CN100344452C

CN100344452C - Image compensation method for ink-ejecting print

Info

Publication number: CN100344452C
Application number: CNB2004100801203A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 卡·西尔弗布鲁克
Original assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd
Priority date: 2000-06-30
Filing date: 2000-06-30
Publication date: 2007-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 2020-06-30
Also published as: CN1593922A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a printing method for identifying an image part which can not be correctly printed because of partial or whole device failure. If possible, the ink droplet size of adjacent rows or columns can be regulated so as to improve the visual effect on printing at an original position.

Description

Correction will be carried out the method for the digital image of printing by PRN device

The application is the dividing an application of Chinese invention patent application No. 00819707.5 " utilizing the large scale ink droplet to correct the ink droplet mistake " of on June 30th, 2000 application.

Technical field

The present invention relates to digital printing device, or rather, relate to all and ink can be ejected into PRN device on the print media.But use of the present invention is not limited to ink jet printing device again, and it also goes for laser printer, light emitting diode printer and digital photographic machine.

Background technology

In ink jet printing device, printhead has row's nozzle.When print media moved with respect to printhead, nozzle can optionally be ejected into ink on the medium.Printhead can adopt the way of lining by line scan to print along the page width direction, if a full page wide printhead can vertically be printed along the page length direction.If a spray nozzle clogging is arranged, the sweep type printhead will print many blank horizontal lines, and page width printing head will print a blank vertical line.This stray line is that PRN device causes, and is not that the user needs.

Such as at US 4,963,882 and JP 2000-062159 in the printer of the prior art described all have the grating printhead that tradition is used.That is, printhead is along the direction process print media of advancing perpendicular to paper.The advantage of such system is that defective nozzle operation can be by being compensated with other nozzle exchange defective nozzle, thereby prints in required tram.Verified in the last few years, the page width printing head printer with fixing printing head provides very big favourable part aspect print speed.But, because printhead is fixed, the print position of main jet and defective nozzle is aligned, therefore can not adopt defective nozzle compensation method traditionally.US5 proposes a kind of page width or full width array printer solution of being used in 581,284, that is, a kind of color is replaced with other color, can cause the print image color distortion like this.

The invention provides a kind of method of revising print image, can reduce even the basic wrong visual effect of eliminating the nozzle generation of stopping up.The present invention can also cooperate the PRN device of other form, as long as this equipment can repeatedly be ejected into medium with ink dot, no matter is passive printing or initiatively printing.The present invention also can cooperate laser printer, light emitting diode printer and copying machines to use jointly, if because the wrong mistake that also can produce repeatability in print image of their imaging drum or light source.Image one speech mentioned in this article is a broad sense, makes a general reference all print Whats, as: text and figure.

Summary of the invention

For this reason, the invention provides a kind of correction and will carry out the method for the digital image of printing by PRN device, described PRN device has at least one row's head nozzle, described head nozzle deposits on the medium row when being activated, described PRN device also has makes relative this row's head nozzle of described medium along the device that moves perpendicular to the direction of a row substantially, described method is used to compensate the fault of at least one out of order head nozzle, and make PRN device on medium, correct printed dots accurately ink dot is deposited on one or more trams, said method comprising the steps of:

A) discern each of each described at least one out of order spray nozzle device, and determine described one or more correct abort situation corresponding to defective nozzle;

B) adjust near the spot sizes of at least one ink dot of described abort situation, and compensate described fault at least in part.

From another angle, the invention provides a kind of printer, this printer has row's nozzle, a row can be ejected on the medium after the unlatching, and some devices that medium is moved with respect to this row's nozzle, medium is usually along moving perpendicular to the direction of a row.Described printer comprises:

A) determine whether all device working properly of above-mentioned one or more nozzle;

B) control device, it can analysis image or view data, determines print but one or more positions of the ink dot that do not print because head breaks down, and adjusts the size of one, two print point that nozzle produced of defective nozzle both sides.

