JP2002219801A - Print for managing function of printer depending on ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manage the function of a printer appropriately depending on an ink cartridge. SOLUTION: Authority information is read out from the memory of an ink cartridge and the function of a printer is managed based on the authority information. Since the authority information includes information concerning to the functions with which an ink contained in the ink cartridge can deal with, only the functions with which that ink can deal with can be utilized in the printer. Consequently, print quality can be ensured.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus used as an ink-jet printer or an ink-jet plotter, and an ink cartridge which is detachably attached to a main body of the printing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as an output device of a computer,
A color printer that discharges several colors of ink from a head is widely used. In recent years, as such a color printer, a multi-value printer capable of recording one pixel with a plurality of types of dots having different sizes has been proposed. In a multilevel printer, a relatively small amount of ink droplets form a relatively small dot in a one-pixel region, and a relatively large amount of ink droplets form a relatively large dot in a one-pixel region. Even with such a multi-value printer,
As with other conventional printers, so-called "bidirectional printing" can be performed to improve the printing speed.

[0003]

As described above, the printing apparatus tends to be multifunctional, but the following problems have been caused accordingly. For example, some printing functions are realized on the premise of physical properties such as ink viscosity, so if an ink cartridge containing ink different from the predetermined ink is installed, print quality will be ensured. In some cases, it was not possible. On the other hand, if a method is adopted in which only the ink cartridge containing the predetermined ink can be installed, for example, when replacing the printer, the ink cartridge already possessed is wasted, or when using a plurality of printers, the handling of the ink cartridge is Was sometimes complicated.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and provides a technique for appropriately managing the functions of a printing apparatus according to an ink cartridge mounted on the printing apparatus. The purpose is to:

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems and Their Functions / Effects To solve at least a part of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides:
A printing apparatus that accommodates an ink cartridge having ink and a memory, wherein the memory includes:
The printing device stores authority information for determining whether or not the function of the printing device can be used, and the printing device has a data reading unit that reads the authority information from the memory, and the printing device has the data reading unit according to the authority information. A function management unit that determines whether at least a part of the function can be used.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the use of the function of the printing apparatus is determined according to the authority information read from the memory of the ink cartridge. Function can be managed.

[0007] The management of functions is not limited to that performed according to the physical or chemical properties of the ink, but may be performed for quality control reasons. Therefore, different management may be performed for the same ink for different cartridges.

[0008] In the above printing apparatus, the printing apparatus comprises:
At least one of a plurality of drive signals having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of ejection drive elements for ejecting ink droplets from the plurality of nozzles, respectively, and having different waveforms for driving the plurality of drive elements. One of the plurality of drive signals may be selectively used, and the function management unit may determine whether to use at least one of the plurality of drive signals in accordance with the authority information.

In this case, printing can be performed using only a drive signal suitable for using the cartridge.

[0010] In the above printing apparatus, the printing apparatus includes:
It has a plurality of nozzles, and a plurality of ejection drive elements for ejecting ink droplets from the plurality of nozzles, respectively. N types (N: And the function management unit may use at least one of the N types of dots in accordance with the authority information. It may be determined whether to allow or not.

In this case, printing can be performed using only dots of a size suitable for use of the cartridge.

[0012] In the above printing apparatus, the printing apparatus comprises:
It has a unidirectional printing function that performs printing only in one of the forward and backward movements of the main scanning, and a bidirectional printing function that performs printing in both the forward movement and the backward movement of the main scanning, The function management unit may determine whether to use the bidirectional printing function according to the authority information.

In this way, for example, in a printing apparatus in which an ink cartridge containing an ink in which dots cannot be formed at an accurate position in bidirectional printing is mounted, the bidirectional printing function is prohibited, so that print quality is ensured. There is an advantage that can be.

In the above-described printing apparatus, the function management unit includes a user interface unit that displays a selection screen for allowing a user to select a print mode on a display unit and receives the user's selection. The unit may limit at least a part of a print mode selection range according to the authority information.

