Printing apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMasahiko Umezawa, Hiroshi Fukui, Shinichi Omo, Akira Kuronuma, Takayuki Murata
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printer, which enables complicated printhead controls without a complicated logic circuit, includes a data table showing a control pattern of six controls stored in a RAM. When a drive trigger is inputted into a read-trigger generator, an address generator generates the address of the data table in the RAM as an address signal and inputs the address signal into the RAM. On the other hand, the read-trigger generator inputs a data-read trigger into the RAM. Control signals read by these signals are inputted into a head driver with heat pulses, which drives the printhead.
Claims25
A printing apparatus for printing an image on a printing medium by using a printhead including a plurality of print elements, comprising:
- input means for inputting print data;
- selection means for time-divisionally selecting drivable print elements from said plurality of print elements;
- first memory means for storing plural sets of print operation control patterns used for specifying a timing for selecting drivable print elements by said selection means;
- second memory means for storing one set of the plural sets of print operation control patterns;
- rewriting means for rewriting the one set of print operation control patterns stored in said second memory means with a new one set of print operation control patterns selected from the plural sets of print operation control patterns stored in said first memory means;
- timing signal output control means for outputting a timing signal for time-divisionally driving print elements in accordance with the set of print operation control patterns stored in said second memory means;
- and
- print means for performing printing by time-divisionally driving the drivable print elements selected by said selection means based on the print data inputted by said input means and the timing signal outputted by said timing signal output control means,
- wherein a time-divisional drive sequence of print elements is changed by rewriting the one set of print operation control patterns.
A print control method of controlling a print operation to print an image on a print medium by using a printhead including a plurality of print elements and plural sets of print operation control patterns stored in a first storage medium, comprising:
- an input step of inputting print data;
- a rewriting step of rewriting one set of print operation control patterns, used for selecting print elements, stored in a second storage medium with a new one set of print operation control patterns selected from the plural sets of print operation control patterns stored in the first storage medium;
- a reading step of reading the stored set of print operation control patterns from the second storage medium, and outputting a timing signal for time-divisionally driving print elements in accordance with the read set of print operation control patterns;
- a selection step of time-divisionally selecting drivable print elements from the plurality of print elements, based on the outputted timing signal;
- and
- a printing step of printing by time-divisionally driving the selected print elements using the inputted print data,
- wherein a time-divisional drive sequence of print elements is changed by rewriting the one set of print operation control patterns in said rewriting step.
The method according to 14, wherein the print operation control patterns are patterns, each specifying a drive sequence of print elements.
A printing apparatus for printing an image on a printing medium by using a printhead including a plurality of print elements, comprising:
- input means for inputting print data;
- selection means for time-divisionally selecting drivable print elements from the plurality of print elements;
- memory means for storing a set of print operation control patterns;
- rewriting means for rewriting the set of print operation control patterns stored in said memory means with a new set of print operation control patterns;
- timing signal output control means for outputting a timing signal for time-divisionally driving print elements in accordance with the set of print operation control patterns stored in said memory means;
- and
- print means for performing printing by time-divisionally driving the drivable print elements selected by said selection means based on the print data inputted by said input means and the timing signal outputted by said timing signal output control means,
- wherein a time-divisional drive sequence of print elements is changed by rewriting the one set of print operation control patterns.
A print control method of controlling a print operation to print an image on a print medium by using a printhead including a plurality of print elements and a set of print operation control patterns stored in a storage medium, comprising:
- an input step of inputting print data;
- a rewriting step of rewriting the set of print operation control patterns stored in the storage medium with a new one set of print operation control patterns;
- a reading step of reading the stored set of print operation control patterns from the storage medium, and outputting a timing signal for time-divisionally driving print elements in accordance with the read set of print operation control patterns;
- a selection step of time-divisionally selecting drivable print elements from the plurality of print elements, based on the outputted timing signal;
- and
- a printing step of printing by time-divisionally driving the selected drivable print elements using the inputted print data,
- wherein a time-divisional drive sequence of print elements is changed by rewriting the one set of print operation control patterns in said rewriting step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.