JP2021053867A - Recording apparatus and recording medium determination method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a recording apparatus capable of highly accurately determining a kind even for a recording medium whose homogeneity is low.SOLUTION: A carriage includes an optical sensor 201 and a recording head provided with a discharge port surface including a discharge port that permits discharge of ink. The optical sensor 201 measures characteristics of a recording medium a plurality of times at different measuring positions. The kind of the recording medium is determined on the basis of a value indicating a tendency of dispersion of measurement results, the measurement results and a previously stored characteristic value of a recording medium which serves as a reference.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

The present invention relates to a recording device and a method for determining a recording medium.

It is known that when recording is performed in a recording device, recording is performed using control parameters according to the type of recording medium. In Patent Document 1, in order to perform recording using appropriate control parameters, a plurality of characteristic values of a recording medium to be recorded are measured and compared with a reference value to determine the type of the recording medium. Is disclosed. It is also disclosed that the paper thickness, which is a characteristic of the recording medium, is measured at a plurality of positions.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-215591

However, some recording media have many surface irregularities and low in-plane uniformity. The characteristic values of recording media with low uniformity vary widely depending on the measurement position, and even if the characteristic values of the recording medium are measured at multiple positions, there is a risk that the type of recording medium cannot be determined with sufficient accuracy. is there.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to enable accurate discrimination even with a recording medium having low uniformity.

The present invention relates to an acquisition means for acquiring a measurement result obtained by measuring the characteristics of a recording medium used in a recording apparatus by a measuring means, the measurement result acquired by the acquisition means, and a recording medium as a reference stored in advance. A recording device including a characteristic value and a determination means for determining the type of recording medium used in the recording device based on the characteristic value, and the acquisition means is used a plurality of times depending on the measurement means at different measurement positions. A plurality of measured measurement results are acquired, and the determination means is a recording medium based on a value indicating a tendency of dispersion of the plurality of measurement results acquired by the acquisition means and a measurement value based on the plurality of measurement results. It is characterized by determining the type of.

According to the present invention, by determining the type of recording medium based on the tendency of dispersion of measured values, even if the recording medium is a recording medium having low uniformity, it can be accurately determined.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the recording apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the cross section of the recording apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the carriage which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the optical sensor which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the block structure of the control system of the recording apparatus in embodiment. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of a recording medium, a platen, and an optical sensor in an embodiment. It is a figure which shows the specular reflection value and diffuse reflection value at the time of measurement in an embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the convergence of the measured value of the recording medium with low uniformity in an embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the recording medium detection processing in embodiment. It is a figure which shows the data to be stored in the EEPROM or RAM of the Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the registration process in Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the recording medium determination process in Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The relative arrangement of each component of the device used in this embodiment, the shape of the device, and the like are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the recording device 100, in which casters and a basket for discharging paper are attached. FIG. 1A shows the overall appearance, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the upper cover is opened so that the internal structure can be seen. The recording device 100 in the present embodiment records by applying ink droplets as a recording material on a recording medium by an inkjet recording method. The recording medium is conveyed with the Y direction as the conveying direction. An inkjet recording device including a so-called serial type recording head, in which the carriage 101 equipped with the recording head 102 reciprocates in the X direction intersecting the Y direction to perform recording, will be described. However, an inkjet recording apparatus including a so-called line-type recording head in which the nozzle rows are formed over the recording width with respect to the transport direction of the recording medium may be used. Further, a multifunction peripheral device (MFP) in which not only a recording function but also a scanning function, a fax function, a transmitting function and the like are integrated may be used. Further, an electrophotographic recording device using powder toner as a recording material may be used. In the present embodiment, the recording device 100 is equipped with a function of an information processing device for performing a determination process of a recording medium to be used, which will be described later.

An input / output unit 406 is provided above the recording device 100. The input / output unit 406 is an operation panel, which displays ink level and recording medium type candidates on the display, and allows the user to select the recording medium type and set recording by operating the keys. Can be done.

The carriage 101 includes an optical sensor 201 (FIG. 3) and a recording head 102 having a discharge port surface provided with a discharge port for ejecting ink. The carriage 101 is configured to be reciprocally movable in the X direction (moving direction of the carriage) along the shaft 104 via the carriage belt 103 by driving the carriage motor 415 (FIG. 5). In the present embodiment, the recording device 100 acquires the diffuse reflection characteristic value and the specular reflection characteristic value on the surface of the recording medium 105 by the optical sensor 201, and measures the distance between the carriage 101 and the recording medium 105. It is possible to do.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the recording device 100. In the present embodiment, the recording medium 105 is roll paper, and can be set in two stages, an upper roll paper tube 107 and a lower roll paper tube 108. The recording medium 105 set in the roll paper tube is conveyed onto the platen 106 through the nip roller 206 by the transfer roller 153 driven by the LF motor 413. The recording medium 105 conveyed on the platen 106 is fixed on the platen 106 by the nip roller 206 and the suction fan 205 in the −Z direction of the platen 106. Further, a heater 207 is installed in the −Z direction of the platen 106, and the ink is dried by driving the heater 207 during recording. The recording operation is performed by ejecting ink droplets from the recording head 102 while the carriage 101 moves in the X direction on the recording medium 105 conveyed on the platen 106. When the carriage 101 moves to the end of the recording area on the recording medium 105, the transfer roller conveys the recording medium 105 by a certain amount, and moves the area for the next recording scan to a position where the recording head 102 can record. An image is recorded by repeating the above operation. A cutter unit 418 is installed downstream of the recording head 102 in the Y direction. The cutter unit 418 cuts the recording medium 105 to a predetermined length, and stores in the RAM 403 a setting for drawing a cut waste reduction line at the cut position. Further, independently of the cut line reduction, the operation setting of the cutter unit 418 can be stored in the RAM 403 for each paper type. In the case of a paper type that cannot be cut using the cutter unit 418, the setting (user cut) that the user does not move the cutter unit 418 to cut with scissors is stored in the ROM 402. If the paper type has a large basis weight and the straight line to be cut bends unless the user holds the paper while cutting it, the cutter unit 418 is set to move after giving the user time to hold the paper (eject). The cut) is stored in the ROM 402. In the case of a paper type for which the user cut and the eject cut are not set, the setting (auto cut) for cutting by the cutter unit 418 is stored in the ROM 402.

