KR19990020088A - How to improve print quality - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for compensating print quality, a start step of generating data by executing an application program and making the generated data printable data through driver software, and printing printable at the start step. When the data is created, a print command step for generating a print command for printing the data, and if a print command is generated in the print command step, printing is performed according to the generated print command, and a bad nozzle is detected depending on whether the complementary mode is selected Using the complementary mode setting step, which sets the printing conditions according to the complementary mode, the MFP checks the bad condition of the nozzles on the printhead and readjusts the other consecutive nozzles to a new nozzle block without using the nozzles for which the badness has been confirmed. Image by printing after printing There is an effect to prevent that.

Description

How to improve print quality

The present invention relates to a method for compensating print quality, and in particular, when a nozzle failure of a printhead occurs in a multifunction device composed of a shuttle scanner and an inkjet printer, a method for compensating for a decrease in print quality due to a nozzle failure is detected. The purpose is to provide a method.

In recent years, with the development of manufacturing technology and control methods of electric and electronic products, a composite device having a complex function has become popular, and as a multimedia with various functions of a computer, a peripheral device, a printer, also has a complex function to cope with it. Is in the trend. In other words, in general, the printer, scanner, and fax are configured as a multifunction device in which separate functions are integrated into one system to provide more convenient functions to the user.

An example of such a conventional multifunction printer will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional multifunction peripheral 10 includes a line interface unit 11 (hereinafter abbreviated as LIU) 11 for transmitting and receiving a fax signal through a telephone terminal T1, and the LIU 11. Scanning the information recorded on the document on which the modem 12 modulates the data to receive and demodulate the fax signal transmitted and input or transmit the data generated by the multifunction apparatus 10 to the outside. If the scanner part 13 and the image data recorded in the scanned originals from the shuttle scanner 13 are received and temporarily stored in the memory unit 14a, the stored image data is fax data for transmission to the outside. If the image data output to the modem 12 and temporarily stored in the memory unit 14a is data for copying, the output to the printer is controlled and the fax data demodulated from the modem 12 is output. CPU 14 for controlling the output of the fax data, which is temporarily stored in the memory unit 14a and controlled, and a printer 15 for receiving and printing fax data or copy data output from the CPU 14. .

Looking at the conventional multifunction device having such a configuration in more detail as follows.

A fax signal, which is an analog signal, is received through the telephone terminal T1 through the LIU 11. The fax signal input through the LIU 11 is demodulated into digital data via the modem 12 and stored in the temporary memory unit 14a via the CPU 14. The fax data temporarily stored in the memory unit 14a is applied to the printer 15 controlled by the CPU 14 and printed.

At this time, the printer 15 feeds the print medium, forms an ink image on the loaded print medium, and prints the fax signal transmitted from the outside through the telephone terminal T1, and the CPU 14 processes the fax signal. It is used as the main CPU of the pack number means.

In addition, the user scans the information recorded in the document through the shuttle scanner 13 to generate the image data in order to transmit the information recorded in the document. The image data generated through the shuttle scanner 13 is temporarily stored in the memory unit 14a under the control of the CPU 14 and then applied to the modem 12.

The modem 12, which has received the image data temporarily stored in the memory unit 14a under the control of the CPU 14, modulates the applied image data into an analog signal and externally via the LIU 11 and the telephone terminal T1. Is sent to.

Then, when scanning the document on which information is recorded through the shuttle scanner 13 for the copying operation, the scanned image data is temporarily stored in the temporary memory unit 14a, and the stored image data is controlled by the CPU 14. Is applied to the printer 15. The image data applied to the printer 15 under the control of the CPU 14 forms an ink image on the print medium fed by the printer 15 to copy the scanned image data through the shuttle scanner 13. Done.

In the multifunction apparatus 10 in which such a shuttle scanner 13 and the printer 15 are comprised, the nozzle of the printhead may generate | occur | produce a printhead (not shown) of the printer 15 to which the inkjet printing method is applied, Examples of the defects include a failure in the heating resistance element (not shown) of the nozzle and a nozzle clogging which is the injection hole of the ink.

