JP3420394B2 - Lenticular print medium, inkjet recording apparatus and inkjet recording method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lenticular print medium , an ink jet recording device, and an ink jet printer.
About the door recording method. That is, the present invention is used in an information processing system such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, a word processor, and a personal computer, and a lenticular print medium for stereoscopically recording information such as characters and images, and is used for outputting to the medium. Ink
The present invention relates to a jet recording device and an inkjet recording method . In addition, here, recording (also referred to as print) means cloth,
It is applicable to a wide range of industrial fields such as printing, information processing, and apparel using an ink support that receives ink such as thread, paper, plastic sheet, and wood.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, paper, cloth, plastic sheet, O
A recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium such as a HP sheet (hereinafter also simply referred to as recording paper) can be equipped with an inkjet head of various recording methods, for example, a wire dot method, a heat-sensitive method, a thermal transfer method, an inkjet method. It has been proposed as a form.

Among these methods, a recording apparatus equipped with an inkjet type ink jet head is capable of high-density and high-speed recording operation, so that the output means of an information processing system, such as a copying machine, a facsimile, or an electronic device. Printers as output terminals such as typewriters, word processors, workstations, personal computers, host computers, optical disk devices,
It is used and commercialized as a handy or portable printer provided in a video device or the like. In this case, the inkjet recording apparatus has a configuration corresponding to the function, usage pattern, etc. peculiar to these apparatuses.

Incidentally, with the recent spread of personal computers and improvement of their performance, there is a growing interest in three-dimensional image processing such as three-dimensional computer graphics and virtual reality. Visualization or printout of a three-dimensional image is one of the strong demands.

A lenticular lens is known as one used for stereoscopic viewing of images and the like. A conventionally known lenticular lens is a series of individual lenses, one of which is convex and the other of which is flat, and still images and televisions printed on a print medium through such a lenticular lens. Viewing a moving image on the display allows stereoscopic viewing due to binocular parallax.

An example in which this type of lenticular system is applied to image recording has been conventionally known. The most commonly known ones are obtained by a process similar to that of ordinary photography. That is, for example, an image on a film obtained by photographing through two lenses (in this case, a twin-lens system) is used as an original image, and a lenticular print medium in which a silver salt photosensitive layer is formed on a lenticular lens (hereinafter referred to as a lenticular sheet (Also referred to as), and then exposed and baked to obtain a lenticular sheet capable of stereoscopic viewing. Where the lenticular lens (from the side)
The method of performing the exposure through the method is often used as a method for easily determining the print position of the multi-viewpoint image through the plurality of lenses with respect to each lens of the lenticular lens.

However, the above-mentioned lenticular system is
This is a so-called analog printing method, and is almost unsuitable for printing based on the combined image signal. On the other hand, a method of irradiating a lenticular sheet with a laser beam based on an image signal to expose the lenticular sheet for digital printing is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-21.
No. 6138. According to such a digital system, it is possible to easily print the image combined on the computer as described above. The lenticular sheet described in the above publication is the same as that described above, and the lenticular sheet having the photosensitive layer formed on the flat portion of the lenticular lens is irradiated with a laser beam from the photosensitive layer side.

Further, as another digital method for printing on a lenticular sheet, a heat-sensitive method and a thermal transfer method are known, and an offset printing method is also known.

[0009]

However, each of the above digital printing systems has problems in the following two points.

First, the dots formed on the print medium of the lenticular sheet by the printing of each of the above methods must be accurately positioned in relation to each lens of the lenticular lens, and the dot formation position is deviated. In this case, a predetermined stereoscopic image cannot be obtained or the image quality is deteriorated. Especially when increasing the number of viewpoints to increase the stereoscopic viewing area (multi-viewing), the number of dots to be formed corresponding to each lens of the lenticular lens increases and the print density increases, so accurate print positioning If it is not possible, dots may be formed outside the area corresponding to the lens, resulting in fatal image quality deterioration.

The above-mentioned publication does not particularly disclose such a configuration for performing printing with accurate positioning for each individual lens of the lenticular lens.

Second, since area gradation is used for the gradation expressing means for recording on the lenticular sheet by the ink jet method as in the conventional case, the recording resolution in the direction orthogonal to the generatrix direction of the lenticular lens is required. Further, when the error diffusion is used in the area gradation, the error is diffused to other images as well, resulting in a parallax image with poor image separation as a whole, and a good stereoscopic effect cannot be obtained.

In addition to the main problems described above, in the case of the offset printing method, real-time print output in accordance with image composition on a computer is impossible, and the heat-sensitive method or the like is formed or joined to the lenticular lens. There is also a problem that the cost of the print medium becomes relatively high.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and a lenticular print medium and an ink jet which can perform good printing on a lenticular sheet.
A recording apparatus and an inkjet recording method are provided.

