JP2015134444A - Printing equipment and printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing equipment which can deal with faint print state while decreasing a memory area to be used.SOLUTION: A printing equipment characterized in that the equipment includes: printing mode setting means which can set as a printing mode at least one of either a black-and-white printing mode or a color printing mode, and either a high jet density or a low jet density of an ink; an ink head which discharges the ink onto a medium at first intervals for every scan line on the basis of said printing mode; a sensor which can receive reflected light of light radiated onto the medium; faint printing detection means which detects the faint print state of the medium on the basis of the reflected light which is received by the sensor at second intervals wider than said first intervals; and printing mode change means which changes said printing mode when the false print state is detected by the false printing detection means.

Description

  One embodiment of the present invention relates to a printing apparatus or the like that prints by ejecting ink onto a medium.

  Conventionally, a printer that discharges ink onto a medium such as paper and prints an image or characters on the medium cannot print as intended when the ink is insufficient, resulting in a blurred print state. In order to avoid such a faint printing state due to ink shortage, there has been a method in which the user is warned when the remaining amount of ink becomes less than a predetermined amount while managing the remaining amount of ink. On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses a printing device that cleans the nozzles of a print head when printing blur is detected. Patent Document 2 discloses a printing apparatus that corrects the print density when a print error is detected.

JP 2008-055652 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-278394

  However, in the conventional techniques including the above-mentioned patent documents, when a scan using a sensor is performed in order to cope with a blurred print state, the entire print portion is executed, and a large amount is required to store the scanned data. Needed memory area. Particularly in recent years, the printing density has been increased in order to improve the printing accuracy, and the memory area for storing the scan data has increased.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a printing apparatus that can cope with a blurred printing state while reducing a memory area to be used.

  The present invention adopts the following means in order to solve the above problems. In the following description, in order to facilitate understanding of the invention, reference numerals and the like in the drawings are appended in parentheses, but each component of the present invention is not limited to these appendices. It should be construed broadly to the extent that contractors can technically understand.

Means 1 of the present invention include
Set at least one of monochrome printing mode or color printing mode and either high density (high quality printing mode) or low density (low quality printing mode) of ink ejection density as the printing mode Possible print mode setting means (the part where the CPU 100 executes S500 to S510),
An ink head (ink head 160) that ejects ink onto a medium (for example, paper) based on the print mode at each first scanning line (each of the scanning lines 400A to 400O) at a first interval (ink ejection interval);
A sensor (optical sensor 170) capable of receiving reflected light of the light irradiated on the medium;
Print blur detection means (CPU 100 performs S520 to detect the print blur status of the medium based on the reflected light received by the sensor at a second interval (print blur detection interval) wider than the first interval (ink discharge interval). Part to execute)
Printing that changes the print mode (changes the print mode from the black and white print mode to the color print mode or from the low quality print mode to the high quality print mode) when the print blur state is detected by the print blur detection unit. Mode change means (a portion where the CPU 100 executes S540 and S550 or S541 and S551);
It is a printing apparatus characterized by including.

The method corresponding to means 1 of the present invention is:
Setting at least one of black and white printing mode or color printing mode and at least one of high density or low density of ink ejection as a printing mode;
Ejecting ink onto the medium at a first interval for each scan line based on the printing mode;
Receiving reflected light of the light applied to the medium;
Detecting a print fading state of the medium based on reflected light received by the sensor at a second interval wider than the first interval;
Changing the print mode when a print fading state is detected by the print fading detection means;
A printing method characterized by comprising:

  According to the above configuration or method, since the print fading state is detected using the reflected light received by the sensor at the second interval (print blur detection interval), the sensor is detected at the first interval (ink discharge interval). Compared to the case of using the received reflected light, the capacity of the memory for storing the light reception result of the sensor can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to improve the printing speed or reduce the manufacturing cost by reducing the memory capacity.

