JP2010005906A - Printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize the printing of an examination pattern even in the case of the examination pattern being colored other than with a black color when a printing medium is not used only for examination, or a margin area such as for a frameless printing is not secured. <P>SOLUTION: When printing data is input from a printing data input device 10, an area which has a high density of printing data is detected by a dot counter 13, and only the dot same as the examination pattern memorized in an examination pattern storage memory 14 from the printing data in the area is extracted and printed in the printing medium. Next, the printing data other than the dot used for printing in the examination pattern is printed in the above printing medium printed with the examination pattern. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an inspection pattern printing apparatus and printing method in an inkjet printer.

  In recent inkjet printers, high image quality and high speed have been demanded. Therefore, the ink ejection position in the main scanning direction, the pattern for adjusting the ejection timing, the ink ejection position in the sub-scanning direction, the pattern for adjusting the ejection timing, and the ink ejection amount level corresponding to the type of paper are adjusted. It is necessary to print various inspection patterns such as patterns and patterns for confirming nozzle ejection.

In order to print such inspection patterns, a print medium corresponding to the number of inspection patterns is required. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, an inspection pattern is printed in a blank area of print data. However, in the case of borderless printing such as recent photographs, a margin area cannot always be secured. In Patent Document 2, a black character, line, or surface is detected from print data, an inspection pattern is printed, and then the print data is overprinted on the same print medium. The area that can be printed by being overlaid with black is limited, and the size of the inspection pattern is limited. In addition, printing of inspection patterns using color images other than black has not been considered.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-254793 JP 7-137289 A

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is that the inspection is not performed only when the printing medium is not used for the inspection, or when the blank area cannot be secured such as borderless printing, or even when the inspection pattern is a color other than black. It is to realize pattern printing.

  In order to solve such a problem, in the present invention, in a printing apparatus that prints an image based on print data on a print medium by a print head that ejects ink, printing accuracy measurement or maintenance inspection is performed by an inspection pattern storage unit. An inspection pattern for execution is stored in advance, the inspection pattern printing area determining means determines the print position of the inspection pattern based on the density of each color mounted on the print data head, and the inspection pattern data generating means determines the print data. The inspection pattern is generated by the inspection pattern data generation means at the position determined by the inspection pattern printing position determination means by the inspection pattern data printing means by extracting the dots of the inspection pattern from the dots Data is printed and the inspection pattern data is printed The was among dots of the print data on a print medium so as to print the data other than the dot of the inspection pattern.

  By generating and printing test pattern data from dots in desired print data that the user wants to print, the test pattern can be printed even in printing without a blank area. In addition, the inspection pattern is completely hidden by the desired print data that the user wants to print, and the image quality is not deteriorated by the inspection pattern printing because the inspection pattern is not overlaid and printed. In addition, it is not necessary to limit only to black data, and an inspection pattern can be printed with all ink colors.

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

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Details of the present invention will be described below based on examples.

  A configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.

  The print data input device 10 of this embodiment is a device for inputting print data including a computer, a scanner, and a digital camera from the outside. A user transmits desired print data and print settings from a driver in a computer, a scanner or a digital camera, or an application to a printing apparatus.

  The print data buffer 11 is a RAM built in the printer main body that temporarily stores and holds print data input from the print data input device 10. Used as a buffer for temporarily storing and holding data input from the data input device.

  The print head 12 is a device that is disposed on a carriage on which a plurality of inks of a printing apparatus are mounted, and that ejects ink from nozzles onto a print medium in response to an electrical signal of print data.

  The dot counter 13 is a device that counts the number of dots of data input from the print data input device 10, and is used to detect the density position in the present invention.

  The inspection pattern storage memory 14 is a ROM built in the printing apparatus main body that stores an inspection pattern for performing printing accuracy measurement or maintenance inspection.

  The inspection pattern reading device 15 is an optical sensor composed of a light emitter and a light receiver mounted on a printing device. It is used to read an inspection pattern printed on a print medium as an electrical signal.

  The control device 16 is a CPU mounted on the printing apparatus main body that manages arithmetic processing, cooperation with each device, and control.

  As described above, the printing apparatus of this embodiment has a configuration of a printer represented by an ink jet method. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a print medium feeding mechanism / paper feeding / discharge mechanism, a carriage equipped with an ink tank and a print head 12, and a communication with the print data input apparatus 10. A mechanism necessary as a printing apparatus including an interface is provided.

