CN108944052B - Printer maintenance method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a printer maintenance method and apparatus. The method comprises the following steps: determining whether the printer needs maintenance, and determining whether a user is near the printer under the condition that the printer needs maintenance; in the case where there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, the printer maintenance program is started. Wherein, only when near the printer does not have the user, just start printer maintenance procedure, carry out the printer maintenance automatically to practice thrift user operation, avoided the printer to maintain the influence that causes the user when simultaneously, effectively promoted user experience.

Description

Printer maintenance method and device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a printer maintenance method and apparatus.

Background

In the use of ink jet printers, maintenance of printer heads is a very meaningful means of maintaining print quality, and a lack of maintenance of printer heads is likely to have the consequence of poor print quality.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to overcome the problems in the related art, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a printer maintenance method and apparatus. The technical scheme is as follows:

according to a first aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a printer maintenance method including:

determining whether the printer requires maintenance;

determining whether a user is near the printer if it is determined that the printer requires maintenance;

in the absence of a user in the vicinity of the printer, a printer maintenance program is started.

The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can have the following beneficial effects: determining whether the printer needs maintenance, and determining whether a user is near the printer under the condition that the printer needs maintenance; in the case where there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, the printer maintenance program is started. Wherein, only when near the printer does not have the user, just start printer maintenance procedure, carry out the printer maintenance automatically to practice thrift user operation, avoided the printer to maintain the influence that causes the user when simultaneously, effectively promoted user experience.

In one embodiment, the determining whether the printer requires maintenance comprises:

determining whether the printer printing status is one or more of:

the temperature of the printer exceeds the preset temperature, the ink head of the printer is blocked, and the ink drop of the printer deviates;

and when the printing state of the printer is any one or more of the above conditions, determining that the printer needs maintenance.

In one embodiment, the determining whether the printer printing status is printer ink head clogging comprises:

determining whether the probability value of the blockage of the printer ink head is larger than a preset value, and determining that the printer has the ink head blockage when the probability value of the blockage is larger than the preset value;

the ink head clogging probability value is determined based on one or more of ambient temperature, ambient humidity, number of uses, ink material, and exposure time.

In one embodiment, the determining that there is no user in the vicinity of the printer comprises:

and determining whether a user exists near the printer or not through the face recognition of the camera, and determining that no user exists near the printer when the face is not recognized by the camera.

In one embodiment, the determining that there is no user in the vicinity of the printer comprises:

and determining whether a user exists near the printer at the current time according to the historical use habit statistical data of the user on the printer, and determining that no user exists near the printer at the current time when the current time is a historical non-use time period.

In one embodiment, the initiating the printer maintenance procedure comprises:

determining the maintenance level required by the current printer according to the printing state of the printer, and starting a maintenance program of a corresponding level, wherein the maintenance level is divided according to whether ink head blockage occurs or not and the degree of the ink head blockage.

In one embodiment, the determining the level of maintenance required for the current printer based on the printing status of the printer comprises:

in a case where it is determined that the head clogging has not occurred, determining a maintenance level of the printer as performing parameter correction;

and under the condition that the ink head blockage is determined, determining the ink head blockage degree, determining the ink head cleaning level according to the ink head blockage degree, wherein the maintenance level of the printer is used for performing parameter correction and executing the corresponding ink head cleaning level.

In one embodiment, the ink head clogging degree includes:

the ink dries, and the dye or pigment particles cause clogging of the ink head; and/or

The ink head is wet but the pigment deposits cause the ink head to clog.

In one embodiment, the ink head cleaning level includes:

level one: wetting the spray head, and then spraying a large amount of ink drops to remove sediments;

grade two: cleaning and jetting ink drops, and cleaning by matching with the rapid movement of a printer nozzle and an ink box brush;

and level three, cleaning the ink head by using ultrasonic waves.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

in the case where there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, it is determined whether the current time is a sleep time, and when it is determined that the current time is not a sleep time, a printer maintenance program is started.

According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a printer maintenance apparatus including:

a first determination module for determining whether the printer requires maintenance;

the second determining module is used for determining whether a user is near the printer or not under the condition that the first determining module determines that the printer needs maintenance;

a starting module for starting a printer maintenance program when the second determination module determines that there is no user in the vicinity of the printer.

In one embodiment, the first determining module comprises: a first determination submodule and a second determination submodule;

the first determining sub-module is used for determining whether the printing state of the printer is one or more of the following conditions:

the temperature of the printer exceeds the preset temperature, the ink head of the printer is blocked, and the ink drop of the printer deviates;

the second determining submodule is configured to determine that the printer needs to be maintained when the first determining submodule determines that the printing state of the printer is any one or more of the above-mentioned situations.

In one embodiment, the first determination submodule includes: a third determination submodule;

the third determining submodule is used for determining whether the jam probability value of the printer ink head is greater than a preset value or not, and determining that the printer has ink head jam when the jam probability value is greater than the preset value;

the ink head clogging probability value is determined based on one or more of ambient temperature, ambient humidity, number of uses, ink material, and exposure time.

In one embodiment, the second determining module comprises: a fourth determination sub-module;

and the fourth determining submodule is used for determining whether a user exists near the printer through the face recognition of the camera, and determining that no user exists near the printer when the face is not recognized by the camera.

In one embodiment, the second determining module comprises: a fifth determination submodule;

and the fifth determining submodule is used for determining whether a user exists near the printer at the current time according to the historical use habit statistical data of the user on the printer, and determining that no user exists near the printer at the current time when the current time is a historical non-use time period.

