Printing apparatus and method implementing smooth outline
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorsAkito Sato, Koichi Otsuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The printing apparatus of the present invention allows dots to be formed after being selected from dot types whose number is greater than the number of gradations in each of the pixels constituting print data received from outside the printing apparatus. In the process, dots are formed for each gradation value after being selected from a plurality of types of dots having different sizes and/or formation positions such that the outlines contained in the printed image are smoothed, making it possible to smooth the outlines of line drawings while minimizing any increase in the volume of data transmitted from the outside and believed to cause a reduction in the printing speed.
Claims39
A printing apparatus capable of selectively forming any of N types of dot recording states which are different in an ink amount and/or in an ink-deposited position in a pixel area on a print medium, N being an integer of 2 at least, comprising:
- a print head having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of ejection drive elements for ejecting ink drops from corresponding plurality of nozzles;
- a receiver configured to receive print data from an external device, the print data containing gradation data indicative of M values for each pixel in a printed image, M being a positive integer of (N−1) at most;
- a dot selector configured to select one type of dot recording state for each pixel from the N types of dot recording states in response to the print data, the selected type of dot recording state smoothing an outline contained in a printed image;
- and
- a drive signal generator configured to generate drive signals for driving the ejection drive elements to form the selected type of dot recording state.
A printing method of selectively recording any of N types of dot recording states which are different in an ink amount and/or in an ink-deposited position in a pixel area on a print medium, N being an integer of 2 at least, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a print head having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of ejection drive elements for ejecting ink drops from corresponding plurality of nozzles;
- (b) receiving print data from an external device, the print data containing gradation data indicative of M values for each pixel in a printed image, M being a positive integer of (N−1) at most;
- (c) selecting one type of dot recording state for each pixel from the N types of dot recording states in response to the print data, the selected type of dot recording state smoothing an outline contained in a printed image;
- and
- (d) generating drive signals for driving the ejection drive elements to form the selected type of dot recording state.
A computer program product for causing a computer to control a printing apparatus for selectively forming any of N types of dot recording states which are different in an ink amount and/or in an ink-deposited position in a pixel area on a print medium, N being an integer of 2 at least, the printing apparatus comprising a print head having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of ejection drive elements for ejecting ink drops from corresponding plurality of nozzles, the computer program product comprising:
- a computer readable medium;
- and
- a computer program stored on the computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:
- a first program for causing the computer to receive print data from an external device, the print data containing gradation data indicative of M values for each pixel in a printed image, M being a positive integer of (N−1) at most;
- a second program for causing the computer to select one type of dot recording state for each pixel from the N types of dot recording states in response to the print data, the selected type of dot recording state smoothing an outline contained in a printed image;
- and
- a third program for causing the computer to generate drive signals for driving the ejection drive elements to form the selected type of dot recording state.
A printing apparatus capable of selectively forming any of N types of dot recording states which are different in an ink amount and/or in an ink-deposited position in a pixel area on a print medium, N being an integer of 2 at least, comprising:
- a print head having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of ejection drive elements for ejecting ink drops from corresponding plurality of nozzles;
- a receiver configured to receive print data from an external device, the print data containing text-specifying data for specifying at least a text to be recorded and gradation data indicative of a gradation value of each of first pixels in a printed image other than text;
- a dot selector configured to select one type of dot recording state from the N types of dot recording states in response to the print data, the selected type of dot recording state being to be recorded for each of the first pixels;
- a font processor configured to store a scalable font data and also to define gradation values of each of second pixels in response to the text-specifying information and the scalable font data, the second pixels corresponding to a higher resolution than that of the gradation data, the scalable font data containing data indicative of a text shape in a form of vector information;
- and
- a drive signal generator configured to generate drive signals for driving the ejection drive elements to form the selected type of dot recording state;
- and
- wherein the dot selector selects one type of dot recording state from the N types of dot recording states in response to an arrangement of gradation values of the second pixels within the first pixel, the selected type of dot recording state being best suited for expressing the arrangement of the gradation values.
A printing method of selectively forming any of N types of dot recording states which are different in an ink amount and/or in an ink-deposited position in a pixel area on a print medium, N being an integer of 2 at least, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a print head having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of ejection drive elements for ejecting ink drops from corresponding plurality of nozzles;
- (b) receiving print data from an external device, the print data containing text-specifying data for specifying at least a text to be recorded and gradation data indicative of a gradation value of each of first pixels in a printed image other than text;
- (c) selecting one type of dot recording state from the N types of dot recording states in response to the print data, the selected type of dot recording state being to be recorded for each of the first pixels;
- (d) storing a scalable font data and also to define gradation values of each of second pixels in response to the text-specifying information and the scalable font data, the second pixels corresponding to a higher resolution than that of the gradation data, the scalable font data containing data indicative of a text shape in a form of vector information;
- and
- (e) generating drive signals for driving the ejection drive elements to form the selected type of dot recording state;
- and
- wherein the step (c) includes the step of selecting one type of dot recording state from the N types of dot recording states in response to an arrangement of gradation values of the second pixels within the first pixel, the selected type of dot recording state being best suited for expressing the arrangement of the gradation values.
