1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a technique for correcting positional deviation of ink dots during bi-directional printing using a printing apparatus capable of adjusting a platen gap.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, ink jet printers have become widely used as computer output devices. Some ink jet printers can perform so-called “bi-directional printing” to increase the printing speed.
A problem that readily arises in bi-directional printing is that of positional deviation of ink dots between forward and backward passes in the main scanning direction, which is resulted from, for example, backlash of main scanning driving mechanism and warping of a platen. As well known in the art, there is a technique for solving such problem of positional deviation, for example, as discussed in JP5-69625A disclosed by the present applicant. In this technique an amount of positional deviation (printing misalignment) is prestored so as to correct the dot positions during forward and backward passes based on the amount of positional deviation.
Several types of print media, such as regular paper and photo print paper, are available for inkjet printers. Each type of print medium has significantly different amount of deflection (referred to as “cockling”) due to absorption of ink. For this reason, a value of a platen gap has been set large enough to avoid contact between a print head and paper that is deflected due to the cockling. The setting of the platen gap to such a large value, however, undesirably increases influence of print head alignment on the ink dot positions on the print medium. Therefore, ink jet printers which can adjust the platen gap according to the type of print medium are recently proposed.
However, little consideration has been given regarding how to correct positional deviation of ink dots during bi-directional printing using a printer with adjustable platen gap.
An object of the present invention is thus to provide a technique of correcting positional deviation of ink dots during bi-directional printing using a printing apparatus with adjustable platen gap.
To achieve the above object, the present invention is directed to a printing apparatus that is capable of bi-directional printing and has a print bead and a platen gap. This printing apparatus comprises: a platen gap adjuster that is capable of adjusting a platen gap between the print head and the platen into a plurality of values; a storage that stores different positional deviation correction values for a plurality of values of the platen gap, wherein the plate gap is to be used for correcting positional deviation of ink dots in bi-directional printing; and a positional deviation correction section that selects a positional deviation correction value based on at least the value of the platen gap, and corrects the positional deviation of ink dots in bi-directional printing by using the selected positional deviation correction value.
In accordance with the present printing apparatus, the storing of different positional deviation correction values for the plurality of values of the platen gap and the use of a selected positional deviation correction value that has been selected according to the value of the platen gap effects proper correction of positional deviation, according to the platen gap during actual printing operation.
The present invention may be achieved in a variety of forms, such as a method and an apparatus for correcting positional deviation of ink dots in bi-directional printing, a method and a device for controlling bi-directional printing, a printing method and a printing apparatus, a printing controller and a method for controlling a printing apparatus, a computer program implementing the functions of those methods and devices; a recording medium in which such a computer program is recorded, and a data signal embodied in a carrier wave including such a computer program.
These and other objectives, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with the accompanying drawings.
Some modes of the present invention are described below through embodiments in the following sequence.
A. General Structure of Apparatus
B. First Embodiment of Positional Deviation Correction in Bi-directional Printing
C. Second Embodiment of Positional Deviation Correction in Bi-directional Printing
D. Modifications
A. General Structure of Apparatus
The computer 90 includes application program 95 running on a predetermined operating system. A video driver 91 and a printer driver 96 are incorporated in the operating system, and the application program 95 outputs print data PD to be forwarded to the printer 20 via these drivers. The application program 95 performs required processing on a target image, and displays a resulting image on a CRT 21 via the video driver 91.
Once the application program 95 issues a printing instruction, the printer driver 96 in the computer 90 receives image data from the application program 95 and then converts the image data into print data PD to be transmitted to the printer 20. The printer driver 96 has various modules for creating the print data PD, including a resolution conversion module 97, a color conversion module 98, halftoning module 99, a rasterizer 100 and a color look-up table LUT.
The resolution conversion module 97 functions to convert the resolution of the color image data created in the application program 95 into the print resolution. Such resolution-converted image data still remains image information consisting of three color components, R, G, and B. With reference to the color conversion look-up table LUT, the color conversion module 98 converts resulting RGB image data into multi-tone data for multicolor inks that is available for the printer 20, on a pixel to pixel basis.