In one embodiment, the start module comprises: a start submodule;

the starting submodule is used for determining the maintenance level required by the current printer according to the printing state of the printer and starting the maintenance program of the corresponding level, wherein the maintenance level is divided according to whether the ink head is blocked or not and the degree of the ink head blockage.

In one embodiment, the promoter module comprises: a sixth determination submodule and a seventh determination submodule;

the sixth determining submodule is used for determining the maintenance level of the printer as the execution parameter correction under the condition that the ink head blockage is determined not to occur;

the seventh determining submodule is configured to determine a clogging degree of the ink head when it is determined that the ink head is clogged, determine an ink head cleaning level according to the clogging degree of the ink head, and correct the maintenance level of the printer for the execution parameter and execute the corresponding ink head cleaning level.

In one embodiment, the ink head clogging degree includes:

the ink dries, and the dye or pigment particles cause clogging of the ink head; and/or

The ink head is wet but the pigment deposits cause the ink head to clog.

In one embodiment, the ink head cleaning level includes:

level one: wetting the spray head, and then spraying a large amount of ink drops to remove sediments;

grade two: cleaning and jetting ink drops, and cleaning by matching with the rapid movement of a printer nozzle and an ink box brush;

and level three, cleaning the ink head by using ultrasonic waves.

In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises: a third determination module;

and the third determining module is used for determining whether the current time is the sleep time or not under the condition that the second determining module determines that no user is near the printer, and starting the printer maintenance program when determining that the current time is not the sleep time.

According to a third aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a printer maintenance apparatus including:

a processor;

a memory for storing processor-executable instructions;

wherein the processor is configured to:

determining whether the printer requires maintenance;

determining whether a user is near the printer when it is determined that the printer needs maintenance;

in the case where there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, the printer maintenance program is started.

According to a fourth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method of any one of the first aspects.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a printer maintenance method according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a printer maintenance method according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a printer maintenance method according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a printer maintenance apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a first determination module in a printer maintenance apparatus according to an example embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a first determination submodule in a printer maintenance apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a second determination module in a printer maintenance apparatus according to an example embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a second determination module in a printer maintenance apparatus according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a start module in a printer maintenance device, according to an example embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a startup sub-module in a printer maintenance device according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a printer maintenance apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a printer maintenance apparatus 80 according to an exemplary embodiment.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, like numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the exemplary embodiments below are not intended to represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present disclosure, as detailed in the appended claims.

Current printer maintenance will enter a timer after the printer is idle, and when the timer reaches a time limit, the printer will be woken up and start to maintain the printer. However, although the printer maintenance time period is fixed, the execution time of the printer maintenance method is changed according to the specific printer condition, and the printer maintenance method is most likely to be executed without the user's knowledge, and the user is certainly affected due to the generation of large noise in the printer maintenance process.

In order to avoid the influence on a user on the premise of improving the reliability of printer maintenance, the printer maintenance method is provided.

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a printer maintenance method, which may be performed by a printer maintenance apparatus, which may be implemented in hardware and/or software, and which may be integrated into a terminal device or a printer, according to an example embodiment; alternatively, the printer maintenance apparatus is a terminal device or a printer. The terminal device can be a terminal device such as a smart phone, a tablet computer or a computer. As shown in fig. 1, the method comprises the following steps S101-S103:

in step S101, it is determined whether the printer requires maintenance.

In step S102, in the case where it is determined that the printer requires maintenance, it is determined whether or not a user is present near the printer.

In step 103, if there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, the printer maintenance program is started.

Since printer maintenance is noisy, when it is determined that the printer needs maintenance, in order to avoid the influence on the user and reduce interference with the life of the user, it is also necessary to determine whether there is a user near the printer, and the printer maintenance program is started only when there is no user near the printer.

The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can have the following beneficial effects: determining whether the printer needs maintenance, and determining whether a user is near the printer under the condition that the printer needs maintenance; in the case where there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, the printer maintenance program is started. Wherein, only when near the printer does not have the user, just start printer maintenance procedure, carry out the printer maintenance automatically to practice thrift user operation, avoided the printer to maintain the influence that causes the user when simultaneously, effectively promoted user experience.

In one embodiment, the above step S101 includes the following sub-steps A1-A2:

in a1, it is determined whether the printer printing status is one or more of the following: the temperature of the printer exceeds the preset temperature, the ink head of the printer is blocked, and the ink drop of the printer deviates.

In a2, when the printer printing status is any one or more of the above, it is determined that the printer requires maintenance.

During the use of the printer, if the printer state satisfies any one of the following states, it is determined that the printer needs maintenance:

in the first state: the temperature of the printer exceeds a preset temperature;

in the second state: clogging of the ink head of the printer;

the third state: deviation of ink drops of the printer;

the fourth state: the temperature of the printer exceeds the preset temperature and the ink head of the printer is blocked;

in the fifth state: the printer temperature exceeds the preset temperature and the printer ink drop deviates;

the sixth state: head clogging and printer drop deflection of the printer;

in the seventh state: printer temperature exceeds a preset temperature, printer head clogging, and printer drop deflection.

Whether the printer needs to be maintained or not is determined through the printer state, the condition that the printer needs to be maintained can be more comprehensively covered, and therefore the reliability of printer maintenance is improved.

In one embodiment, the step a1 of determining whether the printing status of the printer is a clogged printer head includes the following sub-steps:

determining whether the probability value of the blockage of the printer ink head is larger than a preset value, and determining that the printer has the ink head blockage when the probability value of the blockage is larger than the preset value.

