JP7238499B2 - Image forming system, image forming method, image forming program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming system, an image forming method, and an image forming program.

There are garment printers (image forming apparatuses) that form images on clothes, bags, and the like. Such an image forming apparatus has a mode in which the same data is printed twice in order to obtain a suitable image when printing on a thick material or when printing vividly.

Also, as a related technique, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-300002 discloses a technique that enables fine adjustment of the gradation density.

Conventional double-hit printing is a technique in which when the colors are insufficient, the print job is sent again for printing, which is time-consuming.

Further, the technique of Patent Document 1 determines the number of dots based on the image data. may not be formed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique capable of forming an image with a quality desired by a user.

In order to solve the above-described problems, an image forming system of the present invention is an image forming system that performs overprinting in which the same image is repeatedly formed in the same drawing area of the same recording medium. page data including setting means, image data to be subjected to image formation, and a command specifying the operation of image formation is created, and print data including the same page data for the number of times of overprinting is created. print data creating means; and image forming means for performing the overprinting by executing image formation for the number of times of overprinting in one print job based on the print data; means for receiving a pause setting, which is a setting as to whether or not to stop the print job each time one page of data is processed; The print data is created by adding a stop command to each page data, and the image forming means stops the print job each time one page data is processed based on the stop command. do.

According to the present invention, it is possible to perform image formation with the quality desired by the user.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the cassette of the embodiment. It is a sectional view of a cassette of an embodiment. 1 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating internal configurations of an image forming apparatus and a personal computer according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an image forming apparatus and a personal computer according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a display screen of embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the embodiment;

An image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and an image forming program according to this embodiment will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, showing a state in which the cassette is removed from the main body.

The image forming apparatus 1000 is a garment printer capable of printing on a recording medium (recording medium 400 to be described later) such as cloth, and forms an image on the recording medium set in a detachable cassette 200 . In the present embodiment, a description will be given on the assumption that cloth is used as the recording medium. It can also be used for items that are part of products such as fabrics and tote bags. In addition, the mode of the present embodiment can be applied as a recording medium as long as it is a sheet-like recording medium other than cloth.

Cassette 200 is inserted into the main body of image forming apparatus 1000 and moved in the sub-scanning direction (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1), whereby image forming apparatus 1000 prints on a recording medium set on platen 300 . .

Next, the configuration of the cassette 200 will be described. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a state in which the cover 202 of the cassette 200 is closed, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing the state in which the cover 202 is open. 3 is a sectional view of the cassette 200. FIG.

Cassette 200 is an exterior detachable from main body 1100 of image forming apparatus 1000 , and includes platen 300 . A cover 202 of the cassette 200 is connected to the cassette base 201 via a hinge 203. When the user unlocks the lock 204 and rotates the cover 202 in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. , the cassette 200 is opened.

The platen 300 is a plate-like member, and is supported by a column 311 composed of a column base 231, column cover 331, and springs 332 shown in FIG. Also, the platen 300 is urged upward (in the direction away from the cassette base 201, the positive direction of the Z axis) by the struts 311 .

The user sets the recording medium 400 on the platen 300 and closes the cover 202 while stretching the recording medium 400 to remove wrinkles. When the cover 202 is closed, the recording medium 400 set on the platen 300 is sandwiched between the outer circumference of the platen 300 and the cover 202, and is held in a wrinkled state. After setting the recording medium 400 in this manner, the user inserts the cassette 200 into the main unit 1100 of the image forming apparatus 1000 .

The cassette 200 functions as recording medium fixing means for fixing the recording medium 400 with a specific area (image forming area) of the recording medium 400 exposed on the surface, and an image is formed on the area of the recording medium 400 . Since the area exposed on the surface is printed in this manner, the user can check the finish condition of the image formed on the recording medium 400 while the recording medium 400 is set in the cassette 200 .