[0015]

In order to solve the above problems, a lenticular print medium according to the present invention comprises a lenticular lens layer in which a plurality of substantially semi-cylindrical lens portions are arranged at a predetermined pitch, and the lenticular lens. A lenticular print medium provided with a recording layer in contact with the back surface of the layer, the recording layer, on the surface opposite to the surface in contact with the lenticular lens layer, at the same pitch as the predetermined pitch, A first recording layer separating member provided along the generatrix direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portion ;
Supports multiple parallax images through the semi-cylindrical lens
With a certain pitch in the generatrix direction of the semi-cylindrical lens part.
Along the first recording layer separating member.
A second recording layer separating member, and a recording layer separating means composed of
Characterized in that it.

Preferably, the first recording layer separating member and
The second recording layer separating member is a convex portion provided on the surface of the recording layer opposite to the surface in contact with the lenticular lens layer, along the generatrix direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portion.
The first recording layer separating member is a rib having a shape,
The height of the convex portion is higher than that of the second recording layer separating member .

Preferably, the first recording layer separating member
The second recording layer separating member is made of a water repellent agent or a material containing the water repellent agent.

Next, the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention has a lenticular print medium having a lenticular lens layer in which a plurality of substantially semi-cylindrical lens portions are arranged at a predetermined pitch and a recording layer in contact with the back surface of the lenticular lens layer. And a carriage for mounting recording means for recording an image based on input image information corresponding to a plurality of viewpoint images by ejecting ink onto the recording layer of the lenticular print medium. An inkjet provided with a pitch detecting means for detecting a predetermined pitch of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portion, and a control means for controlling the driving of the recording means and the conveying means based on the detection result of the pitch detecting means. In the recording device, the recording layer is in contact with the lenticular lens layer On the surface opposite to the, with at the predetermined pitch and the same pitch, a first recording layer separating member provided along a generatrix direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portions, front
Supports multiple parallax images through a semi-cylindrical lens
Pitch along the generatrix direction of the semi-cylindrical lens section.
A plurality of first recording layer separating members are provided between the first recording layer separating members.
And second recording layer separating member, the recording layer separating means comprising a perforated
However , the pitch detecting means uses the first recording layer separating member .
It is characterized by detecting .

Preferably, the carriage scans along a direction orthogonal to a generatrix direction of the substantially semicylindrical lens portion.

Preferably, the first recording layer separating member
The second recording layer separating member is a convex portion provided on the surface of the recording layer opposite to the surface in contact with the lenticular lens layer, along the generatrix direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portion.
The first recording layer separating member is a rib having a shape.
Is higher in height than the second recording layer separating member.
First, the pitch detecting means is optically arranged in the first recording layer.
The predetermined pitch can be detected by detecting the separation member.
Characterized by issuing .

[0021]

Preferably, the control means ejects ink from the recording means at a predetermined ejection timing based on the detection result of the pitch detection means.

Preferably, the gradation expression of the image is based on an area gradation method, and the area gradation matrix corresponding to each of the plurality of parallax images recorded within one pitch of the lenticular lens is the lenticular. It is characterized in that it is constituted by a rectangular matrix pattern having the longitudinal direction in the generatrix direction of the lens.

Preferably, the plurality of parallax images are subjected to image processing as one original image and the remaining difference images.

[0025]

[0026]

Further, the ink jet recording method according to the present invention uses an ink jet recording apparatus equipped with an ink jet recording means, and a lenticular lens layer in which a plurality of substantially semi-cylindrical lens portions are arranged at a predetermined pitch, and the lenticular lens. In an inkjet recording method for recording an image on a lenticular print medium having a recording layer in contact with the back surface of the layer, a carrying step for carrying the print medium, and ejecting ink to the recording layer of the lenticular print medium. Based on a recording step of recording an image based on input image information corresponding to a plurality of viewpoint images, a pitch detecting step of detecting a predetermined pitch of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portion, and a detection result of the pitch detecting means. To control the recording process and the carrying process. And a control step, further, the pitch detection process, the surface opposite to the lenticular lens layer in contact with a surface of the recording layer of the printing medium,
The substantially semi-cylindrical shape having the same pitch as the predetermined pitch.
First recording layer provided along the generatrix direction of the lens portion
A plurality of parallaxes are formed through the separating member and the substantially semi-cylindrical lens.
The semi-cylindrical lens part with a pitch corresponding to the image
Along the generatrix direction between the first recording layer separating members.
Recording layer consisting of a plurality of second recording layer separating members
Among the separating means, the first recording layer separating member is detected .

Preferably, in the recording step, an image is recorded by scanning the carriage along a direction orthogonal to a generatrix direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portion.

[0029]

[0030]

Preferably, the ink is ejected from the recording means of the ink jet recording apparatus at a predetermined ejection timing based on the detection result of the pitch detecting step.