Wherein the ink head clogging probability value is determined based on one or more of ambient temperature, ambient humidity, frequency of use, ink material, and exposure time.

Wherein, the higher the temperature, the faster the ink evaporation speed, and the easier the ink head is clogged, so the higher the temperature, the higher the ink head clogging probability value will be.

When the humidity is higher, the ink evaporation speed is slower, and at this time, the ink head clogging probability value is lower.

Since the nozzles can be kept wet during use, the lower the frequency of use (number of uses per unit time), the lower the probability of clogging of the ink head.

The particles of ink material and the solubility of the ink material can affect the ink head clogging probability value, for example: dyes and pigments. Taking pigment as an example, if the pigment particles are large or have poor solubility, the probability of causing clogging is relatively high under the condition of the same size of the nozzle, that is, the larger the particles of the ink material, the higher the probability value of clogging of the ink head; the worse the solubility of the ink material, the greater the ink head clogging probability value.

When the ink head is exposed to air, evaporation of moisture occurs, and the ink in the ink head is easily dried, so that the probability value of clogging of the ink head is higher as the exposure time is longer.

In practical applications, different parameters have different effects on the ink head clogging probability value, that is, different parameters have different weights in the ink head clogging probability value, for example: since the specifications of the corresponding ink material and the ink head are already set before the printer leaves the factory, for the same printer, the weight of the ink material in the ink head blockage probability value is smaller, at this time, the ink head blockage probability value is mainly related to the ambient temperature, the ambient humidity, the use frequency and the exposure time, for example, the weight value of the use frequency is greater than the weight of the ambient humidity, the weight of the ambient humidity is greater than the weight of the ambient temperature, and the weight of the ambient temperature is greater than the weight of the exposure time.

In practical application, the ink head clogging probability value can be obtained by obtaining the at least one parameter and then multiplying the weight preset by the parameter.

The weighted value of each parameter in the ink head clogging probability value can be obtained through big data or experiments or experiences, and the disclosure does not limit the weighted value.

The ambient temperature may be an average of the ambient temperature over a period of time; the ambient temperature may also be an average of ambient humidity over a period of time. Obtaining the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity can be achieved in various ways. Illustratively, the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity transmitted by the ambient measurement device may be received; or measuring in real time by application software to obtain the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity; or acquiring the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity through a network; the user can also set the ambient temperature and the ambient humidity by himself, etc. The environment measuring device is, for example, a temperature and humidity detector.

The usage frequency and the exposure time of the printer can be known through a counter or a timer in the printer or can be known by the bound mobile phone APP according to the on-off state of the printer, and the disclosure does not limit the usage frequency and the exposure time.

In one embodiment, the step of determining whether there is a user in the vicinity of the printer in step S102 includes the sub-steps of:

and determining whether a user exists near the printer or not through the face recognition of the camera, and determining that no user exists near the printer when the face is not recognized by the camera.

In order to determine whether a user is present near the printer, the presence of the user near the printer may be determined by a face recognition function of a camera installed in the printing room or carried by the printer itself, and further, when the camera does not recognize a face, the presence of the user near the printer is determined.

The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can have the following beneficial effects: the existence of the user near the printer is determined by obtaining the face recognition of the camera, and the reliability of determining the existence of the user near the printer can be improved by the method because the face recognition algorithm of the camera is a relatively mature algorithm.

In one embodiment, the above determining the presence or absence of a user in the vicinity of the printer comprises the sub-steps of:

and determining whether a user exists near the printer at the current time according to the historical use habit statistical data of the user on the printer, and determining that no user exists near the printer at the current time when the current time is a historical non-use time period.

During the use of the printer by the user, the usage habit of the printer by the user can be recorded, for example: and recording the time point or the time period of the historical use of the printer by the user to obtain the statistical data of the use habits of the user, so that when the time period of the current moment is a non-use period with high probability in the historical data, the situation that no user is near the printer at the current moment is determined. Therefore, the time period around which the user is absent can be reasonably predicted, and the accuracy of judging whether the user is present around the time period is higher as the use time of the printer is longer.

For example: recording the use habit of the user using the printer as follows: the user uses the printer at 3:00-5:00, namely the historical use time period of the printer by the user is 3:00-5: 00; if the current time is 4:00, the current time is a historical use time period, so that a user is determined to be nearby the printer at the current time; if the current time is 2:00, then the current time is a non-historical use period, so it is determined that there are no users near the printer at the current time.

Whether a user exists or not in the vicinity of the printer is determined through the historical use habit of the user on the printer, so that the determined result is closer to the real situation of the user, and the reliability of determining that no user exists in the vicinity of the printer is effectively improved.

In one embodiment, the starting of the printer maintenance program includes the following sub-steps:

determining the maintenance level required by the current printer according to the printing state of the printer, and starting a maintenance program of a corresponding level, wherein the maintenance level is divided according to whether ink head blockage occurs or not and the degree of the ink head blockage.

In the prior art, when the maintenance program is started to maintain the printer, the maintenance types are the same no matter what reason the printer has a fault, that is, the maintenance types are the same no matter whether the printer has a slight fault or a serious fault, and obviously, the unreasonable maintenance is caused.

In order to shorten the maintenance time and save the resources required by the maintenance of the printer on the premise of improving the reliability of the maintenance of the printer, the maintenance levels required by different printers can be set for the printing states of different printers, so that when the printer needs to be maintained, the maintenance level required by the current printer can be determined according to the printing state of the printer, and then the maintenance program of the corresponding level is started, and the targeted maintenance of the printer is realized.

