A double-jet cooperative and intelligent scheduling printing method and system, storage medium and program product

Abstract

This application provides a dual-printhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method, system, storage medium, and program product, relating to the field of digital inkjet printing control technology. The method includes: analyzing acquired image data to obtain image feature information; generating multiple printing area splitting schemes based on the image feature information and printhead configuration information; determining a target printing area splitting scheme based on the load balancing degree and boundary image change smoothness corresponding to each printing area splitting scheme; setting an overlapping transition zone at the boundary position between the first and second printheads according to the target printing area splitting scheme, and configuring a seamless splicing scheme for the overlapping transition zone; determining a target printing mode based on printing parameter information; generating a dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy based on the target printing mode, the target printing area splitting scheme, and the seamless splicing scheme; and controlling the first and second printheads to perform collaborative printing operations on the print job according to the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of digital inkjet printing control technology, and in particular to a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method, system, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread application of digital inkjet printing technology in industrial manufacturing and personalized customization, UV inkjet printing equipment has gained increasingly wider use due to its ability to achieve rapid curing and high-quality imaging on a variety of substrates. To improve printing efficiency and expand the effective print width, more and more UV inkjet printing equipment adopts a dual-printer structure, that is, two inkjet print heads arranged side-by-side or front-to-back on the same crossbeam.

[0003] In related technologies, dual-head UV printing equipment typically uses a fixed area division method for printing control. The specific implementation process is as follows: First, the entire printing area is divided into two fixed areas, left and right, based on its width. The left area is printed by the first printhead, and the right area by the second printhead. Then, printing data is generated for each printhead's assigned area. Finally, the two printheads are controlled to perform inkjet printing operations within their respective areas according to their printing data.

[0004] However, when using the above fixed area division method, if the content of the image to be printed is unevenly distributed, the actual printing workload of the two printheads is likely to differ significantly, affecting the overall printing efficiency. At the same time, visible color differences or seams are likely to occur at the boundaries of the areas printed by the two printheads, affecting the printing quality. Consequently, the relevant technology cannot guarantee the overall printing quality while improving the overall printing efficiency of dual printheads. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a dual-printhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method, system, storage medium, and program product, which can improve the overall printing efficiency of dual printheads while ensuring overall printing quality.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method, applied to the aforementioned dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system. The method includes: acquiring a print job to be printed and performing image content analysis on the image data included in the print job to obtain image feature information; generating multiple print area splitting schemes based on the image feature information and printer configuration information, and determining a target print area splitting scheme from the multiple print area splitting schemes based on the load balancing degree and boundary image change smoothness corresponding to each print area splitting scheme; setting an overlapping transition zone at the boundary position between the first and second printers according to the target print area splitting scheme, and configuring a seamless splicing scheme for the overlapping transition zone; determining a target printing mode based on the printing parameter information included in the print job to be printed, and generating a dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling strategy based on the target printing mode, the target print area splitting scheme, and the seamless splicing scheme; and controlling the first and second printers to perform collaborative printing operations on the print job according to the dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling strategy.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, a printing area segmentation scheme is intelligently generated based on image feature information and printhead configuration information. The optimal target printing area segmentation scheme is determined according to load balancing and the smoothness of boundary image changes. Simultaneously, an overlapping transition zone is set at the boundary between the first and second printheads, and a seamless splicing scheme is configured. A dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy is generated based on the target printing mode, thereby achieving efficient collaborative printing between the first and second printheads while ensuring overall print quality. This solves the technical problem of related technologies failing to improve the overall printing efficiency of dual printheads while ensuring overall print quality, achieving the technical effect of improving the overall printing efficiency of dual printheads while ensuring overall print quality.

[0008] Optionally, multiple printing area splitting schemes are generated based on image feature information and printhead configuration information. A target printing area splitting scheme is determined from these schemes based on the load balancing and boundary image change smoothness of each scheme. Specifically, this includes: using a region intelligent splitting module to obtain the image width from the printing parameters of the job to be printed and the printhead arrangement from the printhead configuration information; using the region intelligent splitting module to generate multiple printing area splitting schemes based on the image width, printhead arrangement, and image complexity included in the image feature information; and using the region intelligent splitting module to perform printing efficiency analysis on each printing area splitting scheme to determine the first printhead. The system calculates the first estimated printing time and the first estimated round-trip distance, the second estimated printing time and the second estimated round-trip distance of the second printhead, and whether the boundary line of each printing area segmentation scheme falls within a high-detail region. Using the intelligent region segmentation module, the load balance of each printing area segmentation scheme is determined based on the first estimated printing time, the second estimated printing time, the first estimated round-trip distance, and the second estimated round-trip distance. The smoothness of the boundary image change for each printing area segmentation scheme is also determined based on whether the boundary line falls within a high-detail region. Finally, the target printing area segmentation scheme is determined from multiple printing area segmentation schemes based on the load balance and the smoothness of the boundary image change.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, the intelligent region splitting module generates multiple printing region splitting schemes based on image width, nozzle arrangement, and image complexity. By analyzing the expected printing time, expected round-trip idle distance of the first and second nozzles, and whether the region boundary line falls in a high-detail area, the load balance and the smoothness of boundary image change of each printing region splitting scheme are comprehensively determined. Thus, the target printing region splitting scheme with good load balance and smooth image change at the boundary is selected, avoiding the situation where one nozzle is heavily loaded while the other is almost idle. At the same time, it ensures that the region boundary does not fall in a high-detail area to reduce the difficulty of splicing.

