Printer control method and printer

Abstract

The present invention discloses a control method for a printer and a printer, and relates to the technical field of printers. The control method includes: obtaining a user's cleaning instruction for a printer nozzle; when the cleaning instruction is a first cleaning instruction, controlling the printer to perform a first test action to determine a first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle; controlling the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the first cleaning cycle; wherein, during the first cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle is not clogged; when the cleaning instruction is a second cleaning instruction, controlling the printer to perform a second test action to determine a second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle; controlling the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the second cleaning cycle; wherein, during the second cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle is clogged, and after a preset number of cleanings, the printer nozzle can be unblocked. The control method for a printer provided by the present invention can save users time in maintaining the printer nozzle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of printers, and in particular to a printer control method and a printer. Background Art

[0002] Inkjet printers generally face the problem of easily clogged printheads. Advances in inkjet printing technology have broadened the application of inkjet printers, enabling applications such as printing living cells in biochemistry, printing liquid crystal materials for OLED displays, printing conductive inks for flexible electronics, and printing white ink for DIY applications. These new inkjet printer applications often use inks containing components that are prone to sedimentation and aggregation, which can cause clogged, broken, or even permanent blockages in the printer's printheads.

[0003] In order to prevent the printer nozzle from being clogged, the printer nozzle needs to be cleaned on a daily basis. However, the methods for cleaning the printer nozzle provided in the related art are not smart enough and require users to spend a lot of time to maintain the printer nozzle. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of the present application provide a method for controlling a printer and a printer.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a printer, the method comprising:

[0006] Obtain a user's cleaning instruction for the printer nozzle; if the cleaning instruction is a first cleaning instruction, control the printer to perform a first test action to determine a first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle; control the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the first cleaning cycle; wherein, during the first cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle is not clogged; if the cleaning instruction is a second cleaning instruction, control the printer to perform a second test action to determine a second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle; control the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the second cleaning cycle; wherein, during the second cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle is clogged, and after a preset number of cleanings, the printer nozzle can be unblocked.

[0007] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a printer, which includes a first acquisition module, a first control module, and a second control module. The first acquisition module is used to obtain the user's cleaning instructions for the printer nozzle. The first control module is used to control the printer to perform a first test action when the cleaning instruction is a first cleaning instruction, to determine the first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle; to control the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the first cleaning cycle; wherein, during the first cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle is not clogged. The second control module is used to control the printer to perform a second test action when the cleaning instruction is a second cleaning instruction, to determine the second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle; to control the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the second cleaning cycle; wherein, during the second cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle is clogged, and after a preset number of cleanings, the printer nozzle can be unblocked.

[0008] Through the above-mentioned settings, in the control method of the printer provided in the embodiment of the present application, it is possible to determine the optimal cleaning method for the printer nozzle according to the user's cleaning instructions. Specifically, under the first cleaning instruction, it is possible to determine the first cleaning cycle, and then automatically clean the printer nozzle according to the first cleaning cycle; under the second cleaning instruction, it is possible to determine the second cleaning cycle, and then automatically clean the printer nozzle according to the second cleaning cycle. Compared with the cleaning method for the printer nozzle in the related art, the control method of the printer provided in the embodiment of the present application is more intelligent, and the maintenance of the printer nozzle is simpler. It can save the user's maintenance time for the printer nozzle, make the maintenance cost of the printer nozzle lower, and reduce the use of ink in the cleaning process of the printer nozzle; by determining the first cleaning cycle and the second cleaning cycle, it is possible to determine the optimal solution for cleaning the printer nozzle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0010] The drawings herein are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. These drawings illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the specification, are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application.

[0011] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method for controlling a printer according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a test strip being broken in an embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a printer provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 4 A hardware entity diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application; it is obvious that the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0016] An embodiment of the present application provides a printer control method, which can be used to clean the nozzles of common inkjet printers, as well as inkjet printers for printing living cells in the biochemical field, inkjet printers for printing liquid crystal materials for OLED displays, inkjet printers for printing conductive inks for flexible electronics, and inkjet printers for white ink printing in the DIY field.

[0017] It should be noted that an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a printer. It can be performed by an electronic device, wherein the electronic device can be various types of terminals such as a printer, a laptop, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a set-top box, a mobile device (for example, a mobile phone, a portable music player, a personal digital assistant, a dedicated messaging device, a portable gaming device), or a server. The server can be an independent physical server, or a server cluster or distributed system composed of multiple physical servers, or a cloud server that provides basic cloud computing services such as cloud services, cloud databases, cloud computing, cloud functions, cloud storage, network services, cloud communications, middleware services, domain name services, security services, content delivery networks (CDNs), and big data and artificial intelligence platforms.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of a method for controlling a printer provided in an embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the control method includes steps S11 to S13, wherein:

[0019] Step S11, obtaining a user's instruction to clean the printer nozzle.

[0020] It should be noted that, depending on the frequency of use or purpose of the printer, there may be multiple cleaning instructions for the printer nozzle.

[0021] For example, in the embodiment of the present application, when the printing frequency is relatively high or the printing quality requirement is high, the purpose of cleaning the printer nozzle can be to prevent the printer nozzle from being blocked and to keep the printer nozzle in a clear state at all times. For the convenience of description, this situation can be referred to as the first situation.