Means 2 of the present invention
The ink head (ink head 160) moves in a scanning direction substantially perpendicular to the paper feeding direction on the scanning lines (scanning lines 400A to 400O) provided at predetermined widths in the paper feeding direction. While ejecting ink,
The print fading detection means detects a print fading state of the medium based on reflected light received on one of the plurality of scanning lines (detection of a print fading state for all scanning lines). (For example, the print fading state is detected for every six scanning lines.)
The printing device of the means 1 is characterized by the above.

  According to this means, the blurred print state is detected not for all the scanning lines but only for every several scanning lines. Thereby, the capacity of the memory for storing the light reception result of the sensor can be further reduced.

The means 3 of the present invention is
The sensor is a printing device of means 1 or means 2 for receiving reflected light of a portion of the medium on which ink is ejected.

  According to this means, print blur using a sensor is detected only for a portion where ink has been ejected, instead of simply detecting print blur using a sensor at regular intervals. Thereby, the capacity of the memory for storing the light reception result of the sensor can be further reduced.

Further, the means 4 of the present invention includes
The sensor is a printing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the sensor receives reflected light from a portion of the medium on which the ink is ejected, which is specified at an interval wider than the third interval.

  According to the present means, printing blur detection is not performed on a portion close to the portion where ink has been ejected, and printing blur detection is performed on a portion separated to some extent. Thereby, the capacity of the memory for storing the light reception result of the sensor can be further reduced.

Further, the means 5 of the present invention includes
The printing mode changing means changes the printing mode from one of the monochrome printing mode or the color printing mode to the other of the monochrome printing mode or the color printing mode. Equipment.

  According to this means, when printing blur is detected, it is possible to avoid printing blur by changing the ink cartridge to be used to a different print mode.

The means 6 of the present invention includes
Any of the means 1 to 4, wherein the printing mode changing means changes the printing mode so that the ink discharge density is changed from a low density (low quality printing mode) to a high density (high quality printing mode). Printing equipment.

  According to this means, the printing device attempts to eject ink at a higher density when a print fading state is detected. Therefore, even if the remaining amount of ink is reduced, printing with suppressed print fading is performed. Make it possible.

Set at least one of monochrome printing mode or color printing mode and either high density (high quality printing mode) or low density (low quality printing mode) of ink ejection density as the printing mode Possible print mode setting means;
An ink head (ink head 160) that ejects ink onto a medium (for example, paper) based on the print mode at each first scanning line (each of the scanning lines 400A to 400O) at a first interval (ink ejection interval);
A sensor (optical sensor 170) capable of receiving reflected light of the light irradiated on the medium;
Print blur detection means (CPU 100 performs S520 to detect the print blur status of the medium based on the reflected light received by the sensor at a second interval (print blur detection interval) wider than the first interval (ink discharge interval). Part to execute)
Print mode changing means for stopping printing in the print mode when the print fading state is detected by the print fading detection means (a portion where the CPU 100 executes S520 to S560);
A printing apparatus comprising:

  According to this means, it is possible to quickly notify the user that a blurred print state has been detected. This can prevent waste of paper and time.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer according to the invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of ink heads and optical sensors in the printer of the present invention. The figure which shows the paper medium on which the character was printed by the printer. FIG. 4 is a first diagram illustrating scan lines and scan points for printed characters. 5 is a flowchart illustrating print processing according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating print processing according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating print processing according to the third embodiment. The 2nd figure which shows the scanning line and the scanning point with respect to the printed character.

An embodiment according to the present invention will be specifically described according to the following configuration with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, in each drawing, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component and the description may be abbreviate | omitted.
1. Embodiment 1
(1) Printer configuration (2) Print blur detection (3) Print processing Embodiment 2
3. Embodiment 3
4). Embodiment 4
5. Supplementary matter

<1. Embodiment 1>
First, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

<(1) Printer configuration>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer of this embodiment includes a CPU 100, an operation input unit 110, a data input unit 120, a motor 130, a motor driver 140, a memory 150, an ink head 160, an optical sensor 170, and a display unit 180. Consists of.