For example, the maintenance level may be determined based on whether the printer is clogged with ink heads and the degree of clogging of ink heads.

In the case where the ink head clogging does not occur, the printing state of the printer, if the temperature is too high, generally occurs during printing, and in this case, it can be solved by suspending printing so that the ink head is rapidly cooled. If the printer printing state is that there is a drop deviation, then this can be corrected by setting the correction parameters of the nozzles to compensate for the hardware deviation during automatic maintenance of the printer without the user around.

If a clogging of the ink head occurs, the degree of clogging of the ink head is judged, and the maintenance level can be determined.

In one embodiment, the above-described ink head clogging degree includes at least the following three levels:

in the first level: the ink dries and the dye or pigment particles cause the ink head to clog.

The second grade is as follows: the ink head is wet but the pigment deposits cause the ink head to clog.

The third level: the ink dries, and the dye or pigment particles cause clogging of the ink head; and ink head wetting but pigment deposition causes ink head clogging.

In one embodiment, the above-described determining the level of maintenance required for the current printer based on the printer's print status includes the following sub-steps B1-B2:

in B1, in the case where it is determined that the head clogging has not occurred, the maintenance level of the printer is determined as the execution parameter correction.

In B2, in the case where it is determined that the head clogging has occurred, the head clogging degree is determined, the head cleaning level is determined based on the head clogging degree, and the maintenance level of the printer is the level at which the parameter correction is performed and the corresponding head cleaning level is performed.

In one embodiment, the ink head cleaning level includes:

wetting the spray head, and then spraying a large amount of ink drops to remove sediments;

cleaning and jetting ink drops, and cleaning by matching with the rapid movement of a printer nozzle and an ink box brush;

the ink head is cleaned using ultrasonic waves.

Most of the problems that arise with printer head clogging, which is caused by ink drying, dye or pigment particles, and therefore printer maintenance, cover most problems, are generally solved by wetting the jets and then ejecting a large number of drops (SPIT) to remove the deposits.

In addition to cleaning and ejecting ink drops, the ink head is required to be cleaned and ejected when the ink head is wet, but the ink head is clogged due to pigment deposition, and the cleaning is generally realized by printing a high-density template pattern on paper and matching with an ink box brush.

In the case where the clogging of the ink head cannot be solved by both of the above-described maintenance methods, it may be necessary to clean the ink head by an external force, for example, using ultrasonic waves.

For example, the correspondence between the printing status of the printer and the maintenance level required for the current printer is shown in table 1:

TABLE 1

For example, in order to improve the printing effect after the printer is maintained, the corresponding relationship between the printing status of the printer and the maintenance level required by the current printer may also be as shown in table 2:

TABLE 2

After the printer maintenance procedure is performed, the cartridge is reset to the HOME position, the cover is sealed (CAPPING) and printing is suspended for a short period of time to ensure the ink head is wet and warm.

In one embodiment, the above method further comprises the substeps of:

in the case where there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, it is determined whether the current time is a sleep time, and when it is determined that the current time is not a sleep time, a printer maintenance program is started.

Because the printer can generate noise in the maintenance process, in order to avoid influencing a user when the printer is maintained, the printer maintenance is carried out under the condition that no user is near the printer in the disclosure, however, under one condition, if the user sleeps, even if no user is near the printer, the noise when the printer is maintained can influence the rest of the user, in order to further improve the user experience, in the disclosure, under the condition that no user is near the printer, whether the current moment is the sleep time or not needs to be determined, and only when the non-sleep time of the current moment is determined, the printer maintenance program is started, so that the influence on the sleep of the user is avoided.

The method comprises the steps of detecting whether the current time is preset sleep time of a user; or, the lighting system can be linked, and whether the current time is the sleep time or not is determined by acquiring the light parameters of the lighting system; alternatively, the user bracelet may be linked to determine whether the current time is sleep time.

The implementation is described in detail below by way of several embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a printer maintenance method according to an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, including the steps of:

in step S201, a printer print status is acquired;

in step S202, it is determined whether the printer printing status is one or more of the following: the temperature of the printer exceeds the preset temperature, the ink head of the printer is blocked, and the ink drop of the printer deviates.

Wherein determining whether the printer printing status is a printer head jam comprises: determining whether the probability value of the blockage of the printer ink head is greater than a preset value, and determining that the printer has the ink head blockage when the probability value of the blockage of the device is greater than the preset value; the device ink head clogging probability value is determined based on one or more of ambient temperature, ambient humidity, frequency of use, ink material, and exposure time.

In step S203, upon determining that the printer printing status is any one or more of the above-described cases, it is determined that the printer requires maintenance.

When the printer printing status is not any one or more of the above, it is determined that the printer does not require maintenance.

In step S204, when it is determined that the printer needs maintenance, the presence or absence of the user in the vicinity of the printer is determined by face recognition of the camera.

In step S205, when the camera does not recognize a human face, it is determined that there is no user near the printer.

In step S206, in the case where there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, it is determined whether or not the head clogging has occurred, and when it is determined that the head clogging has not occurred, step S207 is executed, and when it is determined that the head clogging has occurred, step S208 is executed.

In step S207, the maintenance level of the printer is determined as performing parameter correction.

In step S208, the ink head clogging degree is determined, and the ink head cleaning level is determined according to the ink head clogging degree, and the maintenance level of the printer is the level for performing the parameter correction and performing the corresponding ink head cleaning level.