Preferably, the method has a step of performing gradation expression of the image by an area gradation method, and each of the plurality of parallax images recorded in one pitch of the lenticular lens.
The area gradation matrix corresponding to this is constituted by a rectangular matrix pattern having a longitudinal direction in the generatrix direction of the lenticular lens.

Preferably, the plurality of parallax images are subjected to image processing as one original image and the remaining difference images.

[0034]

[0035]

[0036]

[0037]

[0038]

[Action] pitch detecting means provided in the ink jet recording apparatus, detects the first recording layer separating member of the lenticular lens. Based on the detection result, the control means controls the driving of the recording means and the conveying means to perform so-called pitch adjustment, and a stereoscopic image without deviation between the lenticular lens and the strip-shaped image is obtained. Therefore, for example, it is possible to visualize or print out a three-dimensional image synthesized on a computer.

[0039]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 are for explaining a schematic structure of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control structure, and FIG. 2 is the above-mentioned embodiment. 2 is an external perspective view showing the main part of the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG. 3, and FIG. 3 is an external view of the carriage as viewed in the direction of arrow A in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates the entire ink jet recording apparatus. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a recording unit (inkjet head) 9
A carriage 21 for mounting an ink tank, a conveying means for conveying a lenticular sheet 20 as a recording medium (lenticular print medium) (a sheet feed motor 3 for generating a driving force when the lenticular sheet is conveyed, and driving of the motor). A motor drive circuit 4) for controlling and a control means (a controller in the form of a CPU) 2 for controlling the entire apparatus including them are provided. Then, the inkjet head 9 that ejects ink droplets from the plurality of ejection ports is serially scanned in a direction (main scanning direction) orthogonal to the conveyance direction (sub-scanning direction) of the lenticular sheet 20, while the lenticular sheet 20 is unrecorded. It intermittently conveys an amount equal to the recording width.

In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the position of the carriage scanned by the driving force of the carriage motor 5 is detected by the linear sensor 7. Further, the sheet pitch sensor 8 allows the lenticular sheet 20 to be
The pitch of the cylindrical lens of is detected along with the scanning of the carriage. Based on the detection output of the sheet pitch sensor 8, the print position (ejection position) can be determined as described later.

The ink jet head 9 is driven by the head drive unit 10 based on the image data input from the host computer 11 via the interface 12. That is, ink is ejected from the inkjet head 9 onto the lenticular sheet in accordance with the scanning of the carriage 1 based on the input image data, and a predetermined digital image is printed. The ink jet head of this embodiment uses an electrothermal conversion element as an energy generating means. Therefore, it is possible to generate bubbles in the ink in the liquid path in a one-to-one correspondence with the drive electric pulse signal, and to immediately and appropriately grow and contract the bubbles, which is particularly responsive. Ink drop ejection can be achieved. In addition, the inkjet head can be easily made compact, and the advantages of IC technology and microfabrication technology, which have been significantly improved in technology and reliability in the recent semiconductor field, can be fully utilized, and high-density mounting is easy. so,
The manufacturing cost is also low, which is advantageous.

The image data used in the ink jet recording apparatus 1 of this example is data synthesized on the host computer 11 as a host device, and this data is sent to the controller 2 via the interface 12.
The data sent to the controller 2 is a composite of images having parallax with each other as described later. The controller 2 performs predetermined image processing to generate ejection data, and a predetermined memory ( It is temporarily stored in (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 21 described above is used.
Engages slidably with the two guide shafts 26, 27.
A part of the carriage 21 is provided with the guide shafts 26 and 27.
The carriage motor 5 is connected to a belt stretched by pulleys 5a and 5c in substantially the same range as the carriage motor 5.
The driving force is transmitted to enable movement (main scanning) along the guide shafts 26 and 27.

The ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment is compatible with color recording and forms a color image by superposing ink droplets ejected by ink jet heads of a plurality of colors. Therefore, yellow (Y),
Four types of inkjet heads and ink cartridges corresponding to the three primary colors of magenta (M) and cyan (C) or the four primary colors including black (B) are mounted. That is, in this embodiment, the inkjet cartridges 22, 23, 24, and 25 in which the inkjet head and the ink tank are integrated are mounted on the carriage 21. These cartridges are provided corresponding to the respective inks of black, cyan, magenta and yellow, and are detachably attached to the carriage 21.

The linear sensor 7 provided on a part of the carriage 21 slidably engages with a linear scale 7a extending parallel to the guide shafts 26 and 27. Thereby, the scanning position of the carriage 21 can be detected. A known structure can be used for this detection, and for example, magnetic or optical detection can be performed. On the other hand, the sheet pitch sensor 8 is used for the carriage 2
It is provided so as to face the scanning area of one inkjet head. This makes it possible to detect the pitch between the lenticular sheet and each cylindrical lens, as will be described later.

