Inkjet recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9770900-B2
Application number	US-201615358821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2016
Priority date	Nov 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

An inkjet recording apparatus includes a calculation section, a selection section, and a recording head. The calculation section calculates respective densities of first regions in pairs included in the image. The selection section selects dot patterns corresponding to the respective first regions according to the respective densities of the first regions. The recording head ejects ink onto a sheet based on a dot pattern corresponding to a region of the image other than the first regions and the dot patterns corresponding to the respective first regions. The first regions in pairs corresponds to end portions in pairs among a plurality of end portions of the image that each extend in a conveyance direction of the sheet. The dot patterns corresponding to the respective first regions each have a density lower than a corresponding one of the densities of the respective first regions calculated by the calculation section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
a calculation section configured to calculate respective densities of first regions in pairs included in an image;
a selection section configured to select dot patterns corresponding to the respective first regions according to the respective densities of the first regions calculated by the calculation section; and
a recording head configured to eject ink onto a sheet based on a dot pattern corresponding to a region of the image other than the first regions and the dot patterns corresponding to the respective first regions, wherein
the first regions in pairs are end portions in pairs among a plurality of end portions of the image that each extend in a conveyance direction of the sheet, and
the dot patterns corresponding to the respective first regions each have a density lower than a corresponding one of the densities of the respective first regions calculated by the calculation section.

2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when the density of at least one of the first regions calculated by the calculation section is no less than a threshold value, the selection section selects one of the dot patterns that corresponds to the at least one first region according to the density of the one at least one first region calculated by the calculation section.

3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the calculation section adjusts the densities of the respective first regions to form a density gradient from an inner edge toward an outer edge opposite to the inner edge of each of the first regions, and
density reduces from the inner edge toward the outer edge of each of the first regions in the density gradient.

4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the image further includes a second region located between the first regions in pairs, and
the calculation section adjusts densities of the respective first regions and the second region to blur boundaries between the respective first regions and the second region.

5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the calculation section executes density calculation in parallel on
one of the first regions in pairs and
the other of the first regions in pairs, and

the selection section selects in parallel
a dot pattern corresponding to one of the first regions in pairs and
a dot pattern corresponding to the other of the first regions in pairs.

6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the calculation section calculates respective densities of third regions in pairs included in the image,
the selection section selects dot patterns corresponding to the respective third regions according to the respective densities of the third regions,
the recording head ejects the ink onto the sheet based on a dot pattern corresponding to a region of the image other than the first regions and the third regions, the dot patterns corresponding to the respective first regions, and the dot patterns corresponding to the respective third regions,
the third regions in pairs are end portions in pairs among the plurality of end portions of the image that each extend in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the sheet, and
the dot patterns corresponding to the respective third regions each have a density lower than a corresponding one of the densities of the respective third regions calculated by the calculation section.

7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the calculation section executes density calculation in parallel on
one of the first regions in pairs,
the other of the first regions in pairs,
one of the third regions in pairs, and
the other of the third regions in pairs, and

the selection section selects in parallel
a dot pattern corresponding to one of the first regions in pairs,
a dot pattern corresponding to the other of the first regions in pairs,
a dot pattern corresponding to one of the third regions in pairs, and
a dot pattern corresponding to the other of the third regions in pairs.

8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the selection section selects the dot patterns according to a type of the sheet.

9. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the image further includes a second region located between the first regions in pairs, and
after density adjustment on the first regions to form the density gradient from the inner edge toward the outer edge opposite to the inner edge of each of the first regions, the calculation section adjusts the densities of the respective first regions and a density of the second region so as to blur boundaries between the respective first regions and the second region.

10. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first regions and the region other than the first regions of the image each are constituted a plurality of pixels,
the selection section
converts the pixels constituting the first regions and the pixels constituting the region other than the first regions to dot data, the pixels constituting the first regions being converted based on the selected dot patterns, the pixels constituting the region other than the first regions being converted based on the dot pattern corresponding to the region of the image other than the first regions, and
unifies the first regions and the region other than the first regions that each are converted to the dot data, and

the densities of the respective first regions converted to the dot data each are lower than a corresponding one of the densities of the respective first regions before conversion to the dot data.

11. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the calculation section include a plurality of first processing sections,
the selection section include a plurality of second processing sections,
one of the first processing sections constitutes a first unit in combination with one of the second processing sections,
another of the first processing sections constitutes a second unit in combination with another one of the second processing sections,
still another of the first processing sections constitutes a third unit in combination with still another one of the second processing sections,
yet another of the first processing sections constitutes a fourth unit in combination with still yet another one of the second processing sections, and
the first, second, third, and fourth units
respectively execute density calculation in parallel on
one of the first regions in pairs,
the other of the first regions in pairs,
one of the third regions in pairs,
the other of the third regions in pairs, and

respectively select in parallel
a dot pattern corresponding to one of the first regions,
a dot pattern corresponding to the other of the first regions in pairs,
a dot pattern corresponding to one of the third regions in pairs, and
a dot pattern corresponding to the other of the third regions in pairs.

Assignees

• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Sakamoto Shoichi

Classifications

• B41J2/2132

  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

• B41J2/04535 Primary

  involving calculation of drop size, weight or volume · CPC title

• H04N1/6033

  using test pattern analysis (H04N1/6055 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/407

  Control or modification of tonal gradation or of extreme levels, e.g. background level · CPC title

• B41J2/04586

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