Recording apparatus and recording method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9962950-B2
Application number	US-201615333666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

Driving orders of driving blocks are controlled with regard to each of multiple types of ink so that landing positions of ink from the driving blocks differ in multiple scans, and in the mask patterns used, there is a relatively small number of superimposed pixels among pixels regarding which a large number of discharge permitted has been stipulated regarding a mask pattern corresponding to one type of ink and one scan and pixels regarding which a large number of discharge permitted has been stipulated regarding a mask pattern corresponding to another type of ink and the one scan.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recording apparatus comprising:
a recording head including
a first recording element row where a plurality of recording elements configured to generate energy to discharge a first type of ink are arrayed in a predetermined direction, and
a second recording element row where a plurality of recording elements configured to generate energy to discharge a second type of ink, that is different from the first type of ink, are arrayed in the predetermined direction;

a scanning unit configured to execute
a first scan of the recording head over a unit region on a recording medium, K (K≥1) times in a first direction following an intersecting direction intersecting the predetermined direction, and
a second scan of the recording head over the unit region, L (L≥1) times in a second direction opposite to the first direction;

a first generating unit configured to generate K+L sets of first recording data stipulating discharge or non-discharge of the first type of ink, as to each of a plurality of pixels, corresponding to the K+L scans by the scanning unit, based on first image data that corresponds to an image to be recorded in the unit region and stipulates a plurality of combinations of number of times of discharge of the first type of ink to each of the plurality of pixel regions, and K+L first mask patterns corresponding to the K+L scans by the scanning unit and stipulating a plurality of combinations of number of times of discharge of the first type ink to each of the plurality of pixel regions;
a second generating unit configured to generate K+L sets of second recording data stipulating discharge or non-discharge of the second type of ink, as to each of a plurality of pixels, corresponding to the K+L scans by the scanning unit, based on second image data that corresponds to an image to be recorded in the unit region and stipulates a plurality of combinations of number of times of discharge of the second type of ink to each of the plurality of pixel regions, and K+L second mask patterns corresponding to the K+L scans by the scanning unit and stipulating a plurality of combinations of number of times of discharge of the second type ink to each of the plurality of pixel regions;
a driving unit configured to
drive a plurality of first recording elements corresponding to the unit region in the K first scans within the first and second recording element rows, at a first driving order, and
drive a plurality of second recording elements corresponding to the unit region in the L second scans within the first and second recording element rows, at a second driving order that is different from the opposite order from the first driving order; and

a control unit configured to effect control to discharge the first and second types of ink to a plurality of pixel regions equivalent to the plurality of pixels within the unit region by driving the plurality of recording elements within the first and second recording element rows, based on the K+L sets of first and second recording data, in the K+L scans by the scanning unit,
wherein
(i) an array of pixels regarding which an M (M≥1) number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K first mask patterns corresponding to the K first scans, and an array of pixels regarding which an N (N>M) number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the L first mask patterns corresponding to the L second scans, correspond to each other,
(ii) an array of pixels regarding which an M number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K second mask patterns corresponding to the K first scans, and an array of pixels regarding which an N number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the L second mask patterns corresponding to the L second scans, correspond to each other, and
(iii) an array of pixels regarding which an N number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K first mask patterns corresponding to the K first scans, and an array of pixels regarding which an N number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K second mask patterns corresponding to the K first scans, are different from each other.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second driving order is different from an opposite order of the first driving order that has been offset.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the second driving order is the same driving order as the first driving order.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein an array of pixels regarding which an M number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K first mask patterns corresponding to the K first scans, and an array of pixels regarding which an M number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K second mask patterns corresponding to the K first scans, are different from each other.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein an array of pixels regarding which an N number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K first mask patterns corresponding to the K first scans, and an array of pixels regarding which an N number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K second mask patterns corresponding to the K first scans, are not superimposed on each other.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein an array of pixels regarding which an M number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K first mask patterns corresponding to the K first scans, and an array of pixels regarding which an N number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the L second mask patterns corresponding to the L second scans, are different from each other.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein an array of pixels regarding which an N number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K first mask patterns corresponding to the K first scans, and an array of pixels regarding which an M number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the L second mask patterns corresponding to the L second scans, correspond each other.

8. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, of the pixels regarding which an N number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the L first mask patterns corresponding to the L times of second scans, the number of pixels adjacent on both sides in the intersecting direction to pixels regarding which an N number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K first mask patterns corresponding to the K times of first scans, is larger than the number of pixels not adjacent on both sides in the intersecting direction to pixels regarding which an N number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K first mask patterns corresponding to the K times of first scans.

9. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein pixels, regarding which an N number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K first mask patterns corresponding to the K times of first scans, have an N number of ink discharge permitted stipulated by one first mask pattern of the K first mask patterns, and have zero ink discharge permitted stipulated by the other K−1 first mask pattern of the K first mask patterns.

10. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein pixels, regarding which an M number of ink discharge permitted is stipulated by one of the K first mask patterns corresponding to the K times of first scans, have an M number of ink discharge permitted stipulated by one first mask pattern of the K first mask patterns, and have zero ink discharge permitted stipulated by the other K−1 first mask pattern of the K first mask patterns.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Yamagata Mayuko
• Seki Satoshi
• Tanaka Hirokazu
• Sasaki Gou
• Doi Tsukasa
• Suzuki Fumiko
• Takahashi Kiichiro

Classifications

• B41J19/145

  Dot misalignment correction · CPC title

• 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

• B41J2/2125 Primary

  by means of nozzle diameter selection · CPC title