As described above, the use of the functions of the printing apparatus may be limited by limiting the selection range of the print mode parameter by the user.

In the above printing apparatus, at least a part of the functions of the printing apparatus is restricted in use in advance, and the function management unit releases the restriction according to the authority information. Is preferred.

In this way, for example, the functions realized on the premise of the special properties of the ink and the special quality control can be made unavailable unless a cartridge containing such ink is mounted. . As a result, it is possible to suppress deterioration in print image quality.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus capable of mounting an ink cartridge containing ink and having a memory, wherein the memory includes identification information for identifying the ink cartridge by the printing apparatus. The printing device, the data reading unit that reads the identification information from the memory, and a function management unit that stores authority information for determining whether the use of the function of the printing device is available, The function management unit determines whether or not at least a part of the functions of the printing apparatus can be used according to the identification information and the authority information.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the use of the function of the printing apparatus is determined based on the identification information read from the memory of the ink cartridge and the authority information of the printing apparatus. According to the cartridge, it is possible to manage the function of an appropriate printing apparatus.

The present invention provides a printing apparatus, a printing method, a computer program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the method or apparatus, a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded, and a computer embodied in a carrier wave including the computer program. It can be realized in various forms such as a converted data signal.

[0021]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on examples in the following order. A. Overview of Function Restriction of Printing Device: Configuration of device: Details of function restriction processing of printing apparatus: Modification:

A. Overview of functional limitations of printing device:
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the content of authority information stored in a memory included in an ink cartridge. FIG. 1 (a)
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating types of ink cartridges and functions that can be supported by the types. For example, the authority information of a type A cartridge can correspond to the formation of any of a low resolution dot group, a high resolution dot group, and a high resolution micro dot group. Also indicates that this is possible. On the other hand, the authority information of the type B cartridge can correspond to the formation of any dot group, but cannot support the bidirectional printing function, and indicates that printing can be performed only in one-way printing. . Here, the bidirectional printing function refers to a function of performing printing during both the forward and backward movements of the main scanning, and the unidirectional printing function refers to either the forward movement or the backward movement of the main scanning. This refers to the function of performing printing on only one side.

FIG. 1B is a table showing the dot size of each dot group and the printing resolution in which each dot group is used.
For example, a group of extremely small dots for high resolution is
4pL (picoliter), 7pL, 11
It is a group of dots that can selectively form any one of the three types of dots of pL. Similarly, the high-resolution dot group is a group of dots of three different sizes of 6 pL, 10 pL and 20 pL, and the low-resolution dot group is 11 pL.
This is a group of dots of three different sizes, pL, 24 pL, and 39 pL.

Each dot group and the printing resolution in which each dot group is used have the following correspondence. (1) When the printing resolution is 1440 dpi × 720 dpi, a group of extremely small dots for high resolution or a group of dots for high resolution are used. (2) When the resolution is 720 dpi × 720 dpi,
A group of dots for high resolution is used. (3) When the resolution is 360 dpi × 360 dpi,
A low resolution dot group is used. Here, each printing resolution is represented by (resolution in the main scanning direction) × (resolution in the sub scanning direction).

Depending on the characteristics of the ink, the size of the formed dot may be limited. For example, when a certain type of ink is used to form a dot having a size of 4 pL, the dot may not be ejected, or the dot formation position may be significantly shifted, resulting in deterioration of print quality. In such a case, it is preferable to use the dot group for high resolution (6, 10, 16 pL) instead of the dot group for high resolution (4, 7, 11 pL). On the other hand, in the ink that does not cause such a problem, it is preferable to use a group of extremely small dots for high resolution including 4 pL dots capable of expressing a finer gradation. Thus, it can be seen that it may be preferable to manage the functions of the printing device according to the ink used.

