Control device and non-transitory computer-readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11077672-B2
Application number	US-202016804536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2020
Priority date	Mar 9, 2019
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A control device is configured to: obtain target image data; generate dot data using the target image data; and control a print execution device to print a print image using the dot data by executing: a first partial printing of forming the dots in an overlapping area and a first non-overlapping area; and a second partial printing of forming the dots in the overlapping area and a second non-overlapping area. The control device generates data of the dot data corresponding to the overlapping area by executing an overlapping area processing including first processing for values of pixels within a first range and second processing for values of pixels within a second range, the first processing including lowering a density of an image to be printed in the overlapping area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for controlling a print execution device, the print execution device comprising a print head having a plurality of nozzles configured to eject ink, a head driver configured to cause the print head to eject the ink to form dots on a printing medium, and a mover configured to move the printing medium relative to the print head in a moving direction, the control device being configured to:
obtain target image data;
generate dot data indicating a formation state of the dots for each pixel using the target image data; and
control the print execution device to print a print image using the dot data by alternately executing a partial printing of controlling the print head to form the dots and a moving of controlling the mover to move the printing medium for plural times,
wherein in the controlling of the print execution device, the control device is configured to:
control the print execution device to execute a first partial printing;
control the mover to move the printing medium by a specific moving amount after the first partial printing; and
control the print execution device to execute a second partial printing after moving the printing medium by the specific moving amount,
in the first partial printing, the control device being configured to control the print head to:
form the dots in an overlapping area and a first non-overlapping area, the overlapping area including an upstream end of an area printable by the first partial printing with respect to the moving direction, the first non-overlapping area being a non-overlapping area different from the overlapping area and located downstream of the overlapping area of the area printable by the first partial printing with respect to the moving direction; and
not to form the dots in a second non-overlapping area, the second non-overlapping area being a non-overlapping area located upstream of the overlapping area of an area printable by the second partial printing with respect to the moving direction, and

in the second partial printing, the control device being configured to control the print head to:
form the dots in the overlapping area and the second non-overlapping area; and
not to form the dots in the first non-overlapping area,

wherein in the generating of the dot data, the control device is configured to:
generate first data of the dot data, the first data corresponding to the non-overlapping area, by executing non-overlapping area processing for non-overlapping area data of the target image data, the non-overlapping area data corresponding to the non-overlapping area; and
generate second data of the dot data, the second data corresponding to the overlapping area, by executing overlapping area processing for overlapping area data of the target image data, the overlapping area processing being different from the non-overlapping area processing, the overlapping area data corresponding to the overlapping area,

wherein the overlapping area processing includes:
first processing to be executed for values of pixels within a first range; and
second processing to be executed for values of pixels within a second range different from the first range, the second processing being different from the first processing; and

wherein the first processing includes first density lowering processing of lowering a density of an image to be printed in the overlapping area, as compared to if the non-overlapping area processing was executed on the overlapping area data.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the second processing is any one of:
processing does not include processing of lowering the density of the image to be printed in the overlapping area, as compared to the case in which the non-overlapping area processing is to be executed on the overlapping area data; and
processing including second density lowering processing of lowering the density of the image to be printed in the overlapping area, as compared to the case in which the non-overlapping area processing is to be executed on the overlapping area data, a degree of lowering the density being lower in the second density lowering processing than in the first density lowering processing.

3. The control device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the print execution device is configured to form the dots by using a plurality of types of inks including cyan, magenta and yellow inks,
wherein the first range includes a first color that is to be expressed using the cyan and magenta inks without using the yellow ink, and
wherein the second range includes a second color that is to be expressed using the yellow ink without using at least one of the cyan and magenta inks.

4. The control device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first range includes a value indicating a first color of achromatic colors, the first color having a density within a specific range and without including black and white, and
wherein the second range includes a value indicating a second color of the achromatic colors, the second color having a density outside of the specific range.

5. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein in the generating of the dot data, the control device is configured to:
determine whether notice data of the target image data is the non-overlapping area data or the overlapping area data;
in a case it is determined that the notice data is the non-overlapping area data, execute the non-overlapping area processing including conversion processing using a first profile for the notice data; and
in a case it is determined that the notice data is the overlapping area data, execute the overlapping area processing including conversion processing using a second profile on the notice data, the second profile being different from the first profile.

6. The control device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the target image data is image data indicating a color for each pixel with a color value of a first color coordinate system,
wherein the first profile and the second profile are respectively a profile of defining a correspondence relation between the color value of the first color coordinate system and a color value of a second color coordinate system including a plurality of components corresponding to a plurality of types inks to be used for printing by the print execution device, and
wherein the conversion processings include processing of converting color values of the first color coordinate system included in the notice data into color values of the second color coordinate system.

7. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein in the generating of the dot data, the control device is configured to:
determine whether notice data of the target image data is the non-overlapping area data or the overlapping area data;
in a case it is determined that the notice data is the overlapping area data, execute the overlapping area processing including specific conversion processing of correcting values of pixels included in the notice data; and
in a case it is determined that the notice data is the non-overlapping area data, execute the non-overlapping area processing not including the specific correction processing.

8. The control device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the target image data is image data indicating a color for each pixel with a color value of a first color coordinate system,
wherein the non-overlapping area processing and the overlapping area processing include color conversion processing of converting color values of the first color coordinate system into color values of a second color coordinate system including a plurality of components corresponding to a plurality of types inks to be used for printing by the print execution device, and
wherein the specific correction pr

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Maehira Hirotoshi
• Mimoto Masao

Classifications

• B41J2/2125

  by means of nozzle diameter selection · CPC title

• B41J2/2132 Primary

  Print quality control characterised by dot disposition, e.g. for reducing white stripes or banding (methods for local corrections by dot omission, image edge enhancement, or multi-pass mask selection G06K15/102; colour conversion H04N1/40) · CPC title

• B41J2/04586

  controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type · CPC title

• H04N1/603

  controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer · CPC title

• H04N1/405

  Halftoning, i.e. converting the picture signal of a continuous-tone original into a corresponding signal showing only two levels · CPC title