JP2023059580A - Image formation apparatus, sensor data collection method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image formation apparatus, sensor data collection method and program which can efficiently collect data from an environment sensor.SOLUTION: An image formation apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium comprises: a conveyance member which is used for conveyance of the recording medium; and a processor which changes a sampling frequency of an environment sensor according to a speed of the operation including movement or rotation of the conveyance member and acquires sensor data of the environment sensor. The speed of the conveyance member is divided into states of different speeds including three stages of at least a first speed, a second speed faster than the first speed and a third speed faster than the second speed. When the sampling frequencies of the environment sensor in states at the first speed, second speed and third speed are f0, f1 and f2, 0<f0<f1<f2 is satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present disclosure relates to image forming apparatuses, sensor data collection methods, and programs.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-200003 describes an image forming system that includes an inkjet print head that forms an image on a continuous sheet of paper, and a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor that are arranged in a space in which the continuous sheet of paper is conveyed. The image forming system described in Cited Document 1 adjusts operating conditions during image formation based on usage environment information and paper type information that are sequentially measured using a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor during image formation. It has control means for sequential control.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200002 describes an image forming apparatus that includes humidity detection means for detecting humidity inside a medium accommodation device, and a dehumidifying section for dehumidifying the inside of the medium accommodation device. The image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 2 controls the humidity inside the medium accommodation device based on the detection result of the humidity detection means.

JP 2019-6073 A JP 2007-101584 A

Various controls are performed on the image forming apparatus based on data obtained from a plurality of types of sensors. In addition, it is possible to collect data obtained from various sensors in the image forming apparatus and utilize the collected data for ex-post data analysis. In recent years, with the increase in sensors, the amount of data to be acquired is also increasing. On the other hand, as the amount of data increases, the data storage cost and analysis processing time also increase.

The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and aims to provide an image forming apparatus, a sensor data collection method, and a program capable of efficiently collecting data from environmental sensors.

An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium, and includes a conveying member used for conveying the recording medium, and an operation speed including movement or rotation of the conveying member. a processor for changing the sampling frequency of the environmental sensor to acquire sensor data from the environmental sensor, wherein the speed of the transport member is at least a first speed, a second speed that is greater than the first speed, and a It is divided into different speed states including three stages with a third speed higher than the two speeds, and the sampling frequencies of the environment sensor in the first speed, second speed and third speed states are f0, f1 and f2, respectively. , 0<f0<f1<f2 is satisfied.

The sampling frequency indicates the data acquisition frequency per unit time. According to this aspect, the lower the speed of the conveying member, the lower the data acquisition frequency, and the data amount is suppressed. As a result, excessive acquisition of data is suppressed while the conveying member is stopped or operating at a low speed, and sensor data can be collected efficiently.

In an image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the state of the first speed may be a state in which the conveying member is stopped.

In the image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, when fsmax is the maximum sampling frequency defined by the response speed of the environment sensor, it is preferable that the configuration satisfies f2≦fsmax.

In an image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, each of f0, f1, and f2 may be 1/integer of fsmax.

In an image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, each of f1 and f2 may be an integral multiple of f0.

In an image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the processor may be configured to acquire data from multiple environmental sensors.

In an image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, at least one of the plurality of environment sensors may be arranged inside the image forming apparatus.

In an image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, at least one of the plurality of environment sensors may be arranged in the usage environment of the image forming apparatus.

An image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure may be configured to include a storage device that stores data acquired from an environment sensor.

In an image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, a first mode in which the speed of the conveying member is the first speed, a second mode in which the speed of the conveying member is the second speed, and a third speed of the conveying member The processor may be configured to set the sampling frequency of the environmental sensor based on the operating mode.

In an image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the rate of change in sampling frequency with respect to the speed of the conveying member may be constant.

In the image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the sampling frequency is a frequency that indicates a conveying amount per unit time corresponding to the conveying speed of the recording medium or the printing speed of the image when the conveying member operates at the third speed. may be 1 or an integral multiple of the integer.

In an image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the processor may be configured to change the sampling frequency of the environment sensor according to the print speed or the transport speed of the recording medium that correlates with the speed of the transport member.

An image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure may be configured to include an inkjet head that ejects ink to adhere to a recording medium.

A sensor data collection method according to another aspect of the present disclosure collects sensor data from an environment sensor arranged in at least one of the inside of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium and the usage environment of the image forming apparatus. The method, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a transport member used to transport a recording medium, and the speed of an operation including movement or rotation of the transport member is at least a first speed and a second speed higher than the first speed. divided into different speed states including three stages of speed and a third speed higher than the second speed, wherein the processor changes the sampling frequency of the environmental sensor according to the speed of the conveying member; 0<f0<f1<f2 is satisfied when f0, f1, and f2 are the sampling frequencies of the environment sensors in the states of the first speed, the second speed, and the third speed, respectively.

A program according to another aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer with a function of collecting sensor data of an environment sensor arranged in at least one of the inside of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium and the usage environment of the image forming apparatus. wherein the speed of an operation including movement or rotation of a conveying member used for conveying a recording medium in an image forming apparatus is at least a first speed, a second speed higher than the first speed, and It is divided into different speed states including three stages of a third speed higher than the second speed and a third speed, and the sampling frequency of the environment sensor is changed according to the speed of the conveying member, the first speed, the second speed and the second speed. When the sampling frequencies of the environment sensor in each of the three speed states are f0, f1, and f2, the computer realizes a function of 0<f0<f1<f2.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to efficiently collect sensor data from environmental sensors and reduce the amount of data.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an overview of the configuration of a printing system including an inkjet printer and a control device. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the functional configuration of the control device. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the results of evaluation experiments. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating example 2 of processing executed by the control device. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating example 2 of processing executed by the control device.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, a printing system including an inkjet printer and its control device will be described as an example of an image forming apparatus.

"overview"
2. Description of the Related Art Various environment sensors may be arranged inside and/or outside a printing machine, such as an inkjet printing machine, to detect information about the operating environment or usage environment of the printing machine. Environmental sensors include, for example, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, an ultraviolet (UV) sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a pressure sensor, a volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor, and a carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) sensor. and so on.

Temperature sensors and humidity sensors are used, for example, to store recording media (printing substrates) such as paper or to manage drying conditions after printing. The illuminance sensor is used, for example, for visual inspection of printed matter or for managing conditions for scanning samples by a measuring device such as a scanner. The UV sensor is used, for example, to manage exposure conditions when using UV curable ink. Air pressure sensors and pressure sensors are used, for example, to manage ink supply pressure. A VOC sensor is used, for example, to manage the volatilization amount of a solvent when ink containing a solvent is used. _CO2 sensors are used, for example, to control the amount of environmental _CO2 when using _CO2 reactive inks or to control the operator's work environment.