[0022] For low-frequency printing or low-quality printing, the purpose of cleaning the printer nozzle can be to prevent irreversible blockage of the nozzle. That is, the nozzle can be clogged, but after a preset number of cleanings, the nozzle can be unblocked. For ease of description, this situation can be referred to as the second situation.

[0023] It is understandable that, for the first and second situations mentioned above, two different cleaning instructions can be set accordingly.

[0024] In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, the method for obtaining the user's instruction to clean the printer head is not limited. For example, a physical button corresponding to the cleaning instruction can be set on the printer, and the user's instruction to clean the printer head can be obtained by pressing the corresponding physical button. In addition, a touch screen can be set on the printer, and an icon button corresponding to the cleaning instruction can be set on the touch screen, and the user's instruction to clean the printer head can also be obtained through the icon button.

[0025] Step S12, when the cleaning instruction is the first cleaning instruction, controls the printer to perform a first test action to determine the first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle; controls the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the first cleaning cycle; wherein, during the first cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle is not clogged.

[0026] Specifically, corresponding to the first case and the second case mentioned above, two cleaning instructions can be set respectively. For the convenience of description, the two cleaning instructions mentioned above can be referred to as the first cleaning instruction and the second cleaning instruction respectively.

[0027] In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, for the above-mentioned first and second situations, the key lies in the cleaning cycle. For the convenience of description, the cleaning cycle corresponding to the first situation can be referred to as the first cleaning cycle, and the cleaning cycle corresponding to the second situation can be referred to as the second cleaning cycle.

[0028] Specifically, if the printer's printhead is cleaned according to the first cleaning cycle and no blockage occurs, it can be understood that the printer's printhead is cleaned before blockage occurs. Therefore, the first cleaning instruction can also be referred to as a "ready-to-print mode."

[0029] Since the specific value of the duration corresponding to the first cleaning cycle is unknown, when the user's cleaning instruction is the first cleaning instruction, the printer can be controlled to perform a test to determine the first cleaning cycle.

[0030] For example, after the printer has been turned on for the first time for T time, the printer nozzle may or may not be clogged. Whether the printer nozzle is clogged can be determined by testing the printer nozzle. If the printer nozzle is not clogged after the printer has been turned on for the first time for T time, the printer nozzle can be tested after a longer interval. Specifically, if the printer nozzle is clogged after the printer has been turned on for the first time for T time, the printer nozzle can be tested after a shorter interval. In this way, by making multiple attempts according to the above method, a longest time interval can be found. When the printer nozzle is cleaned with this time interval as the cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle has not been clogged before each cleaning. For the convenience of description, this time interval can be referred to as the first cleaning cycle.

[0031] After determining the first cleaning cycle, the printer is controlled to clean the printer nozzle according to the first cleaning cycle. In this way, the printer nozzle is cleaned before it is clogged, and the printer nozzle will not be clogged.

[0032] Step S13, when the cleaning instruction is the second cleaning instruction, control the printer to perform a second test action to determine the second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle; control the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the second cleaning cycle; wherein, during the second cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle is clogged, and after a preset number of cleanings, the printer nozzle can be unblocked.

[0033] For the second situation mentioned above, the printer nozzle can be allowed to be clogged as long as the printer nozzle can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings. Therefore, the second cleaning instruction can also be called a "preventing serious blockage mode of the printer nozzle."

[0034] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned preset number of times is not limited. For example, the above-mentioned preset number of times can be set to 3 times, etc., which is equivalent to cleaning the printer nozzle according to the second cleaning cycle. Before the corresponding cleaning of the printer nozzle, the printer nozzle is in a blocked state, but after the printer nozzle is cleaned less than or equal to 3 times, the printer nozzle can be unblocked.

[0035] Since the specific value of the duration corresponding to the second cleaning cycle is unknown, when the user's cleaning instruction is the second cleaning instruction, the printer can be controlled to perform a test to determine the second cleaning cycle.

[0036] For example, after the printer has been turned on for the first time for T time, the printer nozzle may or may not be clogged. The printer nozzle may be severely clogged (cannot be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings) or not severely clogged (can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings). By testing and cleaning the printer nozzle, it can be determined whether the printer nozzle is not severely clogged. Specifically, if the printer nozzle is not clogged after T time after the printer has been turned on for the first time, the printer nozzle can be tested after a longer interval until the printer nozzle is clogged and can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings. In this way, by making multiple attempts according to the above method, a longest time interval can be found. When the printer nozzle is cleaned at this time interval, even if the printer nozzle is clogged, it can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings.

[0037] Through the above-mentioned settings, in the control method of the printer provided in the embodiment of the present application, it is possible to determine the optimal cleaning method for the printer nozzle according to the user's cleaning instructions. Specifically, under the first cleaning instruction, it is possible to determine the first cleaning cycle, and then automatically clean the printer nozzle according to the first cleaning cycle; under the second cleaning instruction, it is possible to determine the second cleaning cycle, and then automatically clean the printer nozzle according to the second cleaning cycle. Compared with the cleaning method for the printer nozzle in the related art, the control method of the printer provided in the embodiment of the present application is more intelligent, and the maintenance of the printer nozzle is simpler. It can save the user's maintenance time for the printer nozzle, make the maintenance cost of the printer nozzle lower, and reduce the use of ink in the cleaning process of the printer nozzle; by determining the first cleaning cycle and the second cleaning cycle, it is possible to determine the optimal solution for cleaning the printer nozzle.

