JP2003305835A - Recorder and method of controlling recording - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive recorder that can perform good recording even when a data buffer having a capacity smaller than an amount of data necessary for recording of one time of scanning of a recording head, and to provide a method of controlling the recording. <P>SOLUTION: When the recording is performed by using the recording buffer having a small capacity, the recording data is read by each of a plurality of blocks of the recording buffer, the blocks being obtained by dividing the recording buffer, and the recording is performed by moving the recording head. In terms of the recording of the recording data stored in the last block, the recording is performed in one time of scanning of the recording head by using the recording data stored in all the blocks except the last block and the recording data obtained by thinning a part of the data stored in the last block, and then the rest of the thinned data and the recording data newly stored in all the blocks except the last block is recorded by the recording head in the next scanning. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a recording control method, and more particularly, to recording when a recording head scans a recording area determined by a scannable width of the recording head. The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a recording control method using a data buffer having a smaller capacity than the data amount.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There has been known a serial printer which receives print data from a host, conveys a print medium such as print paper and prints by using the received data to reciprocally scan a print head.

Since the serial printer repeatedly receives data from the host and prints by the print head, it is usually necessary to print at least one scan of the print head in order to adjust the receiving speed and the printing speed. A data buffer for storing recording data has been used.

However, when the recording width of the recording head becomes long, or the number of recording elements increases in order to increase the recording resolution, the capacity of the data buffer must be increased. This requires the device to be equipped with an expensive and large-capacity memory, resulting in an increase in the cost of the printer.

Therefore, in order to suppress an increase in cost due to an increase in the capacity of the data buffer, in a printer having a small capacity of the data buffer memory, the print head is intentionally subjected to one scan printing in the arrangement direction of the print elements of the print head (sub scanning direction). This was dealt with by reducing the amount of data in.

Further, there has been considered a configuration in which a data buffer having a capacity smaller than the print data required for printing for one scan of the print head is used.

[0007]

However, in the case where the buffer having a small capacity which cannot store the print data for one scan is used, the buffer expansion of the print data cannot be completed in the middle of scanning and printing by the print head. In this case, recording is performed up to the position where the expansion is completed and the scanning recording is stopped.After that, when the buffer expansion of the remaining recording data is completed, the recording head is made to scan from the point where the previous recording was completed and recording is completed. It is necessary to perform control to restart. In addition, when printing is started by scanning the print head when the print data of less than one scan is transmitted from the host device, subsequent print data is expanded into the area of the buffer after printing and printing is performed. However, even in this configuration, when the communication between the host device and the printing device fails, the transfer speed is slow, and the next print data is transferred before the printing of one scan is completed. Even when it is not in time, the same problem occurs.

As described above, in the case where the recording is interrupted during the scanning, and the recording is resumed after the recording data is transferred, the operation accuracy of the mechanism for scanning the recording head and the recording head Due to the control accuracy of the moving speed in the scanning direction (main scanning direction), the print image until the print scan is stopped overlaps with the print image after the print scan is restarted, or both print images. There is a problem that the image quality is deteriorated due to a gap between the two.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional example, and it is possible to perform good printing even if a data buffer having a capacity smaller than the print data required for printing one scan of the print head is used. Another object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus and a recording control method.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, a recording apparatus of the present invention has the following constitution.

That is, a recording device for driving a recording head to perform recording based on recording data transmitted from a host device, and a scanning means for scanning the recording head in a main scanning direction with respect to a recording medium. A print buffer for storing print data transmitted from the host device and transferring the print data to the print head, for performing printing by scanning the print head within a scannable width by the scanning means A recording buffer capable of storing a smaller amount of recording data than the recording data amount, the recording buffer is divided into a plurality of blocks, and the recording data is read out for each of the divided blocks and transferred to the recording head. Between the recording means for performing recording while scanning the recording head by the scanning means, and a part of the recording data stored in the last block of the recording buffer. And thinning means for sake, the recording using the recording data stored in said final block,
Using the print data stored in all blocks other than the last block and the print data thinned by the thinning unit, printing is performed by one scan of the print head, and further thinning is performed by the thinning unit. Control means for controlling the recording means so as to perform recording by the next scan of the recording head using the remaining data that has been written and the recording data newly stored in all blocks other than the last block. A characteristic recording device is provided.

