Patent Application
20220355603
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a print control method and, more particularly, to, for example, a printing apparatus that performs image printing by heating, by a heating element, a print medium formed by stacking color development layers of different colors, and a print control method.
In printing using a thermal printhead, conventionally, monochrome printing using thermal paper, color printing using an ink ribbon, and the like have widely been used. On the other hand, in recent years, color printing using a paper sheet including color development layers of a plurality of colors has been proposed and proliferated as a print means for simple photos. The color development layers of the plurality of colors need different heating temperatures and heating times to develop the colors. Using the difference, specific color development layers are caused to develop the colors, thereby printing a color image (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-506582 and Japanese Patent No. 4677431).
In the above-described conventional technique, however, since the pulse width of a head drive pulse used to cause each color development layer to develop the color is fixed, pulse application needs to be done a plurality of times to develop a specific color with a high color development temperature, and heating takes time.
The present invention provides a technique capable of implementing printing of high color development properties while shortening a heating time needed to develop a specific color.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus configured to heat a sheet-shaped print medium in which a plurality of color development layers that develop colors in accordance with heating are stacked in correspondence with a plurality of colors so as to form an image on the print medium by causing a desired color development layer in the plurality of color development layers to independently develop the color, the apparatus comprising: a printhead including a plurality of heating elements; a drive unit configured to drive each of the plurality of heating elements of the printhead using a first pulse for preheating a predetermined color development layer, and a second pulse applied after the first pulse to cause the predetermined color development layer to develop the color; and a pulse control unit configured to, when developing a specific color, perform a control in which a pulse width of the first pulse is increased and/or a control in which the number of times of application of the second pulse is increased such that another color development layer that is not used to reproduce the specific color does not develop the color.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note, the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. Multiple features are described in the embodiments, but limitation is not made an invention that requires all such features, and multiple such features may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant description thereof is omitted.
<Outline of Printing Apparatus (
As shown in
The host PC 50 includes a CPU 501, a RAM 502, an HDD 503, a data transfer interface (I/F) 504, a keyboard/mouse interface (I/F) 505, and a display interface (I/F) 506.
The CPU 501 executes processing according to a program held in the HDD 503 or the RAM 502. The RAM 502 is a volatile storage and temporarily holds programs and data. The HDD 503 is a nonvolatile storage and similarly holds programs and data. The data transfer I/F 504 controls data transmission/reception to/from the printing apparatus 40. As the data transmission/reception transfer method, wired connection such as USB, IEEE1394, or LAN or wireless connection such as Bluetooth® or WiFi can be used. The keyboard/Mouse® I/F 505 is an interface configured to control a UI (User Interface) such as a keyboard or a mouse, and a user can input information to the host PC via this. The display IN 506 controls display on a display (not shown).
On the other hand, the printing apparatus 40 includes a CPU 401, a RAM 402, a ROM 403, a data transfer interface (I/F) 404, a head controller 405, and an image processing accelerator 406.
The CPU 401 executes processing according to each embodiment to be described later in accordance with a program held in the ROM 403 or the RAM 402. The RAM 402 is a volatile storage and temporarily holds programs and data. The ROM 403 is a nonvolatile storage and holds table data and programs used in processing according to each embodiment to be described later. The data transfer IN 404 controls data transmission/reception to/from the PC 50.
The head controller 405 controls a heating operation (to be described later) of the printhead 30 based on print data. More specifically, the head controller 405 is configured to load control parameters and print data from a predetermined address of the RAM 402. That is, when the CPU 401 writes the control parameters and print data to the predetermined address of the RAM 402, processing is activated by the head controller 405, and the heating operation of the printhead is performed.
The image processing accelerator 406 is formed by hardware and executes image processing faster than the CPU 401. More specifically, the image processing accelerator 406 is configured to load parameters and data necessary for image processing from a predetermined address of the RAM 402. When the CPU 401 writes the parameters and data to the predetermined address of the RAM 402, the image processing accelerator 406 is activated, and predetermined image processing is performed.
Note that the image processing accelerator 406 is not always a necessary constituent element, and the above-described table parameter creation processing and image processing may be executed only by the processing of the CPU 401 in accordance with the specifications of the printing apparatus.
<Outline of Configuration of Printhead (
The printhead 30 includes a glaze 32 on a substrate 31. The glaze 32 may further include a “convex glaze” 33. If the convex glaze 33 exists, a resistor 34 is arranged on the surface of the convex glaze 33. If the convex glaze 33 does not exist, the resistor 34 is arranged on the surface of the flat glaze 32. Note that a protective film layer is preferably formed on the resistor 34, the glaze 32, and the convex glaze 33. In general, the combination of the glaze 32 and the convex glaze 33, which are made of the same material, will be referred to as “the glaze of the printhead” hereinafter.
The substrate 31 is in contact with a heat sink 35 and is cooled using a fan or the like. The print medium 10 contacts the glaze of the printhead whose length is substantially more than the length of an actual heating resistor in general. The resistor 34 is an electrothermal transducer (a heater or a heating element) that generates heat upon receiving a current. A typical resistor has a length of about 120 m in the conveyance direction of the print medium 10. However, the thermal contact region between the print medium and the glaze of a general printhead has a length of 200 m or more.
<Outline of Print Principle (
As shown in
The image forming layers are colorless in the initial state. When heated to a specific temperature called an activation temperature, each layer changes to a colored state. The order of the colors of the image forming layers can arbitrarily be selected. One suitable color order has been described above. As another suitable order, the three image forming layers 14, 16, and 18 are cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), respectively. An example in which the layers are configured in the above-described order of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) will be described here.
The spacer layer 15 is preferably thinner than the spacer layer 17. However, this does not apply to a case in which materials including both layers substantially have the same thermal diffusivity. The function of the spacer layer is to control thermal diffusion in the infrared image member 10. Suitably, if the spacer layer 17 is formed by the same member as the spacer layer 15, the spacer layer 17 is preferably thicker at least four times. All layers arranged on the base material 12 are substantially transparent before image formation. If the base material 12 has a reflecting color (for example, white), a color image formed in the infrared image member 10 is visually recognized through the protective film layer 13 against the reflecting background provided by the base material 12. Since the layers arranged on the base material 12 are transparent, the combination of colors formed in the image forming layers can be seen.
Note that the three image forming layers 14, 16, and 18 of the infrared image member 10 are arranged on the same side of the base material 12. However, some image forming layers may be arranged on the opposite side of the base material 12.