Next, a detailed configuration of the image forming apparatus 1000 will be described. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1000, and are perspective views when viewed from different directions. In FIG. 4, a garment printer of a model different from that of the image forming apparatus 1000 shown in FIG. 1 is used as a reference diagram. The illustrated apparatus will be treated as the image forming apparatus 1000 of the present embodiment.

The image forming apparatus 1000 is held in a main body 1100 on a stage 111 which is a receiving member that detachably holds a cassette 200 holding a recording medium 400 and moves forward and backward, and on a platen 300 of the cassette 200 . and printing means 112 for printing on the recording medium 400 .

The stage 111 is provided on a transport structure 113 held so as to be movable in the arrow A direction (sub-scanning direction) with respect to the main body 1100 . Here, a transport guide member 115 is arranged along the direction of arrow A on the bottom housing portion 114 of the main body portion 1100 , and the slider portion 116 of the transport structure 113 is movably held by the transport guide member 115 .

The printing means 112 includes a carriage 121 that moves in the arrow B direction (main scanning direction) with respect to the stage 111 and a recording head 1102 mounted on the carriage 121 . A carriage 121 is movably held by a guide member 123 arranged along the arrow B direction, and reciprocated in the arrow B direction by a drive motor 124 via a scanning mechanism such as a timing belt 125 . The print head 1102 forms an image by ejecting ink onto the print medium 400 using a liquid ejection head, but the present invention is not limited to this.

In this image forming apparatus 1000, the recording medium 400 is set in the cassette 200, and the cassette 200 is mounted and held on the stage 111 in the apparatus main body. By repeating the movement of the stage 111 in the direction of arrow A and the reciprocating movement of the recording head 1102 in the direction of arrow B, a desired image is printed on the recording medium 400 .

Next, operation control of the image forming apparatus 1000 will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the image forming apparatus 1000. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5 also illustrates a configuration example of a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”) that is a terminal for inputting (transmitting) a print job to the image forming apparatus 1000 .

The control unit 500 controls the entire image forming apparatus 1000, and includes a CPU 512 that also controls the conveying operation of the recording medium 400 and the moving operation of the recording head 1102; It has a ROM 513 for storing data. The control unit 500 includes a RAM 514 for temporarily storing image data and the like, an NVRAM 515 which is a rewritable non-volatile memory for retaining data even while the power of the apparatus is shut off, and various signal processing and sequence processing for image data. It has an ASIC 516 that processes input/output signals for image processing such as switching and for controlling the entire apparatus.

The control unit 500 has an external I/F 511 for transmitting and receiving data and signals with the PC 2000, which is an external device. An image reading device such as an image scanner, an imaging device such as a digital camera, or the like may be connected as an external device to transmit and receive data. The control unit 500 generates a drive waveform for driving the print head 1102, and operates a head control unit 521 that outputs image data for selectively driving the pressure generating means of the print head 1102 and various accompanying data to the head driver 541. and a main scanning motor driving section 522 for driving the main scanning motor 542 .

The control unit 500 has a sub-scanning motor driving unit 524 for driving the sub-scanning motor. The control unit 500 has an I/O 517 for inputting detection pulses from the linear encoder 543 and wheel encoder 545, and detection signals from various other sensors (registration sensor 553, cassette detection sensor 531). An operation panel 530 for presenting information to the user and receiving input information from the user is also connected to the control unit 500 .

A registration sensor 553 mounted on the carriage 121 senses the recording medium 400 to detect the presence or absence of the recording medium 400 .

A printing operation of the image forming apparatus 1000 having the above configuration will be described.

The control unit 500 receives print data generated by the PC 2000 or the like through the external I/F 511 via the network.

The CPU 512 of the control unit 500 reads and analyzes the print data in the reception buffer included in the external I/F 511, and the ASIC 516 performs necessary image processing, data rearrangement processing, and the like. The image data subjected to each of these processes is transferred to the head control section 521, and the head control section 521 outputs the image data and driving waveforms to the head driver 541 at the required timing.