In the embodiment of the present invention, a part of the use of the function of the printing apparatus is restricted according to the authority information read from the memory of the ink cartridge. Therefore, the function of the printing apparatus is appropriately adjusted according to the ink. Is managed.
Specifically, when the ink cartridge is mounted on the printer, the authority information stored in the memory of the cartridge is read by the printer. Then, the function of the printer is restricted based on the authority information. As a result, since only the functions suitable for the ink are used in the printing apparatus, print quality is ensured.

The function of the printing apparatus is limited not only according to the type of ink but also, for example, for quality control of the ink. In other words, even if the ink is the same, a difference may be provided in the content of the function restriction.

B. Apparatus Configuration: FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing system as one embodiment of the present invention. The printing system includes a computer 88 as a print control device, a color printer 20 as a printing unit,
It has. Note that the combination of the color printer 20 and the computer 88 can be called a “printing device” in a broad sense.

In the computer 88, the application program 9 is executed under a predetermined operating system.
5 is working. A video driver 94 and a printer driver 96 are incorporated in the operating system, and print data PD to be transferred to the color printer 20 is output from the application program 95 via these drivers. The application program 95 performs desired processing on the image to be processed, and displays the image on the CRT 21 via the video driver 94.

When the application program 95 issues a print command, the printer driver 9 of the computer 88
6 receives the image data from the application program 95 and converts it into print data PD to be supplied to the color printer 20. In the example shown in FIG. 2, a resolution conversion module 97, a color conversion module 98, a halftone module 99, a rasterizer 100, and a function management unit 101 are provided inside the printer driver 96.
And a color conversion table LUT. The function management unit 101 includes a print mode setting unit 102.

The resolution conversion module 97 serves to convert the resolution of the color image data handled by the application program 95 (ie, the number of pixels per unit length) into a resolution that can be handled by the printer driver 96. The image data whose resolution has been converted in this way is still image information consisting of three colors of RGB. The color conversion module 98 converts the RGB image data into multi-tone data of a plurality of ink colors that can be used by the color printer 20 for each pixel while referring to the color conversion table LUT.

The color-converted multi-tone data is, for example, 25
It has six gradation values. The halftone module 99 disperses and forms the ink dots,
The color printer 20 executes a halftone process for expressing this gradation value. The halftone-processed image data is sent to the color printer 2 by the rasterizer 100.
The data is rearranged in the order of data to be transferred to 0 and output as final print data PD. The print data PD
Contains raster data indicating the dot recording state during each main scan, and data indicating the sub-scan feed amount. The functions of the function management unit 101 and the print mode setting unit 102 will be described later.

The printer driver 96 corresponds to a program for realizing the function of generating the print data PD. A program for realizing the function of the printer driver 96 is supplied in a form recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of such a recording medium include a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk, an IC card, a ROM cartridge, a punched card, a printed matter on which a code such as a barcode is printed, and an internal storage device of a computer (such as a RAM or a ROM). memory)
Various computer-readable media such as an external storage device and the like can be used.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the color printer 20. The color printer 20 includes a sub-scan feed mechanism that conveys the printing paper P in the sub-scan direction by a paper feed motor 22 and a main scan feed that reciprocates the carriage 30 in the axial direction (main scan direction) of the platen 26 by the carriage motor 24. Mechanism, a head drive mechanism that drives a print head unit 60 (also referred to as a “print head assembly”) mounted on the carriage 30 to control ink ejection and dot formation, and a paper feed motor 22 and a carriage motor 24, print head unit 60 and operation panel 32
And a control circuit 40 for exchanging signals with the control circuit 40. The control circuit 40 is connected to the computer 88 via the connector 56.