<Carriage configuration>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the carriage 101. The carriage 101 includes a translator 202 and a head holder 203. The head holder 203 includes a recording head 102 and an optical sensor 201 which is a reflective sensor. As shown in FIG. 2, the optical sensor 201 is configured so that the bottom surface is at the same position as or higher than the bottom surface of the recording head 102.

<Optical sensor configuration>
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the optical sensor 201. The optical sensor 201 includes a first LED 301, a second LED 302, a third LED 303, a first photodiode 304, a second photodiode 305, and a third photodiode 306 as optical elements. The first LED 301 is a light source having an irradiation angle normal (90 °) with respect to the surface (measurement surface) of the recording medium 105. The first photodiode 304 is irradiated from the first LED 301 and receives the reflected light from the recording medium 105 at an angle of 45 ° in the Z direction. That is, an optical system for detecting a so-called diffusely reflected component of the reflected light from the recording medium 105 is formed.

The second LED 302 is a light source having an irradiation angle of 60 ° in the Z direction with respect to the surface (measurement surface) of the recording medium 105. The first photodiode 304 is irradiated from the second LED 302 and receives the reflected light from the recording medium 105 at an angle of 60 ° in the Z direction. That is, the angles of light emission and light reception become equal, and an optical system for detecting a so-called specular reflection component of the reflected light from the recording medium 105 is formed.

The third LED 303 is a light source having an irradiation angle normal (90 °) with respect to the surface (measurement surface) of the recording medium 105. The second photodiode 305 and the third photodiode 306 are irradiated from the third LED 303 and receive the reflected light from the recording medium 105. The second photodiode 305 and the third photodiode 306 measure the distance between the optical sensor 201 and the recording medium 105 by changing the amount of light received from each of them according to the distance between the optical sensor 201 and the recording medium 105. To do.

In this embodiment, the optical sensor is installed on the carriage, but other embodiments may be used. For example, it may be fixedly installed in a recording device, or it is a measuring device for measuring characteristic values such as diffuse reflection and specular reflection of a recording medium separate from the recording device, and is measured by the measuring device. The characteristic value may be transmitted to the recording device.

<Block diagram>
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a block configuration of a control system of the recording device 100. The ROM 402 is a non-volatile memory, and for example, a control program for controlling the recording device 100 and a program for realizing the operation of the present embodiment are stored. The operation of this embodiment is realized, for example, by the CPU 401 reading the program stored in the ROM 402 into the RAM 403 and executing it. The RAM 403 is also used as a working memory of the CPU 401. The EEPROM 404 stores data to be retained even when the power of the recording device 100 is turned off. At least, the CPU 401 and the ROM 402 realize the function of the information processing device for performing the recording medium determination process described later. In this embodiment, the EEPROM 404 stores the usage history of the types of recording media that have been fed so far. The stored information is treated as history information. In addition, the EEPROM 404 stores the characteristic values of each recording medium used as a predetermined reference. The characteristic values Q1 to Q3 predetermined and stored in the data 1001 of FIG. 10A are shown. Here, premium plain paper, standard plain paper, and standard glossy paper are stored in advance. Each characteristic value is stored as data 1001 in association with the registration number together with the information on the name of the paper and the uniformity flag. The uniformity flag is information indicating whether the recording medium is classified as a uniform recording medium or a non-uniform recording medium. Details will be described later. The recording medium includes a medium other than a paper medium, but in the present embodiment, the user is notified by using the word “paper”. The history information and the characteristic values of each recording medium may be stored in an external memory such as a ROM of the host computer or a server instead of the storage medium in the recording device.

The interface (I / F) circuit 410 connects the recording device 100 to an external network such as a LAN. The recording device 100 transmits and receives various jobs, data, and the like to and from a device such as an external host computer by means of the I / F circuit 410.

The input / output unit 406 includes an input unit and an output unit. The input unit receives power-on instructions, recording execution instructions, and various function setting instructions from the user. The output unit displays various device information such as the power saving mode and setting screens of various functions that can be executed by the recording device 100. In the present embodiment, the input / output unit 406 is an operation panel provided in the recording device 100, and the input / output unit 406 is connected to the system bus 416 via the input / output control circuit 405 so as to be able to transmit / receive data. There is. In the present embodiment, the CPU 401 controls the notification of the information of the output unit.