  FIG. 2 shows a flow of the printing operation in the embodiment of the present invention. Details of the printing operation will be described below with reference to FIG.

  Reference numeral 201 in FIG. 2 denotes an operation of receiving print data from the print data input device 10 and temporarily holding it in the print data buffer 11 when the print operation start START 200 is performed.

  2 indicates an operation of counting the number of dots received in the print data buffer. In this embodiment, the dot count is performed after the print data is received in the print data buffer 201, but the dot count may be performed simultaneously with the reception. The dot count may be performed by the print data input device 10.

  The operation of reference numeral 203 in FIG. 2 is most similar between the dot arrangement of the inspection pattern stored in the inspection pattern storage memory 14 and the dot arrangement of the print data from the high density area calculated by the operation result of the reference numeral 202. This operation is to extract only the dots in the area. That is, this is an operation for determining the print area of the inspection pattern. Here, the reason for starting detection from a region having a high density is that there is a high probability that an inspection pattern can be extracted from print data. Even if the density is low, if the inspection pattern can be extracted, it can be determined as the inspection pattern printing region.

  The operation of reference numeral 204 in FIG. 2 determines whether or not the inspection pattern has been extracted from the print data by the operation of reference numeral 203. If the determination result is “match”, the operation proceeds to operation 205 for printing the inspection pattern.

  The operation indicated by reference numeral 205 in FIG. 2 means that only the dots used for the test pattern in the data developed in the print data buffer 11 are transferred to the print head 12 and printed on the print medium. The printing method is performed by one or more carriage operations depending on the use of the inspection pattern.

  The operation indicated by reference numeral 206 in FIG. 2 is an operation of reading the inspection pattern printed by the operation indicated by reference numeral 205 using an optical sensor composed of a light emitter and a light receiver. Here, the reading operation is to acquire the gradation of the inspection pattern by irradiating the inspection pattern printed on the print medium with light from the light emitter and receiving the reflected light with the light receiver. . In this embodiment, a sensor mounted in the vicinity of the carriage on which the print head 12 is disposed is used. However, a scanner that can read the gradation of the inspection pattern may be used.

  Reference numeral 207 in FIG. 2 means an operation for changing or correcting the print control in accordance with the state of the inspection pattern read by reference numeral 206. When the inspection pattern is a nozzle check pattern, it can be confirmed whether or not the nozzle is in a non-discharge state, and non-discharge complementation can be executed. If the pattern is for head position adjustment, the ejection timing can be corrected. In the case of a pattern for measuring the accuracy of the paper feed mechanism, paper feed correction can be executed. In the case of a pattern for measuring the accuracy of the carriage operation mechanism, the carriage operation can be corrected. This is not limited as long as the control is possible by printing and reading the inspection pattern and reading the inspection pattern. The control described above is possible by the difference between the gradation of the inspection pattern read by the sensor at 205 and the gradation stored in advance.

  Reference numeral 208 in FIG. 2 prints only dots in the print data in the print data buffer 11 that have not been printed when the inspection pattern is printed in reference numeral 205. In this embodiment, the print data other than the dots of the test pattern is printed by masking with the test pattern.

  The printing method will be described with reference to FIG. 3 schematically showing data dots.

  FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of print data input from the print data input device 10. The dot indicated by the reference numeral 30 and the dot indicated by the reference numeral 31 are dots indicating the same ink color. FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of dots used when printing the inspection pattern in the print data, and FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram of dots not used for printing the inspection pattern in the print data. It is. 3 prints the complete print data figure 3 (A) by printing the dot figure 3 (B) used for printing the inspection pattern and the other dot figure 3 (C) in multiple steps. It is shown that.

  On the other hand, reference numeral 210 in FIG. 2 is processing when the determination result at reference numeral 204 does not result in “match”, that is, when the dots used for printing the inspection pattern cannot be completely extracted from the print data dots. is there. In the present embodiment, even when the “match” does not completely occur, the inspection pattern is printed if the similarity is equal to or higher than a certain threshold.