The sub-scan feed mechanism for conveying the printing paper P is
A gear train (not shown) for transmitting the rotation of the paper feed motor 22 to the platen 26 and a paper transport roller (not shown) is provided. The main scanning feed mechanism for reciprocating the carriage 30 includes an endless drive belt 36 provided between the carriage motor 24 and a slide shaft 34 erected in parallel with the axis of the platen 26 and slidably holding the carriage 30. And a position sensor 39 for detecting the origin position of the carriage 30.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the color printer 20 with the control circuit 40 at the center. The control circuit 40 includes a CPU 41 and a programmable ROM (PRO
M) 43, a RAM 44, and a character generator (CG) 45 storing a character dot matrix. The control circuit 40 further includes an I / F dedicated circuit 50 dedicated to interface with an external motor or the like, and a head connected to the I / F dedicated circuit 50 to drive the print head unit 60 to eject ink. A drive circuit 52 and a motor drive circuit 54 for driving the paper feed motor 22 and the carriage motor 24 are provided. The I / F dedicated circuit 50 has a built-in parallel interface circuit.
6, the print data PD supplied from the computer 88 can be received. The color printer 20
Printing is performed according to the print data PD. Note that R
The AM 44 functions as a buffer memory for temporarily storing raster data.

The print head unit 60 is equipped with a black ink cartridge 107k and a color ink cartridge 107F. The black ink cartridge 107k and the color ink cartridge 107F are provided with memories 180k and 180F, respectively. These memories 180k and 180F store ID numbers and authority information as identification information of the ink cartridges. The ID number and the authority information are read by the data reading unit 53,
The signal is sent to the computer 88 via the dedicated F circuit 50 and the connector 56. The memories 180k, 180F
May store various types of information such as the type of ink contained and the remaining amount of ink.

In the color printer 20 having the above-described hardware configuration, the carriage 30 is reciprocated by the carriage motor 24 while the paper P is conveyed by the paper feed motor 22, and at the same time, the piezo elements of the print head 28 are driven. By ejecting ink droplets of each color and size, ink dots are formed to form a multi-color and multi-tone image on the paper P. A method for selectively forming one of the dots having different sizes in the area of one pixel on the print medium using each nozzle will be described later.

C. First Embodiment FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a printing function management processing procedure in a first embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the printing apparatus semi-automatically sets details of the print mode parameters according to the authority information stored in the ink cartridge. This setting is performed within a range of functions suitable for the ink stored in the ink cartridge.

In step S101, the CPU 41 detects the ink cartridge mounted on the printer 20. This detection is performed when the ink cartridges 107k and 107F are mounted on the printer 20 while the power of the printer is “ON”, or
k and 107F are attached, the power of the printer is
N ".

As described above, the ink cartridge 107
The mounting of k and 107F or the “ON” operation of the power supply of the printer triggers the start of the printing function management processing procedure. C
The detection of the ink cartridge by the PU 41 is performed via the interface dedicated circuit 50 and the head drive circuit 52 as shown in FIG. The CPU 41 in the control circuit 40 performs the P-ROM 43
By executing one of the programs stored in the. In this specification, detection of an ink cartridge means that an electrical connection has been established with a memory provided in the ink cartridge. When this detection is confirmed, the process proceeds to step S102.

In step S 102, the CPU 41 reads data from the detected ink cartridge from the data reading section 53 of the head drive circuit 52.
Command to. This command is issued via the interface dedicated circuit 50. In response to this command, the data reading unit 53 causes the ink cartridges 107k, 10k
The authority information stored in the memories 180k and 180F of the 7F is read. In this embodiment, two pieces of authority information are read from the ink cartridges 107k and 107F.

In step S103, the CPU 41 transmits the authority information to the computer 88. This transmission is performed via the I / F dedicated circuit 50 and the connector 56. In step S104, the function management unit 101
(FIG. 2) determines whether or not at least a part of the functions of the printing apparatus can be used according to the acquired authority information. In accordance with this determination, a print mode parameter setting procedure described later is set. This allows the user to perform the printing process (S105).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of the printing process in step S105. Step S
In 201, the user instructs the computer 88 to print. In step S202, when the user clicks a “property button” (not shown) in the print dialog box displayed on the CRT 21, the print mode setting unit 102 (FIG. 2) displays the property setting screen shown in FIG. To be displayed. The print mode setting unit 1
02 corresponds to a user interface unit in the claims.