In addition, the input unit may be the keyboard of an external host computer, and may be able to receive user instructions from the external host computer. The output unit may be an LED display, an LCD display, or a display connected to a host device. Further, when the input / output unit is a touch panel, instructions from the user can be received by the software key. Further, the input / output unit 406 may be a speaker and a microphone, and the input from the user may be a voice input and the notification to the user may be a voice output.

Even if an information processing device having a CPU and a ROM having the same functions as the CPU 401 and the ROM 402 and externally connected to the recording device 100 performs a recording medium determination process described later to determine the recording medium to be used in the recording device 100. Good.

When the measurement by the optical sensor 201 is performed, the LED control circuit 407 is driven by the CPU 401, and the predetermined LED in the optical sensor 201 is controlled to light up. Each photodiode of the optical sensor 201 outputs a signal corresponding to the received light, is converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion circuit 408, and is temporarily stored in the RAM 403. The data to be saved even when the power of the recording device 100 is turned off is stored in the EEPROM 404.

The recording head control circuit 411 supplies a drive signal according to the recording data to the nozzle drive circuit including the selector and the switch mounted on the recording head 102, and controls the recording operation of the recording head 102 such as the driving order of the nozzles. I do. For example, when the recording target data is transmitted from the outside to the I / F circuit 410, the recording target data is temporarily stored in the RAM 403. Then, the recording head control circuit 411 drives the recording head 102 based on the recording data converted from the recording target data into the recording data for recording. At that time, the LF (line feed) motor drive circuit 412 drives the LF motor 413 based on the bandwidth of the recorded data and the like, and the transfer roller connected to the LF motor 413 rotates to convey the recording medium. .. The CR (carriage) motor drive circuit 414 scans the carriage 101 via the carriage belt 103 by driving the CR (carriage) motor 415. When the recording is completed, the cutter unit 418 is driven by the cutter unit drive circuit 417 to cut the recording medium 105.

The data sent from the I / F circuit 410 includes not only the data to be recorded but also the data of the contents set by the printer driver. Further, the data to be recorded may be received from the outside via the I / F circuit 410 and stored in the storage unit, or may be stored in the storage unit such as a hard disk in advance. The CPU 401 reads the image data from the storage unit, controls the image processing circuit 409, and executes conversion (binarization processing) into the recorded data for using the recording head 102. In addition to the binarization process, the image processing circuit 409 executes various image processes such as color space conversion, HV conversion, gamma correction, and image rotation. The image data obtained by the image processing is stored in the RAM 403.

<Internal configuration>
FIG. 6 is a schematic schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the recording medium 105, the platen 106, and the optical sensor 201 when measuring the characteristic values of the recording medium 105 using the optical sensor 201.

The optical sensor 201 measures the characteristic value of the detection region P of the recording medium 105 conveyed on the platen 106. In the recording medium detection process of FIG. 9, which will be described later, a plurality of characteristic values are measured, and the characteristic values are measured by changing the position each time in the detection area P. The detection region P is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 6, and the characteristic value may be measured by using the region shown by 305, which is a region on the convex portion of the platen 106, as the detection region P. The convex portion is preferable because the recording medium is less likely to bend, but the convex portion is not limited to the convex portion as long as the region has less deflection. The candidate area to be the detection area P is preset and stored in the EEPROM 404.

<Dispersion tendency of measured values>
FIG. 7A is a diagram showing a specular reflection value and a diffuse reflection value when the characteristic value of a uniform recording medium is measured by the optical sensor 201. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing a specular reflection value and a diffuse reflection value when the characteristic value of the non-uniform recording medium is measured by the optical sensor 201. Here, the non-uniform recording medium in the present embodiment refers to a recording medium in which the result of reading the characteristic value by the optical sensor 201 is likely to change depending on the reading position. It is also called a recording medium having low uniformity. For example, a medium having a non-uniform thickness such as Japanese paper, a medium having a large surface unevenness such as drawing paper, or a medium having some design pattern is a non-uniform recording medium. In the following description, as a non-uniform recording medium, a medium having large surface irregularities such as drawing paper will be described as an example. Further, in the present embodiment, a recording medium that is not a non-uniform recording medium is referred to as a uniform recording medium. The uniform recording medium is, for example, plain paper or glossy paper.

FIG. 7A shows the measurement results obtained by measuring the characteristic values of the uniform recording medium A four times at different positions as white circles 491. 492 is a range in which the measured specular reflection value and diffuse reflection value of the recording medium A are circled. The arrow 493 is the radius of the range 492 and indicates the magnitude of the variance error ε. When the measurement result falls within the range 492, it is determined to be the recording medium A.