  Reference numeral 211 in FIG. 2 is an operation for printing an inspection pattern in the same manner as reference numeral 205. However, only the data dot in the print data buffer 11 is incomplete as the inspection pattern. Therefore, based on the inspection pattern stored in the inspection pattern storage memory 14, the dot that cannot be completely extracted from the print data is complemented, and the data of the complete inspection pattern is generated and transferred to the print head 12. Print on the print medium.

  Reference numerals 212 and 213 in FIG. 2 change and correct the printing control based on the reading of the inspection pattern and the reading result, similarly to the reference numerals 206 and 207.

  Reference numeral 214 in FIG. 2 executes printing similar to the operation at reference numeral 208. However, when the data in the print data buffer 11 is masked with the inspection pattern and printing other than the dots of the inspection pattern is performed as it is, the number of dots to be printed is the original data by the complementary processing of reference numeral 211. It will increase compared to. Therefore, in this embodiment, the dot near the dot subjected to the complementing process of the code 211 is deleted by the code 214 and printed. By doing so, the sum of the density (number of dots to be printed) in printing the inspection pattern and printing other than the inspection pattern is the same as the original print data.

  The printing method from the reference numeral 210 shown in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 which schematically shows data dots.

  4A is a schematic diagram of print data input from the print data input device 10 as in FIG. 3A. However, unlike FIG. 3A, FIG. 4A shows an example in which, as indicated by reference numerals 42 and 43, there are missing dots in the print data, and the inspection pattern cannot be completely extracted. ing.

  Reference numerals 45 and 46 in FIG. 4B indicate dots that could not be extracted from the print data shown in FIG. In the inspection pattern printing at reference numeral 211 in FIG. 2, the complemented inspection pattern as shown in FIG. 4B is printed.

  FIG. 4C shows data when printing is performed with reference numeral 214 in FIG. Reference numerals 48 and 49 are examples of dots to be deleted at the time of printing indicated by reference numeral 2 14 in FIG.

  The operation indicated by reference numeral 215 in FIG. 2 is processing when the inspection pattern cannot be printed from the print data by the determination at reference numerals 204 and 210. If the area where the inspection pattern can be printed cannot be determined, the print data is printed as it is.

  As described above, as shown in FIG. 2, the test pattern is printed using the dots in the print data desired by the user, thereby printing the test pattern, reading the test pattern, controlling the read result, and the user's desired Data can be printed on the same print medium.

  FIG. 5 shows an example in which the inspection pattern is a vertical line as an example of the inspection pattern. FIG. 5A shows print data, and FIG. 5B shows an inspection pattern extracted from FIG. 5A.

  FIG. 6 shows the printable area of the inspection pattern for the print data for one page in FIG. 6A, with reference numerals 51, 52, 53, and 54 in FIG. 6B. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the area for printing the inspection pattern is determined from the data to be printed in each scan in the print data of the entire page, and the inspection pattern and the print data are printed by the internal processing in the printing apparatus. It was. (The scan here is an operation of causing the carriage to scan left and right and ejecting ink from the head.) However, it is also possible to perform the same processing as shown in the above-described embodiment by a computer in advance. In the procedure, an inspection pattern is extracted from print data in a computer, and the inspection pattern is first transmitted to a printing apparatus for printing. Next, a method of transmitting the remaining data is also possible.

  In the example shown in FIG. 2, the selection of whether or not to print the inspection pattern of the present invention is not provided, but the user can also set it. Alternatively, it may be executed at intervals of a certain period. Or you may perform according to the number of printed sheets. It is also possible to execute at the timing of head replacement and ink replacement.

  In the embodiment, the print result of the inspection pattern is read by the sensor, but the user may execute the inspection. In this case, as long as the print data desired by the user can be printed by the sum of the inspection pattern data and other data, characters that convey the state of the printing apparatus to the user may be used.