There are various forms of combination of the type, number, and location of environment sensors to be used, depending on the system configuration and the like.

When acquiring data from one or more environment sensors, the printing system of this embodiment changes the sampling frequency of the environment sensors according to the operating state of the printing press, and efficiently collects sensor data.

The operational states of the press can be divided into a plurality of states, for example, [State 0] Stopping, [State 1] Idle, [State 2] Cycle Up, and [State 3] Printing. "During idling" includes, for example, the concept of preliminary temperature control for raising the temperature of the ink drying section and the like to a specified drying temperature. Cycle-up includes the concept of print preparation. Note that it is not necessary to transport the recording medium during idling and cycle-up. The speed of movement or rotation of the conveying member used for conveying the recording medium differs in each state of [State 0] to [State 3].

A conveying member is a member applied to a conveying mechanism for a recording medium, and corresponds to, for example, a drum (cylinder), a pass roller, a belt, or a chain. In the case of the drum transport method, for example, [state 0] the drum is stopped when it is stopped, [state 1] when it is idling is when it is rotating at low speed, [state 2] when it is cycling up is when it is rotating at high speed, [state 3) The rotational speed (rotational state) of the drum differs, such that the state during printing is during high-speed rotation. The rotation speed of the drum during cycle-up and the rotation speed of the drum during printing may be the same or different.

"Depending on the operating state of the printing press" includes the concept "depending on the speed of the transport member". The conveying speed of the recording medium is related to the speed of the conveying member. "According to the speed of the conveying member" includes the concept of "according to the conveying speed of the recording medium". The speed of the transport member during printing corresponds to the printing speed. It can also be understood that the operating states of the printing press correspond to the operating modes of the printing press.

In this embodiment, the speed of the conveying member is divided into at least three stages of V0, V1 and V2, satisfying the relationship 0≦V0<V1<V2. Then, the slower the speed of the conveying member, the lower the sampling frequency of the environment sensor. That is, 0<f0<f1<f2, where f0, f1 and f2 are the sampling frequencies of the sensor when the speed of the conveying member is V0, V1 and V2, respectively.

A more specific example will be described below.

<<Configuration example of inkjet printing machine>>
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of an inkjet printer 1 according to an embodiment. The inkjet printer 1 is a digital printing device that forms an image on a sheet of paper P by a single pass method. In this example, water-based ink is used as the drawing ink. Aqueous ink refers to ink in which coloring materials such as pigments and dyes are dissolved or dispersed in water and/or a solvent soluble in water. In addition, it may replace with water-based ink and may use ultraviolet curing ink.

The inkjet printer 1 includes a paper feeding section 10 , a treatment liquid application section 20 , a treatment liquid drying section 30 , a drawing section 40 , an ink drying section 50 and a stacking section 60 . The paper feeding unit 10 includes a paper feeding device 12 , a feeder board 14 and a paper feeding drum 16 . The paper P is placed on the paper feed table 12A in a bundle state in which a plurality of sheets are stacked. The type of paper P is not particularly limited, but for example, printing paper mainly composed of cellulose, such as high-quality paper, coated paper, and art paper, can be used. The paper P is an example of a "recording medium" in the present disclosure.

The paper feeder 12 takes out the paper sheets P in a bundle state set on the paper feed table 12A one by one from the top and feeds them to the feeder board 14 . The feeder board 14 conveys the paper P received from the paper feeder 12 to the paper feed drum 16 .

The paper feed drum 16 receives the paper P fed from the feeder board 14 and conveys the received paper P to the treatment liquid coating section 20 .

The treatment liquid application unit 20 applies the treatment liquid to the paper P. As shown in FIG. The treatment liquid is a liquid having a function of aggregating, insolubilizing, or thickening the coloring material component in the ink. The treatment liquid application unit 20 includes a treatment liquid application drum 22 and a treatment liquid application device 24 .

The treatment liquid coating drum 22 receives the paper P from the paper supply drum 16 and conveys the received paper P to the treatment liquid drying section 30 . The treatment liquid coating drum 22 has a gripper 23 on the drum peripheral surface, and by rotating while gripping the leading end of the paper P by the gripper 23, the paper P is wrapped around the drum peripheral surface and conveyed.

The treatment liquid coating device 24 applies the treatment liquid to the paper P transported by the treatment liquid coating drum 22 . The treatment liquid is applied by rollers. The method of applying the treatment liquid is not limited to the roller application method. Other methods may be applied to the treatment liquid coating device 24 . Examples of other methods of the treatment liquid coating device 24 include application using a blade, discharge by an inkjet method, and atomization by a spray method.

The treatment liquid drying section 30 dries the paper P coated with the treatment liquid. The treatment liquid drying section 30 includes a treatment liquid drying drum 32 and a hot air blower 34 . The treatment liquid drying drum 32 receives the paper P from the treatment liquid coating drum 22 and conveys the received paper P to the drawing section 40 . The processing liquid drying drum 32 is provided with a gripper 33 on the peripheral surface of the drum. The treatment liquid drying drum 32 conveys the paper P by gripping the leading end of the paper P with the gripper 33 and rotating.

A hot air blower 34 is arranged inside the treatment liquid drying drum 32 . The hot air blower 34 blows hot air onto the paper P transported by the treatment liquid drying drum 32 to dry the treatment liquid.

The drawing section 40 includes a drawing drum 42 , a head unit 44 , a paper pressing roller 47 and an image reading device 48 . The drawing drum 42 receives the paper P from the treatment liquid drying drum 32 and conveys the received paper P to the ink drying section 50 . The drawing drum 42 has a gripper 43 on the drum peripheral surface, and rotates while gripping the leading edge of the paper P by the gripper 43 to transport the paper P wound around the drum peripheral surface.

The drawing drum 42 has an adsorption mechanism (not shown), and transports the paper P wound around the drum peripheral surface by adsorbing it to the drum peripheral surface. Negative pressure is used for adsorption. The drawing drum 42 has a large number of suction holes on the peripheral surface of the drum, and the sheet P is attracted to the peripheral surface of the drawing drum 42 by sucking from the inside of the drawing drum 42 through the suction holes. Although the drawing drum 42 of this example has a configuration capable of conveying two sheets of paper P in one rotation, the number of sheets of paper P that can be conveyed in one rotation is not limited to this example. A configuration in which one sheet of paper P is conveyed in one rotation may be employed, or a configuration in which three or more sheets of paper P are conveyed in one rotation may be employed.