FIG. 7B shows the measured value 491 of the uniform recording medium A and the measurement result of the recording medium B having low uniformity. The black circles indicate the measurement results obtained by measuring the characteristic values of the recording medium having low uniformity eight times at different positions, and 501 and 502 indicate the range in which the measurement results are distributed. As shown in FIG. 7B, in the recording medium B having low uniformity, the distance (gap) between the optical sensor 201 and the recording medium 105 changes greatly depending on the measurement position due to the unevenness of the surface, and the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value are changed. Is dispersed as 501 and 502. If the measurement result of the recording medium B having low uniformity falls within the range 492, it may be erroneously determined to be the recording medium A. In the present embodiment, by registering the dispersion tendency of the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value due to the gap difference when the recording medium having low uniformity is measured in advance, the recording medium having low uniformity can be correctly discriminated and the recording medium is recorded. Improve the discrimination accuracy of the type.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the convergence of the measured values 501 and 502 of the recording medium having low uniformity. 8 (a) and 8 (e) are graphs in which the measured values when the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value are measured 30 times are plotted with respect to the horizontal axis = the number of measurements (xth time), respectively. 8 (b) and 8 (f) are the average value of the specular reflection value and the average value of the diffuse reflection value. As shown in FIGS. 8 (b) and 8 (f), when a plurality of measured values are averaged even on a recording medium having low uniformity, the average is stable within a certain range of 603 and 604. In order to obtain the ranges 603 and 604, the average value of the variance of the average values at the time of each measurement of the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value is obtained.

In order to obtain the average value of the variance of the average value of the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value, first, the dispersion of the average value of the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value is obtained in FIGS. 8 (c) and 8 (g). As the number of measurements increases, the average value of the measured values approaches a constant value, so that the variation in the variance of the average value becomes small.

8 (d) and 8 (h) show a diagram of the average value of the variance of the average value of the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value. 601 in FIG. 8D shows the convergence range of the graph showing the average value of the variance of the average value of the specular reflection values at the time of each measurement of the measured values 501 and 502. FIG. 8H 602 shows the convergence range of the graph showing the average value of the variance of the average value of the diffused reflection values at the time of each measurement of the measured values 501 and 502. It is assumed that the range of the number of times that the average value of the variance of the average value of the measured values has entered the predetermined range in the first consecutive number of times is set as the convergence ranges 601 and 602 and converged. Here, the first number is eight. The average of the measured values 603 and 604 measured in the convergence ranges 601 and 602 is taken as the normal diffused reflection value of the recording medium having low uniformity. If the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value have different convergence tendencies, the measurement is repeated until both values converge. When the number of times of entering the convergence range is less than the first number of times, a new measurement is performed and the measured value is acquired. If the average value of the measured values does not converge even after performing the second measurement in the measurement area P, the measurement is performed by changing the measurement area.

When the measured values have converged, the average value of the measured values from the convergence to a predetermined number of times before is taken as the measured value of the recording medium on which the measurement is performed. In the present embodiment, the predetermined number of times is assumed to be the first number of times.

In the present embodiment, the recording medium having low uniformity is not the type of the recording medium predetermined and stored in the EEPROM 404, but the type of the recording medium registered by the user. Therefore, when the recording device 100 is shipped from the factory in the initial state, the characteristic value of the recording medium having low uniformity is not stored in the EEPROM 404. This is because the types of recording media with low uniformity used differ greatly depending on the user. Of course, the characteristic values for some low-uniformity recording media may be stored in the EEPROM 404 from the initial state.

<Overall flow>
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a recording medium detection process for obtaining a specular reflection value and a diffuse reflection value used for determining the type of recording medium of a recording medium having low uniformity. In this process, first, it is determined from the tendency of dispersion whether the target recording medium 105 is a uniform recording medium or a non-uniform recording medium, or whether a correct value cannot be detected due to a sensor failure or the like. In this embodiment, the average value of the variance of the average value of the measured values is used as the value indicating the tendency of the dispersion. If it is in a detectable state, the specular reflection value and diffuse reflection value used to determine the type of recording medium are obtained from the measured values. It is determined from the obtained specular reflection value and diffuse reflection value whether or not there is a corresponding recording medium, and the result of the determination is temporarily stored in the RAM 403. The processing of each step from S901 to S921 in FIG. 9 is realized, for example, by the CPU 401 shown in FIG. 5 reading the program stored in the ROM 402 into the RAM 403 and executing the program. It may also be executed by the software of the host device. Various values used by the recording medium detecting means are preset and stored in the EEPROM 404 as shown in the data 1003 of FIG. 10 (a).

After the recording medium 105 is conveyed onto the platen 106 by the transfer roller 153, in step S901, the optical sensor 201 is moved to the detection area P on the preset recording medium. The movement of the optical sensor 201 is performed by scanning the recording head 102 in the X direction using the CR motor 415.

In step S902, the measurement counter n is set to 1. Next, in step S903, the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value of the recording medium 105 are measured by the optical sensor 201. Let Vn be the measured value measured at the nth time. The measured measured value is temporarily stored in the RAM 403. FIG. 10B shows data 1004 stored in the RAM 403 in the recording medium detection process. When the nth measurement is performed in step S903, the measured specular reflection value and diffuse reflection value are stored as the measured value Vn. For example, the measured values measured n times on a paper having low uniformity are as shown in FIGS. 501 and 502, and are shown in a graph as shown in FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (e). Hereinafter, the measured values 501 and 502 will be described as an example.

In step S904, the average values of the measured values Vn measured in S903 at each of the measured values 501 and 502 at the time points 1 to n are calculated by the following equation (1) and stored in the RAM 403. The average values of the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value at each of the measurement values 501 and 502 measured 1 to n times with a recording medium having low uniformity are as shown in FIGS. 8 (b) and 8 (f).

^{In step S905, the variance Sn 2} of the average values of the measured values 501 and 502 calculated in step S904 at the time of each measurement is obtained by the following equation (2) and stored in the RAM 403. A specular reflection value or a diffuse reflection value is substituted for x in the equation (2). The variance of the average value of the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value at each of the measurement values 501 and 502 measured 1 to n times on a recording medium having low uniformity is as shown in FIGS. 8 (c) and 8 (g). ..