The image forming layers 14, 16, and 18 are at least partially independently processed by changing two adjustable parameters, that is, the temperature and time. These parameters are adjustable, and an image is formed in a desired image forming layer by selecting the printhead temperature and the time period during heating of the infrared image member.
Here, each of the image forming layers 14, 16, and 18 is processed when heated while the printhead 30 contacts the uppermost layer of the member, that is, the protective film layer 13 of the infrared image member 10. An activation temperature (Ta3) of the image forming layer 14 (the third layer counted from the base material 12, or the image forming layer closest to the surface of the infrared image member 10) is higher than an activation temperature (Ta2) of the image forming layer 16, and is similarly higher than an activation temperature (Ta1) 18 of the image forming layer 18.
Heating of image forming layers at farther distances from the printhead 30 is delayed by time necessary for heating to diffuse heat to those layers via the spacer layers. Because of this heating delay, for the image forming layers of lower activation temperatures (the layers farther from the printhead), the image forming layer closer to the printhead never activates the image forming layers on the lower side even its activation temperature is substantially higher. The image forming layer can be heated to a temperature higher than those activation temperatures. Hence, when processing the image forming layer 14 of the uppermost layer, the printhead 30 is heated to a relatively high temperature in a short time. This heating is insufficient for both the image forming layers 16 and 18, and these layers are not activated.
To activate only an image forming layer closer to the base material 12 (in this case, the image forming layer 16 or 18), the image forming layer is heated for a sufficiently long time at a temperature lower than the activation temperature of the image forming layer farther from the base material 12. If the image forming layer of the lower activation temperature is this activated, the image forming layer of the higher activation temperature is not activated.
Heating of the infrared image member 10 is preferably performed using the printhead 30. However, some method of giving controlled heat to the infrared image member may be used. For example, some known means such as using a modulated light source (for example, a laser light source) may be used.
Referring to
The activation temperature selected for an image forming layer generally falls within the range of about 90° C. to about 300° C. The activation temperature (Ta1) of the image forming layer 18 is preferably low as consistently as possible, during shipment and storage, for the thermal stability of the infrared image member, and is suitably, for example, about 100° C. or more. The activation temperature (Ta3) of the image forming layer 14 is preferably consistently low such that the image forming layer 14 is not activated by the heating method of this embodiment, and the image forming layers 16 and 18 are activated by heating through this layer, and is suitably, for example, about 200° C. or more. The activation temperature (Ta2) of the image forming layer 16 suitably ranges from about 140° C. to about 180° C. and satisfies Ta1<Ta2<Ta3.
The printhead 30 used here includes a resistor array in which a plurality of resistors are linearly arranged to extend substantially throughout the whole width of an image (a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the infrared image member).
Note that the print width of the printhead may be shorter than the width of an image. In this case, the printhead is configured to move with respect to the infrared image member 10 to process the whole width of the image, or is used together with another printhead.
When a current is supplied to the resistors, heating pulses are provided. On the other hand, image formation is performed when the infrared image member is being conveyed in the direction orthogonal to the array direction of the resistors of the printhead. The time of heating the infrared image member 10 by the printhead 30 typically falls within the range of about 0.001 to about 100 msec for each line of the image. The upper limit is reasonably set in consideration of an image print time, and the lower limit is defined by the restrictions of an electronic circuit. The dot interval of a formed image generally falls within the range of 100 to 600 lines per inch in both the vertical direction and the conveyance direction of the infrared image member 10. The interval may be different in each direction.
The above-described printing apparatus is a kind of thermal printer. The printing method employed by the apparatus is a ZINK (Zero Ink) method, which is also called a Zero Ink Technology®.
Here, to emphasize the effect of Example 1, a conventional printing method will be described first as a comparative example, and the example will be described after that.
In this state, when the host PC 50 executes print service Discovery in step S601, in step S612, the printing apparatus 40 responds to the Discovery, and notifies the host PC that the printing apparatus is an apparatus capable of providing the print service. Next, in step S602, the host PC 50 acquires print enable information. Basically, the host PC 50 requests print enable information from the printing apparatus 40. In step S614, in response to the request, the printing apparatus 40 notifies the host PC of the information of the print service that the apparatus can provide.
Furthermore, in step S604, the host PC 50 constructs a user interface for print job creation based on the notified print enable information. More specifically, based on the print enable information of the printing apparatus 40, appropriate choices such as print sizes and printable paper sizes are displayed on the display and provided to the user. Next, in step S605, the host PC 50 issues a print job.
In response to this, the printing apparatus 40 receives the print job in step S614, and executes the print job in step S616. When printing based on the print job in the printing apparatus 40 is completed, in step S617, the printing apparatus 40 notifies the host PC 50 of the printing completion. In step S606, the host PC 50 receives the printing completion notification and notifies the user of it.
When the print job is completed, each of the host PC 50 and the printing apparatus 40 completes the series of print service processes.
In the above description, various kinds of information transmission have been described using an example in which the host PC 50 sends a request to the printing apparatus 40, and the printing apparatus 40 responds to the request. However, communication between the host PC and the printing apparatus is not limited to a so-called pull type, and a so-called push type in which the printing apparatus 40 spontaneously transmits information to the host PC 50 (and other host PCs) existing in the network may be used.
Colors to be developed are shown on the left side of
Note that in
However, the heating times hold
t2>Δt1+Δt0>t1,
t3>Δt2+Δt0×2>t2, and
Δt3+Δt0×3>t3,
and the relative relationship between the heating times of the image forming layers is given by
heating time of Y<heating time of M<heating time of C
where Y, M, and C indicate the image forming layers 14, 16, and 18, respectively.
Here, as for the heat amount applied by the printhead 30, during the pulse interval Δt0, heat is conducted to the glaze 32, the substrate 31, and the heat sink 35 of the printhead 30, and therefore, the temperature of the infrared image member 10 lowers. Similarly, since the amount of heat conducted to the infrared image member 10 is also conducted to the platen 43 and the like, the temperature of the infrared image member 10 lowers accordingly. As a result, since the supplied energy is the same, the relative relationship between the peak temperatures of the image forming layers in heating is given by
peak temperature of Y>peak temperature of M>peak temperature of C
Here, when control is performed such that
peak temperature of Y>Ta3,
Ta3>peak temperature of M>Ta2, and
Ta2>peak temperature of C>Ta1
hold, the colors (primary colors) of Y, M, and C can independently be developed.