The head unit 44 includes inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y. The inkjet head 46K is a recording head that ejects black (K) ink. The inkjet head 46C is a recording head that ejects cyan (C) ink. The inkjet head 46M is a recording head that ejects magenta (M) ink. The inkjet head 46Y is a recording head that ejects yellow (Y) ink. Ink is supplied to each of the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y from an ink tank (not shown), which is an ink supply source of the corresponding color, through a piping route (not shown).

Each of the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y is composed of a line head capable of printing on the paper P conveyed by the drawing drum 42 by one scan (single-pass method). That is, each of the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y has nozzles capable of recording an image with a prescribed recording resolution in one scan of the entire recording area of the paper P in the paper width direction perpendicular to the paper P transport direction. It is a full-line type recording head having columns.

A full line type recording head is also called a page wide head. The specified recording resolution may be a recording resolution predetermined by the inkjet printer 1, or a recording resolution set by user selection or by automatic selection by a program according to the print mode. good too. The recording resolution can be, for example, 1200 dpi (dots per inch). The paper width direction orthogonal to the paper P transport direction is sometimes called the nozzle row direction of the line head, and the paper P transport direction is sometimes called the nozzle row vertical direction.

Each of the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y can be configured by connecting a plurality of head modules in the paper width direction. The inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y are arranged so that their respective nozzle surfaces face the peripheral surface of the drawing drum 42 . The inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y are arranged at regular intervals along the transport path of the paper P by the drawing drum 42 .

Although not shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of nozzles, which are ink ejection ports, are two-dimensionally arranged on the nozzle surfaces of the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y. The term "nozzle surface" means an ejection surface on which nozzles are formed, and is synonymous with terms such as "ink ejection surface" and "nozzle formation surface". A nozzle array of a plurality of nozzles arranged two-dimensionally is called a "two-dimensional nozzle array". A water-repellent film is formed on each nozzle surface of the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y.

In the case of an inkjet head with a two-dimensional nozzle array, the projected nozzle array, in which each nozzle in the two-dimensional nozzle array is projected (orthographic projection) along the nozzle array direction, achieves the maximum recording resolution in the nozzle array direction. It can be considered to be equivalent to a row of nozzles in which the nozzles are arranged at approximately equal intervals at a given nozzle density. The phrase “substantially evenly spaced” means that the droplet ejection points that can be recorded by the inkjet printer 1 are substantially equally spaced. For example, the concept of "equally spaced" also includes cases where the space is slightly different in consideration of droplet movement on the medium due to manufacturing errors or landing interference. Considering the projected nozzle array (also referred to as a “substantial nozzle array”), it is possible to associate a nozzle number representing a nozzle position with each nozzle in the order in which the projected nozzles are arranged along the nozzle array direction.

At least one of the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y ejects ink droplets toward the paper P conveyed by the drawing drum 42, and the ejected droplets adhere to the paper P. , an image is formed on the paper P.

The drawing drum 42 functions as means for relatively moving the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, 46Y and the paper P. As shown in FIG. The drawing drum 42 is an example of a transport member that transports the paper P to the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y. Ejection timings of the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y are synchronized with encoder signals obtained from encoders installed on the drawing drum 42 . The illustration of the encoder is omitted in FIG. 1 and is shown as reference numeral 114 in FIG. The ejection timing is the timing at which ink droplets are ejected, and is synonymous with droplet ejection timing.

In this example, a configuration using four colors of CMYK ink is exemplified, but the combination of ink colors and the number of colors is not limited to this embodiment, and light ink, dark ink, special color ink, etc. may be added. For example, it is possible to add an inkjet head that ejects light ink such as light cyan or light magenta, or to add an inkjet head that ejects special color ink such as green or orange. In addition, the arrangement order of the inkjet heads for each color is not particularly limited.

The image reading device 48 is a device that optically reads images recorded on the paper P by the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y, and generates electronic image data representing the read images. The image reading device 48 includes an imaging device that captures an image recorded on the paper P and converts it into an electrical signal representing image information. The image reading device 48 may include an illumination optical system including a light source for illuminating an object to be read, and a signal processing circuit for processing signals obtained from the imaging device to generate digital image data, in addition to the imaging device.

The image reading device 48 preferably has a configuration capable of reading color images. The image reading device 48 of this example uses, for example, a color CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) linear image sensor as an imaging device. A color CCD linear image sensor is an image sensor in which light-receiving elements having RGB color filters are arranged linearly. A color CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) linear image sensor can be used instead of the color CCD linear image sensor.

The image reading device 48 is an in-line scanner that reads an image on the paper P while the paper P is being conveyed by the drawing drum 42 . The paper P on which an image is formed using at least one of the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y passes through the reading area of the image reading device 48, and the image on the paper P is read. The images recorded on the paper P include a user image, which is an image to be printed specified in the job, a nozzle state evaluation pattern for checking the ejection state of each nozzle, a calibration pattern for print density correction, and others. can include various test patterns of

Based on the read image data read by the image reading device 48, information such as the image density and the ejection state of each nozzle of the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y can be obtained. Based on the read image data read by the image reading device 48, the printed image is inspected to determine whether or not there is an image quality abnormality including defects such as streaks.

The ink drying section 50 dries the paper P on which the image is formed by the drawing section 40 . The ink drying section 50 includes a chain gripper 70 , a paper guide 80 and a heat drying processing section 90 .

The chain gripper 70 receives the paper P from the drawing drum 42 and conveys the received paper P to the stacking section 60 . The chain gripper 70 has a pair of endless chains 72 that travel along a prescribed travel route, and conveys the paper P in a prescribed manner while gripping the leading edge of the paper P by grippers 74 provided on the pair of chains 72 . Convey along the route. A plurality of grippers 74 are provided on the chain 72 at regular intervals.

The chain gripper 70 includes a first sprocket 71A, a second sprocket 71B, a chain 72, and a plurality of grippers 74. A pair of the first sprocket 71A and the second sprocket 71B are provided with a pair of endless chains. chain 72 is wound around.

The chain gripper 70 has a structure in which a plurality of grippers 74 are arranged at a plurality of positions in the feeding direction of the chain 72 . The chain gripper 70 also has a structure in which a plurality of grippers 74 are arranged along the paper width direction between a pair of chains 72 .

The transport path of the paper P by the chain gripper 70 includes a horizontal transport area that transports the paper P along the horizontal direction and an inclined transport area that transports the paper P obliquely upward from the end of the horizontal transport area. The horizontal transport zone is called the first transport zone, and the inclined transport zone is called the second transport zone.