The user can specify parameters defining the print mode in the property setting screen. The print mode basic setting screen of FIG. 7 includes the following elements for setting various parameters. (1) Paper type menu PM: A pull-down menu for selecting one from a list of papers such as plain paper and dedicated photo paper. (2) Ink color selection button CLR: a button for selecting whether to use color ink or only black ink. (3) Detail setting area DTL: An area for setting details of parameters. In the initial state, the display is such that the user can select whether to make the printer semi-automatically or manually set the details of the parameters. In FIG. 7,
Automatic setting mode is selected.

The status information display area ST displays the main settings of the print mode parameters. In FIG.
The type (model number) of the ink cartridge used,
The printing resolution, the dot groups to be used, and the status of the use of the bidirectional printing function are displayed in this area ST. In this example, the ink cartridges 107k, 10k
As the 7F, the type A shown in FIG. 1A is mounted.

In step S203 (FIG. 6), the user selects a print sheet in the sheet type menu PM, and
The user selects between color and black and white using the ink color selection button CLR. Then, the printing apparatus automatically sets print mode parameters suitable for these settings. This automatic setting is specifically performed as follows.

The dot group used for printing is determined according to the type of paper and the contents of the authority information.
Is automatically determined by In this example, the print resolution is set to the highest resolution of 1440 dpi × 720 dpi. The reason for this is that photo-only paper is selected as the type of paper, and high-resolution printing is required for printing photos. In addition, the dot group is set to extremely small dots for high resolution. The reason for this is that the printing resolution is set to a high resolution printing resolution, and the authority information of the mounted type A cartridge can correspond to the formation of a high resolution micro dot group. . The printing parameters determined in this way are displayed in the status information display area ST.

The bidirectional printing is off. The authority information of the type A cartridge indicates that it can support the bidirectional printing function, because unidirectional printing is selected to improve print quality.

Here, the determination as to whether or not the functions of the printing apparatus can be used may be made in such a form that the functions are restricted according to the authority information, or the functions restricted in advance are released according to the authority information. The format may be as follows.

In step S204, when the user instructs to start printing, the printer driver 96 prints the print data PD based on the set print mode parameters.
Is generated (step S205). This print data PD
Includes a command for selecting a drive signal for forming a high-resolution microdot group with a resolution of 1440 dpi × 720 dpi. The printer 20 outputs the print data PD
The printing process is executed based on (Step S206).
The method of forming a dot group using a drive signal is described in detail in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-1001 published by the present applicant, and a description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the authority information is read from the memory of the ink cartridge, and the function of the printing apparatus is automatically set according to the purpose within a range determined based on the authority information. Only the functions that can be used by the ink are used at the time of printing to ensure print quality.

D. Second Embodiment FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a print mode basic setting screen in a second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the user sets details of the print mode parameters. However, this setting range is limited according to the authority information stored in the ink cartridge. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except for the method of setting the print mode parameters.

When "manual setting" is selected in the detailed setting area DTL, the following appears in the detailed setting area DTL so that the print mode parameters can be manually set. (1) Print resolution setting FLD: A field for selecting a combination of resolution and dot group. (2) Bidirectional printing function check box BC: A check box for selecting whether or not to perform bidirectional printing.

In the second embodiment, the user can freely set the print mode parameters within a range limited by the authority information. For example, when the installed ink cartridge is a type A cartridge shown in FIG. 1A, the user can determine whether or not to use bidirectional printing and a group of extremely small dots for high resolution. On the other hand, when the installed ink cartridge is of another type, the use of these functions may be restricted as described below.