In FIG. 3, 9B, 9C, 9M and 9
Reference numeral Y denotes an inkjet head, which receives black ink, cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink supplied from the ink tanks integrally provided with each other, ejects the ink onto the lenticular sheet 20 (see FIG. 2), and Ink dots are formed on.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of this embodiment shown above, the carriage 21 is arranged in the longitudinal direction of each lenticular lens (cylindrical lens) of the lenticular sheet 20, that is, in the generatrix direction of the lenticular lens (direction of arrow B in FIG. 2). Scanning is performed in the orthogonal direction, and printing is performed by each inkjet head. As a result, the sensor 8 as means for detecting the pitch of the lenticular lens, as compared with the method of scanning and printing in the generatrix direction of the lenticular lens as described later
Can be effectively used, and the accuracy of the print position can be easily improved.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along a plane orthogonal to the radial direction of the lenticular sheet used in this embodiment, that is, the generatrix direction. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 20a
Shows one lens part (cylindrical lens) which comprises a lenticular lens. A plurality of such cylindrical lenses are arranged in parallel to form the entire lenticular lens. Reference numeral 20c is an inkjet recording layer that absorbs / records the ink ejected from the inkjet head. Further, reference numeral 20b
Is a sheet rib that divides the ink jet recording layer and extends in the generatrix direction of the lenticular lens. Further, in this embodiment, the plurality of seat ribs are provided with ribs (rib 201 and rib 202) having two types of heights.
The ribs 201 and 202 have different heights (that is, the rib 201 is higher). The ribs 201 are provided with a pitch equal to the arrangement pitch of the cylindrical lenses, and a plurality of ribs 2 are provided between the two ribs 201.
02 are arranged.

The lenticular sheet 20 as described above is used in the above ink jet recording apparatus so as to eject ink from the ink jet recording apparatus 20b side, and the printed image is observed from the arrow 20d direction in FIG. Stereoscopic viewing becomes possible. The conventional flat lenticular sheet that does not have the sheet rib 20b and is used for inkjet recording has a problem that so-called ink bleeding occurs between parallax images, image separation of parallax images deteriorates, and stereoscopic quality deteriorates. There was,
By providing a sheet rib for each parallax image and eliminating ink bleeding between parallax images, a high-quality stereoscopic image can be obtained.

It should be noted that it is almost impossible to use the lenticular sheet as in this embodiment for recording by contacting a print sheet with an ink jet head such as thermal transfer. However, such an inconvenience does not occur in the ink jet head of this embodiment in which the recording head and the print sheet have a gap without contacting each other.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing another example of the lenticular sheet applied to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. Instead of the protruding seat ribs 20b, water repellent regions 20'b are provided at a predetermined pitch to improve the separation of parallax images.

FIG. 6 is for explaining the detection principle of the sheet pitch sensor 8 of the present embodiment. (1) shows a case where a light beam is specularly reflected and reaches the detector, and a predetermined photoelectric conversion is performed. On the other hand, FIG. 6 (2) shows the case where the light beam 8 is blocked by the sheet rib and predetermined photoelectric conversion cannot be performed. In the figure, reference numeral 8a is a light source such as a laser, 8b is a light beam of the laser or the like emitted from the light source 8a, and 8c is a detection of a CCD or the like for detecting a light beam emitted from the light source 8a and substantially specularly reflected. It is a vessel. In this configuration, the pitch sensors (8a and 8c) scan with the carriage 21 in the left-right direction in FIG. At this time, the light beam 8a is almost regularly reflected, and the detector 8
There are cases where the predetermined photoelectric conversion is performed after reaching c, and the case where the light beam 8 is blocked by the sheet ribs and the predetermined photoelectric conversion cannot be performed. Therefore, the sheet pitch sensor 8 detects the lenticular pitch using such a phenomenon. Of course, the pitch sensor is not limited to the above configuration as long as it can detect the sheet rib of the lenticular sheet. Further, since the size of the seat rib is different for each lenticular lens, it is possible to obtain a relative value for the lens.

FIG. 7 is a timing chart for explaining the ejection timing of the ink jet head based on the output of the pitch sensor.

The ink jet head 9 of the apparatus of this embodiment scans the lenticular sheet 20 at a substantially constant speed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the time T required for scanning one pitch of the lenticular lens becomes substantially constant. In this embodiment, 4 images (4 dots corresponding to 4 eyes) are printed for each lenticular lens. In this case, the sheet pitch sensor 8 detects the top of the sheet rib of the lenticular lens (that is, the free end of the rib 201), and the third yellow image is ejected with a delay of a predetermined time ΔT from the detection time. (Of course, when there is no data for the third image, ejection is not performed). Then 4 for every 1/4 × T
An image and one image or two images of the adjacent lens are ejected. Here, each image corresponds to the dots 52a to 52d shown in FIG. Then, again, similar ejection is performed based on the detection signal from the next sheet pitch sensor 8. At this time, ΔT is a time determined based on the distance between the sensor 8 and the yellow ejection port and the carriage speed. With respect to the other inkjet heads of magenta, cyan, and black, the inkjets can be overlapped at substantially the same point by performing the discharges by cumulatively shifting the timing by ΔT from the discharge timing of the yellows. Here, Δt is a time that can be determined from the distance between the ejection openings of each color and the carriage speed. In addition, the discharge can be controlled by detecting a portion other than the top portion of the seat rib.