Heating pulses for controlling color development of R, G, and B, which are secondary colors, and K which is a tertiary color will be described next. Here, the secondary color is a color reproduced using two of the primary colors (that is, Y, M, and C), and the tertiary color is a color reproduced using all primary colors.
For red (R) shown in
In this comparative example, when developing each of single yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) colors, only the final heating pulse contributes color development, and pulses before that play the role of preheating. In
As described above, drive pulses usable for actual image formation are short. In particular, pulses used for image formation of M in single M, C, and B colors are very short. This is because when developing colors other than that, heating for first Y color development has the preheating effect for other colors.
Hence, according to the above-described comparative example, concerning magenta (M) in the colors without color development of yellow (Y), that is, magenta (M), cyan (C), and blue (B), most drive pulses used for color development of each color are used for preheating, and the color development time is short. As a result, an image with a narrow color development region and having low color development properties on the infrared image member 10 is formed.
Hence, in Example 1, the following print control processing is executed for the above-described comparative example.
In step S611 in
In response to this, the host PC 50 displays, on the display or the like, information for selecting which one of the normal print service and the high color development print service is to be used, more specifically, display and choices of “print service” and “high color development print service” and notifies the user of this. That is, in step S603, the process checks whether an instruction from the user is “print service” or “high color development print service”.
Here, if the selection result by the user is “print service”, the process advances to step S605 to execute the same processing as described with reference to
On the other hand, in step S615, the printing apparatus 40 checks whether the received print job is a normal print job or a high color development print job. Here, if the received print job is a high color development print job, the process advances to step S615A to execute the high color development print job in a high color development print mode, and then advances to step S617. On the other hand, if the received print job is a normal print job, the same processing as described with reference to
As shown in
a pulse having a pulse width Δt4 and applied at timing p2 for M color development
a pulse having the pulse width Δt4 and applied at timing p5 for C color development, and
a pulse having the pulse width Δt4 and applied at timing p2 for B color development.
Here, the preheating time Δt4 satisfies
Δt4<heating time Δt1 of Y+Δt0, and Δt4≈Δt1
The relative relationship of heating times remains
heating time of Y<heating time of M<heating time of C
which is the same as in the comparative example shown in
As described above, the pulse width Δt4 of the preheating pulse for high color development is set such that
Y and C do not develop colors by the heating pulse for preheating for M color development, and
Y and M do not develop colors by the heating pulse for preheating for C color development.
Here, as for the heat amount applied by the printhead 30, during the interval time Δt0, heat is conducted to the glaze 32, the substrate 31, and the heat sink 35 of the printhead 30, and therefore, the temperature of the infrared image member 10 lowers. Similarly, since the amount of heat conducted to the infrared image member 10 is also conducted to the platen 43 and the like, the temperature of the infrared image member 10 lowers accordingly. As a result, although energies supplied or color development of M and C increase by Δt4−Δt2, and Δt4−Δt3, respectively, the relationship of peak temperatures by heating remains
peak temperature of Y>peak temperature of M>peak temperature of C which is the same as in the comparative example shown in
In this point as well, the pulse width Δt4 of the preheating pulse for high color development is set such that
Y and C do not develop colors by the heating pulse for preheating for M color development, and
Y and M do not develop colors by the heating pulse for preheating for C color development.
When the heating pulse for preheating exists,
the color development time of M at the time of single M color development becomes close to that at the time of R and K color development,
the color development time of C at the time of single C color development of becomes close to that at the time of G, B, and K color development, and
the color development time of M in the B color becomes close to that at the time of R and K color development.
With this control, the color development time becomes long, the color development region on the infrared image member 10 becomes wide, and an image of high color development properties is formed. More specifically, details of the application timings of the preheating pulses that form the heating pulses of the colors and the image formation pulses are as follows. That is,
As described above, pulses usable for usable for actual image formation are long.
According to
Next, in step S1004, brightness/density conversion is executed. In a general thermal printer, when each color component of each pixel is expressed 8 bits, conversion is performed by
C=255−R
M=255−G
Y=255−B
Here, in preheating pulse control according to this example, for example, a preheating parameter when developing a single magenta (M) color and a preheating parameter when developing red (R) are different. Hence, to individually set these, brightness/density conversion using a three-dimensional lookup table (3D_LUT) is preferably executed. That is, conversion is performed by
C=3D_LUT[R][G][B][0]
M=3D_LUT[R][G][B][1]
Y=3D_LUT[R][G][B][2]
PM=3D_LUT[R][G][B][3]
PC=3D_LUT[R][G][B][4]
Here, PM and PC represent density values corresponding to the preheating pulses when developing M and C.
Here, the above-described 3D_LUT is formed by 256×256×256×5=83,886,080 data tables. Each data is data having the width of a pulse applied at each of the timings p0 to p8 in
Hence,
a control pulse for forming yellow (Y) and a preheating parameter,
a control pulse for forming magenta (M) and a preheating parameter,
a control pulse for forming cyan (C) and a preheating parameter,
magenta and yellow control parameters for forming red (R) and a preheating parameter,
yellow and cyan control parameters for forming green (G) and a preheating parameter,
magenta and cyan control parameters for forming blue (B) and a preheating parameter, and
yellow, magenta, and cyan control parameters for forming black (K) and a preheating parameter
can independently be set.
Furthermore, in step S1005, output correction is executed. First, pulse widths (c, m, y, pm, pc) for implementing color development of the density components C, M, and Y and preheating (pm, pc) for color development of magenta and cyan are calculated using a one-dimensional lookup table (1D_LUT). That is,
c=1D_LUT[C]
m=1D_LUT[M]
y=1D_LUT[Y]
pm=1D_LUT[PM]
pc=1D_LUT[PC]
are calculated. Here, the maximum value of c is Δt3, the maximum value of m is Δt2, the maximum value of y is Δt1, and the maximum values of pm and pc are Δt4. The printing apparatus 40 can modulate the color development strength on the infrared image member 10 by pulse width modulation (PWM). For this reason, if c, m, y, pm, and pc described above are smaller than the maximum values, the pulse widths can appropriately be made short, thereby implementing a desired tone. This processing may be done using a known means.