In step S906, the average value An of the dispersion of the average values at the time of each measurement of the measured values 501 and 502 calculated in step S905 is calculated by the following formula (3) and stored in the RAM 403.
An = (S1 + S2 ... + Sn) / n ... (3)
In step S907, in order to determine whether or not the values have converged, whether the average value of the variance of the average value obtained in step S906 is within a predetermined range for C or more consecutive convergence continuation times set in advance. Judge whether or not. The predetermined range is An ± ε in the range of the variance error ε from the average value An of the variance of the mean value calculated in step S906. It is sufficient that the values from An−c to An are within An ± ε. The average values of the variances of the average values of the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value at each of the measurement values 501 and 502 measured 1 to n times on a recording medium having low uniformity are shown in FIGS. 8 (d) and 8 (h), respectively. become that way. The specular reflection value and the diffusely reflected light value converge, and the values within the convergence ranges 601 and 601 become values within a predetermined range. The convergence ranges 601 and 602 are the number of times of continuation of convergence C, which is 8 in FIG. If it continues (step S907: Yes), the process proceeds to step S908 assuming that the average value An of the variance of the average value has converged. If it does not continue (step S907: No), it is assumed that the convergence has not occurred, and the process proceeds to step S909.

When the process proceeds to step S909, it is determined whether or not the measurement counter n has exceeded the number of detection end times E. If it exceeds (step S909: Yes), the process proceeds to step S910. If it does not exceed (step S909: No), the process proceeds to step S911.

In step S910, even if the measured value is detected E times as the number of detection ends, the average value An of the variance of the average value does not converge. Therefore, the RAM 403 stores that the measured value is not detected and ends the process.

In step S911, it is determined whether or not the number of detections of the measured value in the preset detection area P exceeds the number of changes M. If it does not exceed (step S9111: No), the process returns to step S903. If it exceeds (step S9111: Yes), the process proceeds to step S912. In step S912, the optical sensor 201 is moved in the X direction and moved to another preset detection area. At this time, the moving distance is longer than the spot diameter of the optical sensor 201, and it is preferable that the moving distance is a position where the uneven state of the recording medium is different from that of the previous detection region. By changing the detection region in this way, it is possible to avoid a case where the average value An of the dispersion of the average value calculated in step S906 does not converge due to external factors such as dirt on the recording medium and the influence of illumination. In the present embodiment, the detection area P is changed by moving the optical sensor 201 in the X direction, but the detection area P may be changed by transporting the recording medium 105 in the Y direction. Both may be combined.

Then, the process proceeds to step S913. In step S913, n + 1 is assigned to the measurement counter n, and the process returns to step S903.

On the other hand, when a constant value continues for C or more times of convergence continuation times preset in step S907 (step S907: Yes), the measurement count n at that time is set as the convergence number K and the convergence number information is stored in the RAM 403, and the convergence number information is stored in step S908. To execute. The convergence number information is information indicating how many times the measurement was performed to converge. In step S908, the convergence measurement value is calculated by the equation (4) as the average of the measurement values for C times from the final measurement. The calculated value is stored in the RAM 403 as a characteristic value T.
T = (Vn-C + ... + Vn) / C ... (4)
For example, when the measured values are 501 and 502 of FIG. 7 (b), the average of the ranges of 603 and 604 of FIGS. 8 (b) and 8 (f) is calculated.

In step S914, in order to determine whether the recording medium 105 is a uniform recording medium or a non-uniform recording medium, it is determined whether or not the convergence number K has converged at a predetermined number of times set in advance. Here, the predetermined number of times is set to C times, which is the number of times of continuation of convergence, and the recording medium in which the average value of the dispersion of the average value converges in C times from the start of measurement is used as a uniform recording medium. Depending on the setting of the type of recording medium to be a uniform recording medium and the accuracy of the optical sensor 201, the predetermined number of times may be set to be more than C times. If the number of convergences K is equal to or less than a predetermined number (step S914: Yes), the process proceeds to step S915. If the number of convergences K is not less than or equal to the predetermined number (step S914: No), the process proceeds to step S916.

In step S915, the uniformity flag information F indicating that the measured recording medium is a uniform recording medium is stored in the RAM 403. In step S916, the RAM 403 stores the uniformity flag information indicating that the measured recording medium is a non-uniform recording medium.

After step S915 and step S916, the process proceeds to step S917. In step S917, the convergence measurement value acquired in step S908, the uniformity flag of the recording medium 105 acquired in step S915 or step S916, and the type of recording medium stored in the EEPROM 404 based on the value of the number of convergences K are used. Determine if it exists. A recording medium in which the measured value falls within a predetermined range from the characteristic value stored in the EEPROM 404 in advance, and the number of convergences K is also within a predetermined number of times from the number of convergences indicated by the convergence number information stored in the EEPROM 404. Use the applicable recording medium. If there are multiple applicable recording media, the type with the closest characteristic value shall be the applicable recording medium. If there is a corresponding recording medium type (step S917: Yes), the process proceeds to step S918. If there is no corresponding recording medium type (step S917: No), the process proceeds to step S919. In step S919, it is stored in the RAM 403 that the measured recording medium 105 is not registered.