The head control unit 521 includes a D/A converter and an amplifier for D/A converting the drive pulse pattern data stored in the ROM 513 and read out by the CPU 512, and is composed of one drive pulse or a plurality of drive pulses. A drive waveform is output to the head driver 541 .

The head driver 541 selectively applies drive pulses to the pressure generating means of the printhead 1102 based on image data corresponding to one line of the printhead 1102 . The head driver 541 includes a shift register for inputting serial data such as a clock signal and image data, a latch circuit for latching the register value of the shift register with a latch signal, and a level conversion circuit for level-converting the output value of the latch circuit. , and an analog switch array whose on/off is controlled by this level conversion circuit. Applied to the pressure generating means. By these operations, the print head 1102 ejects ink droplets to form an image on the print medium 400 .

Next, the hardware configuration of the PC 2000 will be explained. The main control unit 580 has a CPU 581, a RAM 582, a ROM 583, and a storage 584 as an auxiliary storage device.

The display operation unit 590 is composed of a monitor 591 and input devices 592 such as a keyboard and a mouse. The network I/F 571 includes a network interface card and the like for communicating with the outside. These units are connected by a bus 572 . A control program that performs operations described later is installed in the storage 584 in advance, and the CPU 581 develops the control program in the RAM 582 and performs calculations to provide the functions described below.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating software functions of the image forming apparatus 1000 and the PC 2000 in this embodiment. A system including the image forming apparatus 1000 and the PC 2000 is referred to as an image forming system 1 .

The PC 2000 has a print setting UI portion 611 (print setting means), a print data creation portion 612 (print data creation means), and a data transmission portion 613 (transmission means).

The print setting UI unit 611 receives image data (first image) to be formed from the user. Also, the print setting UI unit 611 displays the screen shown in FIG. 7A and receives various setting values. In the present embodiment, as shown in the broken line area R in FIG. A setting (referred to as a pause setting) as to whether or not to stop the job is accepted each time processing of one page data is performed.

A print data creation unit 612 creates print data based on the image data and setting values received by the print setting UI unit 611 . The print data creation unit 612 creates page data and describes the page data repeatedly for the number of times of overprinting, thereby creating print data to be executed in one print job.

Here, the relationship between page data, print data, and print jobs will be explained as a supplement. In this embodiment, the page data has a data structure including image data to be image-formed and various commands of a page description language (PDL). The image data here may be either one or both of raster data format image data and vector data format image data.

As a method of overprinting, there is a method of creating a plurality of identical page data and executing a print job for each of the identical page data. On the other hand, the print data creation unit 612 of the present embodiment creates data including a plurality of identical page data so that the process can be completed within one print job when performing overprinting. In this embodiment, this data is referred to as print data.

Image forming apparatus 1000 acquires print data and executes a print job. The correspondence between the print data and the print job is 1:1, and when the image forming apparatus 1000 acquires one print data, it executes one print job corresponding to the print data.

If the pause setting is valid, that is, if it is set to stop each time the target image is drawn, the print data creation unit 612 adds a stop command to each page of data while printing. Create data.

A data transmission unit 613 transmits the print data created by the print data creation unit 612 to the image forming apparatus 1000 .

Next, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1000 will be described. The image forming apparatus 1000 has a data receiving section 621 (receiving means), a data storage section 622, a drawing section 623 (image forming means), and a display operating section 624 (display operating means).

Data receiving unit 621 receives print data transmitted from PC 2000 . The data storage unit 622 temporarily stores the print data received by the data reception unit 621 .

The drawing unit 623 forms an image on the recording medium 400 according to the print data. When one piece of print data is stored in the data storage unit 622, the drawing unit 623 executes one print job based on the print data.

Also, when the temporary stop setting is valid, the drawing unit 623 stops the job each time one page data is processed.

