JP2009113327A - Inkjet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet printer connected to a network, the printer being capable of securely checking whether printing is carried out correctly. <P>SOLUTION: The inkjet printer includes a means for fetching printed documents into a body and reading the documents efficiently and correctly immediately after printing; a means for correcting the read image and reproducing an image after the stabilization of printing; and a means for transmitting the corrected image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an inkjet printer apparatus, and more particularly to a print system and method for using a multifunction peripheral having a scanner function in addition to a printer apparatus in a client PC connected to a network, and a recording medium on which a control program is recorded.

In a conventional printing system, it has not been known whether or not printing has been performed correctly when used as a printer until the operator who has requested printing goes to the printer. If the printer is connected directly to the personal computer, the operator has a printer on the side, so the operator can see the printing result immediately, but it is connected to the network and away from the operator, especially in the case of a large format printer. Sometimes it was inconvenient in that it didn't know the print result until it went to the printer. In order to solve such a problem, there has been proposed a printing system that allows a print result to be confirmed almost simultaneously with printing on a monitor screen of a client PC that has requested printing in a network printing system using a multifunction peripheral. This is configured such that a print document is guided to a scanner unit in the apparatus, a print image after reading is transmitted to a client PC, and the display is confirmed on the monitor.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-283132

  The conventional example of Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that the print engine is an electrophotographic system. For this reason, there is no inconvenience even when a printed document immediately after printing is read. However, if the print engine uses an inkjet method, the color of the printed document immediately after printing takes 1 to 2 minutes to stabilize, so even if this is read, the color will be different from the image after stabilization. was there.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises the following arrangement.

  That is, means for taking a printed document into the main body and reading the document efficiently and accurately immediately after printing, means for correcting the read image and reproducing the stabilized image, means for transmitting the image, It is characterized by providing.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the operator who requested printing from the client PC to the printer does not go to the printer away from the client PC, but the printout is correct on the monitor screen of the client PC. The image can be confirmed immediately, and the operability and usability in the printing system can be improved.

  Next, details of the present invention will be described in accordance with the description of the embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, a printed document inspection method and apparatus.

  In the figure, 1 is a printing apparatus, 2 is a client computer, and 3 is a network.

  The printing apparatus 1 is connected to a control unit 101 that controls the overall printing process, a printing unit 102 that includes a print engine that performs printing on a printing medium, an image reading unit 103 that reads image information on the printing medium, and a network 3 to exchange data. The operation unit 105 is connected to the I / F unit 104 and the control unit 101, and the operator displays operation instruction inputs, operation results, and the state of the printing apparatus for the entire printing apparatus.

  The client computer 2 is connected to the network 3 and controls the printing device 1 to instruct printing processing and image reading processing, obtain a printing state, display an image captured by a connected monitor device, and display a printing state. I do. It is also possible to create print data using an application program.

  Next, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a main part of the ink jet printer according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the carrier 20 that is driven to reciprocate in the CR direction perpendicular to the sheet 26 conveyed in the LF direction includes a print carriage 21 for printing on the sheet 26. The print carriage 21 includes C, M, and Y, respectively. , K print heads 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d. The carrier 20 is held by a support 24, attached to a belt 25 driven in the CR direction, and reciprocated by a motor (not shown) to draw in the main scanning direction of the paper 26. There are two types of printing: single-pass printing that draws the print head width Wp (one band) at a time with one forward drive of the carrier 20, and multi-pass printing that draws one band with one or more reciprocating drives.

  The carrier 20 includes a sensor 22 having a width Ws and a light source 23, and a printed image on the paper 26 immediately after printing can be read by the reciprocating drive of the carrier 20 in the CR direction. The sensor 22 is a contact type line sensor having pixels and lenses for RGB colors.

  It is also possible to operate as a simple scanner by passing a printed document without printing.

  For example, in single-pass printing, printing can be performed in the forward path of one band, and the printed image can be read in the backward path. It is possible to stabilize the image by waiting for a certain period of time from the forward pass printing to the backward pass image reading. However, if you wait for too long, the band boundary of the print width becomes noticeable, and the overall printing time becomes longer. In multi-pass printing, when printing for one band is completed by a plurality of reciprocating drivings of the carrier 20, one reciprocating scan for reading a print image is performed next.