The paper guide 80 is a mechanism that guides the transport of the paper P by the chain gripper 70 . The paper guide 80 includes a first paper guide 82 and a second paper guide 84 . The first paper guide 82 guides the paper P conveyed through the first conveying section of the chain gripper 70 . The second sheet guide 84 guides the sheet conveyed through the second conveying section after the first conveying section.

A suction belt conveying device is used as the first paper guide 82 . The suction belt transport device is a device that transports the paper P by feeding the endless transport belt in a state where the paper P is adsorbed on the transport belt.

The heat drying processor 90 dries the paper P by applying heat to the paper P on which the image is formed by the drawing unit 40 to evaporate the solvent of the ink. The heating/drying processing section 90 is, for example, a hot air blowing unit, is arranged to face the first paper guide 82 , and blows hot air onto the paper P conveyed by the chain gripper 70 . Incidentally, when ultraviolet curable ink is used, an ultraviolet irradiation unit is arranged instead of or in addition to the heat drying processing section 90 . The UV irradiation unit may be arranged in the second conveying section of the chain gripper 70 .

The stacking section 60 includes a stacking device 62 that receives and stacks the paper P conveyed from the ink drying section 50 by the chain gripper 70 . The chain gripper 70 releases the paper P at a predetermined stacking position. The stacking device 62 has a stacking tray 62A, receives the sheets P released from the chain gripper 70, and stacks them in a bundle on the stacking tray 62A. The stacking section 60 corresponds to a paper discharge section.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet printer 1 includes a maintenance section that performs maintenance processing for the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y. The maintenance unit is arranged side by side with the drawing drum 42 in the axial direction of the drawing drum 42 .

《Overview of system configuration》
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the outline of the system configuration of the printing system 100 including the inkjet printer 1 and the control device 200. As shown in FIG. A printing system 100 includes an inkjet printer 1 and a control device 200 . The inkjet printer 1 is connected to a control device 200 , and the operation of the inkjet printer 1 is controlled by the control device 200 .

The control device 200 can be configured by a combination of computer hardware and software. A part or all of the processing functions of the control device 200 may be realized using an integrated circuit represented by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The control device 200 is connected with an input device 262 and a display device 264 .

The input device 262 is configured by, for example, a keyboard, mouse, multi-touch panel, other pointing device, voice input device, or an appropriate combination thereof. The display device 264 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic electro-luminescence (OEL) display, a projector, or an appropriate combination thereof. Note that the input device 262 and the display device 264 may be integrally configured like a touch panel. Also, the input device 262 and the display device 264 may be configured integrally with the control device 200 .

The control device 200 controls the medium transport mechanism 110 of the inkjet printer 1 . The medium conveying mechanism 110 includes the entire mechanism of the paper conveying unit involved in conveying the paper P from the paper feeding unit 10 to the stacking unit 60 described with reference to FIG. The media transport mechanism 110 includes the feed drum 16, the treatment liquid application drum 22, the treatment liquid drying drum 32, the drawing drum 42, the chain gripper 70, and the like. The medium transport mechanism 110 also includes a medium transport drive unit 112 such as a motor as a power source and a motor drive circuit.

The inkjet printing machine 1 includes an encoder 114 as means for detecting the rotation angle of the drawing drum 42 (see FIG. 1) in the medium transport mechanism 110 . The encoder 114 outputs a signal corresponding to the transport amount of the paper P by the drawing drum 42 . Here, a rotary encoder that outputs a pulse signal for each unit rotation angle of the rotation shaft of the drawing drum 42 is used.

Based on the signal obtained from the encoder 114, the controller 200 generates ejection timing signals for the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y. The ejection timing of each of the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y is controlled according to an ejection timing signal generated based on the signal from the encoder 114. FIG. A drying device 92 shown in FIG. 2 represents a drying device applied to each of the treatment liquid drying section 30 and the ink drying section 50 .

Various sensors such as a temperature sensor 122 , a humidity sensor 124 , an illuminance sensor 126 and a pressure sensor 128 are arranged inside the inkjet printer 1 . These sensor groups are referred to as an onboard sensor group 120 . Control device 200 acquires sensor data from each sensor of on-board sensor group 120 . The term “inside the machine” means the inside of the inkjet printer 1 , and specifically refers to the space inside the outer panel of the inkjet printer 1 .

Various sensors such as a temperature sensor 302, a humidity sensor 304, and an atmospheric pressure sensor 306 are arranged in the usage environment of the inkjet printer 1 for detecting information about the environment. These sensor groups are called an external sensor group 300 . Control device 200 acquires sensor data from each sensor of external sensor group 300 . The term “outside the machine” means the outside of the inkjet printer 1 , specifically, the space outside the exterior panel of the inkjet printer 1 . The usage environment may be, for example, a room in which the inkjet printer 1 is placed (installed).

The in-flight sensor group 120 and the out-of-flight sensor group 300 shown in FIG. 2 are merely examples, and various combinations of environment sensors are possible. The off-board sensor group 300 may not exist. Alternatively, the sampling frequency may be changed for only some of the on-board sensor group 120 and the off-board sensor group 300 . The sampling frequency may be different for each sensor. Also, the sampling frequency of all sensors may be the same.

<<Functional Block Diagram of Control Device 200>>
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the functional configuration of control device 200. As shown in FIG. The control device 200 includes an image acquisition unit 202, an image processing unit 204, a system control unit 206, a transport control unit 210, a paper feed control unit 212, a treatment liquid application control unit 214, a treatment liquid drying control unit 216, a drawing control unit 218, It includes an ink drying controller 220 and a paper discharge controller 222 .

The image acquisition unit 202 includes an interface for acquiring data of an image to be printed. The image acquisition unit 202 may be configured including a communication interface, or may be configured including a media interface for capturing data from an external storage device such as a memory card. The image acquisition unit 202 may include software that automatically acquires data from an image storage server (not shown) or an external device such as a host computer.

An image processing unit 204 performs various types of conversion processing, correction processing, and halftone processing on an image to be printed. Conversion processing includes pixel number conversion, tone conversion, color conversion, and the like. In addition to density correction, the correction processing includes non-ejection correction for suppressing the visibility of image defects caused by non-ejection nozzles. The image processing unit 204 performs correction processing based on the read image obtained from the image reading device 48 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Halftone processing is digital halftoning processing represented by the dither method and the error diffusion method.

The transport control unit 210 controls the medium transport mechanism 110 according to a command from the system control unit 206 so that the paper P is transported from the paper feed unit 10 to the stacking unit 60 .