[0038] On this basis, in some embodiments of the present application, controlling the printer to perform the first test action and determining the first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle can be achieved in the following manner:

[0039] After the printer starts working for a period of time T, the printer nozzle is tested for the first time;

[0040] If the result of the first detection is clogging, continue to detect the printer nozzle;

[0041] Divide the time T into n consecutive time intervals of equal duration;

[0042] Perform multiple tests on the printer nozzle to determine an Nth time interval; wherein the printer nozzle is not clogged during a time period corresponding to the Nth time interval, and the printer nozzle is clogged during a time period corresponding to an N+1th time interval; wherein 2≤N≤n, N is a positive integer; and 2≤n, n is a positive integer;

[0043] The time corresponding to the starting point of the Nth time interval is the first cleaning cycle.

[0044] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, the numerical value of the time T is not limited, and the time T can be preset. For example, the time T can be set to 24 hours. That is, the first detection of the printer nozzle is performed 24 hours after the printer starts working.

[0045] Furthermore, the result of the first detection of the printer nozzle may be that the printer nozzle is clogged, or that the printer nozzle is not clogged.

[0046] On this basis, when the printer nozzle is clogged, it indicates that the first cleaning cycle needs to be set to a time shorter than T. In order to determine the first cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle may be further tested.

[0047] Furthermore, the time T can be divided into n consecutive time intervals of equal duration.

[0048] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the specific value of n is not limited and can be determined based on the accuracy of the first cleaning cycle. If the accuracy of the first cleaning cycle needs to be determined to be higher, the value of n can be set to a larger value; if the accuracy of the first cleaning cycle needs to be determined to be lower, the value of n can be set to a smaller value.

[0049] For example, when T is set to 24 hours, n can be set to 12 or 24. When n is set to 12, 24 hours are divided into 12 time intervals, each of which lasts for 2 hours. Specifically, they are [0,2], [2,4], [4,6], [6,8], [8,10], [10,12], [12,14], [14,16], [16,18], [18,20], [20,22], and [22,24].

[0050] Based on this, the printer head can be tested according to the aforementioned time intervals. For example, the printer head can be tested at a midpoint within the aforementioned time interval. If the printer head is not clogged during that time interval, the test can be continued at the next time interval. This allows determining a longer period of time when the printer head is not clogged.

[0051] For example, the first inspection of the printer nozzle is performed 24 hours after the printer starts working. If the printer nozzle is clogged, the printer nozzle can be inspected again 1 hour after the first inspection (within the [0,2] time interval). If the printer nozzle is not clogged, the printer nozzle can be inspected again 3 hours later (within the [2,4] time interval). If the printer nozzle is not clogged, the printer nozzle can be inspected again within the next time interval.

[0052] The above steps are repeated until the Nth time interval. It should be noted that the printer nozzle is not clogged during the time corresponding to the Nth time interval, and the printer nozzle is clogged during the time corresponding to the N+1th time interval.

[0053] It should be noted that the Nth time interval and the N+1th time interval are two adjacent time intervals, and according to the order of time intervals from small to large, the N+1th time interval is located after the Nth time interval.

[0054] For example, in the above 12 intervals, the [2,4] time interval is the second time interval, and the [4,6] time interval is the third time interval. If the last detection result is not blocked, and the detection result of the printer nozzle is not blocked after 3 hours (within the [2,4] time interval), and the detection result of the printer nozzle is blocked after 5 hours (within the [4,6] time interval), then N=2.

[0055] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of the present application, 2≤n, n is a positive integer; 2≤N≤n, N is a positive integer.

[0056] Alternatively, the Nth time interval may be determined by a "binary method." For ease of description, T is assumed to be 24 hours.

[0057] First, 24 hours after the printer starts working, the printer nozzle is inspected for the first time. If the first inspection result shows that the printer nozzle is clogged, the printer nozzle is inspected for the second time 12 hours later. If the second inspection result shows that the printer nozzle is clogged, the printer nozzle is inspected for the third time 6 hours later. And so on, until it is determined that the cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle is within the above time range.

[0058] On this basis, the time corresponding to the starting point of the Nth time interval can be used as the first cleaning cycle.

[0059] For example, if the detection result of the printer nozzle is blocked after 5 hours (within the [4, 6] time interval), 2 hours (the starting point of the [2, 4] time interval) can be used as the first cleaning cycle.

[0060] On this basis, in the embodiment of the present application, the length of the time interval can be set to be less than or equal to 0.5 hours.

[0061] In this way, the accuracy of the first cleaning cycle can be improved, the length of the first cleaning cycle can be extended as much as possible, and the number of times the printer nozzle is cleaned can be reduced.

[0062] In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, it is possible that the detection result of the printer nozzle is not blocked after the printer starts working for a time T. In this case, the detection time of the printer nozzle can be extended based on the time T to determine the first cleaning cycle.