As is apparent from the above, since the ejection timing is determined with reference to the signal output for each lens constituting the lenticular lens, the dot formation position, that is, the print position can be accurately determined. It is possible to improve the quality of a stereoscopic image observed in combination with the matching of the focal position and the dot position.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view for explaining stereoscopic vision of an image on the lenticular sheet printed as described above.

In order for a human to recognize an object or an image as a stereoscopic image with depth, it is necessary to give a parallax to the right eye and the left eye. In FIG. 8, 50R is the right eye of the observer, 50L
Is the left eye of the observer, 51 is the lenticular sheet, 52
Reference characters a, 52b, 52c and 52d are images (dots) recorded on the lenticular sheet 51. In the lenticular system, the images entering the right eye 50R and the left eye 50L are images 52c and 52b of the images separated by the lenticular sheet 51, respectively, as shown in FIG. You can do it. Stereoscopic vision can be realized with a total of two images, one for the right eye and one for the left eye. However, the stereoscopic vision region is narrow in the two images, and inverse stereoscopic vision regions of approximately the same size exist adjacent to each other. become. In order to eliminate such a defect, multi-image formation of two or more images (four images in this embodiment) is performed. Generally, the larger the number of images, the wider the stereoscopic viewing region and the narrower the inverse stereoscopic viewing region. It has been known.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the ink jet head 9, and FIGS. 10A to 10G are explanatory views of the bubble jet recording principle. Note that, regarding the typical configuration and principle thereof, for example, see US Pat. No. 47231.
No. 29, and No. 4,740,796.

In FIG. 9, 209a is a heater board, which is an electrothermal conversion element (discharge heater) on a silicon substrate.
209b and an electrode 209c made of aluminum or the like for supplying electric power thereto are formed by a film forming process. Ink liquid path (nozzle) to the heater board 209a
An ink jet head is configured by bonding a top plate 209e having a partition wall for partitioning 209d.

Ink supplied from an ink tank (not shown) via a conduit is supplied to the top plate 209e through the supply port 2
Common liquid chamber 2 in the inkjet head 209 from 09f
The common liquid chamber 209 is filled with 09 g and is discharged.
It is introduced into each nozzle 209d from g. A plurality of ink ejection ports 209h are formed at the tips of these nozzles 209d.

Here, the principle of ink ejection in the bubble jet recording method will be described with reference to FIGS. In the steady state, as shown in FIG. 10A, in the ink 40 filled in the nozzle 209d, the surface tension and the external pressure are balanced at the ejection port surface, and the meniscus is stable at the position shown in the figure. When ejecting the ink 40 in this state, the electrothermal conversion element 209d of the nozzle 209d is energized to cause the ink in the nozzle 209d to rapidly rise in temperature over each boiling. Then, as shown in FIG. 10B, the ink adjacent to the electrothermal conversion element 209b is heated to generate minute bubbles (bubbles), the ink in the heated portion is vaporized to cause film boiling, and The bubble 41 grows rapidly as shown in FIG.

When the bubble 41 grows to the maximum as shown in FIG. 10D, the ink droplet 4 is discharged from the output port of the nozzle 209d.
2 is extruded. Then, when power supply to the electrothermal converter 209b is finished, the grown bubble 41 is cooled and contracted by the ink 40 in the nozzle 209d, as shown in FIG. Droplets are ejected from the ejection port. Further, as shown in FIG. 10 (f), the ink contacts the surface of the electrothermal conversion element 209b and is rapidly cooled, and the bubble 41 disappears or contracts to a substantially negligible volume. Then, when the bubble 41 contracts, ink is supplied from the common liquid chamber 209g into the nozzle 209d by a capillary phenomenon as shown in FIG. 10 (g) to prepare for the next energization.

Therefore, an ink image is recorded on the recording sheet by reciprocating the carriage carrying the ink jet head and energizing the electrothermal converter 209b in synchronization with this movement according to the image signal. .

As the structure of the discharge means, in addition to the combination of the discharge port, the liquid path, and the electrothermal converting element described above, US Pat.
The materials disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 33, JP-A-59-123670 and the like can also be used.

The specifications of printing in this embodiment shown above are shown in Table 1 below.

[0068]

[Table 1]

Next, the procedure of the original image composition and print operation of this embodiment will be described.

Image processing by the host computer 11 Image processing such as strip / composite is performed so as to obtain lenticular stereoscopic vision.