<Operation input unit 110>
The operation input unit 110 is configured to detect an operation input by a user and output a signal corresponding to the operation input to the CPU 100. The user is configured to allow the printer to perform a predetermined operation by operating a key (button) provided in the operation input unit 110 or a touch panel.

<Data input unit 120>
The data input unit 120 is configured to be able to accept input of data to be printed and signals related to print settings from an external device such as a personal computer or a smartphone connected to the outside of the printer by wire or wirelessly. The data input unit 120 is configured to be able to output these data and signals to the CPU 100. When the printer and the external device are connected wirelessly, a necessary configuration such as a wireless connection antenna is further provided.

<Motor 130>
The motor 130 is configured to receive an instruction from the CPU 100 via the motor driver 140 and to be able to move the paper to be printed, paper, plastic, or optical disk in the paper feeding direction and the ink head 160 in the scanning line direction. . The paper feeding direction and the scanning line direction are set substantially perpendicular to each other toward the medium to be printed. However, the paper feeding direction and the scanning line direction do not necessarily have to be substantially perpendicular to each other, and a printing function can be realized if they are not parallel to each other, but being substantially perpendicular is preferable for effective printing.

<Motor driver 140>
The motor driver 140 is configured to receive a command from the CPU 100 and generate a signal for causing the motor 130 to move the medium and the ink head 160 and to output the signal to the motor 130. For example, when the motor driver 140 receives a print pause signal from the CPU 100, the motor driver 140 can generate a signal for stopping the operation of the motor 130 and output the signal to the motor 130.

<Memory 150>
The memory 150 is configured to be able to store setting information such as printer connection settings and print settings, and scan information indicating a light reception result at a location scanned by the optical sensor 170.

<Ink head 160>
The ink head 160 is configured to be able to eject ink to the medium at predetermined intervals along the scanning line based on an instruction from the CPU 100. The ink head 160 is provided with monochrome ink composed of black ink or color ink composed of a combination of a plurality of colors, using monochrome ink in the monochrome printing mode, and color in the color printing mode. Ink is ejected onto the medium using ink. Further, when the print mode is the low-quality print mode, the ink head 160 discharges ink with a narrower ink discharge interval with respect to the medium than when the print mode is the high-quality print mode.

<Optical sensor 170>
The optical sensor 170 is configured to irradiate the medium with light, receive reflected light reflected by the medium, read the state of the medium, and output the read state of the medium to the CPU 100 as scan information. ing. In the scan information of the medium, a determination result obtained by setting a predetermined threshold value to determine whether the reading target portion is in white or black is indicated by a binary value. Note that the scan information may indicate the color intensity of the portion to be read. Further, the optical sensor 170 may be configured to be able to capture an image like a camera.

<Display unit 180>
The display unit 180 is configured to be able to display predetermined characters and images according to instructions from the CPU 100, and includes a display device such as an LCD or an organic EL, and a drive circuit. The display unit 180 can prompt a user to perform a predetermined operation by displaying predetermined characters.

<CPU 100>
The CPU 100 is connected to the operation input unit 110, the data input unit 120, the motor driver 140, the memory 150, the ink head 160, the optical sensor 170, and the display unit 180, and is configured to be able to control operations of these parts. The CPU 100 temporarily stores the print data received from the data input unit 120 in the memory 150 and outputs a print command to the motor driver 140 and the ink head 160 based on the stored print data. Thus, a predetermined image or character can be printed on the print target medium. This function is the same as that of a general printer.