The ink head clogging degree of the device comprises:

the ink dries, and the dye or pigment particles cause clogging of the ink head; and/or

The ink head is wet but the pigment deposits cause the ink head to clog.

The device ink head cleaning level includes:

level one: wetting the spray head, and then spraying a large amount of ink drops to remove sediments;

grade two: cleaning and jetting ink drops, and cleaning by matching with the rapid movement of a printer nozzle and an ink box brush;

and level three, cleaning the ink head by using ultrasonic waves.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a printer maintenance method according to an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, including the steps of:

in step S301, a printer print status is acquired;

in step S302, it is determined whether the printer printing status is one or more of the following: the temperature of the printer exceeds the preset temperature, the ink head of the printer is blocked, and the ink drop of the printer deviates.

Wherein determining whether the printer printing status is a printer head jam comprises: determining whether the probability value of the blockage of the printer ink head is greater than a preset value, and determining that the printer has the ink head blockage when the probability value of the blockage of the device is greater than the preset value; the device ink head clogging probability value is determined based on one or more of ambient temperature, ambient humidity, frequency of use, ink material, and exposure time.

In step S303, when the printer printing status is any one or more of the above-described cases, it is determined that the printer requires maintenance.

When the printer printing status is not any one or more of the above, it is determined that the printer does not require maintenance.

In step S304, when it is determined that the printer needs maintenance, the presence or absence of the user in the vicinity of the printer is determined by face recognition of the camera.

In step S305, when the camera does not recognize a human face, it is determined that there is no user near the printer.

In step S306, in the case where there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, it is determined whether or not the current time is the sleep time.

In step S307, when the non-sleep time at the present time is determined, the maintenance level required for the present printer is determined according to the printing state of the printer, and the maintenance program of the corresponding level is started, the apparatus maintenance level being divided according to whether the ink head clogging occurs and the degree of the ink head clogging.

It should be noted that, at present, there is also a manually triggered printer maintenance mode for printer maintenance, in which after printing paper, if the user finds that the printing quality is not good, the user needs to print a printing quality check report, and then manually select a maintenance option according to a report prompt. The printer maintenance mode is actively executed by a user, but the repeated operation of the user is very much, which inevitably causes great trouble to the user, so that the thinking cost and the interaction cost of the user are high.

In the disclosure, for the printer maintenance mode manually triggered by the user, a hierarchical nursing mode is used to ensure as little intervention as possible on the user. The maintenance method in this way can be referred to tables 1 and 2, for example: displaying the printer maintenance level to the user via the display as: level 1, level 2, level 3, and level 4, wherein level 1 includes: performing parameter correction; level 2 includes: wetting the spray head, and then spraying a large amount of ink drops to remove sediments; level 3 includes: cleaning and jetting ink drops, and cleaning by matching with the rapid movement of a printer nozzle and an ink box brush; level 4 includes: cleaning the ink head using ultrasonic waves; when the user manually maintains the printer, only the displayed maintenance level needs to be selected, and at the moment, the printer can maintain the printer according to the maintenance type in the selected maintenance level, so that the thinking cost and the interaction cost of the user can be reduced at the maximum probability. For example: the user selects level 2, at which point the printer executes a maintenance program that wets the jets and then ejects a large number of ink drops to remove the deposits.

The simple operation can ensure the damage of the user to the printer caused by non-speciality with the maximum probability and effectively save the interaction time.

The following are embodiments of the disclosed apparatus that may be used to perform embodiments of the disclosed methods.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a printer maintenance apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in fig. 3, the printer maintenance apparatus includes:

a first determination module 11 for determining whether the printer requires maintenance;

a second determination module 12, configured to determine whether a user is near the printer when the first determination module 11 determines that the printer needs maintenance;

a starting module 13, configured to start a printer maintenance program if the second determining module 12 determines that there is no user near the printer.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 5, the first determining module 11 includes: a first determination submodule 111 and a second determination submodule 112;

the first determining sub-module 111 is configured to determine whether the printing status of the printer is one or more of the following conditions:

the temperature of the printer exceeds the preset temperature, the ink head of the printer is blocked, and the ink drop of the printer deviates;

the second determining sub-module 112 is configured to determine that the printer needs to be maintained when the first determining sub-module 111 determines that the printing status of the printer is any one or more of the above situations.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 6, the first determination submodule 11 includes: a third determination sub-module 113;

the third determining submodule 113 is configured to determine whether a jam probability value of an ink head of the printer is greater than a preset value, and determine that the printer has an ink head jam when the jam probability value is greater than the preset value;

the ink head clogging probability value is determined based on one or more of ambient temperature, ambient humidity, frequency of use, ink material, and exposure time.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 7, the second determining module 12 includes: a fourth determination submodule 121;

the fourth determining submodule 121 is configured to determine whether a user is near the printer through face recognition of the camera, and determine that no user is near the printer when the face is not recognized by the camera.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 8, the second determining module 12 includes: a fifth determination sub-module 122;

the fifth determining sub-module 122 is configured to determine whether there is a user near the printer at the current time according to the historical usage habit statistical data of the user on the printer, and determine that there is no user near the printer at the current time when the current time is a historical non-usage period.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 9, the starting module 13 includes: a promoter module 131;

the starting module 131 is configured to determine a maintenance level required by the current printer according to the printing state of the printer, and start a maintenance program of a corresponding level, where the maintenance level is divided according to whether the ink head is clogged or not and the degree of clogging of the ink head.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 10, the start sub-module 131 includes: a sixth determination submodule 1311 and a seventh determination submodule 1312;

the sixth determining sub-module 1311 configured to determine, in a case where it is determined that the head clogging has not occurred, a maintenance level of the printer as to perform parameter correction;

the seventh determining submodule 1312 is configured to determine a degree of head clogging when it is determined that the head clogging occurs, and determine a head cleaning level according to the degree of head clogging, where the maintenance level of the printer is a level at which the parameter correction is performed and the corresponding head cleaning level is performed.