Further, there is provided a buffer input / output means for expanding the print data into the print buffer composed of the plurality of blocks each time the read of the print data from each block is completed for printing by the print head. Is desirable.

The recording buffer preferably has a ring buffer structure in which a plurality of blocks are cyclically used.

It is desirable that the thinning means has a mask ROM, and the mask ROM has, for example,
In the recorded image on the recording medium, it is advisable to store a thinning pattern in which the recording data corresponding to each pixel having a two-dimensional arrangement is thinned in a staggered manner by 50%.

When performing color recording, the thinning means may use different thinning patterns for each color component of the color recording data. In this case, different thinning patterns for each color component are stored in the mask ROM. Good to do.

Furthermore, the scanning means includes a carriage.

The recording head in the above-described structure is an ink jet recording head, and the ink jet recording head uses an electrothermal conversion element for generating heat energy to be applied to the ink in order to eject the ink by using the heat energy. It is desirable to have.

According to another aspect of the invention, the recording means scans the recording head in the main scanning direction with respect to the recording medium, and the recording head scans a width that can be scanned by the scanning means to perform recording. A recording buffer capable of storing a smaller amount of recording data than the recording data for storing the recording data transmitted from the host device in the recording buffer, and dividing the recording buffer into a plurality of blocks. A recording control method in a recording device, comprising: recording means for reading recording data for each divided block, transferring the recording data to the recording head, and performing recording while scanning the recording head by the scanning means, The buffer is divided into a plurality of blocks, print data is read out for each of the divided blocks, and the print head is moved by the scanning means. A recording step of performing scanning while recording, a thinning step of thinning a portion of the recording data stored in the last block of the recording buffer, the recording using the recording data stored in said final block,
Printing is performed by one scan of the print head using the print data stored in all blocks other than the last block and the print data thinned in the thinning step, and further thinned in the thinning step. And a recording control step of controlling the recording step so as to perform recording by the next scan of the recording head using the remaining data and the recording data newly stored in all blocks other than the last block. A characteristic recording control method is provided.

According to the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, when the recording is repeatedly performed by using the recording buffer having a capacity smaller than the recording data amount required for the recording for one scanning of the recording head mounted on the scanning means and moving reciprocally. The recording buffer is divided into a plurality of blocks, the recording data is read out for each divided block, and recording is performed while scanning the recording head by the scanning means. The recording data stored in the final block is used. Regarding printing, printing is performed by one scan of the print head using print data stored in all blocks other than the final block and print data obtained by thinning out a part of the print data stored in the final block,
Further, the remaining data thinned out and the print data newly stored in all blocks other than the last block are used to perform printing by the next scan of the print head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the embodiments described below, a recording apparatus using an ink jet recording head will be described as an example.

In this specification, "recording"
Does (sometimes called "print") not only form significant information such as characters and figures, but also manifest itself so that it can be visually perceived by humans regardless of significance? Images, patterns, widely on recording media, with or without
It also represents a case where a pattern or the like is formed or a medium is processed.

The "recording medium" is not limited to paper used in a general recording apparatus, but is widely applicable to ink such as cloth, plastic film, metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood and leather. Things shall also be represented.

Further, "ink" (which may be referred to as "liquid") is to be broadly construed in the same way as the definition of "recording (printing)", and when applied to a recording medium, A liquid that can be used for forming an image, a pattern, a pattern, or the like, processing a recording medium, or treating an ink (for example, solidifying or insolubilizing a coloring agent in the ink applied to the recording medium).

