Recording apparatus, recording method therefor and program therefor

• US 6,749,280 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Tohru, Tatsumi, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THINH H
• Application Number:
  US10/318,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20030112293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 347/15, 347/43, 347/19, 358/1.9, 358/3.01, 358/3.09, 358/515, 358/525
• US Class Current: 347/15
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/147 Colour shift prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2132 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 Class Codes: G06K 15/105 Multipass or interlaced printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0094 Colour printing

Abstract

Coordinates in an image and its corresponding color-converted data are supplied to a control/operation portion for every pixel. Quantization is applied to each color. The quantization is carried out so that a kind of dot for at least one color is made different from kinds of dots for the others in one and the same pixel when dots for different colors are superimposed on the pixel. The control/operation portion refers to a two-dimensional matrix on the basis of the quantization result, determines an output dot for each color, and converts the data into data which can be processed by a printer. The printer records an image based on the quantization result while reciprocating a recording head. Thus, it is possible to reduce color shift caused by the difference of the ink landing order at the time of reciprocating the head for recording.

Claims

1. A recording apparatus comprising:

a recording head capable of forming a plurality of kinds of dots, which are different from each other in density, per unit area for every single color by means of at least one of area coverage modulation and density modulation, the recording head ejecting a plurality of colors;

an input section for inputting image data having a gradation value for every pixel; and

a quantization section for quantizing the inputted image data so that;

number of pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for the other colors in one and the same pixel is higher than number of pixels on which dots having the same kind are superimposed; and

macroscopic hue is equal to a case in which dots having the same kind are superimposed in all pixels,

wherein the recording head is reciprocated to record on a recording medium based on a quantization result obtained by the quantization section.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the quantization section quantizes the inputted image data so that the number of pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for the other colors in one and the same pixel is higher than number of pixels in which dots each having higher density than a predetermined density are superimposed.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the quantization section quantizes the inputted image data so that the pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for the other colors in one and the same pixel is not arrange in a deviation manner.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the quantization section quantizes the inputted image data so that the pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for the other colors in one and the same pixel are arranged two-dimensionally without deviation while number of dots for each color in the pixels and number of dots for each kind in the pixels are not changed.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the quantization section carries out second quantization by redetermining a kind of dot for each color with reference to a first quantization result.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in the second quantization, a kind of dot for each color is redetermined based on a dot redetermination ratio, which is prepared in advance, so that the macroscopic hue is equal to the case in which dots having the same kind are superimposed in all pixels.

7. A method for recording in a recording apparatus having a recording head capable of forming a plurality of kinds of dots, which are different from each other in density, per unit area for every single color by means of at least one of area coverage modulation and density modulation, the recording head ejecting a plurality of colors, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting image data having a gradation value for every pixel;

carrying out quantization so that;

number of pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for the other colors in one and the same pixel is higher than number of pixels on which dots having the same kind are superimposed; and

macroscopic hue is equal to a case in which dots having the same kind are superimposed in all pixels; and

recording on a recording medium based on a quantization result obtained by the quantization step while reciprocating the recording head.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the quantization step quantizes the inputted image data so that the number of pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for the other colors in one and the same pixel is higher than number of pixels in which dots each having higher density than a predetermined density are superimposed.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the quantization step quantizes the inputted image data so that the pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for the other colors in one and the same pixel is not arrange in a deviation manner.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the quantization step quantizez the inputted image data so that the pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for the other colors in one and the same pixel are arranged two-dimensionally without deviation while number of dots for each color in the pixels and number of dots for each kind in the pixels are not changed.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the quantization step carries out second quantization by redetermining a kind of dot for each color with reference to a first quantization result.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the second quantization, a kind of dot for each color is redetermined based on a dot redetermination ratio, which is prepared in advance, so that the macroscopic hue is equal to the case in which dots having the same kind are superimposed in all pixels.

13. A program for a recording apparatus having a recording head capable of forming a plurality of kinds of dots, which are different from each other in density, per unit area for every single color by means of at least one of area coverage modulation and density modulation, the recording head ejecting a plurality of colors, the program making the recording apparatus execute the steps of;

inputting image data having a gradation value for every pixel;

carrying out quantization so that;

number of pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for

the other colors in one and the same pixel is higher than number of pixels on which dots having the same kind are superimposed; and

macroscopic hue is equal to a case in which dots having the same kind are superimposed in all pixels; and

recording on a recording medium based on a quantization result obtained by the quantization step while reciprocating the recording head.

14. The program according to claim 13, wherein the quantization step quantizes the inputted image data so that the number of pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for the other colors in one and the same pixel is higher than number of pixels in which dots each having higher density than a predetermined density are superimposed.

15. The program according to claim 13, wherein the quantization step quantizes the inputted image data so that the pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for the other colors in one and the same pixel is not arrange in a deviation manner.

16. The program according to claim 13, wherein the quantization step quantizez the inputted image data so that the pixels in which the kind of dot for at least one color is different from the kinds of dots for the other colors in one and the same pixel are arranged two-dimensionally without deviation while number of dots for each color in the pixels and number of dots for each kind in the pixels are not changed.

17. The program according to claim 13, wherein the quantization step carries out second quantization by redetermining a kind of dot for each color with reference to a first quantization result.

18. The program according to claim 17, wherein in the second quantization, a kind of dot for each color is redetermined based on a dot redetermination ratio, which is prepared in advance, so that the macroscopic hue is equal to the case in which dots having the same kind are superimposed in all pixels.