# US 11,298,940 B2 · Liquid discharge apparatus, liquid discharge method, and storage medium

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- Number: US 11,298,940 B2
- Document ID: US11298940B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/116,883
- Filed: 2020-12-09
- Published: 2021-06-17
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-13
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Kimito Abe
- Inventors: Kimito Abe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298940B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/0456: {detecting drop size, volume or weight}
- B41J 2/2121: {characterised by dot size, e.g. combinations of printed dots of different diameter}
- G06K 15/107: {Mask selection}
- 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: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS

## Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge head, a scanning device, a storage device, and circuitry. The liquid discharge head discharges liquid from a plurality of nozzles onto a recording medium. The scanning device moves at least one of the recording medium and the liquid discharge head to perform scanning. The storage device stores a plurality of mask patterns to change a discharge amount and a discharge size of the liquid from the liquid discharge head. The circuitry acquires image data, creates dot data from the image data, and determines the discharge size of the liquid to be discharged from the liquid discharge head, based on the dot data and one of the plurality of mask patterns.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a liquid discharge head configured to discharge liquid from a plurality of nozzles onto a recording medium;
a scanning device configured to move at least one of the recording medium and the liquid discharge head to perform scanning;
a storage device configured to store a plurality of mask patterns to change a discharge amount and a discharge size of the liquid from the liquid discharge head; and
circuitry configured to:
acquire image data;
create dot data from the image data and determine the discharge size of the liquid to be discharged from the liquid discharge head, based on the dot data and one of the plurality of mask patterns; and
calculate a logical product of input droplet size recited in the dot data and any one of the plurality of mask patterns to change a size of dot data to be output.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the storage device is configured to store a first mask pattern for discharging no liquid from the liquid discharge head, a second mask pattern for discharging the liquid without changing the discharge size of the liquid from the liquid discharge head, and a third mask pattern for discharging the liquid with changing the discharge size of the liquid from the liquid discharge head.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the circuitry is configured to convert dot data to be printed according to the plurality of mask patterns.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the circuitry is configured to change a size of dot data to be output, according to a value of the plurality of mask patterns.

### Claim 5

A liquid discharge method comprising:
moving at least one of a recording medium and a liquid discharge head to perform scanning;
acquiring image data;
creating dot data from the image data;
selecting one of a first mask pattern for discharging no liquid from the liquid discharge head based on the dot data, a second mask pattern for discharging the liquid without changing a discharge size of the liquid from the liquid discharge head, and a third mask pattern for discharging the liquid with changing the discharge size of the liquid from the liquid discharge head;
determining the discharge size of the liquid to be discharged from the liquid discharge head based on the dot data and the one of the first mask pattern, the second mask pattern, and the third mask pattern selected by the selecting; and
calculating a logical product of input droplet size recited in the dot data and any one of the plurality of mask patterns to change a size of dot data to be output.

### Claim 6

A non-transitory storage medium storing computer-readable program code for causing a liquid discharge apparatus to execute:
moving at least one of a recording medium and a liquid discharge head to perform scanning;
acquiring image data;
creating dot data from the image data;
selecting one of a first mask pattern for discharging no liquid from the liquid discharge head based on the dot data, a second mask pattern for discharging the liquid without changing a discharge size of the liquid from the liquid discharge head, and a third mask pattern for discharging the liquid with changing the discharge size of the liquid from the liquid discharge head;
determining the discharge size of the liquid to be discharged from the liquid discharge head based on the dot data and the one of the first mask pattern, the second mask pattern, and the third mask pattern selected by the selecting; and
calculating a logical product of input droplet size recited in the dot data and any one of the plurality of mask patterns to change a size of dot data to be output.