FIG. 1 shows an ink jet printer (hereinafter referred to as a recording device) I which is a typical embodiment of the present invention.
It is an appearance perspective view showing the outline of the composition of JRA. In FIG. 1, the carriage HC that engages with the spiral groove 5004 of the lead screw 5005 that rotates via the driving force transmission gears 5009 to 5011 in association with the forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor 5013 has a pin (not shown). Guide rail 5
It is supported by 003 and reciprocates in the directions of arrows a and b. The carriage HC has a recording head IJH and an ink tank I.
Integrated inkjet cartridge IJ with T
C is installed. Reference numeral 5002 denotes a paper pressing plate which holds the recording paper P on the platen 5 in the moving direction of the carriage HC.
Press against 000. Reference numerals 5007 and 5008 denote photocouplers, which are home position detectors for confirming the presence of the carriage lever 5006 in this region and for switching the rotation direction of the motor 5013. 5016 is a cap member 5 for capping the front surface of the recording head IJH.
Reference numeral 5015 denotes a member that supports 022, and a suction device 5015 that sucks the inside of the cap, and performs suction recovery of the recording head through the in-cap opening 5023. Reference numeral 5017 is a cleaning blade, and 5019 is a member that allows this blade to move in the front-rear direction, and these are supported by a main body support plate 5018. Needless to say, a well-known cleaning blade can be applied to this example instead of this form. Reference numeral 5021 denotes a lever for starting suction for suction recovery, which moves in accordance with the movement of the cam 5020 that engages with the carriage, and the driving force from the driving motor is controlled by a known transmission mechanism such as clutch switching. To be done.

The capping, cleaning, and suction recovery are configured so that the desired processing can be performed at their corresponding positions by the action of the lead screw 5005 when the carriage comes to the area on the home position side. As long as the desired operation is performed at the timing, any of the above can be applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control arrangement of the recording apparatus shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, the CPU 101 receives the print data transferred from the host, generates a print signal based on the received data, controls the drive of the carriage motor or the conveyance motor, controls the ejection of the print head IJH, and transfers from the host. Executes recording control including command analysis and various settings by input from the operation panel.

The ROM 102 stores a control program for driving the printing apparatus, various fixed value data (a drive table for a carriage motor or a conveyance motor, etc.) and the like.
The CPU 101 executes recording control by reading out these control programs and data stored in the ROM 102. By the way, various fixed value data read out from the ROM 102 are used as they are as initial values.
Some are developed in M103 and processed and used by the CPU 101. Also, the font data used to generate recording data based on the received data is CGR.
The font data stored in the OM 108 and designated as necessary from there is read by the CPU 101,
It is expanded in the RAM 103 and generated as recording data.

Since the amount of the font data to be loaded and the type of characters to be loaded vary depending on the model of the recording device, the font data also has a different capacity.

In the recording apparatus of this embodiment, the font data is one Mincho font.

The result of modifying the above-mentioned font data by the specified modification method is developed in the RAM 103, and this is used as character data. In the case of image data, similarly, the CPU 101 expands the print data received from the host on the area of the RAM 103 corresponding to the designated print position and uses this as the image data. Furthermore, RA
The M 103 is also used as a work area required for program execution and as a reception buffer as a temporary storage location of data received from the host via the interface (I / F) 104.

An interface (I / F) 104 is connected to a host (not shown) and is used to receive control information such as print data and print instruction commands, and a print head IJH is attached to a carriage HC of this print apparatus.
When an image is read by mounting a scanner (not shown) instead of the above, it is also used to transmit the read image data to the host. It should be noted that the interface (I / F) in this embodiment adopts the specification conforming to IEEE-1284, but other than that, USB and IE are also used.
An interface such as EE1394 may be used. In any case, the interface (I / F) enables bidirectional communication in order to transfer not only the data and information from the host but also the state of the recording device to the host.

The head / scanner controller 107 is C
Under the instruction from the PU 101, the operation of the recording head IJH or the scanner mounted on the carriage HC is controlled.

The EEPROM 105 not only stores the setting state of the recording apparatus, but also stores information such as the number of printed sheets and the remaining ink amount. As the status of the recording device, information such as font type, compatible paper, and automatic power ON / OFF is stored.