In one embodiment, the ink head clogging degree includes:

the ink dries, and the dye or pigment particles cause clogging of the ink head; and/or

The ink head is wet but the pigment deposits cause the ink head to clog.

In one embodiment, the ink head cleaning level includes:

level one: wetting the spray head, and then spraying a large amount of ink drops to remove sediments;

grade two: cleaning and jetting ink drops, and cleaning by matching with the rapid movement of a printer nozzle and an ink box brush;

and level three, cleaning the ink head by using ultrasonic waves.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 11, the apparatus further comprises: a third determination module 14;

the third determining module 14 is configured to determine whether the current time is a sleep time or not in a case where the second determining module 12 determines that there is no user near the printer, and start the printer maintenance program when determining that the current time is not a sleep time.

According to a third aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a printer maintenance apparatus including:

a processor;

a memory for storing processor-executable instructions;

wherein the processor is configured to:

determining whether the printer requires maintenance;

determining whether a user is near the printer if it is determined that the printer requires maintenance;

in the absence of a user in the vicinity of the printer, a printer maintenance program is started.

The processor may be further configured to:

the determining whether the printer requires maintenance includes:

determining whether the printer printing status is one or more of:

the temperature of the printer exceeds the preset temperature, the ink head of the printer is blocked, and the ink drop of the printer deviates;

and when the printing state of the printer is any one or more of the above conditions, determining that the printer needs maintenance.

The determining whether the printer printing status is printer ink head clogging comprises:

determining whether the probability value of the blockage of the printer ink head is larger than a preset value, and determining that the printer has the ink head blockage when the probability value of the blockage is larger than the preset value;

the ink head clogging probability value is determined based on one or more of ambient temperature, ambient humidity, frequency of use, ink material, and exposure time.

The determining that there is no user in the vicinity of the printer comprises:

and determining whether a user exists near the printer or not through the face recognition of the camera, and determining that no user exists near the printer when the face is not recognized by the camera.

The determining that there is no user in the vicinity of the printer comprises:

and determining whether a user exists near the printer at the current time according to the historical use habit statistical data of the user on the printer, and determining that no user exists near the printer at the current time when the current time is a historical non-use time period.

The starting of the printer maintenance program includes:

determining the maintenance level required by the current printer according to the printing state of the printer, and starting a maintenance program of a corresponding level, wherein the maintenance level is divided according to whether ink head blockage occurs or not and the degree of the ink head blockage.

The determining the maintenance level required by the current printer according to the printing state of the printer comprises:

in a case where it is determined that the head clogging has not occurred, determining a maintenance level of the printer as performing parameter correction;

and under the condition that the ink head blockage is determined, determining the ink head blockage degree, determining the ink head cleaning level according to the ink head blockage degree, wherein the maintenance level of the printer is used for performing parameter correction and executing the corresponding ink head cleaning level.

The ink head clogging degree includes:

the ink dries, and the dye or pigment particles cause clogging of the ink head; and/or

The ink head is wet but the pigment deposits cause the ink head to clog.

The ink head cleaning level includes:

level one: wetting the spray head, and then spraying a large amount of ink drops to remove sediments;

grade two: cleaning and jetting ink drops, and cleaning by matching with the rapid movement of a printer nozzle and an ink box brush;

and level three, cleaning the ink head by using ultrasonic waves.

The method further comprises the following steps:

in the case where there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, it is determined whether the current time is a sleep time, and when it is determined that the current time is not a sleep time, a printer maintenance program is started.

With regard to the apparatus in the above-described embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs the operation has been described in detail in the embodiment related to the method, and will not be elaborated here.

Fig. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a printer maintenance apparatus 80 adapted to a terminal device according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the apparatus 80 may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a messaging device, a game console, a tablet device, a medical device, an exercise device, a personal digital assistant, and the like.

The apparatus 80 may include one or more of the following components: processing component 802, memory 804, power component 806, multimedia component 808, audio component 810, input/output (I/O) interface 812, sensor component 814, and communication component 816.

The processing component 802 generally controls overall operation of the device 80, such as operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communications, camera operations, and recording operations. The processing components 802 may include one or more processors 820 to execute instructions to perform all or a portion of the steps of the methods described above. Further, the processing component 802 can include one or more modules that facilitate interaction between the processing component 802 and other components. For example, the processing component 802 can include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between the multimedia component 808 and the processing component 802.

The memory 804 is configured to store various types of data to support operations at the apparatus 80. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the device 80, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, and so forth. The memory 804 may be implemented by any type or combination of volatile or non-volatile memory devices such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic or optical disks.

The power supply component 806 provides power to the various components of the device 80. The power components 806 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power for the device 80.

The multimedia component 808 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the device 80 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and a Touch Panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive an input signal from a user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touch, slide, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor may not only sense the boundary of a touch or slide action, but also detect the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 808 includes a front facing camera and/or a rear facing camera. The front camera and/or the rear camera may receive external multimedia data when the device 80 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode. Each front camera and rear camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have a focal length and optical zoom capability.

