KR20050004505A - Detecting method for ink level and controll method for ink-jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for detecting and controlling an ink level in an ink jet printer is provided to utilize residual ink by checking an amount of ink remaining in an ink cartridge when the ink level in the ink cartridge drops below a predetermined level. CONSTITUTION: A method for detecting and controlling an ink level in an ink jet printer includes the steps of detecting the ink level in an ink cartridge(S10) and checking whether the ink level in the ink cartridge is below a predetermined level(S20). If the ink level in the ink cartridge is below the predetermined level, a line print is carried out(S30) and a printing density is detected(S40). Then, the detected printing density is compared with a reference printing density(S60). If the detected printing density is lower than the reference printing density, a minute ink level is calculated(S70). Then, it is determined whether the calculated minute ink level requires a printing density compensation algorithm(S80).

Description

DETECTING METHOD FOR INK LEVEL AND CONTROLL METHOD FOR INK-JET PRINTER}

The present invention relates to an inkjet printer, and more particularly, to an ink level detection and control method of an inkjet printer.

In general, an inkjet printer is a printing apparatus that outputs a desired image by ejecting ink in a predetermined pattern on a sheet of paper through a nozzle while reciprocating left and right of a sheet on which an ink cartridge storing a predetermined amount of ink is supplied. Such inkjet printers are replaced by new ones after the ink in the ink cartridge is used up, or by refilling the ink in the ink cartridge. Therefore, the inkjet printer is provided with ink level sensing means for knowing when to replace or refill the ink cartridge before the ink in the ink cartridge is completely consumed and the printing becomes impossible.

As an example of such an ink level sensing means, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 1999-0084814 (published on Dec. 06, 1999) discloses an ink level sensing means of an inkjet printer previously filed by the present applicant. The disclosed ink level detecting means is provided with a pair of electrical means to be spaced apart from each other in the ink cartridge, when the current is applied to any one of the electrical means is configured to allow the current to flow through the other electrical means through the ink have. If the ink level in the cartridge falls below a predetermined level, the electrical connection between the two electrical means is broken, and no current flows. This principle detects whether or not there is ink in the ink cartridge.

However, since the ink level detecting means does not actually detect the amount of ink ejected through the nozzle, but the residual amount of ink is detected by the storage level of the ink stored in the ink cartridge, even if the amount is small in the ink cartridge. Even when ink enough to be printed remains, the user determines that all of the ink in the ink cartridge is exhausted. Therefore, even if the printable amount of ink remains in the ink cartridge, such a residual ink is not utilized and a problem is thrown away with the ink cartridge.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and when the ink level in the ink cartridge falls below a predetermined level, it is checked whether the ink enough to be printed in the ink cartridge remains in the ink cartridge through the print density of the paper. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink level detection and control method of an inkjet printer that can utilize ink.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing some components of an inkjet printer employing an ink level detection and control method of an inkjet printer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a main configuration of the inkjet printer shown in FIG. 1;

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting and controlling an ink level of an inkjet printer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

10; ink cartridge 20; ink level detection means

30; Print drive device 40; light sensor

50; Display device 60; Controller

The ink level detection and control method of the inkjet printer according to the present invention for achieving the above object comprises the steps of: detecting the ink level in the ink cartridge; Determining whether the detected ink level is below a predetermined level; Detecting the print density after performing line printing when the ink level is lower than a predetermined level; Comparing the sensed print density with a standard print density; Calculating a detailed ink level when the detected print density is lower than a standard print density; Determining whether the calculated detail ink level is applicable to a print density compensation algorithm; And executing the print density compensation algorithm when the calculated detailed ink level is a level at which the print density compensation algorithm can be applied.

According to this, it is possible to check whether there is a small amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge through the print density of the printed paper and use the residual ink through the print density compensation algorithm, so that the residual ink is not utilized. You can prevent it from being thrown away.

Here, the print density detection is preferably made by an optical sensor for measuring the reflectance of the light after irradiating the light on the paper.

In addition, the present invention preferably includes the step of displaying no ink when the calculated detail ink level is a level at which the print density compensation algorithm is not applicable.

In addition, the print density compensation algorithm may be a print control process for printing the same print line a plurality of times.

The present invention may also include displaying an ink level row when the ink level is below a predetermined level.

Hereinafter, an ink level detection and control method of an ink jet printer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a part of an inkjet printer employing a method for detecting and controlling an ink level of an inkjet printer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a main part of the inkjet printer shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an ink level detection and control method of an ink jet printer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the inkjet printer employing the ink level detection and control method according to the present invention, the ink level detection means 20 for detecting the ink level in the ink cartridge 10, and the ink A print driving device 30 for injecting ink in the cartridge 10 onto the paper, an optical sensor 40 for detecting a print density by irradiating light onto the paper, and information on the ink level in the ink cartridge 10. Display device 50 for displaying a, and a control device 60 for controlling each device.