The motor controller 106 is a carriage motor for reciprocally scanning in the main scanning direction the carriage HC equipped with the recording head IJH when recording on a recording medium and the carriage HC mounted with a scanner when reading an image recorded on the recording medium. Drive, or
It is used to drive a conveyance motor that conveys a recording medium according to the progress of image recording or image reading. The carriage motor and the carry motor can operate independently. In a normal printing operation, the motor controller 106 drives the carriage motor to scan the same area of the print medium once or a plurality of times by the carriage motor, and then run the carry motor. It is controlled to drive and convey the recording medium by a predetermined amount.

The CPU 101 also controls the motor controller 106 so that printing is performed using the constant velocity region of the carriage HC.

The components described above are connected to each other by a bus line 109 composed of a data bus and an address bus, and data and control information are transferred.
Therefore, the CPU 101 uses the bus line 109,
Control each component.

Numerals 110 to 111 are power supply lines to the respective components, and numeral 112 is an operation panel composed of a switch for a user to instruct the recording apparatus and a display for displaying various messages from the recording apparatus.

Next, a recording method adopted by the recording apparatus having the above configuration will be described.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method of recording on one page of the recording medium. In the recording apparatus of this embodiment, 600 dpi
It is assumed that recording is possible with the resolution of.

In FIG. 3, 201 is a recording medium such as paper, and 202 is a recording area where recording is performed by one scan of the recording head IJH. In addition, the recording medium 201
The vertical direction is the conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed (sub scanning direction), and the horizontal direction is the direction in which the recording head scans (main scanning method). The vertical size of the recording area 202 is the recording width of the recording head IJH (the number of recording elements or the number of nozzles).
It corresponds to.

Now, when the recording head IJH moves in the main scanning direction, when it reaches the position indicated by the recording data, it ejects ink from the designated nozzle to record an image on the recording medium.

In this embodiment, an A4 size recording medium is vertically set in the RAM 103 and recording is performed at a resolution of 600 dpi.

Under these conditions, the recording head IJH 1
It is assumed that a data buffer for storing a little more than half (5/8) of the print data required for printing for scanning is provided. The data buffer is divided into five blocks and has a ring buffer structure in which these five blocks are cyclically used. In addition, the recording head IJH
The print data amount printed on the entire width of the A4 size by one scan corresponds to the print data amount for eight blocks. In other words, one block stores the data of the area obtained by dividing one print scan into eight. The recording width on the recording paper is about 1 inch, and the number of recording dots is about 600 dots. In other words, 1 of the data buffer
The horizontal size of the block is about 600 dots in terms of dots.

Therefore, if the print data is completely stored in the data buffer, in terms of capacity, as shown in FIG. 3, printing is performed by the first scan in the areas corresponding to the blocks 203 to 207. You can

However, in this embodiment, the following recording control is executed. In addition, this control is performed on the recording medium 1.
Although recording for pages is repeated, here, for simplicity of description, only recording in the recording area 202 will be described.

That is, with respect to the print data stored in the blocks 203 to 206, the printing is completed by one scan of the print head IJH, but the print data stored in the fifth block (that is, the block 207) is printed. Head IJ
Control is performed so that printing is not performed in one scan of H. That is, as indicated by 211 in FIG. 3, the recording data stored in the block 207 is thinned in a zigzag manner at a rate of 50%.
In the first scan, printing is performed only on the print data indicated by black circles (●). For this thinning, for example, a predetermined mask ROM or the like may be used.

Therefore, for the blocks 203 to 206, the print head IJH is scanned, and each time the printing of each block is completed, the data storage area is sequentially released to the next print data (the remaining area of the print area 202). (Recording data corresponding to the) is stored. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the print data is expanded in blocks 208 to 210. Since the data buffer has a ring buffer structure composed of five blocks as described above, blocks 208 to 2
10 has the same memory area as blocks 203 to 205.

On the other hand, with respect to the block 207, 50% of the print data stored therein together with the print using the blocks 203 to 206 in the first scan of the print head.
Will be recorded, but recording of the rest of the recorded data will be suppressed.

Then, in the next scan of the recording head,
Recording is performed using the remaining half of the recording data stored in the block 207 and the recording data stored in the blocks 208 to 210, and recording in the recording area 202 is completed. At this time, as indicated by 212 in FIG. 3, recording is performed by using the remaining half of the recording data stored in the block 207 indicated by a black circle (●), and then blocks 208 to 210.
With regard to, all the recording data is recorded.