The audio component 810 is configured to output and/or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 810 includes a Microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when the apparatus 80 is in an operating mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signals may further be stored in the memory 804 or transmitted via the communication component 816. In some embodiments, audio component 810 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

The I/O interface 812 provides an interface between the processing component 802 and peripheral interface modules, which may be keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include, but are not limited to: a home button, a volume button, a start button, and a lock button.

The sensor assembly 814 includes one or more sensors for providing various aspects of state assessment for the device 80. For example, the sensor assembly 814 may detect the open/closed status of the device 80, the relative positioning of the components, such as a display and keypad of the device 80, the change in position of the device 80 or a component of the device 80, the presence or absence of user contact with the device 80, the orientation or acceleration/deceleration of the device 80, and the change in temperature of the device 80. Sensor assembly 814 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of a nearby object without any physical contact. The sensor assembly 814 may also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 814 may also include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

The communication component 816 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the apparatus 80 and other devices. The device 80 may access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, 2G or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 further includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communications. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, infrared data association (IrDA) technology, Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

In an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus 80 may be implemented by one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Digital Signal Processing Devices (DSPDs), Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors or other electronic components for performing the above-described methods.

In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, such as the memory 804 comprising instructions, executable by the processor 820 of the apparatus 80 to perform the above-described method is also provided. For example, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium may be a ROM, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, and the like.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium in which instructions, when executed by a processor of an apparatus 80, enable the apparatus 80 to perform the printer maintenance method described above, the method comprising:

determining whether the printer requires maintenance;

determining whether a user is near the printer if it is determined that the printer requires maintenance;

in the absence of a user in the vicinity of the printer, a printer maintenance program is started.

The processor may be further configured to:

the determining whether the printer requires maintenance includes:

determining whether the printer printing status is one or more of:

the temperature of the printer exceeds the preset temperature, the ink head of the printer is blocked, and the ink drop of the printer deviates;

and when the printing state of the printer is any one or more of the above conditions, determining that the printer needs maintenance.

The determining whether the printer printing status is printer ink head clogging comprises:

determining whether the probability value of the blockage of the printer ink head is larger than a preset value, and determining that the printer has the ink head blockage when the probability value of the blockage is larger than the preset value;

the ink head clogging probability value is determined based on one or more of ambient temperature, ambient humidity, frequency of use, ink material, and exposure time.

The determining that there is no user in the vicinity of the printer comprises:

and determining whether a user exists near the printer or not through the face recognition of the camera, and determining that no user exists near the printer when the face is not recognized by the camera.

The determining that there is no user in the vicinity of the printer comprises:

and determining whether a user exists near the printer at the current time according to the historical use habit statistical data of the user on the printer, and determining that no user exists near the printer at the current time when the current time is a historical non-use time period.

The starting of the printer maintenance program includes:

determining the maintenance level required by the current printer according to the printing state of the printer, and starting a maintenance program of a corresponding level, wherein the maintenance level is divided according to whether ink head blockage occurs or not and the degree of the ink head blockage.

The determining the maintenance level required by the current printer according to the printing state of the printer comprises:

in a case where it is determined that the head clogging has not occurred, determining a maintenance level of the printer as performing parameter correction;

and under the condition that the ink head blockage is determined, determining the ink head blockage degree, determining the ink head cleaning level according to the ink head blockage degree, wherein the maintenance level of the printer is used for performing parameter correction and executing the corresponding ink head cleaning level.

The ink head clogging degree includes:

the ink dries, and the dye or pigment particles cause clogging of the ink head; and/or

The ink head is wet but the pigment deposits cause the ink head to clog.

The ink head cleaning level includes:

level one: wetting the spray head, and then spraying a large amount of ink drops to remove sediments;

grade two: cleaning and jetting ink drops, and cleaning by matching with the rapid movement of a printer nozzle and an ink box brush;

and level three, cleaning the ink head by using ultrasonic waves.

The method further comprises the following steps:

in the case where there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, it is determined whether the current time is a sleep time, and when it is determined that the current time is not a sleep time, a printer maintenance program is started.

Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure following, in general, the principles of the disclosure and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the disclosure pertains. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

It will be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements described above and shown in the drawings and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims (18)

1. A printer maintenance method, comprising:

determining whether the printer requires maintenance;

determining whether a user is near the printer if it is determined that the printer requires maintenance;

starting a printer maintenance program when no user is near the printer;

wherein the determining whether the printer requires maintenance comprises:

determining whether the printing state of the printer is the blockage of an ink head of the printer; when the printing state of the printer is that an ink head of the printer is blocked, determining that the printer needs maintenance;

the determining whether the printer printing status is printer ink head clogging comprises: determining whether the probability value of the blockage of the printer ink head is larger than a preset value, and determining that the printer has the ink head blockage when the probability value of the blockage is larger than the preset value; the ink head blockage probability value is determined based on parameters in the environment temperature, the environment humidity, the use frequency, the ink material and the exposure time and the weight value occupied by the parameters in the ink head blockage probability value, wherein the weight value of the use frequency is greater than the weight of the environment humidity, the weight of the environment humidity is greater than the weight of the environment temperature, and the weight of the environment temperature is greater than the weight of the exposure time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that there are no users in the vicinity of the printer comprises:

and determining whether a user exists near the printer or not through the face recognition of the camera, and determining that no user exists near the printer when the face is not recognized by the camera.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that there are no users in the vicinity of the printer comprises:

and determining whether a user exists near the printer at the current time according to the historical use habit statistical data of the user on the printer, and determining that no user exists near the printer at the current time when the current time is a historical non-use time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiating a printer maintenance procedure comprises:

determining the maintenance level required by the current printer according to the printing state of the printer, and starting a maintenance program of a corresponding level, wherein the maintenance level is divided according to whether ink head blockage occurs or not and the degree of the ink head blockage.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining a level of maintenance required for a current printer based on printer print status comprises:

in a case where it is determined that the head clogging has not occurred, determining a maintenance level of the printer as performing parameter correction;

and under the condition that the ink head blockage is determined, determining the ink head blockage degree, determining the ink head cleaning level according to the ink head blockage degree, wherein the maintenance level of the printer is used for performing parameter correction and executing the corresponding ink head cleaning level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the ink head clogging level comprises:

the ink dries, and the dye or pigment particles cause clogging of the ink head; and/or