[0063] On this basis, in some embodiments of the present application, controlling the printer to perform the first test action and determining the first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle can be achieved in the following manner:

[0064] After the printer starts working for a period of time T, the printer nozzle is tested for the first time;

[0065] If the result of the first detection is that there is no blockage, continue to detect the printer nozzle;

[0066] If the result of the mth detection is not blocked, continue to perform the m+1th detection after A×m×T time, until the result of the mth detection is not blocked and the result of the m+1th detection is blocked;

[0067] Continuing to detect the printer head after the first time between A×m×T and A×(m+1)×T;

[0068] In the case where the nozzle of the printer is clogged, A×m×T is used as the first cleaning cycle;

[0069] When the printer nozzle is not clogged, the first time is used as the first cleaning cycle; wherein, 1≤m, m is a positive integer, and 1<A.

[0070] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, there is no limitation on the value of A. For example, if the time T is set to 24 hours, A can be set to 7. This also means that if the printer nozzle is tested for the first time and the result of the first test is not blocked, the printer nozzle can be tested again 7 days later. If the result of the second test is not blocked, the printer nozzle can be tested again 14 days later, and so on.

[0071] Repeat the above steps until the printer nozzle is not blocked after the mth test and blocked after the m+1th test. This also shows that the longest unblocked time of the printer nozzle is between A×m×T and A×(m+1)×T.

[0072] On this basis, a time between A×m×T and A×(m+1)×T can be selected to continue testing the printer head. For ease of description, the time between A×m×T and A×(m+1)×T can be referred to as the first time. If the test result of this printer head test shows that it is clogged, A×m×T can be used as the first cleaning cycle; if the test result of this printer head test shows that it is not clogged, the first time can be used as the first cleaning cycle.

[0073] Exemplarily, the first time may be set to an intermediate time between A×m×T and A×(m+1)×T; in addition, the first time may also be set to other time between A×m×T and A×(m+1)×T.

[0074] For example, in some embodiments of the present application, T can be set to 24 hours, A can be set to 7, and the first time can be set to 7×m×24+4×24 hours. That is, if the unit is day, the first time can be set to 7×m+4 days.

[0075] In addition, in some embodiments of the present application, controlling the printer to perform the second test action and determining the second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle can be achieved in the following manner:

[0076] After the printer starts working for a period of time T, the printer nozzle is tested for the first time;

[0077] If the result of the first detection is that the nozzle is not clogged, the nozzle of the printer is detected and cleaned multiple times until the detection result of the nozzle of the printer indicates that the nozzle is clogged and cannot be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings, and the time t since the last cleaning of the nozzle of the printer is determined; wherein T<t;

[0078] Divide the time t into b consecutive time intervals of equal duration;

[0079] The printer nozzle is tested multiple times to determine a Bth time interval; wherein, during the time corresponding to the Bth time interval, the printer nozzle is clogged and can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings, and during the time corresponding to the B+1th time interval, the printer nozzle is clogged and cannot be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings; wherein, 2≤B≤b, B is a positive integer; 2≤b, b is a positive integer;

[0080] The time corresponding to the starting point of the Nth time interval is the second cleaning cycle.

[0081] It can be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the second cleaning cycle can be understood with reference to the above description of the first cleaning cycle, except that the conditions satisfied by the printer nozzle detection results are different.

[0082] Specifically, under the second cleaning instruction, the printer nozzle is allowed to be slightly clogged, as long as the printer nozzle can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings.

[0083] On this basis, the first inspection of the printer nozzle can be performed after the printer nozzle starts working for a time T. At this time, the first inspection result of the printer nozzle may be unblocked or blocked; if the printer nozzle is blocked, the printer nozzle is cleaned according to the preset number of times. At this time, the printer nozzle may be unblocked or unblocked. If the printer nozzle can be unblocked, the time of the next inspection will be extended based on the time T until the inspection result of the printer nozzle is blocked and it cannot be unblocked after the preset number of cleanings. Determine the time t since the last cleaning of the printer nozzle. It can be understood that T<t.

[0084] Furthermore, the time t can be divided into b consecutive time intervals of equal duration.

[0085] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the specific value of b is not limited and can be determined based on the accuracy of the second cleaning cycle. If the accuracy of the second cleaning cycle needs to be determined to be higher, the value of b can be set to a larger value; if the accuracy of the second cleaning cycle needs to be determined to be lower, the value of b can be set to a smaller value.

[0086] For example, when t is 48 hours, b can be set to 12 or 24. Specifically, the division can be performed with reference to the above division of the time interval of T.

[0087] On this basis, the printer nozzle can be tested according to the above-mentioned time interval. For example, the middle time in the above-mentioned time interval can be selected to test the printer nozzle. If the printer nozzle is not clogged or is clogged but can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings during this time interval, the printer nozzle will continue to be tested in the next time interval until the printer nozzle is clogged and cannot be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings. For the convenience of description, the time interval corresponding to the printer nozzle being clogged and cannot be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings can be called the B+1 time interval. It should be noted that when the printer nozzle is tested at the time corresponding to the Bth time interval, the printer nozzle is not clogged or is clogged but can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings.