Supply of data from the host computer 11 to the ink jet recording apparatus of this embodiment The composite image generated by the host computer 11 is sent in the state of compressed or uncompressed data. On the other hand, predetermined image processing is performed on the ink jet recording apparatus side, and an area gradation method is used as gradation expression. At this time, by forming the gradation matrix of the area gradation into a rectangle whose longitudinal direction is the generatrix direction of the lenticular lens, multiple images of the lenticular can be achieved. Also, multi-image can be achieved by forming a stripe-shaped gradation matrix in units of n lenticular lenses.

Supply of Lenticular Sheet The lenticular sheet is supplied to the ink jet recording apparatus of this embodiment by manual feeding or an automatic sheet feeder.

Print As shown in FIG. 2, the ink jet recording apparatus of this embodiment has a so-called serial printer form. That is, in FIG. 2, the supplied lenticular sheet is conveyed to a position facing the ink jet head 9 by a sheet conveying means (not shown), and ink is ejected from the ink jet head 9 for each scanning of the carriage 21 for one line. Printing (for one scan) is performed, and the sheet is conveyed for this one line width.

During this period, as described above, the sheet pitch sensor 8 detects the pitch (sheet pitch) of the lenticular lenses of the lenticular sheet 20, and the linear sensor 7 also detects the carriage position, that is, the position of the ink jet head 9. The controller 2 controls the ink ejection timing of the inkjet head 9 based on the sheet pitch and the positional information of the inkjet head. As is clear from the above description, this sheet pitch sensor is provided in the leading direction in the scanning of the inkjet head.

The lenticular sheet 20 is printed by repeating the above operation each time the carriage 1 is scanned.

Discharge of Lenticular Sheet The lenticular sheet is discharged to the outside of the apparatus by using a conveying means (not shown).

In the above embodiment, an example of printing on a lenticular sheet using a serial type ink jet recording apparatus has been described. However, a so-called full line type, that is, ink is ejected over a range corresponding to the width of a sheet to be conveyed. Printing similar to the above can be performed by an inkjet recording apparatus using an inkjet head provided with an outlet. In this case, the lenticular sheet is conveyed in the direction orthogonal to the generatrix direction of the lens,
The sheet pitch can be detected during this conveyance.

Although a sheet-shaped lenticular print medium is used in the above embodiment, it goes without saying that this may be continuous paper.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing image processing steps for forming the lenticular stereoscopic image created in this embodiment.

Import of N original images (N ≧ 2) (S
-1) Since it is handled as a parallax image on the host computer,
Any image format can be processed by the host computer, such as TIFF, PICT, JPEG.
Etc. are possible. However, in the header part of the image format, the information of the parallax image as the nth (n ≦ N) lenticular image from the right (or left) of the N original images, the baseline length, the shooting distance of the shooting camera, and the like are taken. Writing the conditions at the same time is also effective for the subsequent processing.
As the parallax image forming means, there are a stereo camera for taking a picture with a predetermined base line length, a multi-lens camera having a plurality of optical systems, a slide type camera for moving the camera by a mechanical parallel moving means, etc. , A photoelectric conversion device such as a CCD, which can start a scanner or a predetermined interface and can be processed on a host computer. Further, as a means for obtaining a parallax image, a method of forming N predetermined parallax images by computer graphics or the like is an effective means other than the above-mentioned means for photographing an actual object.

Horizontal compression of individual original image (S-2) The original image obtained above is compressed by 1 / N in the direction (horizontal direction) orthogonal to the generatrix of the lenticular lens of the final lenticular image. . This is because N images are recorded for each lenticular lens, and an inkjet printer having a resolution N times in the lateral direction of the lenticular lens does not need to be compressed, and the vertical and horizontal printer resolution ratio is N _P. = (Horizontal resolution) / (vertical resolution), the original image used for lenticular stereoscopic vision is N _P /
It suffices if N is laterally compressed. In processing by the host computer, compressing an image at the initial stage of processing in this way saves memory and speeds up processing time. At this time, the N parallax images have a very high correlation,
An image can be compressed by adding a differential signal and a motion vector, and the amount of signals handled can be reduced.

Strip Processing and Rearrangement into Lenticular Images (S-3, S-4) In principle, a parallax image is formed on one pitch of the lenticular lens as described in FIG. 8 to form a lenticular stereoscopic image. Are striped and rearranged to obtain a lenticular stereoscopic image. At this time, since the image is inverted by the lenticular lens, the arrangement order is also inverted accordingly. Further, in order to save the memory of the host computer, it is possible to rearrange the compressed image using the compressed image described above while expanding the compressed image.