A paper feed control unit 212 operates the paper feed unit 10 according to a command from the system control unit 206 . The paper feed control unit 212 controls the operation of starting the supply of the paper P, the operation of stopping the supply of the paper P, and the like. The treatment liquid application control section 214 operates the treatment liquid application section 20 according to a command from the system control section 206 . The treatment liquid application control unit 214 controls the application amount of the treatment liquid, application timing, and the like. The treatment liquid drying control section 216 operates the treatment liquid drying section 30 according to a command from the system control section 206 . The treatment liquid drying control unit 216 controls the drying gas temperature, the flow rate of the drying gas, and/or the injection timing of the drying gas.

The drawing control unit 218 controls the drawing operation of the head unit 44 according to commands from the system control unit 206 . The drawing control unit 218 includes a waveform generation unit, a waveform storage unit, and a drive circuit (not shown). The waveform generation section generates a waveform of a driving voltage for causing each inkjet head of the head unit 44 to perform ejection operation. The waveform storage unit stores the waveform of the drive voltage. A drive circuit generates a drive voltage having a drive waveform corresponding to dot data. The drive circuit supplies a drive voltage to the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y of the head unit 44. FIG.

The ejection timing and ink ejection amount for each pixel position are determined based on the dot data generated through processing by the image processing unit 204, and the ejection timing for each pixel position and the drive voltage corresponding to the ink ejection amount, and the A control signal that determines the ejection timing of the is generated. Drive voltages generated by the drawing control unit 218 are supplied to the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y, and dots are recorded with ink ejected from the inkjet heads 46K, 46C, 46M, and 46Y.

The ink drying control section 220 operates the ink drying section 50 according to a command from the system control section 206 . The ink drying controller 220 controls the temperature of the drying gas, the flow rate of the drying gas, and/or the ejection timing of the drying gas.

The paper discharge control unit 222 operates the stacking unit 60 according to a command from the system control unit 206 . When the stacking device 62 shown in FIG. 1 includes an elevating mechanism, the paper ejection control unit 222 controls the operation of the elevating mechanism according to the increase or decrease of the paper P. FIG. The paper discharge control unit 222 may control sorting for sorting the printed matter.

The control device 200 also includes a sensor data acquisition section 230 , a sampling frequency control section 240 , a sensor data storage section 242 and a display control section 244 . Sensor data acquisition section 230 includes an onboard sensor data acquisition section 232 and an onboard sensor data acquisition section 234 . The in-machine sensor data acquisition unit 232 includes an interface that receives (acquires) sensor data from the in-machine sensor group 120 of the inkjet printer 1 . The external sensor data acquisition unit 234 acquires sensor data from the external sensor group 300 installed in the usage environment of the inkjet printing machine 1, such as the outside of the inkjet printing machine 1, that is, the room where the inkjet printing machine 1 is used. Contains the interface to retrieve.

The sampling frequency control unit 240 cooperates with the system control unit 206 to control the sampling frequency of each sensor of the internal sensor group 120 and the external sensor group 300 according to the operating state of the inkjet printer 1 . The sensor data storage unit 242 includes a storage device that stores sensor data. Sensor data of each sensor sampled at the set sampling frequency is stored in the sensor data storage unit 242 .

The display control unit 244 performs processing for generating display data necessary for display, and performs display control on the display device 264 . The display device 264 can display various information such as various setting information of the printing system 100 and error information. The operator (user) can use the input device 262 to set various parameters and input and edit various information while viewing the contents displayed on the screen of the display device 264 . Information received via the input device 262 is sent to the system control unit 206 . The system control unit 206 executes corresponding processing according to information input from the input device 262 .

<<Hardware Configuration Example of Control Device 200>>
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 200. As shown in FIG. Controller 200 includes a processor 252 , a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium 254 , a communication interface 256 , and an input/output interface 258 . The processor 252 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Processor 252 may include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

Processor 252 is coupled to computer readable media 254 , communication interface 256 and input/output interface 258 via bus 260 . Input device 262 and display device 264 are connected to bus 260 via input/output interface 258 .

Computer readable media 254 includes, for example, random access memory (RAM) 272 , read-only memory (ROM), and storage 276 . A RAM 272 is a memory that functions as a main storage device. Storage 276 is an auxiliary storage device. The storage 276 may be, for example, a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) device, a Solid State Drive (SSD) device, or a combination thereof.

The computer-readable medium 254 stores programs, data, and the like for realizing the functions of the control device 200 . Note that the term program includes the concept of program modules. Computer readable media 254 serves as sensor data storage 242 . The sensor data stored in the sensor data storage unit 242 can be displayed on the display device 264 . Also, the sensor data stored in the sensor data storage unit 242 can be transmitted to an external device via the communication interface 256 .

<<Example 1 of the sensor data collection method executed by the control device 200>>
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example 1 of processing executed by the control device 200 . The processor 252 determines the operating state of the inkjet printer 1 and changes the sampling frequency according to the determination result. Here, as an example of the operation state, there are four states: stopped (state 0), idling (state 1), cycle up (state 2), and printing (state 3).

Stopped (state 0) is a state in which the drawing drum 42 is stopped. During idle (state 1), the drawing drum 42 is rotating at a low speed. During cycle up (state 2), the drawing drum 42 is rotating at high speed. During printing (state 3), the drawing drum 42 is rotating at high speed, as in the case of cycle-up. Let V0, V1, and V2 be the rotational speeds of the drawing drum 42 during stopping (state 0), idling (state 1), and cycle-up (state 2). In this example, V0=0, V0 The relationship <V1<V2 is satisfied.

V0, V1, and V2 are examples of "first speed," "second speed," and "third speed," respectively, in the present disclosure. Stopping (state 0) is an example of a state corresponding to the "first mode" in the present disclosure. During idle (state 1) is an example of a state corresponding to the "second mode" in the present disclosure, and during cycle up (state 2) and during printing (state 3) each correspond to the "third mode" in the present disclosure. It is an example of corresponding states.

In step S11, the processor 252 determines whether or not the inkjet printer 1 is stopped. This determination corresponds to determining whether the rotational speed of the drawing drum 42 is V0.

When the determination result of step S11 is Yes determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S12. At step S12, the processor 252 sets the sampling frequency of the sensor to f0. Note that f0 is a value with a relatively low frequency of data acquisition per unit time and is a value greater than zero. In other words, sensor data is acquired at a low sampling frequency while the vehicle is stopped.

After step S12, the processor 252 moves to step S18. At step S18, the processor 252 acquires sensor data at the set sampling frequency. Next, in step S<b>19 , the processor 252 stores the acquired sensor data in the sensor data storage unit 242 .

On the other hand, when the determination result of step S11 is No determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the processor 252 determines whether the inkjet printer 1 is idle. This determination corresponds to determining whether the rotation speed of the drawing drum 42 is V1.