  By using the inspection pattern printing method of the present invention, it is possible to print an inspection pattern even for print data having no blank area. In addition, since the inspection pattern is completely hidden by the desired print data that the user wants to print, and is not overprinted and printed, the image quality and the quality of the print medium do not deteriorate due to the inspection pattern printing. In addition, it is not necessary to limit only to black data, and an inspection pattern can be printed with all ink colors. Furthermore, by executing the processing of the present invention between daily printing operations, the accuracy and state of the printing device can be always grasped, and changes in the printing environment due to changes in the installation location and changes in the printing device over time. It is possible to suppress the deterioration of the printing accuracy caused by it.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the printing apparatus of the Example by this invention. It is a figure which shows the flow of the printing method and process of the Example by this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the printing data of the Example by this invention, and the dot of a test | inspection pattern. (A) shows the dots of the original print data, (B) shows the dots of the inspection pattern, and (C) shows the dots other than the inspection pattern. All the dots are the same ink dot and are color-coded for convenience. It is a schematic diagram which shows the printing data of the Example by this invention, and the dot of a test | inspection pattern. (A) shows the dots of the original print data, (B) shows the dots of the inspection pattern, and (C) shows the dots other than the inspection pattern. All dots indicate the same ink dots and are color-coded for convenience. It is a schematic diagram which shows the printing data of the Example by this invention, and the dot of a test | inspection pattern. (A) shows the dots of the original print data, and (B) shows the dots of the inspection pattern. All dots indicate the same ink dots and are color-coded for convenience. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the printing data of an Example by this invention, and an inspection pattern printing area | region. (A) is an appearance of print data for one page, and (B) is a diagram showing an inspection pattern print area. The background of (B) is shown for the sake of convenience in order to make the print area easy to understand.

Explanation of symbols

30 dots printed as test patterns in print data 31 dots other than test patterns in print data 32 dots extracted as test patterns 33 dots other than test patterns 40 dots printed as test patterns in print data 41 in print data Dots other than inspection pattern 42 Dots missing as inspection pattern in print data 43 Dots missing as inspection pattern in print data 44 Dots of inspection pattern 45 Added dots as inspection pattern 46 Added as inspection pattern Dot 47 Dot other than inspection pattern in print data 48 Deleted dot near dot added as inspection pattern 49 Deleted dot near dot added as inspection pattern 51 Inspection pattern print area 52 Inspection pattern Print area 53 Inspection pattern print area 54 Inspection pattern print area

Claims (7)

In a printing apparatus that prints an image based on print data on a print medium by a print head that ejects ink,
Inspection pattern storage means for storing an inspection pattern for performing printing accuracy measurement or maintenance inspection;
Inspection pattern print area determining means for determining the print area of the inspection pattern stored in the inspection pattern storage means according to the density of the print data of each color mounted on the head;
Inspection pattern data generating means for generating inspection pattern data based on the inspection pattern stored in the inspection pattern storage means;
Inspection pattern data printing means for printing the inspection pattern data generated by the inspection pattern data generation means on a print medium in an area determined by the inspection pattern printing area determination means;
Data printing means for printing data obtained by excluding the dots printed by the inspection pattern data printing means from the dots used when printing the print data on the print medium on which the inspection pattern data is printed A printing apparatus characterized by that.   The inspection pattern print area determining means determines the dots of the respective colors included in the print data and the dots of the inspection pattern stored in the inspection pattern storage means from the high density area of each color mounted on the recording head in the print data. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a matching or similar region is detected.   If the inspection pattern data generation means can completely extract the dots from the positions corresponding to the dot arrangement of the inspection pattern stored in the inspection pattern storage means from among the dots of each color of the print data, based on the dot arrangement When inspection pattern data is generated, and dots cannot be completely extracted from the dot of each color of the print data from the position coincident with the dot arrangement of the inspection pattern stored in the inspection pattern storage means, stored in the inspection pattern storage means 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inspection pattern data is generated by complementing the dots at positions that cannot be extracted based on the dot arrangement of the inspection pattern thus obtained.   When the data printing unit can completely extract dots from the dots of the respective colors of the print data from the positions coincident with the dot arrangement of the inspection pattern stored in the inspection pattern storage unit, the test data is printed from the dots of the print data. If the inspection pattern stored in the inspection pattern storage means cannot be completely extracted from the dots of each color of the print data from the data excluding the dots, the inspection pattern dots are excluded from the print data dots, and the inspection 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein data obtained by deleting dots in the vicinity of the dots supplemented by the pattern data generation unit is printed on a print medium by a recording operation of the print head.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inspection pattern printing unit prints the inspection pattern generated by the inspection pattern data generation unit on a print medium by a recording operation of a print head. .   7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising inspection pattern reading means for reading the inspection pattern from a print medium on which the inspection pattern is printed.   7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising print control means for changing or correcting printing control based on the result read by the inspection pattern reading means.

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