To implement the pulse control processing shown in
C=3D_LUT[255][0][255][0]=0
M=3D_LUT[255][0][255][1]=Δt2
Y=3D_LUT[255][0][255][2]=0
PM=3D_LUT[255][0][255][3]=Δt4
PC=3D_LUT[255][0][255][4]=0
need to be set.
Similarly, in the single C color (R=0, G=255, B=255),
C=3D_LUT[0][255][255][0]=Δt3
M=3D_LUT[0][255][255][1]=0
Y=3D_LUT[0][255][255][2]=0
PM=3D_LUT[0][255][255][3]=Δt4
PC=3D_LUT[0][255][255][4]=0
need to be set.
Also, here, the heating pulse by the printhead 30 is modulated depending on the temperature of the infrared image member 10 acquired by a temperature sensor (not shown) or the like. More specifically, control is performed such that the higher the acquired temperature is, the shorter the pulse width necessary for reaching the activation temperature is. This processing may be done using a known means. In addition, instead of directly detecting the temperature of the infrared image member 10 using a temperature sensor (not shown) or the like, the CPU 501 may execute temperature estimation for the infrared image member 10 and perform control based on the estimated temperature. As the temperature estimation method, any known method can be used.
Furthermore, in step S1006, a preheating pulse for high color development is generated and composited. Here, a preheating pulse strength for high color development is expressed as pre.
Next, the pulse widths for forming an image and the preheating pulse are composited. That is, the pulse widths at the timings p0 to p8 are set to
p0=y, p1=y, p2=max(m, pm), p3=m, p4=m, p5=max(c, pc), p6=c, p7=c, and p8=c, and the pulses are composited. Here, max(x, y) is a function for setting the larger one of x and y. To implement the pulses generated by an electric circuit in a superimposed manner,
p2=m or pm
p5=c or pc
are set. Here, x or y represents the OR of a signal x and a signal y.
Next, in step S1007, head control is executed. That is, the pulse widths at the timings p0 to p8 are controlled, thereby forming desired color development and high color development processing on the infrared image member 10.
Next, in step S1008, it is checked whether printing of the page is completed. If the result is NO, the process returns to step S1002 to print the continuation of the page. If the result is YES, print processing is ended.
Hence, according to the above-described example, high color development printing can be implemented on the infrared image member on a pixel basis.
<First Modification>
Here, preheating pulses indicated by dark hatching are always applied at timing p0. With this control, heating pulses for color development and preheating pulses are separated, and control on the circuit can be simplified.
As can easily be understood from
the difference of the degree of C color development between the C, G, and B colors, and
the difference of the degree of M color development between the M, R, and B colors
can be made small, and the color gradation can smoothly be expressed.
Furthermore, since the preheating pulse is given at one point (timing p0), only one type of preheating pulse needs to be set, and the preheating control parameter mount can be halved.
As a detailed processing method, brightness/density conversion using a three-dimensional lookup table is performed as follows. That is,
C=3D_LUT[R][G][B][0]
M=3D_LUT[R][G][B][1]
Y=3D_LUT[R][G][B][2]
P=3D_LUT[R][G][B][3]
are calculated. Here, P represents the density value corresponding to the preheating pulse.
Next, pulse widths for implementing the C, M, and Y densities and preheating strengths are calculated. That is,
c=1D_LUT[C]
m=1D_LUT[M]
y=1D_LUT[Y]
p=1D_LUT[P]
are calculated, and pulse widths at the timings p0 to p8 are set to
p0=max(y, p), p1=y, p2=m, p3=m, p4=m, p5=c, p6=c, p7=c, and p8=c, and the pulses are composited.
Note that to implement the pulses generated by an electric circuit in a superimposed manner, the pulse width at the timing p0 is set to p0=max(m, p). Here, x or y represents the OR of the signal x and the signal y.
As described above, when the pulse width at each timing is controlled, the heating position by the preheating pulse is fixed, and a high color development print mode capable of smoothly implementing color gradation can be implemented by a simpler system.
<Second Modification>
An example in which a dedicated preheating pulse is not set, and a preheating pulse is implemented using the color development pulses of other colors will be described here.
Of pulses shown in
a pulse of a heating time Δt5, which is applied at timings p0 and p1 for M color development,
a pulse of a heating time Δt6, which is applied at timings p2, p3, and p4 for C color development, and
a pulse of the heating time Δt5, which is applied at the timings p0 and p1 for B color development.
Here, the heating times Δt5 and Δt6 for preheating satisfy
Δt5<heating time Δt1 of Y/2, and
Δt6<heating time Δt2 of M/2.
The reason why the heating times Δt5 and Δt6 for preheating have pulse widths equal to or less than the half of the heating time Δt1 of Y and the heating time Δt2 of M, respectively, is as follows. That is, the pulses are set in such widths that the colors are not developed only by the heating pulse for preheating, and even if heating is performed using color development pulses together, other colors are not developed, and the pulses can arbitrarily be set within the range.
Here, heating pulses for preheating are generated using heating pulses for color development of other colors, which are so weak that color development does not occur, thereby further simplifying control.
As a detailed processing method, to implement the heating pulses for preheating shown in
C=3D_LUT[R][G][B][0]
M=3D_LUT[R][G][B][1]
Y=3D_LUT[R][G][B][2]
are calculated.
To implement the processing shown in
C=3D_LUT[255][0][255][0]=0
M=3D_LUT[255][0][255][1]=Δt2
Y=3D_LUT[255][0][255][2]=Δt1/2
need to be set.
Similarly, in the single C color (R=0, G=255, B=255),
C=3D_LUT[0][255][255][0]=Δt3
M=3D_LUT[0][255][255][1]=Δt2/2
Y=3D_LUT[0][255][255][2]=0
need to be set.
With this setting, the subsequent processing is performed as in the comparative example, and a high color development print mode can be implemented by a simple configuration without setting dedicated heating pulses for preheating independently of the pulses for color development.
Note that although the single M color, the single C color, and the B color have been described here, the preheating control according to the present invention can also be applied to halftone colors. For example, even in white to M color gradation, or white to C color or white to B color gradation, high color development printing can be implemented by setting appropriate heating pulses for preheating.
<Third Modification>
This example shows a configuration capable of simultaneously implementing both the advantage that color gradation can smoothly be expressed, which has been described in the first modification of Example 1, and the advantage that dedicated heating pulses for preheating can be formed without being set independently of the pulses for color development, which has been described in the second modification of Example 1.
