Ink-Jet Printer and Method of Performing Printing
First Claim
1. An ink-jet printer, comprising:
- an ink-jet head configured to eject ink from a plurality of nozzles while moving in a scanning direction;
a conveyor configured to convey a recording medium in a conveyance direction orthogonal to the scanning direction;
a density detector configured to move with the ink-jet head in the scanning direction for detecting a color density which is a density of a color on a surface of the recording medium; and
a controller configured to control the ink-jet head, the conveyor, and the density detector,wherein the controller controls the ink-jet printer such that the ink-jet printer repeatedly and alternately performs an ejecting operation in which the ink-jet head ejects the ink from the nozzles based on print data while moving in the scanning direction and a conveying operation in which the conveyor conveys the recording medium, so that printing is repeatedly performed on the same predetermined region of the recording medium in a plurality of ejecting operations performed at least three times,wherein, where successive three ejecting operations among the plurality of ejecting operations are defined as a first ejecting operation, a second ejecting operation, and a third ejecting operation in the order of performance, the controller executes;
a density detecting process for controlling the density detector to detect the color density of the predetermined region immediately after the ink ejected in the second ejecting operation has been attached to the predetermined region;
an estimated density calculating process for calculating, based on the color density detected in the density detecting process, an estimated density which is an estimated value of the color density of the predetermined region after fixation of the ink ejected in the second ejecting operation;
an ideal density calculating process for calculating, based on the print data, an ideal density which is an ideal value of the color density of the predetermined region after fixation of the ink ejected in the second ejecting operation; and
a correcting process for correcting the print data based on a difference between the estimated density and the ideal density, andwherein the controller controls the ink-jet printer to perform the third ejecting operation based on the print data corrected in the correcting process.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ink-jet printer, including a density detector and a controller, wherein, where successive three ejecting operations to be repeatedly performed on the same predetermined region of a recording medium are defined as first through third ejecting operations in the order of performance, the controller executes: a process for detecting a color density of the predetermined region immediately after attachment of the ink ejected in the second ejecting operation; a process for calculating, based on the detected color density, an estimated density after fixation of the ink ejected in the second ejecting operation; a process for calculating, based on print data, an ideal density after fixation of the ink ejected in the second ejecting operation; and a process for correcting the print data based on a difference between the estimated density and the ideal density, and wherein the ink-jet printer performs the third ejecting operation based on the corrected print data.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An ink-jet printer, comprising:
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an ink-jet head configured to eject ink from a plurality of nozzles while moving in a scanning direction; a conveyor configured to convey a recording medium in a conveyance direction orthogonal to the scanning direction; a density detector configured to move with the ink-jet head in the scanning direction for detecting a color density which is a density of a color on a surface of the recording medium; and a controller configured to control the ink-jet head, the conveyor, and the density detector, wherein the controller controls the ink-jet printer such that the ink-jet printer repeatedly and alternately performs an ejecting operation in which the ink-jet head ejects the ink from the nozzles based on print data while moving in the scanning direction and a conveying operation in which the conveyor conveys the recording medium, so that printing is repeatedly performed on the same predetermined region of the recording medium in a plurality of ejecting operations performed at least three times, wherein, where successive three ejecting operations among the plurality of ejecting operations are defined as a first ejecting operation, a second ejecting operation, and a third ejecting operation in the order of performance, the controller executes; a density detecting process for controlling the density detector to detect the color density of the predetermined region immediately after the ink ejected in the second ejecting operation has been attached to the predetermined region; an estimated density calculating process for calculating, based on the color density detected in the density detecting process, an estimated density which is an estimated value of the color density of the predetermined region after fixation of the ink ejected in the second ejecting operation; an ideal density calculating process for calculating, based on the print data, an ideal density which is an ideal value of the color density of the predetermined region after fixation of the ink ejected in the second ejecting operation; and a correcting process for correcting the print data based on a difference between the estimated density and the ideal density, and wherein the controller controls the ink-jet printer to perform the third ejecting operation based on the print data corrected in the correcting process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of performing printing by an ink-jet printer, comprising:
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an ejecting step of ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles of an ink-jet head based on print data while moving the ink-jet head in a scanning direction; and a conveying step of conveying, by a conveyor, a recording medium in a conveyance direction orthogonal to the scanning direction, wherein the ejecting step and the conveying step are repeatedly and alternately executed, so that printing is repeatedly performed on the same predetermined region of the recording medium by a plurality of ejecting steps executed at least three times, wherein, where successive three ejecting steps among the plurality of ejecting steps are defined as a first ejecting step, a second ejecting step, and a third ejecting step in the order of execution, the method further comprising; a density detecting step of detecting the color density of the predetermined region immediately after the ink ejected in the second ejecting step has been attached to the predetermined region, by a density detector configured to move with the ink-jet head in the scanning direction for detecting the color density on the surface of the recording medium; an estimated density calculating step of calculating, based on the color density detected in the density detecting step, an estimated density which is an estimated value of the color density of the predetermined region after fixation of the ink ejected in the second ejecting step; an ideal density calculating step of calculating, based on the print data, an ideal density which is an ideal value of the color density of the predetermined region after fixation of the ink ejected in the second ejecting step; and a correcting step of correcting the print data based on a difference between the estimated density and the ideal density, wherein the ink is ejected from the nozzles based on the corrected print data in the third ejecting step.
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Specification