Area gradation expression (S-5) In the inkjet printing method, an image is expressed by whether or not ink is ejected. Therefore, the image is a digital image in which a large number of pixels, which are structural units, are gathered in a two-dimensional manner, and gradation cannot be expressed only by one dot corresponding to one pixel, so gradation is expressed by a matrix pattern having a certain area. To do.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory view for explaining the area gradation means used in the present invention. Lenticular lens 1
The image matrix pattern corresponding to the pitch is X
The direction (radial direction of the lenticular lens) has 8 pixels, and the Y direction (generic line direction of the lenticular lens) has 8 pixels. That is, in the figure, XL is the width of one pitch of the lenticular lens, and YL is the dimension of one matrix pattern in the generatrix direction of the lenticular lens. Since there are four images in this example, four images are 2 × 8 within the width XL. It is recorded dot by dot.

FIG. 13 shows a matrix pattern of one image in the matrix pattern of the image of FIG. The generatrix direction of the lenticular lens is 8 dots, and the orthogonal direction is 2 dots. Therefore, 16 gradations can be expressed.

When the area gradation expression method is carried out, it is necessary to correct the error between the gradation value of the original image and the gradation value of the recorded image. Therefore, the error distribution method is used in this embodiment.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing the manner of error propagation in the present embodiment for the error dispersion method, and LD in the drawing shows the generatrix direction of the lenticular lens. The dispersion of the error Exy in a certain pixel P (x, y) in the original image is performed only in the Y direction (the generatrix direction of the lenticular lens).
In this embodiment, the pixels PA arranged along the Y direction,
This is performed for PB, PC, and PD pixels. Further, weighting by distance (that is, error variance ratio) is performed, and the weight becomes smaller as the distance becomes longer.

Printer (S-6) As described above, image or signal processing is performed and ejection control of the inkjet head is performed. Up to now, the binary recording in which the recording is performed with or without the ink has been described.

[0089]

As described above, according to the present invention,
An image can be printed on one of the surfaces using a lenticular lens having a convex surface on one side, whereby the focus position in observation can be matched with the position of the printed image. The pitch detecting means provided in the ink jet recording apparatus detects the first recording layer separating member of the lenticular lens. Based on the detection result, the control means controls the driving of the recording means and the conveying means, so-called pitch adjustment is performed, and a stereoscopic image without deviation between the lenticular lens and the strip-shaped image is obtained. Therefore, for example, it is possible to visualize or print out a three-dimensional image synthesized on a computer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a main part of the inkjet recording apparatus.

3 is an external elevation view of the carriage shown in FIG. 2 and an inkjet head mounted on the carriage.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a lenticular sheet used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a lenticular sheet applied to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a detection principle of a sheet pitch sensor applied to the present invention, and (1) shows a case where a light beam is almost regularly reflected and reaches a detector, and a predetermined photoelectric conversion is performed. On the other hand, (2) is a diagram showing a case where the light beam 8 is blocked by the seat rib and predetermined photoelectric conversion cannot be performed.

FIG. 7 is a timing chart for explaining ejection timing control using the output of the sheet pitch sensor applied to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining stereoscopic vision when a lenticular sheet applied to the present invention is used.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view for explaining a schematic configuration of an inkjet head mounted in an inkjet recording device according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining ink ejection of an inkjet head mounted on an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. 10A to 10G are diagrams showing respective steps.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart for explaining an image processing step for forming a lenticular stereoscopic image by the inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a table diagram for explaining an area gradation method applied to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a table diagram for explaining an area gradation method applied to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a table diagram for explaining an error distribution method applied to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Inkjet recording device 2 controller 3 Sheet feed motor 4 Motor drive circuit 5 Carriage motor 6 Motor drive circuit 7 Linear sensor 8 Seat pitch sensor 9 inkjet head 9B, 9C, 9M, 9Y 10 Head drive 11 Host computer 12 interfaces 20 Lenticular sheet 20a lenticular lens 20b ink absorption layer 20c middle layer 21 carriage 26, 27 guide shaft 50R right eye 50L left eye 51 lenticular sheet 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d Parallax image

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03B 25/00-35/26 G02B 27/22-27/26

Claims (16)