In step S918, the RAM 403 stores that the measured recording medium 105 is the type of the recording medium corresponding to that in step S917. After that, the process proceeds to S920, and it is stored in the RAM 403 that the measured recording medium 105 has been registered.

After step S919 and step S920, the process proceeds to step S921. In step S921, since the average value An of the variance of the average value has converged, the RAM 403 stores that the convergence detection has occurred, and the process ends.

In addition, other statistical means and calculation methods may be used for the determination of convergence in order to correspond to the tendency of various recording media.

The process for registering a recording medium having low uniformity will be described below.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a registration process for registering the measured value of the recording medium 105 measured by the optical sensor 201 as a new recording medium. As described above, in the present embodiment, the characteristic values of the recording medium having low uniformity in the initial state are not stored in the EEPROM 404 in advance. Therefore, in the process of FIG. 11, characteristic values are registered so that a recording medium having low uniformity can be discriminated. Data 1002 of FIG. 10A shows data relating to the type of recording medium stored by user registration. The processing of each step in S701 to S710 of FIG. 11 is realized, for example, by the CPU 401 shown in FIG. 5 reading the program stored in the ROM 402 into the RAM 403 and executing the program. It may also be executed by the software of the host device.

In the present embodiment, the input / output unit 406 is a touch panel. Further, the input / output unit 406 may be a display and a host device connected to the host device. When the input / output unit 406 is a speaker having a microphone function capable of inputting / outputting audio, the speaker notifies the type of the recording medium, and the user selects the recording medium by the user using the name of the recording medium. Alternatively, it is performed by inputting the corresponding code by voice.

When the user touches the "new paper registration" item from the input / output unit 406 in order to record the characteristic value of the new recording medium, the transfer roller 153 transfers the recording medium 105 onto the platen 106. After being transported, the recording medium detection process of FIG. 9 is performed in step S701.

Next, in step S702, it is determined whether or not convergence is detected in step S701. Whether or not convergence is detected is determined by whether the information stored in the RAM 403 indicates "convergence detection" or "convergence non-detection". If convergence is detected (step S702: Yes), the process proceeds to step S703. If convergence is not detected (step S702: No), the process proceeds to step S704.

In step S704, since the measured value of the recording medium 105 could not be detected in the recording medium detection process of step S701, information indicating that registration is not possible is stored in the RAM 403 as a detection result. Then, the process proceeds to step S710, and the input / output unit 406 displays "Cannot register" or the like based on the detection result stored in step S704.

When the process proceeds to step S703, it is determined whether or not the information indicating that the recording medium 105 measured in step S701 has been registered is stored in the RAM 403. If the information indicating that the registration has been completed is stored in the RAM 403 (step S703: Yes), the process proceeds to step S705. If the information indicating that the information has not been registered is stored (step S703: No), the process proceeds to step S706. In step S705, information indicating registration is stored in the RAM 403 as a detection result. Then, the process proceeds to step S710, and the input / output unit 406 displays "registered paper" or the like based on the detection result stored in step S705. Further, the input / output unit 406 may display information indicating the type of the corresponding recording medium. Even if it is determined that the recording medium is a registered recording medium, the recording medium may be additionally registered as a recording medium different from the registered recording medium.

In step S706, a vacant user registration information number is acquired. When the information of the recording medium registered by the user is stored in the EEPROM 404, the characteristic value or the like is stored in association with the number u as shown in the data 1002 of FIG. 10 (a). Of these numbers, the number u that is not associated with the registered recording medium type is acquired.

In step S707, the convergence measurement value acquired in step S701 is registered in the storage area of R2u, the uniformity flag is registered in the storage area of R3u, and the number of convergences is registered in the storage area of R4u in association with the number acquired in step S706. ..

In step S708, the name R1u of the recording medium is registered in association with the number acquired in step S706. First, a display such as "Enter the name of the paper" is displayed on the input / output unit 406, and the user inputs the name of the recording medium 105 to be registered in the input / output unit 406. Then, the information indicating the name input by the user is registered as the name V4u of the recording medium.

In step S709, the new registration is stored in the RAM 403 as a detection result. Then, in step S710, the input / output unit 406 is made to display "registered" or the like based on the detection result stored in step S709, and the process is terminated.

In FIG. 12, when recording is performed, the measurement result obtained by measuring the characteristics of the recording medium 105 to be recorded is acquired, and the input / output unit 406 is notified of the candidate recording medium based on the measurement result and the reference characteristic value. It is a flowchart which shows the recording medium determination process which determines the type of the recording medium to record. In the following recording medium determination process, it is determined whether the recording medium 105 to be recorded is a uniform recording medium or a non-uniform recording medium by calculating the tendency of dispersion of the characteristic values of the measurement results, and according to the determination. Determine the type of recording medium. By determining the recording medium, parameters such as the maximum amount of ink used, the height of the recording head, the force of adhering the recording medium to the platen, and the degree of correction of the amount of the recording medium conveyed are set. Other parameters may be used as long as they are control parameters that affect the characteristics of the recording medium. The processing of each step from S801 to S812 in FIG. 12 is realized, for example, by the CPU 401 shown in FIG. 5 reading the program stored in the ROM 402 into the RAM 403 and executing the program. Further, the recording medium determination process may be executed by the software of the host device. In the present embodiment, since the input / output unit 406 is an operation panel provided in the recording device, the notification of the type of the recording medium is performed by displaying the name of the recording medium on the operation panel.