Of pulses shown in
a pulse of a heating time Δt5, which is applied at timings p0 and p1 for M color development,
a pulse of the heating time Δt5, which is applied at the timings p0 and p1 for C color development, and
a pulse of the heating time Δt5, which is applied at the timings p0 and p1 for B color development. Here, as described with reference to
Δt5<heating time Δt1 of Y/2
As a detailed processing method, to implement the heating pulses for preheating shown in
C=3D_LUT[R][G][B][0]
M=3D_LUT[R][G][B][1]
Y=3D_LUT[R][G][B][2]
are calculated.
To implement the processing shown in
C=3D_LUT[255][0][255][0]=0
M=3D_LUT[255][0][255][1]=Δt2
Y=3D_LUT[255][0][255][2]=Δt1/2
need to be set.
Similarly, in the single C color (R=0, G=255, B=255),
C=3D_LUT[0][255][255][0]=Δt3
M=3D_LUT[0][255][255][1]=0
Y=3D_LUT[0][255][255][2]=Δt1/2
need to be set.
With this setting, the subsequent processing is performed as in the comparative example, and a high color development print mode can be implemented by a simple configuration without setting dedicated heating pulses for preheating independently of the pulses for color development.
In Example 1, an example in which the preheating pulses are made to contribute to an increase of the color development time, and high color development is implemented has been described. In Example 2, an example in which the increase of color development time is used to improve the print speed will be described.
In step S611 in
In response to this, the host PC 50 displays, on the display or the like, information for selecting which one of the normal print service and the high-speed print service is to be used, more specifically, display and choices of “print service” and “high-speed print service” and notifies the user of this. That is, in step S603′, the process checks whether an instruction from the user is “print service” or “high-speed print service”.
Here, if the selection result by the user is “print service”, the process advances to step S604 to execute the same processing as described with reference to
On the other hand, in step S615′, the printing apparatus 40 checks whether the received print job is a normal print job or a high-speed print job. Here, if the received print job is a high-speed print job, the process advances to step S615″ to execute the high-speed print job in a high-speed print mode, and then advances to step S617. On the other hand, if the received print job is a normal print job, the same processing as described with reference to
In this example, using the effect of increasing the number of pulses contributing to color development by the heating pulses for preheating, the print speed is improved while maintaining the control configuration shown in the comparative example for the density.
As shown in
In comparison of
in the R color, heating for Y color development functions as preheating for M color development,
in the G color, heating for Y color development functions as preheating for C color development, and
in the K color, heating for Y color development functions as preheating for M and C color development.
Hence, as shown in
When the heating pulse for preheating with the long pulse width is used in this way, image formation of one pixel can be implemented by a total of seven timings p0 to p6 in this example, as compared to the comparative example or Example 1 in which a total of nine timings p0 to p8 are needed. As a result, printing can be performed at a speed higher by about 20%.
Note that the image processing of generating heating pulses and driving the printhead according to Example 2 is almost the same as the processing described with reference to
In this example, brightness/density conversion and output correction processing are executed in the same way as the pulse control described with reference to
Note that to implement the pulses generated by an electric circuit in a superimposed manner, p1=y or pm, and p3=m or pc are set.
According to the above-described example, the increase of the color development time by the heating pulse for preheating is used, thereby improving the print speed.
<First Modification>
This modification shows an example in which both the improvement of the print speed by the increase of the color development time, which has been described in Example 2, and the improvement of the smoothness of gradation and the simple control configuration, which have been described in Example 1, are simultaneously implemented.
In this modification, as shown in
Note that image processing according to this modification is the same as the processing described with reference to the flowchart of
In this modification, brightness/density conversion and output correction processing are executed in the same way as the pulse control described with reference to
Note that to implement the pulses generated by an electric circuit in a superimposed manner, p0=y or p is set.
With this control, the heating pulse for preheating is used at the start timing of Y color development to increase the color development time and improve the print speed. In addition, the improvement of the smoothness of gradation and the simple configuration can simultaneously be implemented.
<Second Modification>
This modification shows an example in which both the improvement of the print speed by the increase of the color development time, which has been described in Example 2, and the configuration for simplifying control using color development pulses of other colors as heating pulses for preheating, which has been described in the second modification of Example 1, are simultaneously implemented.
In this modification, as described in the second modification of Example 1, color development pulses of other colors are used as heating pulses for preheating and applied.
More specifically, to implement the heating pulses for preheating shown in
C=3D_LUT[R][G][B][0]
M=3D_LUT[R][G][B][1]
Y=3D_LUT[R][G][B][2]
are calculated. To implement the processing shown in
C=3D_LUT[255][0][255][0]=0
M=3D_LUT[255][0][255][1]=Δt2
Y=3D_LUT[255][0][255][2]=Δt1/2
need to be set.
Similarly, in the single C color (R=0, G=255, B=255),
C=3D_LUT[0][255][255][0]=Δt3
M=3D_LUT[0][255][255][1]=Δt2/2
Y=3D_LUT[0][255][255][2]=0
need to be set.
With this setting, since the subsequent processing is executed as in the comparative example, a high-speed print mode can be implemented by a simple control configuration without independently setting dedicated heating pulses for preheating and pulses for color development. Also, in this example, as in the second modification of Example 1, for example, even in white to M color gradation, or white to C color or white to B color gradation, high-speed printing can be implemented by setting appropriate heating pulses for preheating.
<Third Modification>
This modification shows an example in which both the advantage that color gradation can smoothly be expressed, which has been described in the first modification of Example 2, and the advantage that dedicated heating pulses for preheating and the pulses for color development are not independently set, which has been described in the second modification of Example 1 are simultaneously implemented.
Of pulses shown in
a pulse of the heating time Δt5, which is applied at the timings p0 and p1 for M color development,
a pulse of the heating time Δt5, which is applied at the timings p0 and p1 for C color development, and
a pulse of the heating time Δt5, which is applied at the timings p0 and p1 for B color development. Here, as shown in
More specifically, to implement the heating pulses for preheating shown in
C=3D_LUT[R][G][B][0]
M=3D_LUT[R][G][B][1]
Y=3D_LUT[R][G][B][2]
are calculated. To implement the processing shown in
C=3D_LUT[255][0][255][0]=0
M=3D_LUT[255][0][255][1]=Δt2
Y=3D_LUT[255][0][255][2]=Δt1/2
need to be set.