[0088] It should be noted that the Bth time interval and the B+1th time interval are two adjacent time intervals, and according to the order of time intervals from small to large, the B+1th time interval is located after the Bth time interval.

[0089] On this basis, the time corresponding to the starting point of the Bth time interval can be used as the second cleaning cycle.

[0090] Specifically, you can refer to the above-mentioned method for determining the first cleaning cycle for reference and understanding.

[0091] In addition, in some embodiments of the present application, after the printer starts working for a time period T, the result of the first inspection of the printer nozzle may be that it is not clogged or is clogged but can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings.

[0092] On this basis, in some embodiments of the present application, controlling the printer to perform the second test action and determining the second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle can be achieved in the following manner:

[0093] After the printer starts working for a period of time T, the printer nozzle is tested for the first time;

[0094] If the result of the first detection is that there is no blockage or the blockage can be cleared after a preset number of cleanings, continue to detect the printer nozzle;

[0095] If the b-th detection result shows that the blockage can be cleared after the preset number of cleanings, the b+1-th detection is continued after C×b×T time, until the b-th detection result shows that the blockage can be cleared after the preset number of cleanings, and the b+1-th detection result shows that the blockage cannot be cleared after the preset number of cleanings;

[0096] Continuing to detect the printer head after a second time between C×b×T and C×(b+1)×T;

[0097] When the nozzle of the printer is clogged and cannot be cleared after a preset number of cleanings, the first cleaning cycle is C×b×T;

[0098] When the nozzle of the printer is clogged and can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings, the second time is used as the first cleaning cycle; wherein 1≤b, b is a positive integer, and 1<C.

[0099] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, there is no limitation on the value of C. For example, when the time T is set to 24 hours, C can be set to 7. This also means that when the printer nozzle is tested for the first time, if the result of the first side test is that it is not blocked or is blocked but can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings, the printer nozzle can be tested again for the second time after 7 days. If the result of the second test is that it is not blocked or is blocked but can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings, the printer nozzle can be tested for the third time after 14 days, and so on.

[0100] Repeat the above steps until the printer nozzle is detected as not clogged or clogged but cleared after a preset number of cleanings for the bth time, and the b+1th time is clogged and cannot be cleared after a preset number of cleanings. This also shows that the maximum time it takes for a printer nozzle to be clogged and cleared after a preset number of cleanings is between C×b×T and C×(b+1).

[0101] On this basis, a time between C×b×T and C×(b+1) can be selected to continue testing the printer head. For ease of description, the time between C×b×T and C×(b+1) can be referred to as the second time. If the test result of this printer head test shows that the nozzle is clogged and cannot be cleared after a preset number of cleanings, C×b×T can be used as the second cleaning cycle. If the test result of this printer head test shows that the nozzle is not clogged or is clogged but can be cleared after a preset number of cleanings, the second time can be used as the second cleaning cycle.

[0102] Exemplarily, the second time may be set to an intermediate time between C×b×T and C×(b+1); in addition, the second time may also be set to other time between C×b×T and C×(b+1).

[0103] Specifically, the description of the second time can be understood by referring to the aforementioned description of the first time.

[0104] In addition, in some embodiments, the ink used by the printer may be relatively expensive, such as 3D printing ink. For relatively expensive inks, the cleaning cost may be relatively high.

[0105] In view of this, in some embodiments of the present application, the first cleaning cycle and the second cleaning cycle can also be determined according to the amount of ink used in a single cleaning.

[0106] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, determining the first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle can be achieved by the following methods:

[0107] Determine the amount of ink used for a single cleaning of the printer nozzle;

[0108] Based on the ink usage of a single cleaning of the printer nozzle, a first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle is determined to minimize the ratio of the ink usage of the single cleaning to the first cleaning cycle.

[0109] It should be noted that the longer the cycle of cleaning the printer nozzle, the more ink will be used in a single cleaning. The total amount of ink used for cleaning the printer nozzle within a certain period of time is determined by the cycle of cleaning the printer nozzle and the amount of ink used in a single cleaning.

[0110] For example, assuming that the cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle is 4 hours, the amount of ink used in a single cleaning is Y; if the cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle is greater than 4 hours, the amount of ink used in a single cleaning is greater than Y.

[0111] On this basis, the economic efficiency of cleaning the printer nozzle can be characterized by the ratio of the ink consumption of a single cleaning to the first cleaning cycle. In this way, the first cleaning cycle can be determined to minimize the ratio of the ink consumption of a single cleaning to the first cleaning cycle.

[0112] Similarly, the second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle can be determined in the following ways:

[0113] Determine the amount of ink used for a single cleaning of the printer nozzle;

[0114] Based on the ink usage of a single cleaning of the printer nozzle, a second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle is determined to minimize the ratio of the ink usage of the single cleaning to the second cleaning cycle.

[0115] It should be noted that to determine the amount of ink used in a single printhead cleaning, a photoelectric sensor on a disc can be used to record the number of revolutions of the ink pump during each cleaning to measure the amount of ink used. Alternatively, the duration of the voltage applied to the ink pump can be used to approximately measure the amount of ink used during each cleaning.

[0116] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the printer nozzle is cleaned after each inspection, and each cleaning of the printer nozzle includes performing main cleaning, auxiliary cleaning and flash cleaning on the printer nozzle in sequence.