When the determination result of step S13 is Yes determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S14. At step S14, the processor 252 sets the sampling frequency of the sensor to f1. f1 is a value larger than f0 (f0<f1). After step S14, the processor 252 moves to step S18.

On the other hand, when the determination result of step S13 is No determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the processor 252 determines whether or not the inkjet printer 1 is in cycle up. This determination corresponds to determining whether the rotational speed of the drawing drum 42 is V2.

When the determination result of step S15 is Yes determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S16. At step S16, the processor 252 sets the sampling frequency of the sensor to f2. f2 is a value larger than f1 (f1<f2). After step S16, the processor 252 moves to step S18.

On the other hand, when the determination result of step S15 is No determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the processor 252 determines whether the inkjet printer 1 is printing. This determination corresponds to determining whether the rotational speed of the drawing drum 42 is V2. In this embodiment, the rotation speed during cycle-up and the rotation speed during printing are the same speed (V2), so the determination processes of steps S15 and S17 may be integrated into one determination process.

When the determination result of step S17 is Yes determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S16. Steps S16 to S19 have already been explained. After step S19, or if the determination result of step S17 is No determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S20.

In step S20, processor 252 determines whether or not to end the process. If the determination result of step S20 is No determination, the processor 252 returns to step S11 and repeats steps S11 to S20. On the other hand, if the determination result in step S20 is Yes, for example, if the power-off sequence has started, the processor 252 terminates the flowchart of FIG.

<<Sampling frequency setting example 1>>
For example, if the rotation speed of the drawing drum 42 during printing is 36000 rpm (rotational frequency is 1 Hz), the sampling frequency of the sensor is set to 1 Hz during printing and to 0.1 Hz, which is 1/10 of that during printing. . The drawing drum 42 is an example of a “conveying member” and an example of a “rotating member” in the present disclosure.

<<Sampling frequency setting example 2>>
For example, in the flowchart of FIG. 5, based on the sampling frequency f2 during printing, the sampling frequency f0 during stop and the sampling frequency f1 during idle may each be set to 1/integer of f2. This can be understood by setting the sampling frequency f1 during idling and the sampling frequency f2 during printing to an integer multiple of f0, based on the sampling frequency f0 during stopping.

<<Sampling frequency setting example 3>>
Depending on the type of environment sensor, some may have a slow response speed. For example, humidity sensors are classified as having a relatively slow response speed. If the response speed of the sensor is slow and the measurable maximum sampling frequency defined from the response speed of the sensor is fsmax, it is desirable that f2≦fsmax in the flow chart of FIG. For example, if the rotational speed of the drawing drum 42 during printing is 54000 rpm (rotational frequency is 1.5 Hz) and fsmax is 1 Hz, then f2≦1. Also, each of f0, f1, and f2 may be an integer fraction of fsmax.

<<Sampling frequency setting example 4>>
The rate of change in the sampling frequency with respect to the rotation speed of the drawing drum 42 may be constant. The "ratio of change" referred to here is the ratio of the amount of change in sampling frequency to the amount of change in rotational speed, and corresponds to the "slope" in a linear function. In other words, the sampling frequency with respect to the rotational speed may have a linear function relationship. Further, the sampling frequency may be changed as a stepwise constant in accordance with the order (step) of the speed without being limited to the relationship of the linear function.

<<Sampling frequency setting example 5>>
In the flowchart of FIG. 5, each of the sampling frequencies f0, f1, and f2 is based on the rotation frequency of the drawing drum 42 during printing (here, the rotation state of V2), and is an integer fraction of this rotation frequency. It may be 1 or an integral multiple.

<<Classification of the operating state of the inkjet printer 1>>
The operating states of the inkjet printer 1 are not necessarily limited to three states in which the drawing drum 42 rotates at different speeds. The printing or non-printing state may include three or more states in which the drawing drum 42 rotates at different speeds. For example, a cool-down state (waiting time for temperature reduction in the machine after printing) may be included, and the rotation speed of the drawing drum 42 during printing may be changed to a different speed depending on the selection of the print mode.

A state in which the drawing drum 42 is stopped, a state in which preliminary temperature control (idle) is performed by rotating at a low speed, a state in which print preparation (cycle-up) is performed by rotating at a high speed, a state in which printing is performed by rotating at a high speed, and a cool-down state by rotating at a low speed. A mode corresponding to each operating state, such as a state in which a

<<Example 2 of the sensor data collection method executed by the control device 200>>
6 and 7 are flowcharts showing Example 2 of the process executed by the control device 200. FIG. In FIG. 6, steps common to those in the flowchart of FIG. 5 are assigned the same step numbers, and overlapping descriptions are omitted. 6 and 7, points different from FIG. 5 will be described.

In example 2 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is further determined whether the printing state of the inkjet printer 1 is printing in the first printing mode or printing in the second printing mode, and the determination result Change the sampling frequency accordingly. In the first print mode, the rotation speed of the drawing drum 42 is V3, and in the second print mode, the rotation speed of the drawing drum 42 is V4.

The flowchart of FIG. 6 includes step S30 instead of step S17 of FIG. When the determination result of step S15 is No determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S30. In step S30, processor 252 determines whether printing is in progress. When the determination result of step S30 is Yes determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S31 of FIG. In step S31, the processor 252 determines whether or not it is the first print mode. This determination corresponds to determining whether the rotational speed of the drawing drum 42 is V3. When the determination result of step S31 is Yes determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S32.

At step S32, the processor 252 sets the sampling frequency of the sensor to f3. f3 is a value equal to or greater than f2 (f2≦f3). After step S32, the processor 252 moves to step S35.

On the other hand, when the determination result of step S31 is No determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S33. In step S33, the processor 252 determines whether or not it is the second print mode. This determination corresponds to determining whether the rotation speed of the drawing drum 42 is V4. When the determination result of step S33 is Yes determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S34.

At step S34, the processor 252 sets the sampling frequency of the sensor to f4. f4 is a value larger than f3 (f3<f4). After step S34, the processor 252 moves to step S35.

Steps S35 and S36 are similar to steps S18 and S19 in FIG. After step S36, or when the determination result of step S33 is No determination, the processor 252 proceeds to step S20 of FIG. Subsequent processing is the same as in FIG.

As shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7, the rotational speed of the drawing drum 42 may be divided into four or more different speed states. In this case, three different speeds among V0, V1, V2, V3 and V4 can be examples of "first speed", "second speed" and "third speed" in the present disclosure. For example, V0, V1, and V4 may be understood as examples of “first speed”, “second speed”, and “third speed” in this disclosure, and V0, V3, and V4 in this disclosure V1, V2, and V4 may be understood as examples of "first speed," "second speed," and "third speed," and "first speed," "second speed," and "third speed" in the present disclosure. It may be understood as an example of the "third speed".

