High speed print method for ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording apparatus having high speed print mode

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising:

• means for specifying a print mode based on an externally applied command, said print mode including a normal print mode and a high speed print mode, wherein said ink jet recording apparatus operates more rapidly in said high speed print mode than in said normal print mode;
• a recording head for jetting ink droplets on recording paper, said ink droplets representing pixels, the pixels being included in print data;
• a carriage for allowing said recording head to shuttle across said recording paper;
• means for developing said pixels to provide corresponding developed bit map data pieces in an image buffer;
• means for reading and thinning said developed bit map data pieces to provide thinned data to said recording head in said high speed print mode, said thinned data including at least one dot for each of said pixels;
• and
• means for increasing a speed of said carriage based on said thinning operation.

A computer program product, comprising:

• computer readable instructions, and
• a computer readable medium bearing said computer readable instructions;
• wherein said computer readable instructions instruct a computer system with an ink jet recording apparatus to perform;
• developing bit map data pieces based on a print signal identifying pixels, each of said pixels having a plurality of said bit map data pieces;
• in a normal speed print mode, setting a moving speed of a recording head of said ink jet recording apparatus at a normal moving speed, and jetting from said recording head ink droplets on the basis of said bit map data pieces;
• in a high speed print mode, setting said moving speed to a high moving speed that is greater than said normal moving speed, thinning said bit map data pieces at a thinning ratio to provide thinned data which has at least one dot for each of said pixels, and jetting from said recording head said ink droplets on the basis of said thinned data, wherein said high speed is based on said thinning ratio.

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising:

• a mode determiner determining whether a print mode of said ink jet recording apparatus is a normal print mode or a high speed print mode, wherein said ink jet recording apparatus operates more rapidly in said high speed print mode than in said normal print mode;
• a recording head selectively placing ink droplets onto recording paper, said ink droplets representing pixels included in print data;
• a carriage moving said recording head across said recording paper;
• a pixel developer providing developed bit map data pieces to an image buffer;
• a thinner reading said bit map data pieces and providing thinned data to said recording head in said high speed print mode based on a thinning operation, wherein said thinned data includes at least one dot for each of said pixels and each dot overlaps an adjacent dot by a variable amount;
• and
• an accelerator increasing a speed of said carriage based on said thinning operation.

A print method for an ink jet recording apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

• developing each of a plurality of pixels of a print signal into bit map data pieces;
• determining whether a desired mode of said apparatus is a normal mode or a high-speed mode;
• in said normal mode, printing a plurality of dots for each of said plurality of pixels;
• in said high-speed mode, determining a high-speed ratio representing a desired high-speed of said apparatus as compared to a normal-speed in said normal mode and, thinning said bit map data pieces in accordance with said high-speed ratio, and setting a moving speed of a recording head of said ink jet recording apparatus in accordance with said thinning, wherein at least a single dot is printed for each of said plurality of pixels.

An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising:

• a mode determiner determining whether a print mode of said ink jet recording apparatus is a normal print mode or a high speed print mode, wherein said ink jet recording apparatus operates more rapidly in said high speed print mode than in said normal print mode;
• a recording head selectively placing ink droplets onto recording paper, said ink droplets representing pixels included in print data;
• a carriage moving said recording head across said recording paper;
• a pixel developer providing developed bit map data pieces to an image buffer;
• a thinner reading said bit map data pieces and providing thinned data to said recording head in said high speed print mode based on a thinning operation, wherein said thinned data includes at least one dot for each of said pixels and each dot overlaps an adjacent dot by a variable amount, said variable amount determined by a ratio representing a desired high speed as compared to a normal speed used in said normal print mode;
• and
• an accelerator increasing a speed of said carriage based on said thinning operation.