  In particular, in this embodiment, the CPU 100 causes the optical sensor 170 to detect reflected light at a print blur detection interval wider than the ink discharge interval, thereby detecting the state of the medium as scan information, and the scan information is stored in the memory 150. Remember. The CPU 100 is configured to be able to detect a blurred print state based on the scan information and the print data. That is, it is determined whether the white or black state of the reading target portion of the medium indicated by the scan information matches the white or black data specified by the print data at the same portion. If it is determined by this determination that the scan information and the print data do not match, it is determined that the print is faint.

  The CPU 100 is configured to be able to change the print mode when a blurred print state is detected. The print mode is changed from one of the monochrome print mode and the color print mode to the other, or from the low quality print mode to the high quality print mode. In addition, a print stop mode for stopping printing is provided, and the mode change to the print stop mode may be performed as necessary. These print modes may be changed after the user confirms whether to change the print mode via the display unit 180, or the print mode is automatically changed in a predetermined case. Also good.

  When determining the print fading state using the scan information, the CPU 100 thins out the print fading state determination according to the observation speed of the reflected light by the optical sensor 170 and the speed required for the CPU 100 to determine the print fading state. be able to.

  The printing process of the printer including the above-described determination of the blurred state of the CPU 100 will be specifically described later using a flowchart.

<Structure of Ink Head 160 and Optical Sensor 170>
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the ink head 160 and the optical sensor 170 as viewed from above. As shown in FIGS. 2A, 2 </ b> B, and 2 </ b> C, there are a plurality of configurations in which the ink head 160 and the optical sensor 170 are combined. The horizontal direction in the figure is the scanning direction, and the vertical direction is the paper feeding direction. The ink head 160 moves relative to the medium in the downward direction in the figure. In other words, the print target medium is moved upward in the figure by the motor 130.

  FIG. 2A is a diagram showing one form of the ink head 160 and the optical sensor 170 as viewed from above. An optical sensor 170 is disposed at the lower right portion of the ink head 160 as viewed from above. A plurality of nozzles 161 are formed in the ink head 160, and at the time of printing, a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzles 161 to the medium, and printing is executed. According to the configuration of FIG. 2A, immediately after ink ejection, it is possible to irradiate the area where ink is ejected and receive reflected light.

  FIG. 2B is a diagram showing one form of the ink head 160 and the optical sensor 170 as viewed from above. Optical sensors 170 are arranged at the lower left and lower right of the ink head 160 as viewed from above. In this configuration, as in the case of FIG. 2A, immediately after ink ejection, it is possible to irradiate the spot where ink is ejected and receive reflected light.

  FIG. 2C is a diagram showing one form of the ink head 160 and the optical sensor 170 as viewed from above. An optical sensor 170 is disposed on an upper portion of the ink head 160 as viewed from above. According to this figure, the optical sensor 170 integrated with the ink head 160 is disposed, but may be disposed separately. In this configuration, when the ink head 160 moves in the scanning line direction after ink is ejected, it is possible to irradiate light to the portion where ink is ejected and receive reflected light.

<(2) Detection of blurred print>
Next, with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, an outline of detection of print fading according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a paper medium on which characters are printed by a printer. Characters 310 are printed on the paper medium 300. The ink head 160 is scanned for portions other than the white skip portions 320 provided above and below the paper medium 300, and printing is performed by ejecting ink. The white skip portion 320 is not scanned by the ink head 160, and neither ink is ejected nor reflected light is read by the optical sensor 170. Note that although the scanning lines 400A to 400O are illustrated here for the purpose of explaining the outline, the actual scanning lines may be arranged at a higher density than the scanning lines shown here.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating operations of the ink head 160 and the optical sensor 170 with respect to the character 310. Reference numerals 400A to 400O in FIG. The ink head 160 prints characters 310 by ejecting ink onto the paper medium 300 while moving on the scanning line. Further, the optical sensor 170 reads the state of the paper medium 300 by irradiating the scan points 410 provided at regular intervals on the scan lines 400 </ b> A to 400 </ b> O and receiving reflected light from the paper medium 300. .