  Here, in this embodiment, the print head width Wp and the width Ws of the sensor 22 have a relationship of Wp <Ws or Wp = Ws, and are arranged so as to be shifted by the print width Wp in the LF direction of paper conveyance. By delaying the reading timing by one reciprocation, it is possible to read a more stable print image without sacrificing the reading speed. By shifting the arrangement of the print head and sensor in the LF direction as much as possible, a more stable print image can be read.

  Even in the case of multi-pass printing, if reading is performed in the return pass of the last pass of printing, a stable image can be read accordingly.

  Those using an inkjet system for a print engine require a time of 1 to 2 minutes until the color immediately after printing is stabilized. Therefore, there is a problem that even if it is read immediately after printing, the color is different from the image after stabilization. Therefore, in this embodiment, correction is performed by using a correction LUT (Look Up Table) as shown in FIG. 4 for each RGB color.

  The horizontal axis is input data, which is corrected by correction curves (a), (b), (c), (d). The correction curve (a) is output as it is without correction. (e), (d), (c), and (b) indicate that the correction decreases with the passage of time. As time passes from printing, the correction becomes less and the correction accuracy becomes higher. The correction curve differs depending on the type of ink, the type of paper, the printing environment (temperature, humidity), etc., as well as the time from printing to the start of reading.

  Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, in step S301, the operator selects “confirm print result”.

  In step S302, a print job control language “notifying the print result” is added to the print data. The print job control language refers to a printer control language that controls the printer in a unified manner.

  Next, in step S303, the client PC 2 requests the printing apparatus 1 to print via the network 3. This print data is transmitted to the printing apparatus 1.

  If the confirmation of the print result is not selected in step S301, the print data is transmitted to the printing apparatus 1 and the process ends.

  The printing apparatus 1 receives the print data and performs the requested printing. When the print job control language for “notifying the printing result” is added, the printed content is read for each band by the line sensor 22 in the carrier 20 shown in FIG. The scanned data read here is temporarily stored in a memory (not shown) of the printing apparatus 1. However, if the printing apparatus 1 includes a hard disk (not shown), it may be stored on the hard disk. The image format of the scan data is not particularly limited. The scan data for each band includes information on the elapsed time from printing to scanning.

  In step S304, the client PC 2 waits for the end of printing. When printing and image reading are completed, the printing apparatus 1 notifies the client PC 2 that requested the printing of the completion of printing.

  In step S305, when the client PC 2 receives a print end notification from the printing apparatus 1, the client PC 2 requests transmission of scanned data. When the printing apparatus 1 transmits the scan data to the client PC 2, the operation of this print job is completed.

  In step S306, the client PC 2 receives the scan data.

  In step S307, the client PC 2 performs image correction while referring to the elapsed time from the end of printing to the start of reading for each band included in the scan data.

  This image correction processing can be performed in advance in the printing apparatus before transmission.

  In step S308, the client PC 2 displays the corrected image on the monitor and ends.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a basic configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a main part of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of an Example. It is a figure which shows an example of LUT for correction | amendment of an Example.

Explanation of symbols

1 Printing device 2 Client computer 3 Network
101 Control unit that controls the overall printing process
102 Printing section consisting of a print engine that prints on print media
103 Image reader
104 I / F section
105 Operation unit
20 Career
21 Print carriage
21a, 21b, 21c, 21d C, M, Y, K print heads
24 Prop to support the carrier
25 belt driven in CR direction,
26 paper

Claims (4)

  Printing means for printing on a print medium; image reading means for reading an image printed on the print medium immediately after printing; and an image reproduction means for reproducing a stable image after a predetermined time elapses from the read image; A printing apparatus comprising: a transmission unit that transmits a reproduced read image. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
Printing means for printing on the print medium by driving in a direction crossing the transport direction with respect to the print medium, and image reading means arranged on the print means so as to be shifted in the transport direction by the print length. Inkjet printer featuring.   The inkjet printer according to claim 2, further comprising: a measuring unit that measures a lapse of time from printing to a reading start; and an image reproducing unit that changes a correction parameter according to the measured elapsed time.   Measuring means for measuring the ambient temperature and humidity of the printing apparatus, printing medium information, printing information acquisition means for acquiring ink information, and image reproduction means for changing correction parameters by the measuring means and printing information acquisition means. The inkjet printer according to claim 2.

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