FIG. 9 is a view showing another example of the basic setting screen of the print mode in the second embodiment of the present invention. This is an example on the assumption that a type D cartridge is mounted. As shown in FIG. 1A, the authority information of the type D cartridge indicates that the function of forming a small dot group for high resolution and the function of bidirectional printing cannot be used.

The basic setting screen is displayed according to the authority information of the type D cartridge. As a result, in this basic setting screen, 1440 dpi × 720d
The combination of pi + the minimum dot group for high resolution is not displayed in the print resolution setting FLD and cannot be selected. Also, the bidirectional printing function check box BC is not displayed,
At all times, bidirectional printing is off.

Thus, as shown in the second embodiment, even when the user manually sets the print mode parameters, if the options are restricted based on the authority information, the function that this ink can cope with. Only one can be used during printing. As a result,
There is an advantage that print quality can be ensured.

D. Modifications: The present invention is not limited to the above-described examples and embodiments, but can be carried out in various modes without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following modifications are also possible. is there.

D-1. In the above embodiment, the function of the printing apparatus is managed according to the physical properties of the ink. However, in general, the function of the printing apparatus is managed according to the information stored in the memory of the ink cartridge. Good. The reason for managing the function may be, for example, a reason for quality control.

D-2. The information stored in the memory of the ink cartridge does not necessarily need to be authority information. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the memory may store identification information for specifying the type of the ink cartridge, and the printer 20 may store the authority information. In this case, the printer 20 determines whether or not some of the functions of the printing apparatus can be used based on the identification information read from the memory and the authority information. As described above, the information stored in the memory included in the ink cartridge is not limited to the authority information, and may be any information that can determine whether or not the function of the printing apparatus is possible according to the type of the ink cartridge.

D-3. The present invention is applicable not only to color printing but also to monochrome printing. Further, the present invention can be applied to printing in which one pixel is expressed by a plurality of dots to express multiple gradations. Further, the present invention can be applied to a drum printer. still,
In a drum printer, the drum rotation direction is the main scanning direction, and the carriage traveling direction is the sub-scanning direction. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to an ink jet printer but also to a dot recording apparatus that generally performs recording on the surface of a print medium using a recording head having a plurality of nozzle rows.

D-4. In the above embodiment, a part of the configuration realized by hardware may be replaced by software, and conversely, a part of the configuration realized by software may be replaced by hardware. For example, some or all of the functions of the printer driver 96 shown in FIG.
The control circuit 40 within 0 may be executed. In this case, some or all of the functions of the computer 88 as a print control device for creating print data are
This is realized by the control circuit 40 of the printer 20.

When some or all of the functions of the present invention are realized by software, the software (computer program) can be provided in a form stored in a computer-readable recording medium. In the present invention, "a computer-readable recording medium"
The term “not only includes portable storage media such as a flexible disk and a CD-ROM, but also includes internal storage devices in a computer such as various RAMs and ROMs and external storage devices fixed to the computer such as a hard disk. In.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the contents of authority information stored in a memory included in an ink cartridge.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the printer 20 with a control circuit 40 at the center.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a printing function management processing procedure in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of a printing process in step S105.

FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of a print mode basic setting screen displayed on a CRT 21;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print mode basic setting screen according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of a print mode basic setting screen in the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the content of authority information stored in a printing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 color printer 21 CRT 22 paper feed motor 24 carriage motor 26 platen 28 print head 30 carriage 32 operation panel 34 sliding shaft 36 drive belt 38 pulley 39 position sensor 40 control circuit 41 ... CPU 43 ... ROM 44 ... RAM 50 ... Interface dedicated circuit 52 ... Head drive circuit 53 ... Data reading unit 53 54 ... Motor drive circuit 56 ... Connector 60 ... Print head unit 88 ... Computer 94 ... Video driver 95 ... Application program 96 ... Printer driver 97 ... Resolution conversion module 98 ... Color conversion module 99 ... Halftone module 100 ... Rasterizer 101 ... Function management unit 102 ... Print mode setting unit 107F ... Color ink cartridge 107 ... black ink cartridge 180k, 180F ... memory

