Ink jet print apparatus and ink jet print method

• US 20050030333A1
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Edamura, Tetsuya, Takahashi, Kiichiro, Oshio, Naomi, Teshigawara, Minoru, Seki, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,185,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material

Abstract

An ink jet print apparatus having a plurality of double-sided printing mode (e.g., automatic double-sided printing mode and manual double-sided printing mode) is provided, which produces a sufficient image quality whichever mode is executed. For this purpose, image data to be printed is converted into print image data usable by the printing apparatus in a way that matches a selected one of multiple print medium transport paths. This minimizes a curling problem due to variations in transport processes, image quality variations caused by an ink fixing problem and adverse effects on the printing apparatus and ensures a stable printing whichever transport path is used for printing.

Claims

1. An ink jet printing apparatus using a print head having print elements to eject ink to print an image on a print medium, the apparatus comprising;

a first double-sided printing mode to print on both surfaces of the print medium; and

a second double-sided printing mode to print on both surfaces of the print medium through a path different from that of the first double-sided printing mode;

wherein the maximum volume of ink applied to a unit area of a print medium for the first double-sided printing mode is smaller than that for the second double-sided printing mode.

2. An ink jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first double-sided printing mode is executed to print on one surface of the print medium and then to print on the other surface of the print medium, without discharging the print medium.

3. An ink jet printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first double-sided printing mode is executed to perform printing according to a print image data generated in such a manner that the maximum volume of ink applied to a unit area for the first double-sided printing mode is smaller than that for the second double-sided printing mode.

4. An ink jet printing apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the first double-sided printing mode performs an automatic double-sided printing mode in which, after a printing operation is carried out on one surface of the print medium, the print medium is turned over automatically in the printing apparatus without discharging the print medium, and then the printing operation is carried out on the other surface of the print medium;

wherein the second double-sided printing mode performs a manual double-sided printing mode in which, after a printing operation is carried out on one surface of the print medium, the print medium is discharged from the printing apparatus, and then the printing operation is carried out on the other surface of the print medium supplied into the printing apparatus by a user.

5. An ink jet print system using a print head having print elements to eject ink to print an image on a print medium, the system comprising:

a print image data generation means for converting image data to be printed into print image data usable in a printing device having the print head; and

a executing means to capable of executing a first double-sided printing mode to print on both surfaces of the print medium or a second double-sided printing mode to print on both surfaces of the print medium by using a path different from that of the first double-sided printing mode;

wherein the print image data generation means generates the print image data in one method when the first double-sided printing mode is executed and in another method when the second double-sided printing mode is executed.

6. An image processing apparatus to generate a print image data used in a printing apparatus which can execute a first double-sided printing mode to print on both surfaces of a print medium by ejecting ink from a print head and a second double-sided printing mode to print on both surfaces of the print medium using a path different from that used in the first double-sided printing mode, including;

a converting means for converting image data to be printed on the print medium into print image data be used in the printing apparatus;

wherein the converting means converts the image data so that an amount of ink applied to the print medium when the first double-sided printing mode is executed differs from that when the second double-sided printing mode is executed.

7. An ink jet print method using a print head having print elements to eject ink to print an image on a print medium, comprising the steps of:

selecting one printing mode from a plurality of printing modes, the printing modes including a first double-sided printing mode capable of printing on both surfaces of the print medium and a second double-sided printing mode capable of printing on both surfaces of the printing medium through a path different from that of the first double-sided printing mode;

converting image data to be printed into print image data to be used by a printing apparatus for printing according to the printing mode selected by the selection step; and

printing on the print medium by the print head according to the print image data generated by the conversion step;

wherein the conversion step performs the data conversion so that an amount of ink applied to the print medium when the first double-sided printing mode is executed differs from that when the second double-sided printing means is executed.

8. An ink jet print method according to claim 7,

wherein the first double-sided printing mode performs an automatic double-sided printing mode in which, after a printing operation is carried out on one surface of the print medium, the print medium is turned over automatically in the printing apparatus without discharging the print medium, and then printing operation is carried out on the other surface of the print medium;

wherein the second double-sided printing mode performs a manual double-sided printing mode in which, after a printing operation is carried out on one surface of the print medium, the print medium is discharged from the printing apparatus, and then the printing operation is carried out on the other surface of the print medium supplied into the printing apparatus by a user.

9. A program for generating data which is used in a printing apparatus, wherein the printing apparatus comprising a print head having print elements to eject ink, a first double-sided printing mode capable of printing on both surfaces of a print medium, and a second double-sided printing mode capable of printing on both surfaces of the print medium through a path different from that of the first double-sided printing mode, the program being designed to cause a computer to execute the steps of:

deciding which of a plurality of printing modes, including the first double-sided printing mode and the second double-sided printing mode, is to be executed; and

generating print image data to be used in the printing apparatus by converting image data to be printed into the print image data in such a way that an image is printed on the print medium at one print duty when the decision step decides to execute the first double-sided printing mode and at another print duty when the decision step decides to execute the second double-sided printing mode.

10. An ink jet print system using a print head having print elements to eject ink to print an image on a print medium, comprising:

a print image data generation means to convert image data to be printed into print image data printable by the print head;

a first print medium transport means to transport the print medium for printing; and

a second print medium transport means to transport the print medium through a path different from that used by the first print medium transport means;

wherein the print image data generation means generates the print image data in one method when the first print medium transport means is operated and in another method when the second print medium transport means is operated.

11. An ink jet print method to print an image on a print medium by a print head having print elements to eject ink to, comprising the steps of:

deciding which of a plurality of print medium transport means capable of transporting the print medium through different paths in the process of printing on the print medium, is to be operated;

converting image data to be printed into print image data be used by a printing apparatus to print according to the print medium transport means determined by the decision step; and

printing on the print medium by the print head according to the print image data generated by the conversion step;

wherein the conversion step performs the data conversion so that an amount of ink applied to the print medium is adjusted in accordance with the selected print medium transport means.