[0117] Cleaning the printer nozzle after each inspection can clear potential or unnoticed blockages (close to the state of the printer nozzle when the printer starts working), ensuring that the next inspection of the printer nozzle is based on the same starting point, which can make the inspection results of the printer nozzle more accurate.

[0118] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, the main cleaning is mainly used to solve the problem of printer nozzle clogging, the secondary cleaning is mainly used to solve the problem of ink mixing between nozzles of different colors of the printer nozzle (for example, red ink runs into the blue ink nozzle), and the flash cleaning is mainly used to solve potential ink mixing problems.

[0119] In the embodiment of the present application, during the main cleaning phase, the ink suction pump can be controlled to rotate slowly for less than 1 second, and then quickly for no more than 5 seconds (the duration should not be too long, as it will cause serious ink cross-contamination). During the secondary cleaning phase, the ink suction pump can be controlled to rotate slowly for less than 0.3 seconds, and then quickly for less than 1 second; and then flash spraying can be performed for 1 second. This can solve the potential problem of ink cross-contamination.

[0120] In addition, in some embodiments of the present application, a visual device can be used to detect whether the printer nozzle is clogged.

[0121] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, the printer nozzle can be detected in the following ways:

[0122] Control the printer to print the test strip;

[0123] Use visual equipment to inspect the test strip to determine whether the test strip is broken;

[0124] If the test strip is broken, it is determined that the printer nozzle is clogged; if the test strip is not broken, it is determined that the printer nozzle is not clogged.

[0125] It should be noted that the types of visual devices are not limited in the embodiments of this application. For example, a scanning image sensor, such as a line scan camera, can be used as the visual device. This can be a contact line scan camera or a non-contact line scan camera composed of an image sensor and a lens. Alternatively, a common commercial camera can be used as the visual device.

[0126] On this basis, by installing the visual device on the side of the printer nozzle carriage or at the paper outlet of the printer, the visual device can be used to obtain visual information of the print strip, and on this basis, it can be determined whether the test strip is broken.

[0127] For example, a visual recognition algorithm can be used to determine whether the printer test strip is broken. Specifically, a visual recognition algorithm in the Halcon software library or the OpenCV software library can be used. Figure 2 , which is a schematic diagram of a test strip with a broken wire.

[0128] In addition, in some embodiments of the present application, it is also possible to determine whether the test strip is broken without using a visual device, and to determine whether the test strip is broken based on the customer's visual judgment and through user input.

[0129] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the printer nozzle may still be clogged after many tests and cleanings. In this way, a clogging coefficient can be set. If it is less than the clogging coefficient, the printer nozzle can be considered qualified. For example, the clogging coefficient can be considered as the ratio of the number of nozzles that are clogged in the printer nozzle to the total number of nozzles. It is understandable that after long-term use, the nozzles of the printer nozzle will be worn out, which may cause some nozzles to be unusable. However, the clogging of a few nozzles does not affect the use of the nozzles when the printing accuracy requirements are not high or for some special purposes (such as white ink nozzles for printing backgrounds).

[0130] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, if the above method is implemented in the form of a software function module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, or the part that contributes to the relevant technology, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for enabling an electronic device (which can be a personal computer, server, network equipment or a car-mounted computer, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk. In this way, the embodiment of the present application is not limited to any specific hardware, software or firmware, or any combination of hardware, software and firmware.

[0131] Thus, in an embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned readable medium can be used as a part of the printer and integrated into the main board of the printer when the printer is produced. In addition, the above-mentioned readable medium can also be integrated into a new main board, and the printer can be modified in combination with the hardware components in the above description (such as the above-mentioned image sensor). The new main board can be used to control the detection and cleaning of the printer nozzle, and can also be used to use visual equipment to determine whether the test strip is broken; in addition, the new main board can also be used to control the ink suction pump and control the movement of the printer nozzle carriage. Specifically, by detecting the grating information, the specific position of the printer nozzle carriage can be determined, because in the process of cleaning the printer nozzle, the printer nozzle carriage needs to be moved. In order to ensure that there is no cumulative error in the position control of the printer nozzle carriage, the position of the printer nozzle carriage needs to be calibrated and calibrated frequently. On this basis, a photoelectric sensor can be used for the calibration of the printer nozzle carriage.

[0132] On this basis, the embodiment of the present application also provides a printer, such as Figure 3 As shown, the printer 300 includes a first acquisition module 301, a first control module 302 and a second control module 303.

[0133] The first acquisition module 301 is used to obtain a user's instruction to clean the printer nozzle.

[0134] The first control module 302 is used to control the printer to perform a first test action and determine a first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle when the cleaning instruction is a first cleaning instruction; control the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the first cleaning cycle; wherein, during the first cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle does not get clogged.

[0135] The second control module 303 is used to control the printer to perform a second test action and determine the second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle when the cleaning instruction is the second cleaning instruction; control the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the second cleaning cycle; wherein, during the second cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle is clogged, and after a preset number of cleanings, the printer nozzle can be unblocked.

[0136] The description of the above device embodiment is similar to the description of the above method embodiment and has similar beneficial effects as the method embodiment. In some embodiments, the functions or modules included in the device provided in the embodiments of the present application can be used to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. For technical details not disclosed in the device embodiments of the present application, please refer to the description of the method embodiments of the present application for understanding.