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus that can accommodate an ink cartridge that contains ink and has a memory, wherein the memory stores authority information for determining whether to use a function of the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus, comprising: a data reading unit that reads the authority information from the memory; and a function management unit that determines whether to use at least a part of the functions of the printing apparatus according to the authority information. . 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles, and a plurality of ejection driving elements for ejecting ink droplets from the plurality of nozzles, respectively. It is possible to selectively use at least one of a plurality of drive signals having different waveforms for driving a plurality of drive elements, and the function management unit, according to the authority information, the plurality of drive signals A printing apparatus for determining whether to use at least one of the drive signals. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of ejection driving elements for ejecting ink droplets from the plurality of nozzles. Each of the nozzles can selectively form any one of N types (N is an integer of 2 or more) of different sizes in one pixel area on the print medium. A printing apparatus for determining whether or not at least one of the N types of dots can be used in accordance with the authority information. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus performs a unidirectional printing function for performing printing only in one of a forward movement and a backward movement of a main scan. And a bidirectional printing function for performing printing in both forward and backward movements of the main scan.The function management unit determines whether the bidirectional printing function can be used according to the authority information. Determine the printing device. 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the function management unit displays a selection screen that allows a user to select a print mode on a display unit, A printing apparatus, comprising: a user interface unit that receives the selection according to (1), wherein the user interface unit limits at least a part of a selection range of a print mode according to the authority information. 6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein use of at least a part of functions of the printing apparatus is restricted in advance, and the function management unit includes the authority management unit. A printing device that releases the restriction according to information. 7. A printing apparatus that can accommodate an ink cartridge that contains ink and has a memory, wherein the memory stores identification information for the printing apparatus to identify the ink cartridge. A data reading unit that reads the identification information from the memory; and a function management unit that stores authority information for determining whether to use the functions of the printing apparatus. The function management unit includes: A printing apparatus for determining whether to use at least a part of the functions of the printing apparatus according to identification information and the authority information. 8. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein use of at least a part of the functions of the printing apparatus is restricted in advance, and the function management unit stores the identification information, the authority information, A printing device that releases the restriction according to the following. 9. An ink cartridge containing ink that can be mounted on a printing apparatus, wherein the ink cartridge includes a memory storing authority information for determining whether to use a function of the printing apparatus. The ink cartridge, wherein the authority information is read into the printing device and used to determine whether or not at least a part of the functions of the printing device can be used according to the authority information. 10. A printing method using an ink cartridge containing ink and having a memory, the method comprising: reading authority information from the memory for determining whether to use a function of the printing apparatus; Determining whether to use at least a part of the functions of the printing apparatus according to the authority information. 11. A printing method using an ink cartridge containing ink and having a memory, wherein the printing device reads identification information for identifying the ink cartridge from the memory; A printing method comprising: a step of determining whether to use at least a part of the functions of the printing apparatus in accordance with authority information for determining whether or not to use the functions of the printing apparatus and the identification information. 12. A computer program for controlling a printing apparatus capable of accommodating an ink cartridge having ink and having a memory, wherein the authority information for deciding whether to use a function of the printing apparatus is provided. A computer program that causes the printing device to realize a function of reading from the memory and a function of determining whether to use at least a part of the functions of the printing device according to the authority information. 13. A computer program for controlling a printing apparatus that can accommodate an ink cartridge that contains ink and has a memory, wherein the printing apparatus stores identification information for identifying the ink cartridge from the memory. A reading function, an authority information for determining whether or not to use the function of the printing apparatus, and a function of determining whether or not to use at least a part of the function of the printing apparatus according to the identification information. A computer program that causes the printing apparatus to implement 14. A computer-readable recording medium on which the computer program according to claim 12 is recorded. 15. A computer-readable recording medium on which the computer program according to claim 13 is recorded.