  As shown in FIG. 4, the scan points 410 are not for all the scan lines but for every several lines (for example, every 6 lines as shown in FIG. 4), and each interval is an ink ejection interval. They are arranged in a grid pattern with wider print blur detection intervals. In this manner, by arranging the scan points 410 in a grid pattern at the print blur detection interval, the reflected light is received by the optical sensor 170 and the print blur state is detected by the CPU 100 for all ink discharge locations of all scan lines. Without detection, the print fading state is detected.

<(3) Printing process>
Next, the printing process in the present embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

<S500 to S510>
When the user issues a print instruction to the printer from a personal computer or the like connected to the printer (S500), the data input unit 120 that has received data corresponding to the print instruction from the personal computer or the like outputs these data to the CPU 100. To do. The CPU 100 stores the input print data in the memory 150, and outputs a print command to the motor driver 140 and the ink head 160 based on the print data stored in the memory 150. The print data includes information indicating either the monochrome print mode or the color print mode as the print mode, and the CPU 100 determines the type of ink to be used based on the print mode, and the ink head 160. A print command is issued. In response to the print command, the motor driver 140 outputs an operation signal for moving the medium to execute desired printing to the motor 130. Based on this operation signal, the motor 130 moves the medium in the paper feeding direction, and moves the ink head 160 in the scanning line direction. In response to the print command, the ink head 160 ejects ink from the nozzles 161 to the medium at a timing for executing desired printing (S510). The printing process here is the same as a general printer.

<S520 to S530>
When printing is started by the above processing, the optical sensor 170 irradiates the medium with light in synchronization with the movement of the ink head 160, and receives reflected light from the medium at a predetermined timing. The optical sensor 170 receives the reflected light to read whether the medium is white or black, and outputs the read content to the CPU 100 as scan information. The CPU 100 stores the scan information in the memory 150, and simultaneously compares the white or black state of the reading target portion indicated by the scan information with the data indicating white or black at the same portion indicated by the print data. . As a result of this comparison, when there is a discrepancy between the two information, that is, when the scan information shows white even though it should be black according to the print data, it is determined that there is a blurred print. (S520). As a result, if printing blur is not detected (N in S520), normal printing is continued (S530), and printing is terminated when the entire printing is completed (S560).

<S540>
On the other hand, if a blurred print is detected as a result of the above process (Y in S520), it is confirmed whether or not the current print mode is the monochrome print mode (S540). If the current printing mode is not the monochrome printing mode but the color printing mode (N in S540), the printing is terminated as it is (S560).

<S550>
If the current printing mode is the monochrome printing mode (Y in S540), the printing mode is switched from the monochrome printing mode to the color printing mode, and printing is executed (S550). Is finished (S560).

  If a printer that performs the above-described printing process is employed, the print fading state is detected using reflected light received by the optical sensor 170 at a print blur detection interval wider than the ink discharge interval. For this reason, compared with the case where the reflected light received by the optical sensor 170 is used at each point of the ink ejection interval, the capacity of the memory 150 that stores the scan information that is the light reception result of the optical sensor 170 can be reduced. it can. As a result, it is possible to improve the printing speed or reduce the manufacturing cost by reducing the memory capacity.

  Further, in the printer that executes the above-described printing process, the blurred print state is detected only for every several scanning lines, not for all the scanning lines. Accordingly, it is possible to further reduce the capacity of the memory 150 that stores the scan information that is the light reception result of the sensor.

  Further, in the printer that executes the above-described printing process, when printing blur is detected, the CPU 100 switches the printing mode from the monochrome printing mode to the color printing mode. Thereby, in the printer, the ink cartridge used for printing is changed to a different printing mode, and it becomes possible to avoid blurring of printing.