When the CPU 401 receives a user's instruction to start paper feeding from the operation panel of the input / output unit 406, the CPU 401 executes the paper feeding process of the recording medium 105. When the user touches the "Yes" item, paper feeding starts.

When the "Yes" item is selected and paper feeding is started, the recording medium 105 is conveyed by the transfer roller 153 to a position where the optical sensor 201 on the platen 106 can be detected. When the recording medium 105 is conveyed, the carriage 101 moves on the recording medium 105 in the X direction, and the optical sensor 201 acquires the diffused reflection value and the specular reflection value of the three points of the recording medium 105 (step S801). In the present embodiment, three points, both ends and the center, are measured in the width direction of the recording medium 105. The measurement position may be any point as long as the uniformity of the recording medium can be measured, the diffuse reflection value corresponds to the whiteness of the recording medium, and the specular reflection value corresponds to the glossiness of the recording medium. As a characteristic of the recording medium, the recording medium determination process may be performed by further using the thickness of the recording medium and the width of the recording medium in the X direction. In this embodiment, the characteristics at three points are measured, but any number of points may be two or more. However, in order to measure the degree of variation in the measured values, it is preferable to measure the characteristics at three or more points. Further, the characteristic measurement may be performed with the optical sensor 201 stopped, or may be performed while moving. The measured value is temporarily stored in a memory such as RAM 403.

Next, in step S802, the CPU 401 reads the acquired measured value from the memory and calculates the variance of each of the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value. The variance S ² is obtained by the above equation (2).

In step S803, it is determined whether or not the measurement result measured in step S801 is within the preset dispersion error ε. When the variance is within the variance error ε, the measured value is within the variance error ε as shown in FIG. 7, and it is determined that the recording medium 105 to be recorded is a uniform recording medium. In such a case (step S803: Yes), the process proceeds to step S804. On the other hand, if the variance is not within the dispersion error ε (step S803: No), it is determined that the recording medium 105 to be recorded is a recording medium having low uniformity, and the process proceeds to step S807. When comparing the specular reflection value and the diffuse reflection value, the error ε may be made variable according to the state of the device in order to reduce the aged deterioration of the mechanism, the optical sensor 201, etc., and the environmental error. Further, for more precise adjustment, the user may set from the input / output unit 406.

In step S804, the CPU 401 compares the measured values with the characteristic values of various recording media that are predetermined and stored in the EEPROM 404. As a result, the type of recording medium corresponding to the characteristics indicated by the measured values is extracted. The type of recording medium whose measured value falls within a predetermined range from the characteristic value of the recording medium predetermined in EEPROM 404 is extracted as the type of the corresponding recording medium. When a plurality of samples are extracted, the recording medium whose characteristic value is closer to the measured value is used as the corresponding recording medium type. If there is a corresponding recording medium type (step S804: Yes), the process proceeds to step S805. If there is no corresponding recording medium type (step S804: No), the process proceeds to step S806.

In step S805, the type of the corresponding recording medium extracted in step S804 is acquired. In step S806, in order to display the type of recording medium that is likely to be used as a guide, the type of recording medium that was last used is acquired from the history information of EEPROM 404. When step 705 and step S806 are completed, the process proceeds to step S812.

On the other hand, when the process proceeds to step S807, it is determined whether or not a non-uniform recording medium is registered in the user recording medium information stored in the EEPROM 404. If it is registered (step S807: Yes), the process proceeds to step S808. If it is not registered (step S807: No), even if the processing after step S808 is performed to obtain the measured value of the non-uniform recording medium, the information of the characteristic value of the non-uniform recording medium corresponding to the measured value is transmitted to EEPROM 404. I don't remember. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S806, and the type of the candidate recording medium is acquired based on the history information.

In step S808, the recording medium detection process of FIG. 9 is performed.

When the process of step S808 is completed, it is determined in step S809 whether or not convergence is detected in the process of step S808. Whether or not convergence is detected is determined by whether the information stored in the RAM 403 indicates "convergence detection" or "convergence non-detection". If it is determined that convergence has been detected (step S809: Yes), the process proceeds to step S810. If convergence cannot be detected (step S809: No), the process proceeds to step S806.

In step S810, the uniformity flag of the measured recording medium 105 stored in the RAM 403 in step S808 is acquired, and it is determined whether or not the flag indicates that the recording medium is non-uniform. If the flag indicates that the recording medium is non-uniform (step S810: Yes), the process proceeds to step S811. If the flag indicates that the recording medium is uniform (step S810: No), the process proceeds to step S804.

Proceeding to step S811, it is determined whether or not the information indicating that the recording medium 105 measured in step S808 has been registered is stored in the RAM 403. When the information indicating that the registration has been completed is stored (step S811: Yes), the type of the recording medium stored as the type of the recording medium corresponding to the recording medium 105 is acquired, and the process proceeds to step S812. .. If the information indicating that the information has not been registered is stored, the process proceeds to step S806 (step S811: No).

In step S812, the input / output unit 406 notifies the user of the information indicating the type of the acquired recording medium. Here, the name of the type of recording medium is notified. In addition, a number or symbol corresponding to the type of recording medium may be notified.