Next, the recording medium is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by the recording width of the recording head IJH, and the above processing is repeated thereafter.

The above processing is summarized as in the flow chart shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the recording control to the recording area 202. This recording control is performed by the CPU 101 executing the control program stored in the ROM.

First, in step S110, block 203
The recorded data is expanded to 207. Next, step S1
In step 20, the print head IJH is scanned, and step S13 is performed.
In 0, the blocks 203 to 206 are recorded by using all the recording data of each block, and each time the recording is completed in block units, the storage area is released and the next recording data is expanded.

Further, in step S140, block 2
The recording data stored in 07 is thinned to half and recording is performed using 50% of the recording data.

In step S150, it is awaited that the print head completes scanning and returns to the home position, and the completion of expansion of print data in blocks 208 to 210. When these are completed, the process proceeds to step S160.
Then, the recording head IJH is scanned again.

Then, in step S170, block 2
Recording is performed using the remaining recording data of 07. When this recording ends, the storage area of block 207 is released,
Prepare for the next development of recorded data. Further step S18
At 0, while recording is performed using all the print data of each block for blocks 208 to 210, the storage area is released every time the print is completed in block units to prepare for the development of the next print data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a comparison of the results recorded by the recording control described above with the conventional example.

In FIG. 5, reference numerals 301 and 302 are print results using the printing apparatus according to this embodiment, and 303 and 304 are print results according to the conventional example.

The conventional example referred to here is that printing is performed up to the printable position by using all of the print data stored in the data buffer in the first scan of the print head, and then expanded in the data buffer in the next scan. It refers to recording control for recording using recording data.

To explain this by applying this to the data buffer shown in FIG. 3, printing is performed by using all the print data stored in the blocks 203 to 207 in the first scan of the print head IJH, and next. Scans block 20
This means that recording is performed using all the recording data stored in 8-210.

Therefore, the example shown in FIG. 5 shows the print result of a part of the last block of the data buffer, that is, the area corresponding to the block 207, in one scan printing of the print head.

In addition, in 301 to 304 of FIG. 5, black circles () indicate dots printed by the first scan, and white circles () indicate dots printed by the second scan.

Reference numeral 301 in FIG. 5 shows a printing result of an example in which printing by the second scanning is shifted in the printing scanning direction as compared with the first scanning when printing is performed by the printing apparatus according to this embodiment, and 302 in FIG. The printing result of an example in which the printing by the second scanning is shifted in the home position direction of the printing head compared to the first scanning is shown.

Since FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the recording dots, it can be seen that the dots are displaced, but the resolution 60
In the recording of 0 dpi, the deviation is at a level that is hardly visible to the naked eye.

On the other hand, reference numeral 303 in FIG. 5 is an example in which printing by the second scanning is shifted in the printing scanning direction as compared with the first scanning when printing is performed according to the conventional example, similarly to 301 in FIG. It is a recording result. As you can see from this figure, 3
Since the space between the row of dots and the row of fourth dots is wider than a predetermined amount, it is recognized as a white line by the user. That is, the occurrence of white lines is visually confirmed.
Similarly, 304 in FIG. 5 corresponds to 302 in FIG.
The printing result of an example in which the printing by the second scanning is displaced from the printing by the first scanning in the home position direction of the print head is shown. In this case, contrary to 303 in FIG. 5, since the third dot row and the fourth dot row overlap, the density of that portion becomes abnormally high, and it looks like a black line to the user. That is, it is confirmed that uneven density occurs.

Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, even if the accuracy of the scanning mechanism of the print head and the accuracy of the ejection control from the print head are limited, ink is moved back and forth in the scanning direction for each scan of the print head. Even if the ejection position changes, instead of using all the print data stored in the data buffer for printing in the same scan as in the past, in particular, the print data of the block corresponding to the final part of the print in the same scan is thinned out. Since the remaining print data is used for the next print scan, the print of the same block is distributed to the two scans, and the deviation of the ink ejection position is also distributed.