As described above, when a defect occurs in the nozzle of the printhead, a white line is generated in the horizontal direction on the printed paper to be printed, which causes a problem in that print quality is deteriorated.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention detects the presence or absence of a printhead nozzle failure installed in the printer of the multifunction device, and if a nozzle failure occurs, it is possible to grasp the position of the nozzle where the failure occurs and normal nozzles except the nozzle where the failure occurs. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing image quality improvement method for compensating for the deterioration in print image quality due to a defective nozzle by printing using only.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a start step of generating data by executing an application program and generating the data as printable data through driver software, and print data printable at the start step. Is generated, a print command step for generating a print command for printing the print command, and if a print command is generated in the print command step, printing is performed according to the generated print command, and a defective nozzle is detected and compensated according to whether the complement mode is selected. Complementary mode setting step for setting the printing conditions according to the mode is characterized in that the configuration.

1 is a block diagram showing the internal circuit configuration of a conventional multifunction peripheral;

2 is a flowchart illustrating a printing image quality improving method according to the present invention;

3 is a block diagram showing the internal circuit configuration of the multifunction apparatus to which the present invention is applied;

4 is a perspective view showing a driving mechanism of the multifunction apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings

131: line feed motor 132: line feed roller

133: carriage return motor 134a, 134a ': pulley

135: time belt 136: carrier

137: printhead 150: shuttle scanner module

138: guide shaft

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a printing image quality improvement method according to the present invention. As shown, a start step (S110) for generating data by executing an application program and making the generated data printable through the driver software, and printable print in the start step (S110). When the data is generated, a print command step (S120) for generating a print command for printing the data, and when a print command is generated in the print command step (S120), printing is performed according to the generated print command or whether the complementary mode is selected. According to the complementary mode setting step (S130) for detecting a bad nozzle to set the printing conditions according to the supplementary mode, and the supplementary mode is set or the complementary mode is not selected in the supplementary mode setting step (S130). In the printing start step (S140) and the printing start step (S130), the printing is started and finished when the print job ends. Consists of an end step S150.

During this configuration, the start step S110 is configured by adding a menu option input step S110a for selecting and inputting a supplementary mode through a menu option of the driver software, and setting the supplementary mode. In step S130, when a print command is generated in the print command step S110, a complementary mode determination step S130a for determining whether a supplementary mode is selected among the generated commands and a complementary mode determination step S130a. When the mode is selected, the bad nozzle check step (S130b) for checking the nozzle failure according to the complementary mode, the bad nozzle check step (S130c) for determining whether a bad nozzle has occurred in the bad nozzle check step (S130b), and If a bad nozzle is generated in the bad nozzle existence determination step (S130c), the position of the bad nozzle is detected and a higher level for using the nozzle except the bad nozzle position is detected. A parameter adjusting step S130e for adjusting a parameter according to a set condition when a lower nozzle using step S130d and an upper or lower nozzle is set in the upper or lower nozzle using step S130d; If the complementary mode is not selected as a result of the determination of the supplementary mode determination step S130a or if a bad nozzle is not generated in the defective nozzle existence determination step S130c, the print start step S140 is configured to execute a normal print job. do.

Looking at the present invention having such a configuration in more detail with reference to Figures 3 to 4 as follows.

In the start step (S110), an application program is executed through the PC 200 shown in FIG. 3 to generate data, and the print data can be printed through driver software stored in the PC 200. Will make When the driver software is executed to generate print data, the generated print data is transmitted to the printer driver of the multifunction apparatus 100 and the ECP 110.

At this time, the print command step S120 transmits a print command for printing the generated print data to the printer driver of the multifunction apparatus 100 immediately before the print data and the ECP 110. The command to be transmitted includes a command according to the printing condition inputted in the menu option input step S110a by executing the driver software. Therefore, the CPU 120 receiving the print command through the print driver and the ECP 110 prepares a print job according to the authorized command.

That is, the CPU 120 reads the control program and control data stored in the system memory 120a according to the applied print command, generates a control signal, and applies the generated control signal to the printer driver and the ECP 110. The printer driver and the ECP 110 receiving the control signal process the applied control signal and apply the head control signal to the printer 130. The printer 130 receiving the head control signal controls the line feed motor 131 and the line feed roller 132 shown in FIG. 3 to feed the paper 1 in the direction of arrow B. FIG.

In addition, the phase and position of the carriage return motor 133 are controlled, and the result is connected to the pulleys 134a and 134a 'to rotate the time belt 135. Delivered. The time belt 135 rotated by the control of the carry return motor 133 drives the carrier 136 in which the shuttle scanner module 150 and the print head 137 are mounted. The carrier 136 driven by the time belt 135 is guided by the guide shaft 138 to move from side to side.