(57) [Claims] 1. A lenticular print medium provided with a lenticular lens layer in which a plurality of substantially semi-cylindrical lens portions are arranged at a predetermined pitch, and a recording layer in contact with the back surface of the lenticular lens layer, wherein: layer, said the surface opposite to the lenticular lens layer surface in contact, with at the predetermined pitch and the same pitch, provided along a generatrix direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portions
First recording layer separating member and the substantially semi-cylindrical lens
With the pitch corresponding to multiple parallax images via
The first recording along the generatrix direction of the semi-cylindrical lens portion.
A plurality of second recording layer separating members provided between the layer separating members
If, lenticular print medium characterized by having a recording layer separating means consisting of. 2. The first recording layer separating member and the second recording layer separating member.
The recording layer separating member has a convex shape provided on the surface of the recording layer opposite to the surface in contact with the lenticular lens layer, along the generatrix direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portion.
A rib, and the first recording layer separating member is the second recording layer separating member.
The lenticular print medium according to claim 1, wherein the height of the convex portion is higher than that of the recording layer separating member . 3. The first recording layer separating member and the second recording layer separating member.
The lenticular print medium according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the recording layer separating member is made of a water repellent or a material containing the water repellent. 4. A transport means for transporting a lenticular print medium having a lenticular lens layer in which a plurality of substantially semi-cylindrical lens portions are arranged at a predetermined pitch and a recording layer in contact with the back surface of the lenticular lens layer, and A carriage for mounting recording means for recording an image based on input image information corresponding to a plurality of viewpoint images by ejecting ink onto the recording layer of the lenticular print medium, and a predetermined semi-cylindrical lens portion. In the ink jet recording apparatus provided with a pitch detecting means for detecting the pitch of, and a control means for controlling the driving of the recording means and the conveying means based on the detection result by the pitch detecting means, the recording layer, On the surface opposite to the surface in contact with the lenticular lens layer, the same pitch as the above-mentioned predetermined pitch is provided. In with, provided along the generatrix direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portions
First recording layer separating member and the substantially semi-cylindrical lens
With the pitch corresponding to multiple parallax images via
The first recording along the generatrix direction of the semi-cylindrical lens portion.
A plurality of second recording layer separating members provided between the layer separating members
When having a recording layer separating means consisting of, said pitch detecting means is an ink jet recording apparatus characterized by detecting <br/> the first recording layer separating member. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the carriage scans along a direction orthogonal to a generatrix direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portion. 6. The first recording layer separating member and the second recording layer separating member.
The recording layer separating member has a convex shape provided on the surface of the recording layer opposite to the surface in contact with the lenticular lens layer, along the generatrix direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portion.
Ribs, wherein the first recording layer separating member is the second recording layer separating member.
The height of the convex portion is higher than that of the recording layer separating member, and the pitch detecting means optically detects the first recording layer separating member.
By detecting the member, the predetermined pitch can be detected.
An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that that. Wherein said control means, in any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that ink is ejected from said recording means with a predetermined ejection timing based on the detection result of said pitch detecting means The inkjet recording device described. 8. The gradation expression of the image is based on an area gradation method and is recorded within one pitch of the lenticular lens.
Area gradation matrix corresponding to each of the plurality of parallax images to be recorded may be any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that it is configured to generating line direction of the lenticular lens in a rectangular matrix pattern with longitudinal The inkjet recording device according to item 1. 9. gradation correction made in the area gradation method is the error dispersion method, the error variance direction in said error dispersion method according to claim 8, wherein it is a generating line direction of the lenticular lens Inkjet recording device. Wherein said a plurality of parallax images, the ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the image processing as one of the original image and the rest of the difference image. 11. An ink jet recording apparatus equipped with an ink jet recording means, and has a lenticular lens layer in which a plurality of substantially semi-cylindrical lens portions are arranged at a predetermined pitch, and a recording layer in contact with the back surface of the lenticular lens layer. In an inkjet recording method for recording an image on a lenticular print medium, a carrying step for carrying the print medium, and an input image corresponding to a multi-viewpoint image by ejecting ink to the recording layer of the lenticular print medium. A recording step of recording an image based on information, a pitch detecting step of detecting a predetermined pitch of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portion, and the recording step and the conveying step based on the detection result by the pitch detecting means. And a control step for controlling the pitch detection. Degree, the said lenticular lens layer in contact with a surface of the recording layer of the print medium on the opposite side, with a predetermined pitch and same pitch
Are provided along the generatrix direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens part.
The first recording layer separating member and the substantially semi-cylindrical lens
With a pitch corresponding to a plurality of parallax images,
The first recording layer is formed along the generatrix direction of the semi-cylindrical lens portion.
A plurality of second recording layer separating members provided between the separating members;
The first recording layer separation means, which comprises:
An inkjet recording method comprising detecting a member . 12. The recording process according to claim 1, characterized in that the carriage by scanning along a direction perpendicular to the generating line direction of the substantially semi-cylindrical lens portions for recording an image
1. The inkjet recording method according to 1 . 13. The ink jet recording method according to claim 11, wherein the ink is ejected from the recording means of the ink jet recording apparatus at a predetermined ejection timing based on the detection result of the pitch detecting step. 14. A step of performing gradation expression of the image by an area gradation method , corresponding to each of the plurality of parallax images recorded within one pitch of the lenticular lens.
The area gradation matrix, ink-jet recording method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that it is constituted by a rectangular matrix pattern in which the generatrix direction of the lenticular lens and longitudinal. 15. tone correction to be made by the area gradation method is the error dispersion method, the dispersion direction of the error in said error dispersion method according to claim 14, wherein it is a generating line direction of the lenticular lens Inkjet recording method. The method according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of parallax images, the ink jet recording method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that the image processing as one of the original image and the rest of the difference image.