[0137] An embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, which includes a processor, a memory, a communication interface and a communication bus. The memory stores a computer program that can be run on the processor, and when the processor executes the program, it implements some or all of the steps in the above method.

[0138] The present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements some or all of the steps in the above method. The computer-readable storage medium may be transient or non-transient.

[0139] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program, including computer-readable code. When the computer-readable code runs in an electronic device, a processor in the electronic device executes some or all of the steps for implementing the above method.

[0140] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, and when the computer program is read and executed by a computer, implements some or all of the steps in the above method. The computer program product can be implemented specifically by hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the computer program product is embodied as a computer storage medium. In other embodiments, the computer program product is embodied as a software product, such as a software development kit (SDK), etc.

[0141] It should be noted that the descriptions of the various embodiments above tend to emphasize the differences between the various embodiments, and their similarities or similarities can be referenced to each other. The descriptions of the above device, storage medium, computer program, and computer program product embodiments are similar to the descriptions of the above method embodiments and have similar beneficial effects as the method embodiments. For technical details not disclosed in the embodiments of the device, storage medium, computer program, and computer program product of this application, please refer to the description of the method embodiments of this application for understanding.

[0142] The embodiment of the present application also provides an electronic device, which needs to be explained. Figure 4 , is a schematic diagram of the hardware entity of the electronic device in the embodiment of the present application. It can be understood that, in the embodiment of the present application, the electronic device can be a printer. Figure 4 As shown, the hardware entity of the electronic device 400 includes: a processor 401, a communication interface 402, a memory 403 and a communication bus 404, wherein:

[0143] The processor 401 generally controls the overall operation of the electronic device 400;

[0144] The communication interface 402 and the communication bus 404 may enable the electronic device 400 to communicate with other terminals or servers via a network;

[0145] The memory 403 is configured to store instructions and applications executable by the processor 401, and can also cache data to be processed or processed by the processor 401 and various modules in the electronic device 400 (for example, image data, audio data, voice communication data, and video communication data). This can be implemented using flash memory (FLASH) or random access memory (RAM). Data can be transmitted between the processor 401, the communication interface 402, and the memory 403 via the bus 404.

[0146] It should be understood that "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mentioned throughout the specification means that the specific features, structures or characteristics related to the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, these specific features, structures or characteristics can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned steps / processes does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each step / process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application. The above-mentioned serial numbers of the embodiments of the present application are for description only and do not represent the advantages and disadvantages of the embodiments.

[0147] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising the element.

[0148] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as: multiple units or components can be combined, or can be integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the components shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of the devices or units can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0149] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units; they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units; some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment.

[0150] In addition, all functional units in the embodiments of the present application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can be a separate unit, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit; the above-mentioned integrated units can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0151] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of implementing the above-mentioned method embodiment can be completed by hardware related to program instructions, and the aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it executes the steps of the above-mentioned method embodiment; and the aforementioned storage medium includes: mobile storage devices, read-only memories (ROM), magnetic disks or optical disks, and other media that can store program codes.

[0152] Alternatively, if the above-mentioned integrated unit of the present application is implemented in the form of a software function module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the relevant technology, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for enabling an electronic device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the methods described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as mobile storage devices, ROMs, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0153] The above is only an implementation method of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with this technical field can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in this application, which should be covered by the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a printer, characterized in that: The control method includes: Get the user's instructions for cleaning the printer nozzle; When the cleaning instruction is a first cleaning instruction, controlling the printer to perform a first test action to determine a first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle; controlling the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the first cleaning cycle; wherein, during the first cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle is not clogged; When the cleaning instruction is a second cleaning instruction, controlling the printer to perform a second test action to determine a second cleaning cycle for the printer nozzle; controlling the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the second cleaning cycle; wherein, during the second cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle becomes clogged, and after a preset number of cleanings, the printer nozzle can be unblocked; The controlling the printer to perform a first test action to determine a first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle includes: After the printer starts working for a period of time T, the printer nozzle is tested for the first time; If the result of the first detection is clogging, continue to detect the printer nozzle; Divide the time T into n consecutive time intervals of equal duration; Perform multiple tests on the printer nozzle to determine an Nth time interval; wherein the printer nozzle is not clogged during a time period corresponding to the Nth time interval, and the printer nozzle is clogged during a time period corresponding to an N+1th time interval; wherein 2≤N≤n, N is a positive integer; and 2≤n, n is a positive integer; The time corresponding to the starting point of the Nth time interval is the first cleaning cycle; The controlling the printer to perform a second test action to determine a second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle includes: After the printer starts working for a period of time T, the printer nozzle is tested for the first time; If the result of the first detection is that the nozzle is not clogged, the nozzle of the printer is detected and cleaned multiple times until the nozzle is detected as clogged and cannot be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings, and the time t since the last cleaning of the nozzle is determined; wherein T < t; Split the time t into b consecutive time intervals of equal duration; The printer nozzle is tested multiple times to determine a Bth time interval; wherein, during the time corresponding to the Bth time interval, the printer nozzle is clogged and can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings, and during the time corresponding to the B+1th time interval, the printer nozzle is clogged and cannot be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings; wherein, 2≤B≤b, B is a positive integer; 2≤b, b is a positive integer; The time corresponding to the starting point of the Bth time interval is the second cleaning cycle.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The time interval includes a duration that is less than or equal to 0.5 hours.

3. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The controlling the printer to perform a first test action to determine a first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle includes: After the printer starts working for a period of time T, the printer nozzle is tested for the first time; If the result of the first detection is that there is no blockage, continue to detect the printer nozzle; If the result of the mth detection is not blocked, continue to perform the m+1th detection after A×m×T time, until the result of the mth detection is not blocked and the result of the m+1th detection is blocked; Continuing to detect the printer head after the first time between A×m×T and A×(m+1)×T; In the case where the nozzle of the printer is clogged, A×m×T is used as the first cleaning cycle; When the printer nozzle is not clogged, the first time is used as the first cleaning cycle; wherein, 1≤m, m is a positive integer, and 1<A.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The controlling the printer to perform a second test action to determine a second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle includes: After the printer starts working for a period of time T, the printer nozzle is tested for the first time; If the result of the first detection is that there is no blockage or the blockage can be cleared after a preset number of cleanings, continue to detect the printer nozzle; If the b-th detection result shows that the blockage can be cleared after the preset number of cleanings, the b+1-th detection is continued after C×b×T time, until the b-th detection result shows that the blockage can be cleared after the preset number of cleanings, and the b+1-th detection result shows that the blockage cannot be cleared after the preset number of cleanings; Continuing to detect the printer head after a second time between C×b×T and C×(b+1)×T; When the nozzle of the printer is clogged and cannot be cleared after a preset number of cleanings, the first cleaning cycle is C×b×T; When the nozzle of the printer is clogged and can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings, the second time is used as the first cleaning cycle; wherein 1≤b, b is a positive integer, and 1<C.

5. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Determining the first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle includes: Determining the amount of ink used in a single cleaning of the printer nozzle; Determining a first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle based on the amount of ink used in a single cleaning of the printer nozzle, so as to minimize a ratio of the amount of ink used in the single cleaning to the first cleaning cycle; Determining the second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle includes: Determining the amount of ink used in a single cleaning of the printer nozzle; Based on the ink usage of a single cleaning of the printer nozzle, a second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle is determined to minimize the ratio of the ink usage of the single cleaning to the second cleaning cycle.

6. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: Each time the printer nozzle is inspected, the printer nozzle is cleaned; each time the printer nozzle is cleaned, the main cleaning, auxiliary cleaning and flash cleaning are sequentially performed on the printer nozzle.

7. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The detecting of the printer nozzle comprises: Controlling the printer to print a test strip; Using a visual device to inspect the test strip to determine whether the test strip is broken; In the case that the test strip is broken, it is determined that the printer nozzle is clogged; in the case that the test strip is not broken, it is determined that the printer nozzle is not clogged.

8. A printer, characterized in that: The printer comprises: The first acquisition module is used to obtain the user's instruction for cleaning the printer nozzle; a first control module, configured to, when the cleaning instruction is a first cleaning instruction, control the printer to perform a first test action to determine a first cleaning cycle for the printer nozzle; and control the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the first cleaning cycle; wherein, during the first cleaning cycle, the printer nozzle is not clogged; a second control module, configured to, when the cleaning instruction is a second cleaning instruction, control the printer to perform a second test action, determine a second cleaning cycle for the printer nozzle, and control the printer to clean the printer nozzle according to the second cleaning cycle; wherein, during the second cleaning cycle, if the printer nozzle is clogged, the printer nozzle can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings; In the first control module, the control printer executes a first test action to determine a first cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle, including: performing a first test on the printer nozzle after the printer starts working for a time T; if the result of the first test is clogged, continuing to test the printer nozzle; dividing the time T into n consecutive time intervals with equal duration; performing multiple tests on the printer nozzle to determine an Nth time interval; wherein the printer nozzle is not clogged during the time corresponding to the Nth time interval, and the printer nozzle is clogged during the time corresponding to the N+1th time interval; wherein 2≤N≤n, N is a positive integer; 2≤n, n is a positive integer; and the time corresponding to the starting point of the Nth time interval is the first cleaning cycle; In the second control module, the control of the printer to perform a second test action to determine the second cleaning cycle of the printer nozzle includes: performing a first detection on the printer nozzle after the printer starts working time T; if the result of the first detection is that it is not blocked, the printer nozzle is detected and cleaned multiple times until the detection result of the printer nozzle is blocked and cannot be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings, and then determining the time t since the last cleaning of the printer nozzle; wherein, T<t; dividing the time t into b consecutive time intervals of equal duration; performing multiple detections on the printer nozzle to determine the Bth time interval; wherein, within the time corresponding to the Bth time interval, the printer nozzle is blocked and can be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings, and within the time corresponding to the B+1th time interval, the printer nozzle is blocked and cannot be unblocked after a preset number of cleanings; wherein, 2≤B≤b, B is a positive integer; 2≤b, b is a positive integer; the time corresponding to the starting point of the Bth time interval is the second cleaning cycle.

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