Liquid discharge apparatus, embroidery system, method of controlling liquid discharge apparatus, and storage medium

An embroidery system comprising:

• a liquid discharger to dye a linear medium which includes a thread;
• an embroidery apparatus to perform embroidery on a cloth using the thread fed from the liquid discharger;
• and
• control circuitry,
• wherein the liquid discharger includes:
• a discharge head including a nozzle to discharge droplets onto the thread to dye the thread;
• a conveyor to convey the thread in conjunction with the embroidery apparatus;
• and
• a head driver to drive the discharge head in conjunction with conveyance of the thread,
• wherein the embroidery apparatus includes:
• a needle;
• and
• an embroiderer to perform embroidery on a cloth using the thread passed through the needle,
• wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
• calculate a required time of the embroidery for each dyeing job;
• and
• determine whether to execute maintenance of the discharge head based on the required time,
• wherein the control circuitry is mounted on the liquid discharger, the embroidery apparatus, or a host controller that is connectable to the embroidery system,
• wherein the embroiderer creates embroidery data based on an embroidery original and performs embroidery on a cloth using the thread passed through the needle in accordance with the embroidery data,
• wherein one dyeing job is an operation based on a thread dyeing instruction associated with one embroidery original,
• wherein the control circuitry is configured to acquire a number of stitches and thread linear-velocity information of the embroidery data created based on an embroidery image from the embroidery apparatus,
• wherein the control circuitry is configured to calculate an estimated required time of embroidery associated with a dyeing job for outputting the embroidery original, based on the number of stitches and the thread linear-velocity information,
• wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine whether to execute the maintenance of the discharge head based on the estimated required time of the embroidery, the liquid discharger further comprising a memory to store a set time serving as a threshold value for determining whether to execute the maintenance,
• wherein a job to be executed includes a plurality of dyeing jobs, and
• wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine to execute the maintenance when a total time of the estimated required time of the embroidery associated with the dyeing job from a previous maintenance execution time to an end time of a next dyeing job is equal to or longer than the set time at an end time of a current dyeing job.

A method of controlling a liquid discharge apparatus to be coupled to a post-processor to perform post-processing using a linear medium which includes a thread such that the post-processor is disposed downstream from the liquid discharge apparatus in a conveyance direction of the linear medium, the liquid discharge apparatus including:

• a discharge head including a dyeing head having a nozzle to discharge droplets onto a linear medium to dye the linear medium;
• a conveyor to convey the linear medium in conjunction with the post-processor;
• and a head driver to drive the discharge head in conjunction with conveyance of the linear medium, the method comprising:
• calculating a required time of the post-processing for each dyeing job;
• and
• determining whether to execute maintenance of the dyeing head based on the required time of the post-processing for each dyeing job,
• wherein the post-processor is an embroidery apparatus including a needle and an embroiderer to create embroidery data based on an embroidery original and perform embroidery on a cloth using a thread passed through the needle in accordance with the embroidery data,
• wherein one dyeing job is an operation based on a thread dyeing instruction associated with one embroidery original,
• wherein the method further comprises:
• acquiring a number of stitches and thread linear-velocity information of the embroidery data created based on an embroidery image from the embroidery apparatus,
• calculating an estimated required time of embroidery associated with a dyeing job for outputting the embroidery original, based on the number of stitches and the thread linear-velocity information,
• determining whether to execute the maintenance of the discharge head based on the estimated required time of the embroidery,
• wherein a job to be executed includes a plurality of dyeing jobs, and
• the method further comprises determining to execute the maintenance when a total time of the estimated required time of the embroidery associated with the dyeing job from a previous maintenance execution time to an end time of a next dyeing job is equal to or longer than the set time at an end time of a current dyeing job.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable program code that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute a method in a liquid discharge apparatus, the liquid discharge apparatus to be coupled to a post-processor to perform post-processing using a linear medium such that the post processor is disposed downstream from the liquid discharge apparatus in a conveyance direction of the linear medium, the liquid discharge apparatus including:

• a discharge head including a dyeing head having a nozzle to discharge droplets onto a linear medium to dye the linear medium;
• a conveyor to convey the linear medium in conjunction with the post processor;
• and a head driver to drive the discharge head in conjunction with conveyance of the linear medium, the method comprising:
• calculating a required time of the post-processing for each dyeing job;
• and
• determining whether to execute maintenance of the dyeing head based on the required time of the post-processing for each dyeing job,
• wherein the post-processor is an embroidery apparatus including a needle and an embroiderer to create embroidery data based on an embroidery original and perform embroidery on a cloth using a thread passed through the needle in accordance with the embroidery data,
• wherein one dyeing job is an operation based on a thread dyeing instruction associated with one embroidery original,
• wherein the method further comprises:
• acquiring a number of stitches and thread linear-velocity information of the embroidery data created based on an embroidery image from the embroidery apparatus,
• calculating an estimated required time of embroidery associated with a dyeing job for outputting the embroidery original, based on the number of stitches and the thread linear-velocity information,
• determining whether to execute the maintenance of the discharge head based on the estimated required time of the embroidery,
• wherein a job to be executed includes a plurality of dyeing jobs, and
• the method further comprises determining to execute the maintenance when a total time of the estimated required time of the embroidery associated with the dyeing job from a previous maintenance execution time to an end time of a next dyeing job is equal to or longer than the set time at an end time of a current dyeing job.