Nozzle exists fault can make print image the row phenomenon occur lacking.The nozzle of cisco unity malfunction is not ink-jet or ink ejection amount deficiency usually, thereby causes lacking row or the shallow phenomenon of ink marks.In order to remedy this loss, the size that adjacent ink dot is required greater than raw image data just.On the contrary, if the ink dot that the nozzle of cisco unity malfunction produces is excessive, the size that adjacent ink dot is required less than raw image data so just.

If the row point that the nozzle ejection of image request cisco unity malfunction is continuous or continuous substantially, adjacent row point is preferably adjusted simultaneously.If there is sub-fraction not need ink in the point range of the nozzle ejection of cisco unity malfunction, the point in the adjacent column can be adjusted also and can not adjust so.

The adjacent point range of adjusting can surpass two row.But adjacent point range must could be adjusted its size when vertical, horizontal or two directions are adjoined one or more target location simultaneously.For example: have only the point range of fault point range two sides to adjust, the size of the point range at place, impact point upper and lower position can not be adjusted.

Description of drawings

In order to understand the present invention better, see also explanation to accompanying drawing and preferred embodiment, wherein:

Fig. 1 is the nozzle schematic diagram of ink jet-print head;

Fig. 2 is the ink droplet dot matrix schematic diagram by the unmodified of the printhead prints shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is Fig. 2 ink droplet dot matrix schematic diagram through revising by the printhead prints shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is another ink droplet dot matrix schematic diagram by the unmodified of the printhead prints shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is Fig. 4 ink droplet dot matrix schematic diagram through revising by the printhead prints shown in Fig. 1.

The specific embodiment

As shown in Figure 1, printhead 10 is made of the one group of nozzle 12 that is in line.For convenience of explanation, only show 14 nozzles among the figure, in fact delegation's nozzle can comprise dozens of, thousands of nozzle.Paper usually along perpendicular to the direction of nozzle line from printhead below by, as shown in arrow 14.Printhead can be fixed, and also can be movably.When paper below printhead through out-of-date, nozzle A to N optionally prints to an ink dot matrix on the paper as required.Dot matrix is made up of a series of row and column, and the distance between them is respectively by distance between the nozzle and the decision of minimum paper feeding speed.Simultaneously, preferably, the vertical and horizontal of some distance should equate, still because the mechanism of command range is different, so be difficult to realization.Printhead can use page width printing head or less scan-type printhead line by line.

For convenience of explanation, suppose that nozzle a-g and i-n can operate as normal, and nozzle h cisco unity malfunction or do not work fully for a certain reason.Simultaneously, the diagnostic system (those skilled in the art will be appreciated that) of supposing printer has detected nozzle h cisco unity malfunction.In most of the cases, it mainly is because nozzle is partly or entirely stopped up that nozzle is not worked, thereby causes print point China ink quantity not sufficient even produce blank print point.

Fig. 2 is by the schematic diagram of a part of print job of the unmodified of printhead 10 printings, and a blank column is wherein arranged, with " h " mark, and corresponding nozzle h, remaining row a-g and i-n are normal.Difference according to printhead 10: page width printing head or scan-type printhead, the page will produce one or more stray line.

Blank annulus

16,18,20 and 22 representatives should print to row h, and the ink droplet on not having to print.Fig. 3 is the same image of being printed by printhead 10, but it is through the revised image of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 3, the ink droplet among row g and the row i is bigger than normal size, hereinafter will explain in detail.Like this, between points, the white space between row g and the row i will dwindle.As a result, though row h does not print, visual effect is also not obvious.With normal distance, as 20-30cm, read on the paper of A4 paper or letter paper specification, realize this effect, printing precision must be more than 1600dpi.

In Fig. 3, the only planned point of printing in row g and row i just is exaggerated printing.But, the present invention can also be in the row of two sides of fault row view data do not require the position of printing, according to normal size or the extra point of adjusted size marking.As shown in Figure 3, have only in the image on 50% the possible position a bit,, still can stay large stretch of blank even use bigger ink dot.These white spaces can utilize extra print point to fill, and the visual effect that unprinted row are produced is so unobvious, even complete obiteration.

