# US 10,870,270 B2 · Droplet discharge apparatus and droplet discharge method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,870,270 B2 - Document ID: US10870270B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/929,044 - Filed: 2018-09-19 - Published: 2019-05-16 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-14 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Hideaki Iijima; Tetsuyoshi Nakata; Jun Watanabe; Yasunari Harada; Toshiaki Hosokawa; Shunsuke Shitaoka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870270B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/04505: {aiming at correcting alignment} - B41J 2/04586: {controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type} - B41J 3/36: for portability {, i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers (B41J3/4075 takes precedence)} - B41J 3/4075: {Tape printers; Label printers} - B41J 11/0095: {Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A droplet discharge apparatus discharges a droplet to form an image on a recording medium while being moved by a user. The droplet discharge apparatus includes a head to discharge a droplet on a recording medium according to image data, a sensor to detect a movement amount of the droplet discharge apparatus in a predetermined period, and a processor. The processor is configured to instruct droplet discharge based on the image data and the movement amount detected by the sensor, determine floating of the droplet discharge apparatus from the recording medium based on information from the sensor, and stop the droplet discharge in response to a determination that the droplet discharge apparatus is floating. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus to form an image on a recording medium according to image data while being moved by a user, the image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming device to form the image; a movement amount detector to detect a movement amount of the image forming apparatus in a predetermined period, the movement amount detector includes an optical transmitter and an optical receiver to receive a reflection of light from the recording medium which originated from the optical transmitter; and a processor configured to: control image formation by the image forming device based on the image data and the movement amount detected by the movement amount detector; and stop the image formation when the image forming apparatus is determined to be floating when the optical receiver does not receive the reflection of light from the recording medium which originated from the optical transmitter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an acceleration sensor configured to detect an acceleration applied to the image forming apparatus, wherein the movement amount detector is configured to determine the floating based on the acceleration applied to the image forming apparatus and detected by the acceleration sensor and a friction coefficient of the recording medium. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a friction sensor configured to detect a frictional force of the recording medium, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the friction coefficient based on the friction force detected by the friction sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to use a predetermined value of the friction coefficient in determination of the floating. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to determine the floating based on force with which the image forming apparatus is pressed against the recording medium. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to: detect a start of movement of the image forming apparatus to resume printing after detecting a temporary stop of printing; and stop image formation in response to detection of the start of movement of the image forming apparatus to resume printing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a friction sensor configured to detect a frictional force of the recording medium, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the friction coefficient based on the friction force detected by the friction sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: detect a start of movement of the image forming apparatus at a start of printing, based on the movement amount acquired from the movement amount detector; and stop image formation for a predetermined period in response to detection of the start of movement of the image forming apparatus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: a pressure sensor configured to detect the force with which the image forming apparatus is pressed against the recording medium. ### Claim 10 An image forming method, comprising: forming an image on a recording medium while moving a printer by a hand of a user; detecting a movement amount of the printer in a predetermined period, the movement amount being detected by transmitting light and receiving a reflection of light from the recording medium; controlling image formation by the printer based on image data and the movement amount that has been detected; and stopping the image formation when the printer is determined to be floating when there is no receiving of the reflection of the light from the recording medium when there is the transmitting of light. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, further comprising: detecting an acceleration applied to the printer, wherein the stopping stops the image formation when there is detected the acceleration applied to the printer that indicates that the printer is floating. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: detecting a frictional force of the recording medium using a sensor; and determining a frictional coefficient based on the friction force detected by the sensor.