Inkjet printer and maintenance control method of the same

An inkjet printer comprising:

• a head having a plurality of nozzles ejecting ink;
• a maintenance unit performing a maintenance operation of the head;
• an interface receiving printing data and a printing command performing a printing operation;
• a control unit calculating a time difference between an input time of the printing command and a final time that the printing operation has been most recently performed by the head when the printing command is input, controlling the maintenance unit so as to perform the maintenance operation before the head prints the printing data when the time difference is greater than a predetermined time period and;
• a display unit displaying a message requesting a user to perform the maintenance operation of the head, wherein the message is displayed in response to the time difference being greater than the predetermined time period.

An inkjet printer comprising:

• a head having a plurality of nozzles ejecting ink;
• a maintenance unit performing a maintenance operation of the head;
• an interface receiving printing data and a printing command performing a printing operation;
• a control unit calculating a time difference between an input time of the printing command and a final time that the printing operation has been most recently performed by the head when the printing command is input, controlling the maintenance unit so as to perform the maintenance operation before the head prints the printing data when the time difference is greater than a predetermined time period;
• a host;
• and
• an interface to couple the control unit and the host, wherein the control unit transmits a message requesting the maintenance operation of the head to the host through the interface when the time difference is greater than the predetermined time period.

An inkjet printer having a head with a plurality of nozzles, comprising:

• a maintenance unit performing a maintenance operation of the head;
• and
• a control unit controlling the head to perform a first printing operation and a second printing operation in order, detecting a final time of the first printing operation, which has been performed before the second printing operation, and an input time of the second printing operation to be performed after the first printing operation has been performed, detecting a time difference between the final time and the input time, controlling the maintenance unit to perform the maintenance operation in response to the time difference,
• wherein the control unit transmits time data corresponding to the input time and the final time to the host, and the host calculates the time difference, comprises a displaying apparatus and generates a message to be displayed on the displaying apparatus in response to the time difference;
• and
• a host disposed outside the inkjet printer to be coupled to the controller and to generate a printing command performing the second printing operation, and the control unit detects the input time when receiving the printing command from the host.

An inkjet printer having a head with a plurality of nozzles, comprising:

• a maintenance unit performing a maintenance operation of the head;
• a control unit controlling the head to perform a first printing operation and a second printing operation in order, detecting a final time of the first printing operation, which has been performed before the second printing operation, and an input time of the second printing operation to be performed after the first printing operation has been performed, detecting a time difference between the final time and the input time, controlling the maintenance unit to perform the maintenance operation in response to the time difference;
• and
• a displaying unit, wherein the control unit controls the displaying unit to display a message when the time difference is greater than a predetermined time period.

An inkjet printer having a head with a plurality of nozzles, comprising:

• a host disposed outside the inkjet printer to generate first printing data, a first printing command performing a first printing operation corresponding to the first printing data, second printing data, and a second printing command performing a second printing operation corresponding to the second printing data;
• a maintenance unit disposed within the inkjet printer to perform a maintenance operation of the head;
• and
• a control unit disposed within the inkjet printer to control the head to perform the first printing operation and the second printing operation, detecting a final time when the first printing operation has been performed and an input time when the second printing operation is performed, calculating a time deference between the final time and the input time, and controlling the maintenance unit to perform the maintenance operation in response to the time difference.

An inkjet printer having a head with a plurality of nozzles, comprising:

• a host disposed outside the inkjet printer to generate first printing data, a first printing command performing a first printing operation corresponding to the first printing data, second printing data, and a second printing command performing a second printing operation corresponding to the second printing data, receiving a final time and an input time from the inkjet printer, calculating a time deference between the final time and the input time, and generating a maintenance command when the time difference is greater than a reference value;
• a maintenance unit disposed within the inkjet printer to perform a maintenance operation of the head;
• and
• a control unit disposed within the inkjet printer to control the head to perform the first printing operation and the second printing operation, generating the final time when the first printing operation has been performed and the input time when the second printing operation is performed, and controlling the maintenance unit to perform the maintenance operation in response to the maintenance command.

A maintenance control method in an inkjet printer having a head with a plurality of nozzles, comprising:

• receiving a printing command performing a current printing operation;
• detecting an input time when the printing command is received and a final time representing when a previous printing operation of the inkjet printer has been most recently performed before the printing command is received;
• calculating a time difference between the input time and the final time;
• and
• performing a maintenance operation of the nozzles of the head in response to the time difference.