Printing device and method for controlling printing device
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorTakumi CHIBA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a case where a forcible detection execution flag is set to ON, the end position of the CR movement is changed and the acquiring range of the detection value “Is” is changed such that the movable range of the carriage is enlarged to a range that makes detection of an ink remaining amount by the ink sensor possible. Then, a print process for forcible detection is conducted in which the printing head and the carriage motor are controlled such that the printing head ejects ink while the carriage is moving in the enlarged movable range. Consequently, in a case where the forcible detection is requested, the ink remaining amount in the ink cartridge installed in the carriage can be detected regardless of the printing area based on the print data.
Claims10
A printing device, in which printing is conducted by ejecting ink from a printing head to a medium based on print data, comprising:
- a carriage that installs the printing head and an ink cartridge for storing ink;
- a moving section that moves the carriage in a main scanning direction;
- an ink remaining amount detecting section that can detect an ink remaining amount in the ink cartridge when the carriage moves in a part of a movable range of the carriage in the main scanning direction, the ink remaining amount detecting section being provided spaced apart from the carriage in the movable range of the carriage in the main scanning direction;
- a remaining amount detection requesting section that makes a request for detection of an ink remaining amount in the ink cartridge by the ink remaining amount detecting section in a case where predetermined detection conditions are met;
- and
- a print processing section that conducts a print process for detection of an ink remaining amount in which the movable range of the carriage in the main scanning direction based on the print data is enlarged to a range including the part of the movable range so as to make detection of an ink remaining amount possible, and the printing head and the moving section are controlled such that the printing head ejects ink while the carriage is moving in the enlarged movable range in a case where a request for detection of an ink remaining amount is made.
A method for controlling a printing device comprising a carriage that installs a printing head and an ink cartridge for storing ink, a moving section that moves the carriage in a main scanning direction, and an ink remaining amount detecting section that can detect an ink remaining amount in the ink cartridge when the carriage moves in a part of a movable range of the carriage in the main scanning direction, the ink remaining amount detecting section being provided spaced apart from the carriage in the movable range of the carriage in the main scanning direction, in which printing is conducted by ejecting ink from the printing head to a medium based on print data, the method comprising:
- making a request for detection of an ink remaining amount in the ink cartridge by the ink remaining amount detecting section in a case where predetermined detection conditions are met;
- and
- conducting a print process for detection of an ink remaining amount in which the movable range of the carriage in the main scanning direction based on the print data is enlarged to a range including the part of the movable range so as to make detection of an ink remaining amount possible, and the printing head and the moving section are controlled such that the printing head ejects ink while the carriage is moving in the enlarged movable range in a case where a request for detection of an ink remaining amount is made by the making the request.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.