images using the ink jet nozzles of the ink jet cartridge and to compare the generated sequence of test images with sample images to identify any non-functional nozzles of the ink jet cartridge.  
     
     
         34 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 means for identifying one or more non-functional ink jet nozzles of the ink jet cartridge; and    means for programming the ink jet cartridge to use one or more functional ink jet nozzles of the ink jet cartridge instead of the non-functional ink jet nozzles.    
     
     
         35 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 means for transmitting image data and control commands to an ink jet printer;    means for processing data correlative to any non-functional ink jet nozzles on an ink jet cartridge associated with the ink jet printer to generate the control commands; and    means for controlling the ink jet printer responsive to the control commands to print an image correlative to the image data using only functional ink jet nozzles on the ink jet cartridge.    
     
     
         36 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 means for processing data correlative to one or more non-functional ink jet nozzles of an ink jet cartridge to generate nozzle correction data; and    means for controlling one or more functional ink jet nozzles of the ink jet cartridge to compensate for the non-functional ink jet nozzles in response to the nozzle correction data.    
     
     
         37 . A test system, comprising: 
 means for identifying non-functional ink jet nozzles of an ink jet cartridge;    means for storing data correlative to any identified non-functional ink jet nozzles in one of a memory device on the ink jet cartridge and a database adapted to store data correlative to a plurality of ink jet cartridges.