As a result, the deviation of the ink ejection position does not occur uniformly, and the deterioration of the recording image quality can be suppressed and the overall image quality can be improved.

In the embodiment described above, 50% zigzag thinning is performed as shown in FIG. 3, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that other thinning patterns may be used. .

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, it is more effective to use a pattern in which the ratio of the recording dots is gradually changed between the first scanning and the second scanning in the scanning direction of the recording head. . In FIG. 6, black circles () represent recording dots by the first scan and white circles (∘) represent recording dots by the second scan. Further, the position of the print dot in each scan can be set arbitrarily.

Further, the printing control by the thinning pattern described above can be easily realized by thinning the printing of one block of the data buffer with the pattern stored in the mask ROM or the like, which is also advantageous in terms of cost.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above,
Although no particular reference was made to whether the record is a color record, it goes without saying that the present invention is also applicable to color records. In that case, a plurality of thinning patterns may be provided for each color component of the color print data, and the thinning patterns may be different. In this case, it is preferable to store a plurality of thinning patterns corresponding to each color component in the mask ROM.

In the above embodiments, the liquid droplets ejected from the recording head have been described as ink, and the liquid contained in the ink tank has been described as ink. It is not limited. For example, an ink tank may contain a treatment liquid such as a treatment liquid ejected onto a recording medium in order to improve the fixability and water resistance of a recorded image or to improve the image quality.

In the above-described embodiment, especially in the ink jet recording system, a means (for example, an electrothermal converter or a laser beam) for generating thermal energy as energy used for ejecting ink is provided. High density and high definition recording can be achieved by using a method of causing a change in ink state by energy.

With regard to its typical structure and principle, see, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4740.
What is done using the basic principles disclosed in 796 is preferred. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, liquid (ink)
By applying at least one drive signal to the electrothermal transducer arranged corresponding to the sheet or liquid path in which is stored, which corresponds to the recorded information and gives a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling. Since the electrothermal converter is caused to generate heat energy to cause film boiling on the heat-acting surface of the recording head, as a result, bubbles in the liquid (ink) corresponding to the drive signal in a one-to-one relationship can be formed. It is valid. The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection openings by the growth and contraction of the bubbles to form at least one droplet. It is more preferable to make this drive signal in a pulse shape, because bubbles can be grown and contracted immediately and appropriately, and thus a liquid (ink) with excellent responsiveness can be achieved.

As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. If the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 of the invention relating to the rate of temperature rise on the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the constitution of the recording head, in addition to the combination constitution of the discharge port, the liquid passage, and the electrothermal converter (the straight liquid passage or the right-angled liquid passage) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, The present invention also includes configurations using US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose configurations in which the heat-acting surface is arranged in a bending region. In addition, for multiple electrothermal converters,
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-123670, which discloses a structure in which a common slot is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-63, which discloses a structure in which an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy is associated with the discharge portion A configuration based on Japanese Patent No. 138461 may be used.

Further, as a full line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum recording medium width that can be recorded by the recording apparatus, the length can be increased by combining a plurality of recording heads as disclosed in the above-mentioned specification. Either of the structure satisfying the requirement or the structure as one recording head integrally formed may be used.

In addition to the recording head of the cartridge type in which the ink tank is integrally provided in the recording head itself described in the above embodiment, the recording head itself is electrically connected to the apparatus main body by being mounted on the apparatus main body. A replaceable chip-type recording head that enables various connections and supply of ink from the apparatus main body may be used.

Further, it is preferable to add a recovery means for the recording head, a preliminary means, etc. to the structure of the recording apparatus described above because the recording operation can be made more stable. Specific examples thereof include capping means for the recording head, cleaning means, pressurizing or sucking means, electrothermal converters or heating elements other than these, or preheating means by a combination thereof. Further, provision of a preliminary ejection mode for performing ejection different from recording is also effective for stable recording.

Further, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the recording mode for only the mainstream color such as black, but the recording head may be integrally formed or a plurality of combinations may be used. Alternatively, the device may be provided with at least one of full-color mixed colors.