Similarly, in the single C color (R=0, G=255, B=255),
C=3D_LUT[0][255][255][0]=Δt3
M=3D_LUT[0][255][255][1]=0
Y=3D_LUT[0][255][255][2]=Δt1/2
need to be set.
With this setting, the subsequent processing is executed as in the comparative example, and a high-speed print mode can be implemented by a simple configuration without setting dedicated heating pulses for preheating independently of the pulses for color development.
Also, although the processes of steps S1003 to S1006 in
p0=3D_LUT[R][G][B][0]
p1=3D_LUT[R][G][B][1]
p2=3D_LUT[R][G][B][2]
p3=3D_LUT[R][G][B][3]
p4=3D_LUT[R][G][B][4]
p5=3D_LUT[R][G][B][5]
p6=3D_LUT[R][G][B][6]
are calculated.
The above-described setting of the timings p0 to p6 is done in a case where the processes of Example 2 are integrated into one step.
For the processing of Example 1,
p7=3D_LUT[R][G][B][7]
p8=3D_LUT[R][G][B][8]
are added.
When these operations are performed, the pulse widths at the timings for driving the heater of a printhead 30 are uniquely determined, and the processing can be implemented by a very simple configuration.
Also, when the above-described configuration is employed, pulses can arbitrarily be controlled in accordance with the combination of the three, Y, M, and C colors, and the degree of freedom of control becomes very large.
In Example 1, an example in which the preheating pulses are made to contribute to an increase of the color development time, and high color development is implemented has been described. In Example 2, an example in which the increase of color development time is used to improve the print speed has been described. These examples are examples in which brightness/density conversion using a 3D_LUT is executed for each color component of the printing apparatus (thermal printer) from each pixel value of image data to decide preheating pulses. In this example, an example in which to implement the improvement of color development at an image start end IA in the conveyance direction of a print medium (infrared image member) 10 shown in
As described in Example 1, heating for color development of a certain color has a preheating effect for another color to be developed after the color. That is, heating executed precedingly in each pixel has the effect of preheating for later heating. The preheating effect by the preceding heating occurs not only in a pixel but also between pixels.
Referring to
Also, in the single C color development in
In
Since the heating pulses applied to the immediately preceding pixel region IW are preheating pulses, unlike the image start end IA, color development does not occur in the immediately preceding pixel region IW. Also, in
First, one feature of preheating of the immediately preceding pixel region IW in a case where single color development of Y, M, or C is performed at the image start end IA will be described.
The preheating pulse widths of Y, M, and C in an immediately preceding pixel P hold a relationship given by Y>M>C (Δt′1>Δt′2>Δt′3). Here, the description will be made using preheating pulse widths. However, a so-called duty ratio or duty cycle may be used for the description. The duty ratio or duty cycle is the ratio of a period where a pulse (signal) is not zero in a certain period. In the example shown in
In
Next, another feature of preheating of the immediately preceding pixel region IW in a case where single color development of Y, M, and C is performed at the image start end IA will be described.
The numbers of application timings of preheating pulses of Y, M, and C in the immediately preceding pixel region IW hold Y<M<C. In the example shown in
Y is formed in an image forming layer 14 shown in
Furthermore, a feature of preheating of the immediately preceding pixel region IW in a case where R color development and K color development are performed at the image start end IA will be described.
In this case, the preheating pulse width is Δt′1, and the application timing is p′8. Since the image forming layer 14 of Y is used to develop R and K, the feature of the preheating pulse is the same as in single Y color development.
Next, a feature of preheating of the immediately preceding pixel region IW in a case where G color development is performed at the image start end IA will be described.
In this case, the preheating pulse width is Δt′3, and the application timings are p′6, p7, and p′8. Even when developing G, the image forming layer 14 of Y is used. Although the preheating pulse of single Y color development provides a particularly effective preheating effect for the image forming layer 14 of Y, the preheating effect for the image forming layer 18 of C is not large. In G color development, giving priority to the preheating effect for p5, p6, and p7 where C is developed at the image start end IA, the same preheating pulse as in single C color development is preferably used. Since the image forming layer 14 of Y is located at a position shallower than the image forming layer 18 of C, the preheating temperature can be made higher than the image forming layer 18 even if the preheating pulse with priority on C color development is used.
Finally, a feature of preheating of the immediately preceding pixel region IW in a case where B color development is performed at the image start end IA will be described.
In this case, the preheating pulse width is Δt′2, and the application timings are p7 and p′8. Since the image forming layer 16 of M is used to develop B, the feature of the preheating pulse is the same as in single M color development. By the preheating pulse and the preheating pulses at the application timings p2 and p3 at the image start end IA, an application time to preheat the image forming layer 18 of C can be generated.
As described above, it is suitable to make the preheating pulses for the immediately preceding pixel region IW have the above-described features in accordance with the colors to be developed at the image start end IA.
Concerning R, B, and K, the same preheating pulse as in single color development of the image forming layer with the highest activation temperature in the image forming layers to be activated is applied to the immediately preceding pixel region IW, as described above. This is because the image forming layers are activated in the descending order of activation temperature at the image start end IA. Note that the present invention is not limited to this. Even if the preheating pulse in single color development of another image forming layer is used, at least a preheating effect is obtained for any layer.
In the example shown in
According to
In step S1002a, concerning the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction D, the pixels of the nth line and the (n+1)th line of the image data are input. In step S1002b, the same color correction processing as in step S1003 is executed. Furthermore, in step S1002c, it is checked whether the pixels of the nth line are specific color data. In this example, the specific color is “white”, that is, it is checked whether R=255, G=255, and B=255. Here, if the pixels are white (YES) that is the specific color, the process advances to step S1002d to process the pixels of the nth line as the immediately preceding pixel region IW. On the other hand, if the pixels are not the specific color (NO), the process advances to step S1004.
In step S1002d, the value of the flag is set to “1”. Next, in step S1002e, brightness/density conversion for preheating is executed using a three-dimensional lookup table (3D_LUTpre) for preheating. In this process, the pixel values of the (n+1)th line of the image data are input to the 3D_LUTpre, and the density value of each pixel of the nth line that is white data, which corresponds to the preheating pulse, is generated. That is, conversion is executed by
PY=3D_LUTpre[R][G][B][0]
PM=3D_LUTpre[R][G][B][1]
PC=3D_LUTpre[R][G][B][2]
Here, PY, PM, and PC represent the density values of Y, M, and C color development of the nth line, which correspond to the preheating pulses for the immediately preceding pixel region IW. The pixels of the nth line correspond to the immediately preceding pixel region IW shown in
Here, the above-described 3D_LUTpre is formed by 256×256×256×3=50,331,648 data tables. Each data is density value data corresponding to the width of a pulse applied at each of the application timings p′0 to p′8 in
PY=3D_LUTpre[R][G][B][0][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
PM=3D_LUTpre[R][G][B][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]
PC=3D_LUTpre[R][G][B][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]
are calculated.