The color-converted multi-tone data has, for example, tone values of 256 tones. The halftoning module 99 performs so-called halftone process to create halftone image data. The halftone-processed image data are rearranged by the rastrizer 100 in the order of the data to be transferred to the printer 20, and are then to be output as the final print data PD. The print data PD includes raster data representing the states of formation of dots during respective main scans, and data representing the feed amount in sub scanning direction.
The printer driver 96 further includes an user interface display module 101, a platen gap determination module 102 and a test pattern supply module 103. The user interface display module 101 functions to display various types of user interface windows relating to printing, and receive input data by users through those windows. The user may set various print parameters through user interface. Examples of such print parameter include the type of print medium, selection from monochrome printing and color printing, selection from uni-directional printing and bi-directional printing, and the print resolution.
The platen gap determination module 102 determines the value of the platen gap based on the selected printing condition and inform the printer 20 of the value. Details about the value of the platen gap associated with the printing condition will be described later.
The test pattern supply module 103 functions to read out a test pattern print signal TPS representing a test pattern from a hard disk 92 and transmits the signal to the printer 20. This test pattern is used for selecting the correction value for positional deviation (also referred to as “bi-directional printing misalignment”) of ink dots in the main scanning direction in bi-directional printing.
The program for implementing the functions of respective modules in the printer driver 96 is stored and provided on a computer readable recording medium. Such recording medium may include a variety of computer-readable media such as flexible disk, CD-ROM, magneto-optics disc, IC card, ROM cartridge, punched card, print with barcodes or other codes printed thereon, internal storage device (memory such as RAM and ROM) and external storage device of the computer, and the like. It is also possible to download such computer program to the computer 90 via the internet.
The computer 90 incorporating the printer driver 96 acts as a print controller that causes the printer 20 to perform printing by providing the printer 20 with the print data PD and the test pattern print signal TPS. Furthermore, the computer 90 may act as a print controller that functions to determine the value of the platen gap associated with the printing condition and select a correction value for bi-directional printing misalignment according to the platen gap value. In the case that the computer 90 implements the function of selecting a correction value for bi-directional printing misalignment according to the platen gap value, it is preferable to prestore different correction values for a plurality of platen gap values in the hard disk 92.
The sub scanning mechanism for feeding the print medium P includes a gear train (not shown) for transmitting rotations of the paper feed motor 22 to the platen 26 and a paper feed roller (not shown). The main scanning mechanism for reciprocating the carriage 30 includes a slide shaft 34 disposed parallel to the axis of the platen 26, which slidably supports the carriage 30, a pulley 38 connected to the carriage motor 24 by an endless drive belt, and a position sensor 39 for detecting a starting position of the carriage 30.
The slide shaft 34 can move up and down by means of a slide shaft movement motor 35. Moving up and down enables the movement of the print head unit 60 relative to the platen 26, and thus adjusts the platen gap, which is the interval between the bottom surface of the print head and the platen 26. The platen gap is adjusted in response to a signal that is provided by the platen gap determination module 102 (
The system controller 210 acts as a positional deviation correction section 212 for correcting bi-directional printing misalignment. Once the platen gap has been selected, the corresponding correction value for bi-directional printing misalignment is read out from the EEPROM 200 to be transmitted to the positional deviation correction section 212. Upon receiving a signal representing a starting position of a carriage 28 from the position sensor 39 on backward passes, the positional deviation correction section 212 provides the head drive circuit 220 with a signal for instructing recording timing of the head (delay amount setting value ΔT) based on the correction value for bi-directional printing positional deviation. The head drive circuit 220 supplies driving signals to respective nozzles installed on the print head 62, and adjusts the recording position on backward passes in response to the recording timing (i.e. delay amount setting value ΔT), which is supplied from the positional deviation correction section 212. This arrangement ensures the adjustment of recording positions of a plurality of nozzle arrays during backward passes with a single correction value. In the example shown in
The user can set three types of print parameters among various print parameters in
The print resolution for photo print paper may be set to any one of 720×720 dpi, 720×720 dpi and 2880×1440 dpi. In this specification, the print resolution is represented as “(print resolution in the main scanning direction)×(print resolution in the sub scanning direction).” The higher print resolution achieves the higher picture quality, while the lower print resolution achieves the higher-speed processing. For relatively small print resolution of 720×720 dpi and 1440×720 dpi, the carriage speed is to be set to 240 cps. Here, the term “carriage speed” represents “main scanning speed” during printing, and the unit “cps” indicates “characters per second.” The carriage speed is set to 200 cps for the highest print resolution, 2880×1440 dpi, which results in printing at lower speed than the other two. In this example, the highest print resolution (2880×1440 dpi) is not allowed when regular paper is used because the highest resolution printing on regular paper may cause ink bleed, thereby decreasing enhanced picture quality.