In addition, as a form of the recording apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to one provided integrally or separately as an image output terminal of information processing equipment such as a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, and further transmission / reception It may take the form of a facsimile machine having a function.

[0083]

As described above, according to the present invention, when recording is repeatedly performed using a recording buffer having a small capacity, the recording data is read and recorded for each block of the recording buffer divided into a plurality of blocks. Recording is performed while scanning the head with the scanning means. Regarding recording using the recording data stored in the final block, the recording data stored in all blocks other than the final block and the recording data stored in the final block are recorded. Print data obtained by performing a single scan of the print head using print data obtained by thinning out a part of the print data, and print data newly stored in all the blocks other than the remaining thinned data and the final block. Since the control is performed so as to perform printing by the next scan of the print head by using the and It is possible to prevent image degradation due to raw like, there is an effect that it is possible to record a high-quality image.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus that is a typical embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the recording apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a recording method on one page of a recording medium.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing recording control to a recording area 202.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a comparison of results recorded by the recording control according to the conventional example and the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another thinning pattern.

[Explanation of symbols]

IJH recording head 101 CPU 102 ROM 103 RAM 104 interface (I / F) 105 EEPROM 106 motor controller 107 head / scanner controller 108 CGROM 109 bus line 112 scanning panel

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus that drives a print head to perform printing based on print data transmitted from a host device, and a scanning unit that scans the print head in a main scanning direction with respect to a print medium. A recording buffer for storing the recording data transmitted from the host device and transferring the recording data to the recording head,
A print buffer capable of storing print data in an amount smaller than the print data amount for printing by scanning the print head with respect to a scannable width by the scanning unit, and dividing the print buffer into a plurality of blocks. Then, the recording data is read out for each of the divided blocks, transferred to the recording head, and recording is performed while the recording head is scanned by the scanning means, and the recording stored in the last block of the recording buffer. For thinning means for thinning out a part of the data and recording using the recording data stored in the final block, the recording data stored in all blocks other than the final block and the thinning means are thinned out. The print data is used to perform printing by a single scan of the print head, and the thinning means performs thinning. The remaining data and the print data newly stored in all blocks other than the last block, and control means for controlling the print means to print by the next scan of the print head. Characteristic recording device. 2. A buffer input / output unit for expanding the print data into the print buffer composed of the plurality of blocks each time the print data is read out from each block for printing by the print head. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording buffer has a link buffer structure that cyclically uses the plurality of blocks. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thinning means has a mask ROM. 5. The mask ROM stores a thinning pattern for thinning the print data corresponding to each pixel in a two-dimensional arrangement in a print image on a print medium in a staggered manner by 50%. The recording device according to item 4. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thinning-out means uses a different thinning-out pattern for each color component of color recording data when performing color recording. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the thinning-out means stores a different thinning-out pattern in the mask ROM for each of the color components. 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning unit includes a carriage. 9. The recording head is an inkjet recording head, and the inkjet recording head has an electrothermal conversion element that generates thermal energy to be applied to the ink in order to eject the ink by using thermal energy. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: 10. A scanning means for scanning a recording medium in a main scanning direction with respect to a recording medium, and a recording data amount for performing recording by scanning the recording head within a scannable width by the scanning means. A recording buffer capable of storing a small amount of recording data, and storing the recording data transmitted from the host device in the recording buffer, dividing the recording buffer into a plurality of blocks, and dividing each of the divided blocks. A recording control method in a recording device, comprising: recording means for reading recording data, transferring the recording data to the recording head, and performing recording while scanning the recording head by the scanning means, wherein the recording buffer is divided into a plurality of blocks. Divide and read the print data for each of the divided blocks, and print while scanning the print head by the scanning means. Regarding the recording step to be performed, the thinning step of thinning out a part of the recording data stored in the final block of the recording buffer, and the recording using the recording data stored in the final block, all the recording blocks other than the final block are recorded. Printing is performed by one scan of the print head using the print data stored in the blocks and the print data thinned in the thinning step, and the remaining data thinned in the thinning step and the final data are recorded. A recording control method for controlling the recording step so as to perform recording by the next scan of the recording head using the recording data newly stored in all blocks other than the block.