Preferably with its area increase about 50%, can certainly increase and decrease as required when adjusting the size of putting.Like this, just in same row, meeting a little louder in two row.Adjustment amount is not less than contacting mutually a little louder in 50% o'clock two row; Adjustment amount is greater than 50% o'clock, a little bigger the intersecting in two row.

If row need among the h frequency of the ink dot printed higher, nozzle g and nozzle i will spray the large scale ink droplet continuously.If the frequency of printed dots is not very high, the ink drop size among nozzle g and the nozzle i only just can become big near the print point among the row h time.The position that does not need printed dots in row h, big ink droplet will be to horizontal extension.If very long one section zone does not need printed dots among the row h, row g and row i preferably do not use big ink droplet.

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are that another group is printed schematic diagram, represent uncorrected effect and revised effect respectively.As shown in Figure 4, but

row

1,2,3,5 and 7 needs printed dots not printing among the row h, and these points are respectively by

annulus

30,32,34,36 and 38 expressions.In Fig. 5, each spot size of

corresponding points

30,32,34,36 and 38 uplink and downlink becomes big among row g and the row i.Because the point in these several row is more than the print point among Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, and often overlapping a little louder, so the amplitude of white space reduction is bigger.Here, the user also can print extra point according to normal size or adjusted size at blank position as required, as: row 1 and row 5 among the row g; Row 2, row 3 and row 7 among the row i.

The China ink amount that ink-jet printer sprays by increase enlarges size a little.Thermal printer enlarges a little size by the duration that prolongs the heating current pulse.The piezoelectricity printer makes point deformation or enlarges a little size by the duration that increases pulse by increasing driving voltage or electric current.The mechanical printing machine is by increasing the size that pulse width and/or driving voltage or electric current enlarge point.

The present invention also is applicable to the excessive situation of quantity of ink that individual nozzles is sprayed, and it can adjust adjacent nozzles, dwindles the ink dot that they are printed.

In addition, the present invention's digital-code printer that also can cooperate laser printer, LED printer, copying machines and other to utilize parts independently to print different ink dots uses jointly.For example, in the LED printer, certain LED may go wrong; In laser printer, certain photosensitive imaging drum may go wrong.In these two kinds of situations once, adjust the size of consecutive points and can hide or alleviate the defective that unit failure produces, improve the visual effect of image.

In laser printer or light emitting diode printer, the size of point can change by light intensity and/or the quantity that adjusting is radiated on the photoelectronic imaging drum relevant position.

Claims

1. a correction will be carried out the method for the digital image of printing by PRN device, described PRN device has at least one row's nozzle, described nozzle deposits on the medium row when being activated, described PRN device also has makes relative this row's nozzle of described medium along the device that moves perpendicular to the direction of a row, described method is used to compensate the fault of at least one out of order nozzle, and make can be on the medium correct printed dots of PRN device, said method comprising the steps of:

A) discern each out of order nozzle, and determine one or more abort situation corresponding to defective nozzle;

2. the method for claim 1, it is characterized in that, if ink dot will do not produced at described abort situation place or produce too small ink dot, then increase near the spot sizes of the ink dot this abort situation corresponding to the not ink-jet of defective nozzle of abort situation or ink ejection amount are not enough.

3. the method for claim 1 is characterized in that, if excessive and will produce excessive ink dot at described abort situation place corresponding to the defective nozzle ink ejection amount of abort situation, the spot sizes that then dwindle near the ink dot this abort situation.

4. the method for claim 1 is characterized in that, the size of the ink dot at adjustment and the horizontal and vertical interval of described abort situation.

5. the method for claim 1 is characterized in that, the ink dot after the adjustment size contacts with adjacent ink dot or overlaps.

6. the method for claim 1 is characterized in that, adjusts ink dot after the size and does not contact with adjacent ink dot or overlap.