The printhead 137 moves the initial print position according to the print command generated by the PC 200 by the carrier 136 which is moved left and right by the guide shaft 138, and also enables fire and enable. (Enable) At this time, the printhead 137 is configured to be able to print at 300 DPI to 104 nozzles, and divided into 34 print bands (2551 × 3507; based on 300 DPI) to print.

The shuttle scanner module 150 mounted on the carrier 136 together with the printhead 137 is mounted on the carrier 136 to be driven by one carriage return motor 133. The CCD used for the shuttle scanner module 150 driven by the carriage return motor 133 uses a size of 128 to 160 dots. Thus, an A4 size (2551 × 3507; 300 DPI standard) document is used. The scan is divided into 22 to 27 shuttle scan bands.

Scanning of one shuttle scan band is performed by scanning one vertical line, that is, one slice, and then moving it horizontally as indicated by arrow A by the carriage return motor 133. When scanning an A4 size document, 2551 slices are scanned based on 300 DPI. The shuttle scanner module 150 receives and scans a control clock output from the image processing unit 140 to scan the information recorded in the document to generate the picture data.

The scanned data scanned through the shuttle scanner module 150 is applied to the image processing unit 140 again to provide shading, gamma correction, DIP conversion, edge emphasis, and error diffusion. Error diffusion) and the like are stored in the image memory 160.

The stored raw data is printed or scanned into a vertical block (Block) to make a transmission signal through the modem and LIU 180, the rasterizer (Rasterizer) (170) is matrix-transformed. The matrix converted converted data is printed through the printer 130 or transmitted to the outside through the modem and the LIU 180. In addition, it is transmitted to the PC 200 through the printer driver and the ECP 110 to be stored as a file.

During the general operation of the multifunction apparatus 100, a user executes an application program through the PC 200 and executes driver software for controlling the multifunction apparatus 100 to print the executed result. At this time, in the menu option input step S110a, a condition for printing is set in the driver software option Option. At this time, the user selects the complementary mode in an option of the driver software.

The complementary mode may be programmed to be set as a default having a certain period by the manufacturer of the multifunction apparatus 100, and also programmed to be executed by selecting an option of the driver software. . If the supplementary mode is selected by the user according to the selection of this option or at regular intervals, the driver software may be installed in the PC (100) according to the setting conditions of the selected supplementary mode option and other print options required for printing. ) Will generate the printable data.

When print data is generated through the driver software, a command for printing the generated print data is generated. The print command generated by the driver software stored in the PC 100 is transmitted to the CPU 120 through the printer driver of the multifunction apparatus 100 and the ECP 110. The CPU 120 receiving the print command determines whether the supplementary mode is selected by analyzing whether the supplementary mode is selected among the print commands applied in the supplementary mode determination step S130a of the supplementary mode setting step S130.

As a result of the determination, if the complementary mode is not selected and the print command is set, the print start signal (S140) is executed to print a print control signal according to the print command applied through the print driver and the ECP 110, and the print driver and the ECP 110 are printed. Apply with a driver. The print driver receiving the control signal according to the print job generates a head control signal for controlling the printhead 137 for ejecting ink according to the applied control signal.

The printer 130 moves the paper 1 to the printing position through the line feed motor 131 and the line feed roller 132 according to the applied head control signal, and the carriage return motor 133 and the time belt 135. By controlling the control to move the carrier 136 equipped with the print head 137, the ink is sprayed through the print head 137 to the paper (1) fed to perform the printing.

In addition, when it is determined that the complementary mode is selected and set in the print command to which the CPU 120 is applied in the supplementary mode determination step S130a, the nozzle plate of the printhead 137 (not shown) in the defective nozzle check step S130b. ) Checks for the presence and location of bad nozzles. In order to identify the defective nozzle of the printhead 137, one slice is printed in one band of the paper 1 fed to the printhead 137 of the printer 130.

When one slice is printed in one band of the paper 1, the paper 1 may be replaced by a line feed motor to scan one slice printed on the paper 1. Reverse feed through 131 and line feed roller 132 to move to the scanning position.

When the sheet 1 is reverse fed by the line feed motor 131 and the line feed roller 132 and the paper 1 is moved to the scanning position, the shuttle scanner module 150 includes a slice (1) printed on the paper 1 ( Slice). In this case, one or more slices may be printed in one or more bands according to the performance of the shuttle scanner module 150 and the printer 130.