A computer program product for causing a computer to control a printing apparatus for selectively forming any of N types of dot recording states which are different in an ink amount and/or in an ink-deposited position in a pixel area on a print medium, N being an integer of 2 at least, the printing apparatus comprising a print head having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of ejection drive elements for ejecting ink drops from corresponding plurality of nozzles, the computer program product comprising:
- a computer readable medium;
- and
- a computer program stored on the computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:
- a first program for causing the computer to receive print data from an external device, the print data containing text-specifying data for specifying at least a text to be recorded and gradation data indicative of a gradation value of each of first pixels in a printed image other than text;
- a second program for causing the computer to select one type of dot recording state from the N types of dot recording states in response to the print data, the selected type of dot recording state being to be recorded for each of the first pixels;
- and
- a third program for causing the computer to store a scalable font data and also to define gradation values of each of second pixels in response to the text-specifying information and the scalable font data, the second pixels corresponding to a higher resolution than that of the gradation data, the scalable font data containing data indicative of a text shape in a form of vector information;
- wherein the second program is configured for causing the computer to select one type of dot recording state from the N types of dot recording states in response to an arrangement of gradation values of the second pixels within the first pixel, the selected type of dot recording state being best suited for expressing the arrangement of the gradation values.
A printing apparatus for printing by ejecting ink drops from a print head to form dots, comprising:
- a print mode selector allowing a user to select one of a plurality of print modes including a specific text print mode suitable for printing text documents, and a photographic print mode suitable for printing photographic images;
- and
- a smoothing processor configured to perform a smoothing process in order to smooth an outline contained in a printed image when the specific text print mode is selected, and also to dispense with the smoothing process when the photographic print mode is selected.
A printing method for printing by ejecting ink drops from a print head to form dots, comprising the steps of:
- (a) allowing a user to select one of a plurality of print modes, the plurality of print modes including a specific text print mode suitable for printing text documents, and a photographic print mode suitable for printing photographic images;
- and
- (b) performing a smoothing process in order to smooth an outline contained in a printed image when the specific text print mode is selected, while dispensing with the smoothing process when the photographic print mode is selected.
A printing control apparatus for generating print data to be supplied to a printing unit to perform printing by ejecting ink drops from a print head to form dots, comprising:
- a print mode selector allowing a user to select one of a plurality of print modes including a specific text print mode suitable for printing text documents, and a photographic print mode suitable for printing photographic images;
- and
- a print data generator configured to generate print data containing smoothing command information if the specific text print mode is selected, and also generate the print data devoid of the smoothing command information if the photographic print mode is selected, the smoothing command information commanding the printing unit to perform smoothing process for smoothing an outline contained in a printed image.
A printing control method of generating print data to be supplied to a printing unit to perform printing by ejecting ink drops from a print head to form dots, comprising the steps of:
- allowing a user to select one of a plurality of print modes including a specific text print mode suitable for printing text documents, and a photographic print mode suitable for printing photographic images;
- and
- generating print data containing smoothing command information if the specific text print mode is selected, while generating the print data devoid of the smoothing command information if the photographic print mode is selected, the smoothing command information commanding the printing unit to perform a smoothing process for smoothing an outline contained in a printed image.
A printing apparatus for printing by ejecting ink drops from a print head and forming dots in response to supplied printing data, comprising:
- a smoothing processor configured to perform a smoothing process if the print data contains smoothing command information, and NOT to perform the smoothing process if the data does not contain the smoothing command information, the smoothing command information indicating that the smoothing process is to be performed to smooth an outline contained in a printed image.
A printing method of printing by ejecting ink drops from a print head and forming dots in response to supplied printing data, comprising the step of:
- performing a smoothing process if the print data contain smoothing command information, while NOT performing the smoothing process if the data does not contain the smoothing command information, the smoothing command information indicating that the smoothing process is to be processed to smooth an outline contained in a printed image.
A computer program product for causing a computer to control a printing apparatus for printing by ejecting ink drops from a print head to form dots, the computer program product comprising:
- a computer readable medium;
- and
- a computer program stored on the computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:
- a first program for causing the computer to allow a user to select one of a plurality of print modes including a specific text print mode suitable for printing text documents and a photographic print mode suitable for printing photographic images;
- and
- a second program for causing the computer to perform a smoothing process in order to smooth an outline contained in a printed image when the specific text print mode is selected, and to dispense with the smoothing process when the photographic print mode is selected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.