US 6,655,780 B2 · Cleaning control method for recording head, cleaning controller performing the method, and recorder incorporating the cleaning controller

Abstract

In a cleaning controller for a recording head of a recorder connected to an external device, a timer acquires a first time value indicating a current time from the external device, and performs cyclic clocking in which a first predetermined time period is repetitively clocked from a predetermined time point. A nonvolatile storage medium stores a second time value indicating a time at which a cleaning operation is lastly performed. A determinant compares the first and the second time values to obtain a third time value, and determines whether a cleaning operation is necessary to be performed based on the third time value. A cleaner performs a cleaning operation of the recording head based on the result determined by the determinant.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A cleaning controller for a recording head of a recorder connected to an external device, comprising:

a timer, which acquires data indicating a current time from the external device, converts the acquired data into a first value having a data amount smaller than the acquired data, and performs cyclic clocking in which a first predetermined time period is repetitively clocked from a predetermined time point;
a nonvolatile storage medium, which stores a second time value indicating a time at which a cleaning operation is lastly performed;
a determinant, which compares the first and the second time values to obtain a third time value, and determines whether a cleaning operation is necessary to be performed based on the third time value;
and
a cleaner, which performs a cleaning operation of the recording head based on the result determined by the determinant.

2 more elements

A cleaning controller for a recording head of a recorder connected to an external device, comprising:

a timer, which acquires a first time value indicating a current time from the external device, and performs cyclic clocking in which a first predetermined time period is repetitively clocked from a predetermined time point;
a nonvolatile storage medium, which stores a second time value indicating a time at which a cleaning operation is lastly performed;
a determinant, which compares the first and the second time values to obtain a third time value, and determines whether a cleaning operation is necessary to be performed based on the third time value;
and
a cleaner, which performs a cleaning operation of the recording head based on the result determined by the determinant,
wherein the third time value is obtained by subtracting the second time value from the first time value;
wherein the determinant compares the third time value with a fourth time value which is obtained by subtracting a second predetermined time period from the first predetermined time period of the cyclic clocking, when the third time value is not a negative value;
wherein the determinant determines that the time indicated by the first time value is earlier than the time indicated by the second time value, when the third time value is greater than the fourth time value;
and
wherein the determinant determines that the third time value is an elapsed time period from the time indicated by the second time value, when the third time value is not greater than the fourth time value.

7 more elements

A method of controlling a cleaning operation for a recording head of a recorder connected to an external device, comprising the steps of:

acquiring data indicating a current time from the external device;
converting the acquired data into a first value having a data amount smaller than the acquired data;
performing cyclic clocking in which a first predetermined time period is repetitively clocked from a predetermined time point;
providing a nonvolatile storage medium, which stores a second time value indicating a time at which the cleaning operation is lastly performed;
comparing the first and the second time values to obtain a third time value;
determining whether the cleaning operation is necessary to be performed based on the third time value;
and
performing the cleaning operation of the recording head based on the result determined by the determining step.

5 more elements

A method of controlling a cleaning operation for a recording head of a recorder connected to an external device, comprising the steps of:

acquiring a first time value indicating a current time from the external device;
performing cyclic clocking in which a first predetermined time period is repetitively clocked from a predetermined time point;
providing a nonvolatile storage medium, which stores a second time value indicating a time at which the cleaning operation is lastly performed;
comparing the first and the second time values to obtain a third time value;
determining whether the cleaning operation is necessary to be performed based on the third time value;
and
performing the cleaning operation of the recording head based on the result determined by the determining step,
wherein the third time value is obtained by subtracting the second time value from the first time value;
wherein the third time value is compared with a fourth time value which is obtained by subtracting a second predetermined time period from the first predetermined time period of the cyclic clocking, when the third time value is not a negative value;
wherein it is determined that the time indicated by the first time value is earlier than the time indicated by the second time value, when the third time value is greater than the fourth time value;
and
wherein it is determined that the third time value is an elapsed time period from the time indicated by the second time value, when the third time value is not greater than the fourth time value.

9 more elements

A program for causing a computer to control a cleaning operation for a recording head of a recorder connected to an external device, the program executing the steps of:

acquiring data indicating a current time from the external device;
converting the acquired data into a first value having a data amount smaller than the acquired data;
performing cyclic clocking in which a first predetermined time period is repetitively clocked from a predetermined time point;
providing a nonvolatile storage medium, which stores a second time value indicating a time at which the cleaning operation is lastly performed;
comparing the first and the second time values to obtain a third time value;
determining whether the cleaning operation is necessary to be performed based on the third time value;
and
performing the cleaning operation of the recording head based on the result determined by the determining step.