Different positional deviation correction values are used for monochrome printing and color printing, respectively. As a result, correction values for monochrome printing and color printing ΔG1m1-ΔG1m3 and ΔG1c1-ΔG1c3 for the use of photo print paper are stored respectively in the EEPROM 200 associated with three types of print resolution. Other correction values for monochrome printing and color printing ΔG2m1-ΔG2m2 and ΔG2c1-ΔG1c2 for the use of regular paper are stored respectively in the EEPROM 200 associated with two types of print resolution. In the first embodiment as described below, the correction value for each bi-directional printing mode is set using a test pattern suitable for each mode.
B. First Embodiment of Positional Deviation Correction in Bi-directional Printing
As described below, correction values for bi-directional printing misalignment are preset before the printer 20 is shipped, and can be adjusted by the user after shipping.
In step S3, a test pattern is printed out according to the selected bi-directional printing mode.
Various types of test patterns, however, may be applied such as a test pattern using any other type of color patches. The term “color patch” in this specification indicates an image area reproduced in substantially uniform color.
The test pattern may be of color-patch type as shown in
In step S4 of
In step S5, it is judged whether or not steps S1-S4 have been completed for all bi-directional printing modes which are designed to be used in the printer 20. If not completed, the process is returned to step S1. The term “all bi-directional printing modes which are designed to be used in the printer 20” indicates any type of bi-directional printing mode that is settable by the user through a user interface window of the printer driver 96 (
In step S14 in
In step S15, the positional deviation correction section 212 (
δG1c1′=δG1c1+(δG1m1′−δG1m1)
δG1m2′=δG1m2+(δG1m1′−δG1m1)
δG1c2′=δG1c2+(δG1m1−δG1m1)
In other words, correction values δG1c1, δG1m2 and δG1c2 for other three bi-directional printing modes, each of which has identical values of the platen gap PG and the carriage speed with the first bi-directional printing mode, are adjusted by the variation of correction value (δG1m1′−δ1m1) for the first bi-directional printing mode. The process of such adjustment enables resetting of proper correction values for as many printing modes as possible even when the user resets correction values based on the test pattern for not all bi-directional printing modes. The targeted printing modes to be adjusted are limited to those modes to which both the platen gap PG and the carriage speed are common because bi-directional printing misalignments significantly depend on those parameters in many cases. The above process substantially ensures high precision adjustment of correction values in bi-directional printing modes to which both the platen gap PG and the carriage speed are common. However, other specific bi-directional printing modes may also be adjusted according to this manner. In another example, the correction value adjustment in step S15 may not be performed at all.
In step S16 of
As mentioned above, in the first embodiment, correction values δ for bi-directional printing misalignment are prestored in the EEPROM 200 associated with a plurality of bi-directional printing modes, and thus appropriate correction of bi-directional printing misalignment is attained by applying the correction value δ that is suitable for the bi-directional printing mode in actual printing. Furthermore, these correction values are set based on printing of a test pattern suitable for each mode, and thus ensure enhanced correction of bi-directional printing misalignments with higher accuracy, compared with the case where the correction value of each printing mode is calculated with mathematical operation, such as interpolation, based on a small number of correction values.
The first embodiment has another advantage that, when the correction value for one bi-directional printing mode is changed by the user, correction values for other specific bi-directional printing modes are also changed accordingly, thereby attaining proper adjustment of the correction values for bi-directional printing misalignment with less manual labor.
C. Second Embodiment of Positional Deviation Correction in Bi-directional Printing
In step S5a, it is judged whether or not all steps S1-S4 have been completed for all of those bi-directional printing modes for which the correction value is required to be set based on the test pattern. In the second embodiment, the test pattern is printed out not for all bi-directional printing modes, but for some limited bi-directional printing modes. In step S6, estimation of a correction value for bi-directional printing misalignment based on the correction value that has been set is carried out with respect to the other bi-directional printing modes in which the correction value has not been set based on a test pattern.