The display operation unit 624 receives a command from the user as to whether or not to continue the job when the job is stopped. FIG. 7B shows an example of display by the display operation unit 624 at this time. In FIG. 7B, the display operation unit 624 displays an inquiry message as to whether to continue or end the job in an area 751, and arranges an operable cancel button 752 and an OK button 753 on the screen. The display operation unit 624 also arranges an arrow button 754 for transitioning to another setting screen within the screen.

When the OK button 753 is pressed, the drawing unit 623 restarts the stopped job and overprints the same image data. When the cancel button 752 is pressed, the drawing unit 623 terminates the stopped job. That is, when the cancel button 752 is pressed, subsequent overstrike printing is not performed.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an operation example of the PC 2000 and the image forming apparatus 1000. FIG. 8A shows an operation example of the PC 2000, and FIG. 8B shows an operation example of the image forming apparatus 1000. FIG.

The print setting UI unit 611 receives image data to be formed, displays the screen shown in FIG. A value indicating whether to invalidate is accepted (S801).

Then, the print data creation unit 612 creates one piece of page data in which the received image data is one page (S802). The page data is data described in PDL as described above.

If the pause set value is valid (S803: Yes), the print data creation unit 612 adds a PDL-format pause command (stop command) to the page data (S804). Then, the print data creation unit 612 determines whether page data for the number of overprints specified in S801 has been created (S805). If not created (S805: No), the process returns to S802 to create the same page data (S802). The print data creation unit 612 sequentially performs the processes of S802 to S804 to create print data including the same page data for the number of times of overprinting.

When print data including the same page data for the number of times of overprinting is created (S805: Yes), the data transmission unit 613 transmits the created print data to the image forming apparatus 1000. FIG.

Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 1000 will be described with reference to FIG. 7B. When the data receiving unit 621 receives the print data, the data storage unit 622 temporarily stores (memorizes) the print data. The drawing unit 623 then starts the following print job based on the print data stored in the data storage unit 622 .

The drawing unit 623 extracts page data for one page from the print data and forms an image on the recording medium 400 (S851).

When the processing of the page data is completed and the image is formed on the recording medium 400, the drawing unit 623 determines whether the pause setting is valid by checking the presence or absence of the pause command (S852). ). If the pause setting is invalid (S852: No), the drawing unit 623 advances the process to S857. If the pause setting is valid (S852: Yes), the drawing unit 623 pauses the print job being executed (S853). Then, the display operation unit 624 displays the screen shown in FIG. 7B during this stopped state (S854). The user visually recognizes the recording medium 400 during this stopped state and judges the finishing condition of the image formed on the recording medium 400 .

When the display operation unit 624 receives an instruction to execute overprinting by pressing the OK button 753 by the user (S855: Yes), the drawing unit 623 displays unprocessed page data (residual page data and ) is determined (S857), and if there is residual page data (S857: Yes), the process returns to S851, and the subsequent page data is processed to perform overprint printing of the same image. (S851). If there is no remaining page data (857), the drawing unit 623 terminates the print job.

When the cancel button 752 is pressed in S855 to accept an instruction to end printing (S855: No), the drawing unit 623 deletes the remaining page data (S856) and advances the process to S857. After deleting the remaining page data, the drawing unit 623 may end the print job without executing S857.

According to this embodiment, by transmitting a plurality of pieces of the same image data and performing overprinting based on the transmitted data, the image can be made darker and the image quality can be stabilized. In addition, by providing the user with an opportunity to specify the number of times of overprinting, and by providing the user with an opportunity to check the finished condition each time overprinting is performed, the quality desired by the user can be achieved. image can be obtained.

Also, during the product trial production stage, a mode is used to check the finished condition each time overprinting is performed. It is also possible to print without checking the finish condition.

Although the garment printer has been described as an example in this embodiment, the present invention can also be applied to an image forming apparatus that prints on a sheet such as a normal paper medium.