《Regarding the program that operates the computer》
A program that causes a computer to implement some or all of the processing functions of the control device 200 is recorded on a computer-readable medium that is a non-temporary information storage medium that is an optical disk, magnetic disk, semiconductor memory, or other tangible object, and this information It is possible to provide the program through a storage medium.

Instead of storing the program in such a non-temporary computer-readable medium and providing it, it is also possible to provide the program signal as a download service using an electric communication line such as the Internet.

A part or all of the processing functions in the control device 200 may be implemented by cloud computing, or may be provided as a SasS (Software as a Service) service.

<<About the hardware configuration of each processing unit>>
Image acquisition unit 202, image processing unit 204, system control unit 206, transport control unit 210, paper feed control unit 212, treatment liquid application control unit 214, treatment liquid drying control unit 216, drawing control unit 218, ink The hardware structure of the processing unit (processing unit) that executes various processes such as the drying control unit 220, the paper discharge control unit 222, the sensor data acquisition unit 230, the sampling frequency control unit 240, and the display control unit 244 is, for example, , various processors such as:

Various processors include a CPU, which is a general-purpose processor that executes programs and functions as various processing units, a GPU, which is a processor specialized for image processing, and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). Programmable Logic Device (PLD), which is a processor that can change and so on.

One processing unit may be composed of one of these various processors, or may be composed of two or more processors of the same type or different types. For example, one processing unit may be configured by a plurality of FPGAs, a combination of CPU and FPGA, or a combination of CPU and GPU. Also, a plurality of processing units may be configured by one processor. As an example of configuring a plurality of processing units with a single processor, first, as represented by a computer such as a client or a server, a single processor is configured by combining one or more CPUs and software. There is a form in which a processor functions as multiple processing units. Secondly, as typified by System On Chip (SoC), etc., there is a form of using a processor that realizes the functions of the entire system including multiple processing units with a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip. be. In this way, the various processing units are configured using one or more of the above various processors as a hardware structure.

Further, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

<<Advantages of this embodiment>>
According to the printing system 100 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to efficiently collect the sensor data of the environmental sensors, and to suppress the amount of data.

<<Regarding recording media>>
In the above-described embodiment, an example of using a sheet of paper P as a recording medium has been described. may Further, the sheet medium is not limited to a cut sheet of a predetermined size, and may be obtained by cutting a continuous medium into a predetermined size at any time.

<<Regarding the transport mechanism of the recording medium>>
In the above-described embodiment, the printing system 100 of the drum transport method was exemplified, but the method of transporting the recording medium is not limited to the drum transport method. The transport mechanism for transporting the recording medium can adopt various forms such as a belt transport system, a nip transport system, a chain transport system, a pallet transport system, or a roll-to-roll transport system, and these systems can be combined as appropriate. . A conveying member for conveying a continuous medium may be, for example, a pass roller. The conveying member is not necessarily limited to a rotating member. In the case of a conveying member that moves without rotating, the speed of the conveying member is replaced by the speed at which the conveying member moves (moving speed), and the description of the above embodiment is applied. Also, the concept of the rotation frequency corresponding to the rotation speed can be expanded to a frequency indicating the transport amount per unit time corresponding to the transport speed of the recording medium transported by the operation of the transport member or the printing speed of the image. For example, in the case of single-wafer transport, the frequency indicating the transport amount per unit time can be expressed as the number of transported sheets per second. Further, in the case of roll transport, the frequency indicating the transport amount per unit time can be represented, for example, as the number of printed images (image quantity) per second.

<Example of periodic printing>
If ft is the paper transport cycle during sheet-fed printing, or the frequency corresponding to the cycle in which an image appears due to printing in the case of roll printing (hereinafter referred to as the printing frequency), ft is used during such sheet-fed printing or roll printing. Preferably, the sampling frequency fs of the sensor during printing is fs>2*ft. This condition is based on the sampling theorem. In the case of sheet-fed printing, the paper transport cycle (printing cycle) can be changed by changing the paper feed time interval without changing the speed of the transport member. Also, in the case of roll printing for printing on a continuous medium, the time interval (cycle) at which images appear can be changed by changing the printing time interval without changing the transport speed. Instead of changing the sampling frequency according to the speed of the conveying member, the sampling frequency fs may be changed according to the printing frequency ft.

In this case, for example, the printing frequencies are divided into at least three stages of ft0, ft1, and ft2, satisfying 0≦ft0<ft1<ft2, and the sensor sampling frequencies corresponding to the respective states of ft0, ft1, and ft2 are For f0, f1 and f2, 0<f0<f1<f2. The description of the speed of the conveying member described in the embodiment can be applied by reading the print frequency.

<<Regarding the speed of the conveying member during non-printing>>
During non-printing operations such as cycle-up, there may be no print signal or the recording medium may not be conveyed. For such operations during non-printing, the hypothetical transport speed that is assumed when the recording medium is transported at that operation speed or the hypothetical print speed that is assumed when image printing is executed is used. By application, the concept of the term "conveyance speed" or "printing speed" can be extended. Similarly, the concept of the term "print frequency" can be extended to operations during non-printing. The transport speed of the recording medium, the print speed of the image, and the print frequency are examples of physical quantities that correlate with the speed of the transport member. The interpretation of the statement "depending on the speed of the conveying member" includes the concept "depending on a physical quantity correlated with the speed of the conveying member".
<<Modification 1>>
In the above-described embodiment, an example using water-based ink has been described, but ultraviolet curable ink may be used instead of water-based ink. When ultraviolet curable ink is used, the inkjet printer 1 is provided with an ultraviolet irradiation device in place of or in addition to the heat drying processing section 90 . Also, a UV sensor may be arranged as an in-flight sensor.

<<Modification 2>>
In the above-described embodiment, the inkjet printer 1 using a page-wide full-line head has been described, but the scope of application of the present disclosure is not limited to this. The technique of the present disclosure can also be applied to an inkjet printer that forms an image by scanning the head multiple times. Further, the method for forming an image is not limited to the inkjet method. The image forming apparatus may be, for example, a laser printer, an electrophotographic printer, a printing machine with a plate, or the like.

《Ejection method of inkjet head》
An ejector of an inkjet head includes a nozzle for ejecting ink, a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle, and an ejection energy generating element for applying ejection energy to the liquid in the pressure chamber. Regarding the ejection method for ejecting droplets from the nozzle of the ejector, means for generating ejection energy is not limited to piezoelectric elements, and various ejection energy generating elements such as heating elements and electrostatic actuators can be applied. For example, it is possible to employ a method of ejecting liquid droplets by utilizing the pressure of film boiling caused by heating a liquid by a heating element. Corresponding ejection energy generating elements are provided in the channel structure according to the ejection method of the inkjet head.

