Printing apparatus and processing method thereof

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a printhead including an element array in which a plurality of printing elements are arrayed;
• a scanning unit configured to reciprocally scan said printhead in a direction perpendicular to an array direction of the printing elements;
• a driving unit configured to divide the element array into a plurality of groups, each including consecutive printing elements, and time-divisionally drive the printing elements in each group;
• a conveyance unit configured to convey a printing medium in the array direction of the printing elements;
• and
• a setting unit configured to set a driving order in the time divisional driving,
• wherein said conveyance unit performs a first conveyance operation of conveying the printing medium by a conveyance amount, which is an integer multiple of a width of the group, and a second conveyance operation of conveying the printing medium by a conveyance amount, which is not an integer multiple of the width of the group, and
• wherein said setting unit sets the driving order to make driving orders in the time divisional driving in respective scans of a same printing region coincide with each other, when performing multi-pass printing in the same printing region on the printing medium.

A method of controlling a printing apparatus including a printhead including an element array in which a plurality of printing elements are arrayed, and a scanning unit configured to reciprocally scan the printhead on a printing medium, the element array being divided into a plurality of groups, each including consecutive printing elements, and the printing elements in each group being time-divisionally driven, comprising:

• a conveyance step of conveying the printing medium based on a printing position on a printing medium;
• and
• a setting step of setting a driving order in the time divisional driving based on a conveyance amount of the printing medium conveyed in the conveyance step,
• wherein in the conveyance step, the printing medium can be conveyed by a conveyance amount, which is an integer multiple of a width of the group, and a conveyance amount, which is not an integer multiple of the width of the group, and
• wherein in the setting step, the driving order is set to make driving orders in the time divisional driving in respective scans of a same printing region coincide with each other, when performing multi-pass printing in the same printing region on the printing medium.

A printing apparatus comprising a printhead on which a plurality of printing elements are arrayed, the plurality of printing elements being divided into a plurality of groups, and the apparatus being configured to print an image on a printing medium by time-divisionally driving the printing elements in each group, and performing a plurality of printing-scannings of the printhead to the printing medium, in a direction intersecting with the array direction of the printing elements, comprising:

• a conveyance unit configured to convey the printing medium in the array direction of the printing elements;
• an obtaining unit configured to obtain information which relates to a cumulative conveyance amount within a page of the printing medium;
• a setting unit configured to set, for each printing-scanning, for the printing elements in each group, driving order patterns for determining a driving order of the printing elements according to the cumulative conveyance amount corresponding to the obtained information;
• and
• a controlling driving unit configured to control driving of the plurality of printing elements so as to be driven time-divisionally, based on the set driving order patterns,
• wherein, when performing multi-pass printing in a same printing region on the printing medium, the setting unit sets the driving order patterns based on the cumulative conveyance amount, so as to match the driving order of the printing elements to be used in each printing-scanning for the same printing region.

A method for driving a printhead on which a plurality of printing elements are arrayed, the plurality of printing elements being divided into a plurality of groups, for printing an image on a printing medium by time-divisionally driving the printing elements in each group, and performing a plurality of printing-scannings of the printhead to the printing medium, in a direction intersecting with the array direction of the printing elements, the method including:

• conveying the printing medium in the array direction of the printing elements;
• obtaining information which relates to a cumulative conveyance amount within a page of the printing medium;
• setting, for each printing-scanning, for the printing elements in each group, driving order patterns for determining a driving order of the printing elements according to the cumulative conveyance amount corresponding to the obtained information;
• and
• controlling driving of the plurality of printing elements so as to be driven time-divisionally, based on the set driving order patterns,
• wherein, when performing multi-pass printing in a same printing region on the printing medium, in the setting, the driving order patterns is set based on the cumulative conveyance amount, so as to match the driving order of the printing elements to be used in each printing-scanning for the same printing region.