Here, [0] to [8], [9] to [17], and [18] to [26] each correspond to storage of data of the preheating pulse widths at the application timings p′0 to p′8.
Hence, as shown in
Next, in step S1002f, output correction for preheating is executed. More specifically, using a one-dimensional lookup table (1D_LUTpre) for preheating, preheating pulse widths py, pm, and pc are calculated from the density values PY, PM, and PC corresponding to the preheating pulse widths. That is,
py=1D_LUTpre[PY]
pm=1D_LUTpre[PM]
pc=1D_LUTpre[PC]
are calculated. In step S1002g, preheating pulse generation & composition is executed. Preheating pulses are set for the application timings p′0 to p′8.
In
For example, to give priority to preventing color development in the immediately preceding pixel region IW, the minimum value of py, pm, and pc other than 0 at each application timing is set to each application timing. That is,
p′0=min(py0,pm0,pc0)
p′1=min(py1,pm1,pc1)
p′2=min(py2,pm2,pc2)
p′3=min(py3,pm3,pc3)
p′4=min(py4,pm4,pc4)
p′5=min(py5,pm5,pc5)
p′6=min(py6,pm6,pc6)
p′7=min(py7,pm7,pc7)
p′8=min(py8,pm8,pc8)
are set. Here, the values (0 to 8) added to py, pm, and pc correspond to the application timings. Note that if all the preheating pulse widths py, pm, and pc are 0, the preheating pulse width is set to 0.
On the other hand, to give priority to raising the preheating temperature, the maximum width of py, pm, and pc at each application timing is set to each application timing. That is,
p′0=max(py0,pm0,pc0)
p′1=max(py1,pm1,pc1)
p′2=max(py2,pm2,pc2)
p′3=max(py3,pm3,pc3)
p′4=max(py4,pm4,pc4)
p′5=max(py5,pm5,pc5)
p′6=max(py6,pm6,pc6)
p′7=max(py7,pm7,pc7)
p′8=max(py8,pm8,pc8)
are set. In addition, the balance may be adjusted by the average or the weighted average of py, pm, and pc at each application timing.
Furthermore, in step S1007, head control is executed. That is, the preheating pulse widths at the application timings p′0 to p′8 are controlled, thereby applying the preheating pulses to the immediately preceding pixel region IW and obtaining the preheating effect to the image start end IA.
Then, the process of step S1008 is executed to judge whether to process the continuation of the page or end the processing.
If it is judged, in step S1002-1, that the line (n) under processing is a line in the color development region (NO), the process advances to step S1002-2 to input the pixels of the nth line. From then on, steps S1003 and S1004 described above are executed. That is, the density values of the pixels at the application timings p0 to p8 shown in
In step S1004-1, it is checked whether the value of the flag is “1”. Here, if the value of the flag is “1” (YES), the process advances to step S1004-2 to set the value of the flag to “0”. Then, the pixels of the nth line are processed as the image start end IA. The process then advances to step S1005′. On the other hand, if the value of the flag is “0” (NO), the process advances to step S1004-3 to process the pixels of the nth line as the internal region IB.
In step S1005′, output correction for image start end is executed. More specifically, using a one-dimensional lookup table (1D_LUTpre) for image start end, the preheating pulse widths py, pm, and pc are calculated from the density values PY, PM, and PC corresponding to the preheating pulse widths. The preheating pulse widths to be calculated are preheating widths at the application timings p0 to p8 at the image start end IA shown in
py=1D_LUTstart[PY]
pm=1D_LUTstart[PM]
pc=1D_LUTstart[PC]
are calculated.
As can be seen from comparison of
Referring back to
On the other hand, in step S1004-3, the pixels of the nth line are defined as the internal region IB, and internal region output correction is executed. This is the same process as step S1005. After that, the process advances to step S1006′.
Hence, according to the above-described example, the difference between the preheating effect for the image start end IA and that for the internal region IB can be reduced, and color development at the image start end IA can be improved.
Note that the 3D_LUTpre used in step S1002e generates only preheating pulses, as described above. In Example 5 to be described later, it is changed to a 3D_LUTpre configured to include heating pulses for developing the specific color of the nth line pixels. The configuration is the configuration of the 3D_LUT used in step S1004.
<First Modification>
The heating pulses used at the image start end IA are not limited to the above-described example, and other heating pulses may be used.
When the flowcharts shown in
The contents of the 3D_LUT for the image start end IA and the internal region IB are the same as the heating pulses shown in
Hence, by the above-described configuration, even in the high color development print job, the difference between the preheating effect for the image start end IA and the preheating effect for the internal region IB can be reduced, and color development at the image start end IA can be improved.
Also, even for heating pulses having the configurations shown in
<Second Modification>
The heating pulses used at the image start end IA are not limited to the above-described example, and other heating pulses may be used.
When the flowcharts shown in
The contents of the 3D_LUT for the image start end IA and the internal region IB are the same as the heating pulses shown in
Hence, by the above-described configuration, even in the high-speed print job, the difference between the preheating effect for the image start end IA and the preheating effect for the internal region IB can be reduced, and color development at the image start end IA can be improved.
Also, even for heating pulses having the configurations shown in
In Example 3, an example in which the improvement of color development at the image start end IA in the conveyance direction of the print medium (infrared image member) 10 shown in
This correction table stores the corrected pixel values of R, B, and B in the immediately preceding pixel region IW for the combinations of the 256 tones of R, G, and B at the image start end IA. If the immediately preceding pixel region IW includes white pixels, corrected pixel values in the immediately preceding pixel region IW can be calculated by the pixel values at the image start end IA and the correction table shown in
For the immediately preceding pixel region IW, the corrected values are used, and heating pulses are generated by the same method as for the image start end IA and an internal region IB. Note that it is preferable that the heating pulses generated by the corrected values in the immediately preceding pixel region IW do not cause visually recognizable color development in the immediately preceding pixel region IW, and provide the preheating effect for the colors at the next image start end IA. More specifically, the pixel values preferably have the same hue as the pixel values at the image start end IA and hardly reach color development visually recognized at the distal end of the image. As shown in
According to
In step S1002h, the nth line pixels are processed as the immediately preceding pixel region IW. More specifically, using the correction table described with reference to
After brightness/density conversion is executed in step S1004, output correction in step S1005 is executed, and preheating pulse generation & composition in step S1006 is executed.