The term "recording medium" is a general term for various terms such as paper, recording paper, printing paper, printing medium, printing medium, print medium, image forming medium, image forming medium, image receiving medium, and ejection medium. be. The material, shape, and the like of the medium are not particularly limited, and various sheet bodies can be used regardless of the material and shape, such as sticker paper, resin sheet, film, cloth, non-woven fabric, and others.

《Terminology》
The term "printing machine" is synonymous with terms such as an image forming device, a printing device, a printer, a printing device, an image recording device, an image output device, or a drawing device.

The term "printing" includes concepts such as forming an image, recording an image, printing, drawing, and printing. The term "rendering" includes concepts of imaging, image recording, and digital printing terms based on digital data.

"Image" shall be interpreted broadly, and includes color images, black-and-white images, single-color images, gradation images, uniform-density (solid) images, and the like. The term "image" is used as a comprehensive term including not only photographic images, but also patterns, characters, symbols, line drawings, mosaic patterns, color-divided patterns, other various patterns, or appropriate combinations thereof.

<<Combination of Embodiments and Modifications>>
The configurations described in the above embodiments and the items described in the modifications can be used in combination as appropriate, and part of the items can be replaced.

"others"
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the technical idea of the present disclosure.

1 Inkjet printer 10 Paper feed unit 12 Paper feed device 12A Paper feed table 14 Feeder board 16 Paper feed drum 20 Treatment liquid application unit 22 Treatment liquid application drum 23 Gripper 24 Treatment liquid application device 30 Treatment liquid drying unit 32 Treatment liquid drying drum 33 Gripper 34 Hot air blower 40 Drawing unit 42 Drawing drum 43 Gripper 44 Head unit 46C Inkjet head 46K Inkjet head 46M Inkjet head 46Y Inkjet head 47 Paper pressing roller 48 Image reading device 50 Ink drying unit 60 Stacking unit 62 Stacking device 62A Stacking tray 70 Chain gripper 71A First sprocket 71B Second sprocket 72 Chain 74 Gripper 80 Paper guide 82 First paper guide 84 Second paper guide 90 Heat drying processing unit 92 Drying device 100 Printing system 110 Medium transport mechanism 112 Medium transport driving unit 114 Encoder 120 In-machine sensor group 122 Temperature sensor 124 Humidity sensor 126 Illuminance sensor 128 Pressure sensor 200 Control device 202 Image acquisition unit 204 Image processing unit 206 System control unit 210 Conveyance control unit 212 Paper feed control unit 214 Treatment liquid application control unit 216 Treatment liquid drying Control unit 218 Drawing control unit 220 Ink drying control unit 222 Paper discharge control unit 230 Sensor data acquisition unit 232 Internal sensor data acquisition unit 234 External sensor data acquisition unit 240 Sampling frequency control unit 242 Sensor data storage unit 244 Display control unit 252 Processor 254 computer readable medium 256 communication interface 258 input/output interface 260 bus 262 input device 264 display device 272 RAM
276 Storage 300 External sensor group 302 Temperature sensor 304 Humidity sensor 306 Atmospheric pressure sensor P Sheets S11 to S39 Steps of sensor data collection method executed by controller

Claims (16)

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium,
a conveying member used for conveying the recording medium;
a processor that changes a sampling frequency of an environment sensor according to a speed of an operation including movement or rotation of the conveying member and acquires sensor data of the environment sensor;
The speed of the conveying member is divided into three different speed states including at least a first speed, a second speed higher than the first speed, and a third speed higher than the second speed. be
When the sampling frequencies of the environment sensor in each of the states of the first speed, the second speed, and the third speed are f0, f1, and f2,
0<f0<f1<f2
An image forming device that satisfies The state of the first speed is a state in which the conveying member is stopped.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. When the maximum sampling frequency defined by the response speed of the environment sensor is fsmax,
f2≤fsmax
satisfy the
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. each of f0, f1 and f2 is an integer fraction of fsmax;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3. each of f1 and f2 is an integer multiple of f0;
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. the processor obtains data from a plurality of the environmental sensors;
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. at least one of the plurality of environmental sensors is located inside the image forming apparatus;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 6. at least one of the plurality of environmental sensors is placed in an environment of use of the image forming apparatus;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 6. A storage device for storing data acquired from the environmental sensor,
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A first mode in which the speed of the conveying member is the first speed, a second mode in which the speed of the conveying member is the second speed, and a third mode in which the speed of the conveying member is the third speed. has multiple operating modes, including
the processor sets the sampling frequency of the environmental sensor based on the operating mode;
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9. the rate of change of the sampling frequency with respect to the velocity of the conveying member is constant;
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The sampling frequency is an integer fraction or an integer multiple of the frequency indicating the conveying amount per unit time corresponding to the recording medium conveying speed or the image printing speed when the conveying member operates at the third speed. is
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11. The processor
changing the sampling frequency of the environment sensor according to a printing speed or a transport speed of the recording medium correlated with the speed of the transport member;
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12. Equipped with an inkjet head that ejects ink to be adhered to the recording medium,
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13. A method for collecting sensor data from an environment sensor disposed in at least one of the inside of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium and the usage environment of the image forming apparatus, the method comprising:
The image forming apparatus includes a conveying member used for conveying the recording medium,
The speed of the operation including movement or rotation of the conveying member includes at least three stages of a first speed, a second speed higher than the first speed, and a third speed higher than the second speed. divided into different speed states,
the processor
changing the sampling frequency of the environmental sensor in response to the velocity of the conveying member;
When the sampling frequencies of the environment sensor in each of the states of the first speed, the second speed, and the third speed are f0, f1, and f2,
0<f0<f1<f2
A sensor data collection method that satisfies A program for causing a computer to implement a function of collecting sensor data from an environment sensor arranged in at least one of the inside of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium and the usage environment of the image forming apparatus,
The speed of the operation including movement or rotation of the conveying member used for conveying the recording medium in the image forming apparatus is at least a first speed, a second speed higher than the first speed, and a speed higher than the second speed. is also divided into different speed states including three stages with a fast third speed,
The sampling frequency of the environment sensor is changed according to the speed of the conveying member, and the sampling frequencies of the environment sensor are set to f0 and f1 in the states of the first speed, the second speed, and the third speed, respectively. and f2, a program that causes a computer to implement a function that satisfies 0<f0<f1<f2.

Images