The ink head is wet but the pigment deposits cause the ink head to clog.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the ink head purge level comprises:

level one: wetting the spray head, and then spraying a large amount of ink drops to remove sediments;

grade two: cleaning and jetting ink drops, and cleaning by matching with the rapid movement of a printer nozzle and an ink box brush;

and level three, cleaning the ink head by using ultrasonic waves.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, further comprising:

in the case where there is no user in the vicinity of the printer, it is determined whether the current time is a sleep time, and when it is determined that the current time is not a sleep time, a printer maintenance program is started.

9. A printer maintenance device, comprising:

a first determination module for determining whether the printer requires maintenance;

the second determining module is used for determining whether a user is near the printer or not under the condition that the first determining module determines that the printer needs maintenance;

a starting module for starting a printer maintenance program when the second determination module determines that there is no user in the vicinity of the printer;

wherein the first determining module comprises: a first determination submodule and a second determination submodule;

the first determining submodule is used for determining whether the printing state of the printer is the ink head blockage of the printer;

the second determining submodule is used for determining that the printer needs maintenance when the first determining submodule determines that the printing state of the printer is the blockage of the ink head of the printer;

the first determination submodule includes: a third determination submodule;

the third determining submodule is used for determining whether the jam probability value of the printer ink head is greater than a preset value or not, and determining that the printer has ink head jam when the jam probability value is greater than the preset value;

the ink head blockage probability value is determined based on parameters in the environment temperature, the environment humidity, the use frequency, the ink material and the exposure time and the weight value occupied by the parameters in the ink head blockage probability value, wherein the weight value of the use frequency is greater than the weight of the environment humidity, the weight of the environment humidity is greater than the weight of the environment temperature, and the weight of the environment temperature is greater than the weight of the exposure time.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second determining module comprises: a fourth determination sub-module;

and the fourth determining submodule is used for determining whether a user exists near the printer through the face recognition of the camera, and determining that no user exists near the printer when the face is not recognized by the camera.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second determining module comprises: a fifth determination submodule;

and the fifth determining submodule is used for determining whether a user exists near the printer at the current time according to the historical use habit statistical data of the user on the printer, and determining that no user exists near the printer at the current time when the current time is a historical non-use time period.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the activation module comprises: a start submodule;

the starting submodule is used for determining the maintenance level required by the current printer according to the printing state of the printer and starting the maintenance program of the corresponding level, wherein the maintenance level is divided according to whether the ink head is blocked or not and the degree of the ink head blockage.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the initiator sub-module comprises: a sixth determination submodule and a seventh determination submodule;

the sixth determining submodule is used for determining the maintenance level of the printer as the execution parameter correction under the condition that the ink head blockage is determined not to occur;

the seventh determining submodule is configured to determine a clogging degree of the ink head when it is determined that the ink head is clogged, determine an ink head cleaning level according to the clogging degree of the ink head, and correct the maintenance level of the printer for the execution parameter and execute the corresponding ink head cleaning level.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ink head clogging level comprises:

the ink dries, and the dye or pigment particles cause clogging of the ink head; and/or

The ink head is wet but the pigment deposits cause the ink head to clog.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ink head purge level comprises:

level one: wetting the spray head, and then spraying a large amount of ink drops to remove sediments;

grade two: cleaning and jetting ink drops, and cleaning by matching with the rapid movement of a printer nozzle and an ink box brush;

and level three, cleaning the ink head by using ultrasonic waves.

16. The apparatus of any one of claims 9-15, further comprising: a third determination module;

and the third determining module is used for determining whether the current time is the sleep time or not under the condition that the second determining module determines that no user is near the printer, and starting the printer maintenance program when determining that the current time is not the sleep time.

17. A printer maintenance device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory for storing processor-executable instructions;

wherein the processor is configured to:

determining whether the printer requires maintenance;

determining whether a user is near the printer when it is determined that the printer needs maintenance;

starting a printer maintenance program when no user is near the printer;

wherein the determining whether the printer requires maintenance comprises:

determining whether the printing state of the printer is the blockage of an ink head of the printer; when the printing state of the printer is that an ink head of the printer is blocked, determining that the printer needs maintenance;

the determining whether the printer printing status is printer ink head clogging comprises: determining whether the probability value of the blockage of the printer ink head is larger than a preset value, and determining that the printer has the ink head blockage when the probability value of the blockage is larger than the preset value; the ink head blockage probability value is determined based on parameters in the environment temperature, the environment humidity, the use frequency, the ink material and the exposure time and the weight value occupied by the parameters in the ink head blockage probability value, wherein the weight value of the use frequency is greater than the weight of the environment humidity, the weight of the environment humidity is greater than the weight of the environment temperature, and the weight of the environment temperature is greater than the weight of the exposure time.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer instructions, which when executed by a processor, carry out the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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