In this embodiment, the PC 2000 creates print data and the image forming apparatus 1000 receives the print data to form an image. However, the image forming apparatus 1000 may create the print data. Also, although the PC 2000 is used to set the number of times of overprinting and the temporary stop setting, the image forming apparatus 1000 may be used. That is, the image forming apparatus 1000 may be provided with the print setting UI unit 611 and the print data creation unit 612 provided in the PC 2000 . Therefore, the image forming system 1 of the present embodiment may have a configuration including the PC 2000 and the image forming apparatus 1000, or the image forming apparatus 1000 alone.

Note that "overlapping" according to the present embodiment means repeatedly forming the same image a plurality of times in the same drawing area of the same recording medium.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to perform image formation with the quality desired by the user.

1: Image forming system 112: Printing unit 200: Cassette 300: Platen 400: Recording medium 500: Control unit 511: External I/F
521: Head control unit 522: Main scanning motor driving unit 524: Sub scanning motor driving unit 530: Operation panel 571: Network I/F
580: Main control unit 590: Display operation unit 591: Monitor 592: Input device 611: Print setting UI unit 612: Print data creation unit 613: Data transmission unit 621: Data reception unit 622: Data storage unit 623: Drawing unit 624: Display operation unit 1000: Image forming apparatus 1100: Main unit 2000: PC

JP-A-2002-341460

Claims (6)

An image forming system that repeatedly forms the same image in the same drawing area of the same recording medium, comprising:
print setting means for receiving the number of overstrikes;
print data creating means for creating page data including image data to be image-formed and a command defining an image forming operation, and creating print data including the same page data for the number of times of overprinting; and,
image forming means for performing the overprinting by executing image formation for the number of overprintings in one print job based on the print data;
has
The print setting means receives a pause setting, which is a setting as to whether or not to stop the print job each time one page of data is processed,
The print data creation means creates the print data by adding a stop command to each page data when the temporary stop setting is valid,
The image forming means stops the print job each time one page data is processed based on the stop command.
An image forming system characterized by: The image forming system of claim 1 , wherein
further comprising display operation means for receiving a command from a user as to whether or not to continue the print job when the print job is in a stopped state;
When the display operation means receives an instruction to continue the print job, the image forming means continues to execute the rest of the stopped print job, and the display operation means does not continue the print job. Ending the print job upon receiving the command of
An image forming system characterized by: In the image forming system according to claim 2 ,
the image forming means, when the display operation means receives an instruction not to continue the print job, deletes remaining page data for the print job;
An image forming system characterized by: The image forming system of claim 1, wherein
The image forming means is provided in an image forming apparatus,
The print setting means and the print data creation means are provided in an external device of the image forming apparatus,
The transmission means of the external device transmits a plurality of the page data to transmit the print data to the image forming apparatus, and the reception means of the image forming apparatus receives the print data.
An image forming system characterized by: An image forming method for an image forming system that repeatedly forms the same image in the same drawing area of the same recording medium, comprising:
The image forming system is
Receiving the number of times of overprinting and a pause setting, which is a setting as to whether or not to stop the print job each time one page of data is processed ,
When generating page data containing image data to be image-formed and a command defining an image-forming operation, and generating print data containing the same page data for the number of times of overprinting, the temporary if the stop setting is valid, creating the print data by adding a stop command to each page data;
By executing image formation for the number of times of overprinting in one print job based on the print data, when performing the overprinting, each time one page data is processed based on the stop command. stop the print job,
An image forming method characterized by: An image forming program executed by an image forming system that repeatedly forms the same image in the same drawing area of the same recording medium, comprising:
Receiving the number of times of overprinting and a pause setting, which is a setting as to whether or not to stop the print job each time one page of data is processed ,
When generating page data containing image data to be image-formed and a command defining an image-forming operation, and generating print data containing the same page data for the number of times of overprinting, the temporary if the stop setting is valid, creating the print data by adding a stop command to each page data;
By executing image formation for the number of times of overprinting in one print job based on the print data, when performing the overprinting, each time one page data is processed based on the stop command. stop the print job,
An image forming program for causing the image forming system to execute processing.

Images