  In the printing process according to the present embodiment, when the printing mode is the color printing mode when printing blur is detected (Y in S520) (N in S540), a process for ending printing is performed. However, the content to confirm to the user whether or not to end printing may be displayed on the display unit 180. In this case, if the user gives an instruction to end printing, printing is ended, and if there is an instruction to continue printing, printing is continued. Alternatively, the user may be prompted to replace the ink cartridge, and printing may be continued after the ink cartridge is replaced.

  When the print mode is switched, a display that suggests switching of the print mode may be displayed on the display unit 180, and a process of switching or maintaining the print mode may be performed according to an operation input by the user.

  In the above processing, the scan information is stored in the memory 150. However, the scan information is not necessarily stored in the memory 150, and may be stored in a buffer memory included in the CPU 100.

  In the above processing, the scan points 410 are arranged on the scanning lines every several lines in the entire medium. However, it is not always necessary to execute the scanning points 410 on the entire medium. It may be executed against. In addition, when printing is performed on a plurality of sheets, detection of a blurred print state may be executed for the first few scanning lines of each page.

  In the above configuration, since it is assumed that printing is performed in a dark place inside the printer, the optical sensor 170 is configured to emit light and receive reflected light from the medium. When the printing process is executed in a bright place, it is not always necessary to irradiate light, and reflected light can be observed.

<2. Second Embodiment>
Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the content of the printing process is different from that of the first embodiment, and this point will be specifically described with reference to the flowchart of the printing process shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of print processing according to the second embodiment. The print processing flowchart of the present embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 is compared with the print processing flowchart of the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the print mode determination processing (S541 with respect to S540), and the print mode change (S550). This point will be described.

<S541>
If printing blur is detected as a result of the processing of S520 (Y in S520), it is confirmed whether or not the current printing mode is the low quality printing mode (S541). If the current print mode is not the low quality print mode but the high quality print mode (N in S541), the printing is terminated as it is (S560).

<S551>
If the current print mode is the low-quality print mode (Y in S541), the print mode is changed from the low-quality print mode to the high-quality print mode, and printing is performed (S551). When printing is completed, printing is terminated (S560).

  If a printer that executes the above-described printing process is employed, the CPU 100 changes the print mode from the low-quality print mode to the high-quality print mode when a print blur is detected. As a result, the ink head 160 of the printer tries to eject ink at a higher density than in the low-quality print mode, so that even if the remaining amount of ink is reduced, printing with suppressed printing blur is possible.

<3. Embodiment 3>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the content of the printing process is different from that of the first embodiment, and this point will be specifically described with reference to the flowchart of the printing process shown in FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating print processing according to the third embodiment. The print processing flowchart of this embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is immediately compared with the print processing flowchart of Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 5 when printing blur is detected (Y in S520). The process is different in that the process is terminated (S560).

  If a printer that performs the above-described printing process is employed, it is possible to quickly notify the user of the occurrence of printing blur. This can prevent waste of paper and time.

  In the above example, when printing blur is detected (Y in S520), printing is immediately terminated, but this may be processed by another method. For example, a display for confirming whether or not to end printing may be performed on the display unit 180 for the user, and it may be determined whether or not to end printing according to an operation by the user. Further, a display for prompting the user to replace the ink cartridge may be displayed on the display unit 180, and a process of continuing printing after the ink cartridge is replaced may be performed.

<4. Embodiment 4>
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, compared with the first to third embodiments, the scan point 410 where the reflected light is received by the optical sensor 170 is different. Note that any one of the first to third embodiments can be arbitrarily selected and applied to the printing process.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating operations of the ink head 160 and the optical sensor 170 with respect to the character 310 in the present embodiment. Compared to FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, the location of the scan point 410 is different.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, a spot where ink is ejected on the medium is set as a scan point 410, and the optical sensor 170 emits light and receives reflected light from the medium, thereby faint printing. Discovery is running. Here, the ink head 160 ejects ink a plurality of times around the scan point 410, but does not detect blurring of printing for all of these ink ejection locations. The scan point 410 is arranged with an interval equal to or greater than a predetermined interval from the adjacent scan point 410.