After that, the processes of steps S1007 and S1008 are executed.
Comparing the above-described example with
Hence, according to the above-described example, the difference between the preheating effect for the image start end IA and the preheating effect for the internal region IB can be reduced, and color development at the image start end IA can be improved.
In Examples 3 and 4, an example in which if the immediately preceding pixel region IW is white data, the preheating pulses are applied such that the preheating effect is obtained for the image start end IA has been described. In Example 5, an example in which preheating pulses are applied to an image start end IA in accordance with the combination of the specific colors of an immediately preceding pixel region IW and the image start end IA, including the immediately preceding pixel region IW that is white data will be described.
In step S1002c of
When a number for identifying a table group is decided in advance for each specific color combination, in addition to the 1D_LUTpre used in step S1002f, and managed in the table shown in
Consider the time after heating pulses are applied at application timings p′0 and p′1 for R=255, G=255, and B=0 (Y color) of the nth line pixels shown in
On the other hand, if the preheating effect for color development of the (n+1)th line pixels is sufficiently obtained by color development of the nth line pixels, the preheating pulses for the (n+1)th line pixels need not be set for the nth line pixels. For example, as shown in
If the nth line pixels have R=0, G=0, and B=0, and the (n+1)th line pixels have R=0, G=255, and B=255, the preheating instruction is “not preheat” according to the table shown in
In
Hence, according to the above-described example, the difference between the preheating effect for the image start end IA and the preheating effect for an internal region IB can be reduced, and color development at the image start end IA can be improved.
Note that in the above description, an example in which the processing of the flowcharts shown in
That is, in step S1002c shown in
Note that when applying the flowchart shown in
In Examples 3 to 5, an example in which the preheating pulses for the immediately preceding pixel region IW, which are set and applied, are set has been described. In Example 6, an example in which the widths or application timings of preheating pulses for an immediately preceding pixel region IW are changed depending on a heat history will be described. The preheating pulse widths or the application timings are changed depending on the heat history to reduce excess/deficiency of the preheating effect. The heat history is the history of the estimated temperature of each layer in the immediately preceding pixel region IW of an infrared image member 10 based on the peripheral temperature of the infrared image member 10 detected by a thermistor or the pattern of heating pulses applied before the immediately preceding pixel region IW.
Based on the activation temperatures of an image forming layer 14, an image forming layer 16, and an image forming layer 18 of the infrared image member 10, which are known in advance, and colors developed by printing various images in experiments, the temperature of each image forming layer corresponding to each developed color can be estimated. In addition, the temperature of a thermistor (not shown) provided in a printing apparatus 40 at the time of color development in each printing is recorded, and the correspondence relationship between the temperature of the thermistor and the estimated temperature of each image forming layer is stored in a table. Alternatively, the correspondence relationship between the pattern of heating pulses for the developed color in the experiments and the estimated temperature of each image forming layer may be stored in a table.
At the time of print job execution in step S616, high color development print job execution in step S615A, and high-speed print job execution in step S615″, the temperature of the immediately preceding pixel region IW can be estimated from the temperature of the thermistor of the pattern of heating pulses by looking up the above-described table.
In this example, depending on the estimated temperature, the preheating pulse widths at application timings p′0 to p′8 and the application timings in
In this change, control is performed such that the higher the temperature is, the narrower the preheating pulse width is, or the smaller the number of application timings is.
As can be seen from comparison between
Hence, according to the above-described example, the difference between the preheating effect for the image start end IA and the preheating effect for an internal region IB can be reduced in accordance with the heat history, and color development at the image start end IA can be improved.
Examples 3 to 6 have been described using an example in which preheating pulses are included in heating pulses for the image start end IA, like the internal region IB. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, preheating for the image start end IA may be executed using only preheating pulses for the immediately preceding pixel region IW.
Features of the preheating pulses shown in
In the case of Y, when the preheating pulse for the immediately preceding pixel region IW and the pulse for the image start end IA shown in
In the case of M, when the preheating pulse for the immediately preceding pixel region IW shown in
In the case of C, when the preheating pulse for the immediately preceding pixel region IW shown in
In the case of R, when the preheating pulse for the immediately preceding pixel region IW shown in
In the case of G, when the preheating pulse for the immediately preceding pixel region IW shown in
In the case of B, when the preheating pulse for the immediately preceding pixel region IW shown in
In the case of K, when the preheating pulse for the immediately preceding pixel region IW shown in
As described above, even when the pulses are applied at the timings shown in
As described above, when the heating pulses for preheating are set in accordance with the combination of tristimulus values such as RGB or CMY, the color development efficiency can be improved. The improvement of the color development efficiency can be used to implement high color development or high-speed printing.
Note that to determine the necessity of the heating pulses for preheating based on the combination of tristimulus values by simple processing, it is determined whether Y=0 or not (whether B=255 or not), and if the determination result is YES, heating pulses for preheating may be used.
This is because in the infrared image member 10, the Y color development layer is provided closest to the surface of the member and has the highest color development temperature, and therefore, has the preheating effect for the development of other colors. If, in the infrared image member 10, the layer of another color, for example, the M color development layer is provided closest to the surface of the member and has the highest color development temperature, it is appropriate to determine whether M=0 or not (whether G=255 or not), as a matter of course.
Also, in the above-described embodiment, a form in which the printing apparatus and the host apparatus are separated has been described. However, the host apparatus serving as a supply source for supplying image data can be an image capturing device such as a digital camera. In this case, an apparatus that integrates a printing apparatus and a digital camera, that is, a so-called printing apparatus with an image capturing function is also incorporated in the present invention.
Embodiment(s) of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a ‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-013877 | Jan 2020 | JP | national |
| 2020-214165 | Dec 2020 | JP | national |
This application is a Continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2021/003071, filed Jan. 28, 2021, which claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-013877, filed Jan. 30, 2020 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-214165, filed Dec. 23, 2020 all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2021/003071 | Jan 2021 | US |
| Child | 17864740 | US |