As described above, the non-uniform recording medium is determined by determining a uniform recording medium and a non-uniform recording medium based on the results of multiple measurements and determining the type of recording medium corresponding to the acquired measured value. False positives can be reduced.

(Other embodiments)
In the above-described embodiment, for example, in step S917, the type of the corresponding recording medium is determined to be one type, but when a plurality of types of recording media are applicable, the user is notified of the plurality of types of recording media as candidates. The type of recording medium may be determined. Further, when there is no corresponding recording medium in step S812, the type of the last used recording medium is acquired based on the history information, but here as well, the recording medium used a plurality of times from the last is extracted. , The user may be notified.

The recording device of the above-described embodiment was an inkjet recording device that ejects ink as a recording material, but an electrophotographic recording device that uses powder toner as a recording material may also be used.

101 Recording device 105 Recording medium 201 Optical sensor 401 CPU
404a EEPROM
404b EEPROM
406 Input / output section

Claims (11)

An acquisition means for acquiring the measurement result obtained by measuring the characteristics of the recording medium used in the recording device by the measuring means, and
A determination means for determining the type of recording medium used in the recording apparatus based on the measurement result acquired by the acquisition means and the characteristic value of the recording medium as a reference stored in advance.
It is a recording device equipped with
The acquisition means acquires a plurality of measurement results measured at different measurement positions a plurality of times by the measurement means.
The determination means is characterized in that the type of the recording medium is determined based on the value indicating the tendency of dispersion of the plurality of measurement results acquired by the acquisition means and the measurement value based on the plurality of measurement results. Recording device. The determination means is characterized in that, when the dispersion of the measurement results converges, whether or not the dispersion has converged within a predetermined number of times and the type of the recording medium are determined based on the measured values based on the plurality of measurement results. The recording device according to claim 1. Information indicating the characteristic value of the reference recording medium stored in advance and information on the number of times of convergence indicating how many times the measurement means converged on the measurement result when the measuring means measured the characteristic of the recording medium are stored. Have a storage means to
In the determination means, the measured value is within a predetermined range from the characteristic value stored in the storage means, and the number of times the dispersion has converged is the number of times indicated by the convergence number information stored in the storage means. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the type of the recording medium having a number of times within a predetermined number of times is determined by the type of the recording medium used in the recording apparatus. The determination means measures the average value of the measurement results from the last measurement when the average value of the dispersion of the average values of the plurality of measurement results acquired by the acquisition means converges to a predetermined number of times before. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the type of recording medium is determined. It also has a calculation means
The acquisition means acquires the measurement result each time the measuring means measures the characteristics of the recording medium.
When the acquisition means acquires the measurement result, the calculation means calculates the average value of the variance of the average value of the measurement results based on the acquired plurality of measurement results.
When the calculated average value of the dispersion of the average value is within the predetermined range for the first consecutive number of times, the type of the recording medium is determined by the determination means, and the average value is within the predetermined range. The recording device according to claim 4, wherein when the number of times is less than the first number of times, the acquisition means acquires a new measurement result by the measuring means. The average value of the variance of the average value calculated by the calculation means is until the calculation means calculates the average value of the variance of the average value based on the measurement result measured a second time by the measurement means. The fifth aspect of the present invention is the case where the measuring means changes the position on the recording medium for measuring the characteristics of the recording medium when the measurement means does not fall within the predetermined range in the first consecutive times. The recording device described. The acquisition means disperses the average value based on the measurement result in which the average value of the variance of the average value calculated by the calculation means is measured a third number of times by the measuring means more than the second number of times. If the average value of the above is not within the predetermined range for the first consecutive number of times, history information indicating the type of the recording medium used in the recording device is acquired.
The recording device according to claim 6, wherein the determination means determines the type of recording medium that has been used based on the history information. It has a notification control means that controls the notification means for notifying information.
The determination means determines a candidate for the type of recording medium measured based on the measurement result and the characteristic value of the reference recording medium stored in advance.
The recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the notification control means causes the notification means to notify information indicating information of the candidate recording medium. An acquisition process for acquiring measurement results obtained by measuring the characteristics of a recording medium used in a recording device by a measuring means, and
A determination step of determining the type of recording medium used in the recording apparatus based on the acquired measurement result and the characteristic value of the recording medium as a reference stored in advance.
It is a recording medium determination method having
In the acquisition step, a plurality of measurement results measured at different measurement positions are acquired a plurality of times by the measuring means.
The determination step is characterized in that the type of recording medium is determined based on a value indicating a tendency of dispersion of the plurality of measurement results acquired in the acquisition step and a measurement value based on the plurality of measurement results. Recording medium determination method. In the determination step, when the dispersion of the measurement results converges, the type of recording medium is determined based on whether or not the dispersion has converged within a predetermined number of times and the measured values based on the plurality of measurement results. The recording medium determination method according to claim 9. In the determination step, the information indicating the characteristic value of the reference recording medium stored in advance and the measurement result when the measuring means measures the characteristic of the recording medium are shown. A recording medium in which information is acquired from a storage means that stores information on the number of times of convergence, and the measured value falls within a predetermined range from the characteristic value stored in the storage means, and the number of times the dispersion has converged is the number of times. It is characterized in that the type of the recording medium, which is within a predetermined number of times from the number of times indicated by the convergence number information stored in the storage means, is determined to be the type of the recording medium used in the recording device. The recording medium determination method according to claim 9 or 10.

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