# US 2006/0214965 A1 · Printing apparatus and printing apparatus control method

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- Number: US 2006/0214965 A1
- Document ID: US20060214965A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 11/445,286
- Filed: 2006-06-02
- Published: 2006-09-28
- Earliest claimed: 2002-08-29
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Hiroyuki Saito; Nobutsune Kobayashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20060214965A1

## CPC

- 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

In a printing apparatus which prints using a printhead, a printing controller for feedback-controlling driving of the printing apparatus includes a control information generation unit which generates control information for controlling driving of a motor on the basis of the first driving pattern, a comparison unit which compares the control information and a threshold for determining an overload on driving of the motor, and a setting unit which sets the second driving pattern for changing a load on driving of the motor by the control information, instead of the first driving pattern on the basis of the comparison result of the comparison unit. Control of the motor is switched in accordance with the load state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A printing apparatus having a printhead for printing and a printing controller for feedback-controlling driving of a motor based on a first driving pattern, the printing controller comprising:
control information generation means for generating control information for a driving torque of the motor, while the motor is driven on the basis of the first driving pattern;
comparison means for comparing the control information and a threshold for determining an overload on driving of the motor; and
setting means for setting a second driving pattern, instead of the first driving pattern, based on a comparison result of said comparison means.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising detection means for detecting feedback information for driving of the motor, wherein said control information generation means updates the control information in order to compensate for a deviation between the first driving pattern and the feedback information detected by said detection means.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control information includes a voltage value PWM-controlled to be applied for driving the motor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means sets the second driving pattern to the first driving pattern again at a timing when the overload on the motor is canceled or predicted to be canceled.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing at least one of the first and second driving patterns as a driving pattern generated in advance,
wherein said setting means can select and set a driving pattern stored in said storage means.

### Claim at position 6

6-7. (canceled)

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the control information exceeds the threshold from the comparison result of said comparison means, said setting means sets a lower-velocity driving pattern lower than the first driving pattern as a driving pattern for driving the motor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the control information does not exceed the threshold from the comparison result of said comparison means, said setting means sets a higher-velocity driving pattern higher than the first driving pattern as a driving pattern for driving the motor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising first and second motors, wherein, in feedback controlling of the first motor and open-loop controlling of the second motor,
for a torque margin of the second motor≧a torque margin of the first motor,
said comparison means compares control information for the first motor and a first threshold for determining an overload on driving of the first motor, and
said setting means sets a driving pattern for changing a load on driving of the first motor and the second motor on the basis of a comparison result of said comparison means.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, in feedback controlling of the first motor and open-loop controlling of the second motor,
for a torque margin of the second motor<a torque margin of the first motor,
said comparison means sets a second threshold for determining an overload on driving of the first and second motors, and compares control information for the first motor and the second threshold, and
said setting means sets a driving pattern for changing a load on driving of the first motor and the second motor on the basis of a comparison result of said comparison means.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second threshold generated by said comparison means satisfies a relation: the first threshold>the second threshold.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first motor comprises a DC motor which can be feedback-controlled.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising printing data generation means for scanning a carriage supporting the printhead relative to a printing medium and converting information transmitted from an external device into printing data complying with an arrangement of the printhead.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the printhead comprises an ink-jet printhead which prints by discharging ink.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the printhead discharges ink by using heat energy, and comprises an electrothermal transducer for generating heat energy to be applied to ink.

### Claim 17

A printing apparatus control method of driving, on the basis of feedback control, a printing apparatus having a printhead for printing and a printing controller for feed-back controlling driving of a motor based on a first driving pattern, said method comprising:
a control information generation step of generating control information for a driving torque of the motor, while the motor is driven based on the first driving pattern;
a comparison step of comparing the control information and a threshold for determining an overload on driving of the motor; and
a setting step of setting a second driving pattern, instead of the first driving patterns, on the basis of a comparison processing result of the comparison step.

### Claim at position 17

18-19. (canceled)

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising first and second motors, wherein, in feedback controlling of the first motor and open-loop controlling of the second motor,
for a torque margin of the second motor<a torque margin of the first motor,
said comparison means sets a threshold for determining an overload on driving of the first and second motors, and compares control information for the first motor and the set threshold, and
said setting means sets a driving pattern for changing a load on driving of the first and second motors based on a comparison result of said comparison means.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means sets the second driving pattern, which generates a greater driving torque than the torque generated based on the first driving pattern, instead of the first driving pattern.

### Claim 22 (depends on 10)

The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first motor comprises a DC motor, and the second motor comprises a stepping motor.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the first motor comprises a DC motor, and the second motor comprises a stepping motor.