# US 10,766,254 B2 · Liquid discharge apparatus, liquid discharge system, and liquid discharge method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,254 B2 - Document ID: US10766254B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/285,670 - Filed: 2019-02-26 - Published: 2019-09-19 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-19 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Hiroki Takahashi - Inventors: Hiroki Takahashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766254B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/04588: {using a specific waveform} - B41J 2/04563: {detecting head temperature; Ink temperature} - B41J 2/04573: {Timing; Delays} - B41J 2/04581: {controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements} - B41J 2/04593: {Dot-size modulation by changing the size of the drop} - B41J 2/15: for serial printing - B41J 2/2103: {Features not dealing with the colouring process per se, e.g. construction of printers or heads, driving circuit adaptations} - 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)} - B41J 29/377: Cooling or ventilating arrangements - B41J 29/38: Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge head configured to discharge liquid onto an object in accordance with a discharge cycle signal, image data, and a drive waveform; and a carriage on which the liquid discharge head is mounted. The carriage is configured to scan the object in a predetermined direction. The liquid discharge apparatus further includes circuitry configured to output pattern data for decimating the discharge cycle signal, the image data, and the drive waveform in accordance with a number of scans performed by the carriage to form a line of an image. The circuitry is configured to decimate the discharge cycle signal in accordance with the pattern data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid discharge apparatus comprising: a liquid discharge head configured to discharge liquid when a drive waveform set in accordance with a value of image data is applied thereto in response to a discharge cycle signal; a carriage on which the liquid discharge head is mounted, the carriage configured to scan the object in a predetermined direction; and processing circuitry configured to: output pattern data for decimating the discharge cycle signal and the image data in accordance with a number of scans performed by the carriage to form a line of an image; and decimate the discharge cycle signal in accordance with the pattern data such that the discharge cycle signal switches once per scan. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to decimate the image data in accordance with the pattern data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to divide the image data into a plurality of image data pieces corresponding to the number of scans performed by the carriage to form the line of the image. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pattern data includes a plurality of pattern data pieces respectively corresponding to the plurality of image data pieces, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to selectively output corresponding one of the plurality of pattern data pieces for each of number of scans performed by the carriage to form the line of the image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to change a speed of the carriage in accordance with the pattern data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling device configured to cool the carriage, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the cooling device in accordance with the pattern data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A liquid discharge system comprising: the liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1. ### Claim 8 A liquid discharge apparatus comprising: a liquid discharge head configured to discharge liquid onto an object when a drive waveform set in accordance with a value of image data is applied thereto in response to a discharge cycle signal; a carriage on which the liquid discharge head is mounted, the carriage configured to scan the object in a predetermined direction; and processing circuitry configured to: receive pattern data for decimating the discharge cycle signal and the image data in accordance with a number of scans performed by the carriage to form a line of an image; and decimate the discharge cycle signal in accordance with the pattern data such that the discharge cycle signal switches once per scan. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A liquid discharge system comprising: the liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 8. ### Claim 10 A method for discharging liquid onto an object with a liquid discharge head mounted on a carriage that scans the object in a predetermined direction, the method comprising: discharging the liquid onto the object when a drive waveform set in accordance with a value of image data is applied thereto in response to a discharge cycle signal; outputting pattern data for decimating the discharge cycle signal and the image data in accordance with a number of scans performed by the carriage to form a line of an image; and decimating the discharge cycle signal in accordance with the pattern data such that the discharge cycle signal switches once per scan.