When the slice printed on the sheet 1 is scanned by the shuttle scanner module 150 as described above, the scanned image data is corrected through the image processing unit 140 and stored in the image memory 160. . The image data stored in the image memory 160 is compared with the level of each dot in one slice by the CPU 120 to determine whether or not there is a bad nozzle in the printhead 137. You will be confirmed.

When the CPU 120 compares and confirms the level of each dot of the image data stored in the image memory 160, and determines whether or not there is a bad nozzle in the bad nozzle existence determination step S130c. Done. That is, when a white level is generated as a result of comparing each dot of the image data stored in the image memory 160, the CPU 120 corresponds to a dot in which the white level is generated. The nozzle is determined to be defective.

As a result of the determination, if a defect does not occur in the nozzle of the printhead 137, a general print job is performed through the print start step (S140). On the contrary, when a bad nozzle is generated in the printhead 137, the CPU 120 executes the upper or lower nozzle use step S130d to print using the remaining nozzles except for the position of the nozzle where the bad nozzle is generated. Done.

That is, when the presence, location, and number of defective nozzles of the printhead 137 are confirmed, the CPU 120 calculates whether the largest nozzle block except for the defective nozzles is located above, below, or in the middle to fix the printable nozzle block. . For example, if nozzles 4 and 51 of the nozzles of the printhead 137 are inferior, blocks in the nozzles 4 and 51, that is, lower nozzles 52 to 208 except for the nozzles before 51 are used. Only blocks are fixed and ink is injected through the lower nozzle to perform printing.

As described above, when the remaining nozzles except the defective nozzles are fixed according to the position and number of the defective nozzles of the printhead 137, the parameter adjustment according to the fixed nozzles is performed in the parameter adjusting step S130e. do. In other words, the CPU 120 calculates the necessary parameter values so as to print using the nozzle blocks manufactured by the defective nozzles. In addition, the step of the line feed motor 131 calculates and resets a parameter related to the line feed motor 131 in direct proportion to the number of nozzles of the nozzle block.

For example, if the number of nozzles in the nozzle block is reduced to 150 nozzles from the existing 208 nozzles in one band printing, the number of steps of the line feed motor 131 is also proportionally reduced to the number of 150 nozzles so that the readjustment can be performed. Will be set. When the nozzle block of the printhead 131 and the number of steps of the line feed motor 131 are set again, the printer 130 performs a print job through the print start step S140, and when the print job is completed, the end step ( Through S150) the print job or the print job according to the supplementary mode is terminated.

As described above, the defective nozzle inspection of the printhead 137 is performed by checking whether the nozzle of the printhead 137 is open or short by using separate hardware in addition to the inspection method by printing or scanning. The nozzle failure state of the printhead 137 may be confirmed. However, the clogging phenomenon of the nozzle cannot be confirmed by a separate hardware inspection method.

In addition, the number and timing of the inspection process for detecting the presence or absence of the defective nozzle is a mode in which the user directly inspects the selection of the complementary mode on a menu option of the driver software controlling the printer 130, or You can also set the mode to inspect just before printing periodically.

As described above, the present invention, by checking the defective state of the nozzle of the printhead in the multifunction device, by re-adjusting another continuous nozzle to a new nozzle block without using the nozzle that the defect was confirmed, thereby preventing the nozzle failure There is an effect of preventing a decrease in print quality.

Claims (3)

Run the application program to generate data and start the generated data into printable data through the driver software, and print command to print the printable data when the printable data is generated in the start step. Complementary mode that prints according to the generated print command step and the print command generated in the print command step, and prints according to the generated print command, and detects a bad nozzle according to whether or not to select the complementary mode, and sets the print condition according to the complementary mode. A print quality supplement method including setting steps. The method of claim 1, And the starting step comprises a menu option input step of selecting and inputting a complementary mode through a menu option of the driver software. The method of claim 1, The complementary mode setting step may include a complementary mode determination step of determining whether a supplementary mode is selected among the generated commands when a print command is generated in the print command step, and a supplementary mode when the supplementary mode is selected in the supplementary mode determining step. Defective nozzle confirmation step for confirming the defect of the nozzle, Defective nozzle flow determination step for determining whether a bad nozzle has occurred in the failing nozzle confirmation step, and Defective nozzle position generated when a bad nozzle occurs in the failing nozzle flow determination step If the upper or lower nozzle using step to use the nozzle except the position of the defective nozzle and the upper or lower nozzle is set in the upper or lower nozzle using step, the parameter to adjust the parameter according to the set condition ( Parameter) Print quality report characterized by consisting of adjustment steps Way.