Ink-jet recording apparatus and control method thereof
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTakeshi Yazawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink-jet recording apparatus for effecting recording using an ink-jet recording head is capable of forming large dots and small dots. The number of times of discharge operation for forming large dots and the number of times of discharge operation for forming small dots are separately counted, and a total ink discharge amount is calculated on the basis of these count values. The total ink discharge amount which is compared with a predetermined value to perform appropriate suction processing. According to the invention, an ink suction operation from a discharge port is started with appropriate timing, thereby controlling consumption of ink.
Claims21
An ink-jet recording apparatus for effecting recording using an ink-jet recording head capable of discharging an ink from a discharge port, said apparatus comprising:
- ink discharge amount changing means for changing an ink discharge amount from the ink-jet recording head by selectively ejecting ink droplets of different sizes;
- accumulation means for accumulating data corresponding to the ink discharge amount from the ink-jet recording head, said accumulation means counting numbers of respective discharges of the ink droplets of each discharge amount set by said ink discharge amount changing means to accumulate data corresponding to a total ink discharge amount;
- and
- control means for performing processing for maintaining an ink discharge operation according to the accumulated data corresponding to the total amount of ink discharged from the ink-jet head,
- wherein the recording operation of the ink-jet recording head is effected by selectively discharging the ink droplets of different discharge amounts by said ink discharge amount changing means, based upon data which corresponds to each of the ink droplets of different sizes.
A control method of an ink-jet recording apparatus for effecting recording using an ink-jet recording head capable of discharging an ink from a discharge port, said method comprising:
- an ink discharge amount changing step of changing an ink discharge amount from the ink-jet recording head by selectively ejecting ink droplets of different sizes;
- an accumulation step of accumulating data corresponding to the ink discharge amount from the ink-jet recording head, said accumulation step counting numbers of respective discharges of the ink droplets of each discharge amount set in said ink discharge amount changing step to accumulate data corresponding to a total ink discharge amount;
- and
- a control step of performing processing for maintaining an ink discharge operation according to the accumulated data corresponding to the total amount of ink discharged from the ink-jet head,
- wherein the recording operation of the ink-jet recording head is effected by selectively discharging the ink droplets of different discharge amounts in said ink discharge amount changing step, based upon data which corresponds to each of the ink droplets of different sizes.
An ink-jet recording apparatus for effecting recording using an ink-jet head capable of changing a discharge amount of ink, said apparatus comprising:
- discharge control means for driving the ink-jet head based upon data which corresponds to each of discharge amounts of ink droplets to thereby discharge ink in the form of the droplets of different discharge amounts;
- and
- calculating means for calculating total ink consumption due to discharge according to driving of the ink-jet head by said discharge control means, said calculating means counting the number of ink discharges corresponding to each of the droplets of each of the different discharge amounts, to thereby calculate the total ink consumption.
An ink consumption calculating method in an ink-jet recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording medium using an ink-jet head capable of changing a discharge amount of ink, said method comprising the steps of:
- discharging the ink in the form of droplets of different discharge amounts by driving the ink-jet head based upon data which corresponds to each of the discharge amounts of ink droplets;
- counting the number of ink discharges corresponding to each of the ink droplets of each of the different discharge amounts;
- and
- calculating total ink consumption based upon a count value corresponding to the counted ink droplets, respectively, in said counting step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.