Printing apparatus and printing method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMasaaki Naoi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink-jet printing apparatus has a printhead with an array of nozzles and can reduce printing time. The printing elements are divided into plural blocks, each having a predetermined number of nozzles. The blocks to be used for printing are selected based on information to be printed. Blocks from among the selected blocks are designated by a start block designation register and an end block designation register, and a counter is controlled to operate only for the selected blocks to drive the printing elements therein. In this manner, high-speed printing can be performed by avoiding unnecessary discharge control of nozzles not used in printing.
Claims16
A printing apparatus which performs printing by using a printhead having an array of printing elements, comprising:
- block selection means for dividing the array of printing elements into plural blocks, each having a predetermined number of printing elements, and designating a range of blocks to be used for printing by selecting blocks among the plural blocks;
- printing element designation means for designating a printing element to be driven in each of the blocks in the range;
- and
- drive control means for driving respective printing elements by operating said printing element designation means only for the blocks in said range,
- wherein said block selection means designates the range of blocks by using a first block number and a second block number among the plural blocks.
A printing method for performing printing by using a printhead having an array of printing elements, comprising:
- a block selection step of dividing the array of printing elements into plural blocks, each having a predetermined number of printing elements, and designating a range of blocks to be used for printing by selecting blocks among the plural blocks;
- a printing element designation step of designating a printing element to be driven in each of the blocks in the range;
- and
- a drive control step of driving respective printing elements by performing said printing element designation step only for the blocks in the range,
- wherein in said block selection step, the range of blocks is designated by using a first block number and a second block number among the plural blocks.
A printing apparatus which performs printing by using a printhead having an array of printing elements, comprising:
- block selection means for dividing the array of printing elements into plural blocks, each having a predetermined number of printing elements, and designating at least one block to be used for printing by selecting at least one block among the plural blocks, a number of the at least one designated block being less than that of the plural blocks;
- and
- control means which controls to drive the at least one designated block such that a driving period for the printhead is an integer multiple of a predetermined driving period for one block, while omitting a driving period for an undesignated block, the integer being the number of the at least one designated block.
A printing method for performing printing by using a printhead having an array of printing elements, comprising the steps of:
- dividing the array of printing elements into plural blocks, each having a predetermined number of printing elements, and designating at least one block to be used for printing by selecting at least one block among the plural blocks, a number of the at least one designated block being less than that of the plural blocks;
- and
- driving the at least one designated block such that a driving period for the printhead is an integer multiple of a predetermined driving period for one block, while omitting a driving period for an undesignated block, the integer being the number of the at least one designated block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.