δG2c1=δG1c1+(δG2m1−δG1m1)
δG2c2=δG1c2+(δG2m2−G1m2)
The correction value δG2c1 for the eighth bi-directional printing mode is estimated by adding a difference between the correction values resulted from the variation in the platen gap PG in monochrome printing (δG2m1-δG1m1) to the correction value δG1c1 for another bi-directional printing mode in which the print resolution, carriage speed and monochrome/color settings are the same with the eighth mode but the platen gap value PG is different. Similarly, the correction value of the tenth bi-directional printing mode δG2c2 is also estimated by adding a difference between the correction values resulted from the variation in the platen gap PG in monochrome printing (δG2m1-δG1m1) to the correction value δG1c2 for another bi-directional printing modes in which the print resolution, carriage speed and monochrome/color settings are the same with the tenth mode but the platen gap value PG is different. Thus, the difference between the correction values resulted from the variation in the platen gap PG in monochrome print (δG2m1-δG1m1) is utilized as an adjustment value for estimating the correction value.
In the second embodiment, test patterns are used to set respective correction values δ for the first through sixth bi-directional printing modes, in which the values of the platen gap PG are relatively small. This is because expensive print medium is generally used in the bi-directional printing mode in which the platen gap PG is relatively small and the picture quality is likely to be more emphasized. On the other hand, the picture quality is likely to be less emphasized in the printing mode in which the platen gap PG is relatively large. Accordingly, it is acceptable to estimate a correction value for a bi-directional printing mode with larger platen gap PG by applying a correction value for another bi-directional printing mode with a smaller platen gap value, from a practical standpoint of the picture quality.
The estimation of correction value does not need to be performed at the time of storing the correction values in the EEPROM 200, but may be performed when actual printing using the correction value is to be carried out. The latter case enables the positional deviation correction section 212 (
This arrangement of the second embodiment enables the correction values for part of bi-directional printing modes to be set not based on the test pattern but based on the estimation using correction values for other bi-directional printing modes, and thus facilitates the setting of the correction values.
D. Modifications
The present invention is not restricted to the above examples or embodiments, but there may be many other aspects without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. Some examples of possible modification are given below.
D1. Modification 1
The present invention is not restricted to color ink jet printers as described in the above embodiments, but may also be applied to monochrome printers, or even to non-ink-jet printers. The present invention is generally applicable to a printing apparatus that prints images on a print medium, such as a facsimile machine and a copying machine, for example.
D2. Modification 2
In the above embodiments, correction values for bi-directional printing misalignment are stored in the EEPROM 200 in the printer, but they may be stored in a nonvolatile memory placed in any location in the printing system.
D3. Modification 3
In the above embodiments, the platen gap is adjusted according to the type of the print medium, but it may be adjusted according to other conditions.
D4. Modification 4
In the above embodiments, the platen gap is adjusted by moving the print head, but it may be adjusted by moving the platen itself The platen gap adjuster of the present invention may generally adjust the amount of the platen gap by moving at least one of the print head and the platen relative to the other.
D5. Modification 5
In the above embodiments, correction values for bi-directional misalignment are set depending on print parameters other than the platen gap. Alternatively, it is possible to set those correction values for bi-directional printing misalignment depending only on the platen gap. In other words, it may be sufficient to set mutually different correction values for bi-directional printing misalignment with respect to a plurality of platen gap values.
D6. Modification 6
Although parameters such as the type of the print medium, selection from monochrome printing and color printing, selection from unidirectional printing and bi-directional printing, and the print resolution are used to define the printing condition in the above embodiments, other types of parameters may also be used. One available example of such parameter for the printing condition includes the type of a driving waveform that is used for the printer in which various types of driving waveforms are applicable to the print head.
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, these descriptions and illustrations are illustrative and not restrictive, but the spirit and scope of the present invention are limited only by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2002-291253 | Oct 2002 | JP | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10677478 | Oct 2003 | US |
Child | 11400194 | Apr 2006 | US |