  If a printer that performs the above-described printing process is employed, the execution of print blur detection at adjacent locations is omitted, and print blur detection is executed for scan points 410 that are separated by a certain distance or more. Thereby, the capacity of the memory for storing the light reception result of the sensor can be further reduced.

<5. Supplementary items>
The specific description of each embodiment of the present invention has been given above. The above description is merely an embodiment, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, but should be broadly interpreted to the extent that a person skilled in the art can grasp.

  Each embodiment described above can be implemented by combining the respective parts. For example, when the print mode is determined to be the color print mode by combining the first embodiment and the second embodiment (N in S540), it is further determined whether or not the print mode is the low quality print mode ( In S541), in the case of the low quality print mode (Y in S541), a mode in which printing is performed in the high quality print mode is conceivable.

  In addition, matters supplementarily described in each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments.

  Further, for example, when printing fading is detected, the user may be prompted to change ink once, and when the printing fading occurs in the same manner even after the ink has been replaced, printing may be stopped. .

  In the above embodiment, the scan points 410 are arranged in a grid pattern. However, the scan points 410 may be arranged in a zigzag pattern instead of a grid pattern, and the scan points 410 may be arranged at an appropriate distance. They may be placed apart.

  The present invention is preferably applied to an apparatus having a printing function.

100 ... CPU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110 ... Operation input part 120 ... Data input part 130 ... Motor 140 ... Motor driver 150 ... Memory 160 ... Ink head 161 ... Nozzle 170 ... Optical sensor 180 ... Display part 300 ... Paper medium 310 ... Character 320 ... White skip part 400A-400O ... Scanning line 410 ... Scanning point

Claims (8)

A print mode setting means capable of setting at least one of a black and white print mode or a color print mode and at least one of a high density or a low density of ink ejection as a print mode;
An ink head that ejects ink onto the medium at a first interval for each scanning line based on the printing mode;
A sensor capable of receiving reflected light of light irradiated on the medium;
Print blur detection means for detecting a print blur condition of the medium based on reflected light received by the sensor at a second interval wider than the first interval;
A print mode changing means for changing the print mode when a print fading state is detected by the print fading detection means;
A printing apparatus comprising: The ink head ejects ink while moving in a scanning direction substantially perpendicular to the paper feeding direction on the scanning lines provided at predetermined widths with respect to the paper feeding direction.
2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print blur detection unit detects a print blur condition of the medium based on reflected light received on one of the plurality of scan lines. . The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor receives reflected light of a portion of the medium on which ink is ejected. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor receives reflected light of a portion specified by an interval wider than a third interval among portions of the medium on which ink is ejected. The print mode changing unit changes the print mode from one of the black and white print mode or the color print mode to the other of the black and white print mode or the color print mode. The printing apparatus according to item 1. 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing mode changing unit changes the printing mode so that an ink discharge density is changed from a low density to a high density. A print mode setting means capable of setting at least one of a black and white print mode or a color print mode and at least one of a high density or a low density of ink ejection as a print mode;
An ink head that ejects ink onto the medium at a first interval for each scanning line based on the printing mode;
A sensor capable of receiving reflected light of light irradiated on the medium;
Print blur detection means for detecting a print blur condition of the medium based on reflected light received by the sensor at a second interval wider than the first interval;
Print mode changing means for stopping printing in the print mode when a print fading state is detected by the print fading detection means;
A printing apparatus comprising: Setting at least one of black and white printing mode or color printing mode and at least one of high density or low density of ink ejection as a printing mode;
Ejecting ink onto the medium at a first interval for each scan line based on the printing mode;
Receiving reflected light of the light applied to the medium;
Detecting a print fading state of the medium based on reflected light received by the sensor at a second interval wider than the first interval;
Changing the print mode when a print fading state is detected by the print fading detection means;
A printing method comprising:

Images