Here, the ink cartridge 10 is mounted to the carrier 12 reciprocating along the guide rod 11, the ink cartridge 10 is provided with an ink level detecting means 20. Here, the ink level detecting means 20 may be used a variety of sensing means such as a magnetic sensor in addition to the electrical means disclosed in the prior art. In addition, the optical sensor 40 may be an automatic setting sensor that is typically installed and used on one side of the carrier 12. This automatic setting sensor is designed to automatically adjust color or print line, and detects printing status on paper, light emitting part for irradiating light to printing paper, and light receiving part for detecting reflected light reflected from paper. Is made of.

An inkjet printer having such a configuration performs ink level sensing and printing operations through a process as shown in FIG.

When the print job is started, the ink level detecting means 20 (see FIG. 2) detects the ink level in the ink cartridge 10 (see FIG. 1) (S10). Then, after determining whether the ink level is lower than or equal to the predetermined level (S20), if the ink level is higher than the predetermined level, the print driver 30 operates in a standard operation while the ink in the ink cartridge 10 moves onto the paper P. Printing is performed by spraying.

Unlike this, when the ink level is less than or equal to the predetermined level, the ink level row is displayed through the display apparatus 50 so that the user may know (S30). Then, as the carrier 12 (see FIG. 1) is moved in the A direction, ink is ejected to produce one line of line printing, and at the same time, the optical sensor 40 emits light onto the paper and then detects the reflected light reflected from the paper. (S40). Here, when the print density is high, the amount of reflected light is small, and when the print concentration is low, the amount of reflected light is increased. The optical sensor 40 detects the reflected light and sends a signal to the control device 60, and the control device 60 receives the signal from the optical sensor 40 to calculate the print density D _E (S50). . The calculation of the print density (D _E ) is made through the print density data according to the light reflectance obtained through the experiment. Then, the detected by comparing the detected print density (D _E) to the standard print density (D _R) print density (D _E) it is determined smaller than the standard print density (D _R) (S60). At this time, if the detected print density (D _E ) is not smaller than the standard print density (D _R ), the print driving device 30 operates in a standard operation while the ink in the ink cartridge 10 is sprayed onto the paper P to print. Is done.

On the other hand, if the detected print density (D _E ) is less than the standard print concentration (D _R ), the detailed ink level is calculated (S60). Here, since the detected print density D _E is less than the standard print density D _R because most of the ink in the ink cartridge 10 is consumed, the print driving device 30 may operate in the standard operation. In this case, the ejection amount of the ink is small, indicating that print quality is deteriorated. Therefore, it is necessary to control the print driving device 30 or to replace the ink cartridge 10 so as to increase the print density so as not to reduce the print quality. To this end, it is determined whether or not the calculated detailed ink level is a level at which the ink concentration compensation algorithm can be applied (S80), and appropriate action is taken accordingly. Here, the print density compensation algorithm is a print control process for controlling the print drive device 30 (see Fig. 2) to operate differently from the standard operation so as to increase the print density, such as printing the same line a plurality of times during a print job. .

If the amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge 10 cannot increase the print density through an appropriate method, the display apparatus 50 (see FIG. 2) indicates that no ink is present (S90). On the other hand, if the remaining ink amount in the ink cartridge 10 can increase the print density to the standard print density (D _R ) level through an appropriate print density compensation algorithm, the print density compensation algorithm is executed (S100). In the present embodiment, the print density compensation algorithm controls the print driving device 30 to print two or more times on the same print line. The number of repetitions of the printing operation for the same print line may vary depending on the level of the detail ink level.

On the other hand, the print density compensation algorithm may be applied to a variety of print control processes, such as a method of increasing the amount of ink injection once, in addition to a plurality of print operations for the same print line.

According to the present invention as described above, even if the ink level in the ink cartridge detected by the ink level detecting means falls below a predetermined level, the ink can be printed in a small amount in the ink cartridge through the print density of the printed paper. Can be displayed so that the user can know whether the ink remains, and the ink concentration compensation algorithm can be used to utilize the residual ink, thereby reducing the waste of ink and the maintenance cost of the injet printer.

While the invention has been shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments for illustrating the principles of the invention, the invention is not limited to the construction and operation as shown and described. Rather, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, all such suitable changes and modifications and equivalents should be considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (5)

Detecting an ink level in the ink cartridge; Determining whether the detected ink level is below a predetermined level; Detecting the print density after performing line printing when the ink level is lower than a predetermined level; Comparing the sensed print density with a standard print density; Calculating a detailed ink level when the detected print density is lower than a standard print density; Determining whether the calculated detail ink level is applicable to a print density compensation algorithm; And And executing a print density compensation algorithm when the calculated detailed ink level is a level at which the print density compensation algorithm can be applied. The method of claim 1, The printing density detection is a print density detection and control method of the inkjet printer, characterized in that by irradiating the light on the paper by an optical sensor for measuring the reflectance of the light. The method of claim 1, And displaying no ink when the calculated detailed ink level is a level at which the print density compensation algorithm cannot be applied. The method of claim 1, Wherein the print density compensation algorithm is a print control process for printing the same print line a plurality of times. The method of claim 1, And displaying an ink level row when the ink level is lower than or equal to a predetermined level.