[0010] Optionally, an overlapping transition zone is set at the boundary between the first and second printheads according to the target printing area segmentation scheme, and a seamless splicing scheme is configured for the overlapping transition zone. Specifically, this includes: using the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module to determine the boundary position according to the target printing area segmentation scheme; using the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module to set an overlapping transition zone of a preset width at the boundary position; and using the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module to configure a seamless splicing scheme for the overlapping transition zone, where the seamless splicing scheme includes an inkjet mixing strategy or a nozzle staggering strategy; wherein, each... Each pixel has a first distance from the first printhead and a second distance from the second printhead. The inkjet mixing strategy is to configure pixels with a first distance less than the second distance to have an inkjet output ratio of the first printhead greater than that of the second printhead, and to configure pixels with a first distance greater than the second distance to have an inkjet output ratio of the first printhead less than that of the second printhead. The nozzle staggering strategy is to configure the first printhead to enable the odd number of nozzles in the first nozzle array and the second printhead to enable the even number of nozzles in the second nozzle array within the overlapping transition area.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, a preset width of overlapping transition zone is set at the boundary between the first printhead and the second printhead using the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module. An inkjet mixing strategy or a nozzle staggering strategy is configured for the overlapping transition zone, so that the pixels in the overlapping transition zone are jointly printed by the first printhead and the second printhead according to the distance ratio or staggered method, thereby ensuring that there is no obvious color difference and seam at the lower boundary as perceived by the human eye, and achieving a seamless splicing effect.

[0012] Optionally, the target printing mode is determined based on the printing parameter information included in the job to be printed, and a dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling strategy is generated based on the target printing mode, the target printing area splitting scheme, and the seamless splicing scheme. Specifically, this includes: using the dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module to determine the target printing mode based on the channel activation information included in the printing parameter information; when the target printing mode is a single-channel printing mode, using the dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module to generate a first printing data stream for the first printer and a second printing data stream for the second printer based on the target printing area splitting scheme and the seamless splicing scheme. The first printing data stream includes the area printing data of the first printing area and the transition area printing data printed by the first printer in the overlapping transition area, and the second printing data stream includes the area printing data of the second printing area and the transition area printing data printed by the second printer in the overlapping transition area; and using the dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module to generate a dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling strategy based on the first and second printing data streams.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the dual-printer collaborative scheduling module determines the target printing mode based on the channel activation information. When the target printing mode is a single-channel printing mode, a printing data stream containing the printing area data and overlapping transition area printing data of each of the first and second printers is generated respectively, thereby realizing collaborative printing of the two printers in single-channel mode and improving printing efficiency.

[0014] Optionally, after determining the target printing mode using the dual-printer collaborative scheduling module based on the channel activation information included in the printing parameter information, the method further includes: when the target printing mode is a multi-channel printing mode, using the dual-printer collaborative scheduling module to determine the first layer corresponding to the first printer and the second layer corresponding to the second printer, and generating a third print data stream for the first layer for the first printer and a fourth print data stream for the second layer for the second printer; using the dual-printer collaborative scheduling module to generate a staggered synchronous printing sequence based on the third distance between the first printer and the second printer, the staggered synchronous printing sequence instructs the first printer and the second printer to perform staggered synchronous printing of the first layer and the second layer in the same scan stroke; using the dual-printer collaborative scheduling module to generate a dual-printer collaborative scheduling strategy based on the third print data stream, the fourth print data stream, and the staggered synchronous printing sequence.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, when the target printing mode is a multi-channel printing mode, the dual printhead collaborative scheduling module allocates different layers (such as white ink layer and color layer) to the first printhead and the second printhead respectively, and generates a staggered synchronous printing sequence according to the physical distance between the first printhead and the second printhead, so that the first printhead and the second printhead can print different layers in a staggered synchronous manner in the same scanning stroke. Compared with the serial process of printing the white ink layer first and then the color layer, the printing time is significantly shortened and the interlayer adhesion is improved.

[0016] Optionally, before controlling the first and second printheads to perform collaborative printing operations on the print job according to the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, the method further includes: using a printhead status monitoring module to determine a first health score and a first cleaning flag for the first printhead, and determining a second health score and a second cleaning flag for the second printhead; if the first cleaning flag indicates that the first printhead needs cleaning and the first health score is higher than a preset health threshold, using a cleaning and maintenance scheduling module to identify the first printhead as the printhead to be cleaned and the second printhead as the printhead to continue printing; or, if the second cleaning flag indicates that the second printhead needs cleaning and the second health score is higher than a preset health threshold, the method further includes: using a printhead status monitoring module to determine a first health score and a first cleaning flag for the first printhead, and determining a second cleaning flag for the second printhead, and determining a second cleaning flag for the second printhead to continue printing; or, using a printhead status monitoring module to determine a second health score and a second cleaning flag for the second printhead, and determining a second cleaning flag for the second printhead, and determining a second cleaning flag for the second printhead as the printhead to continue printing; The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module identifies the second printhead as the printhead to be cleaned and the first printhead as the printhead to continue printing. The module determines if the current printing task corresponding to the print job allows the printhead to be cleaned to pause at the target printing position, and if the printhead to continue printing has pending printing tasks within a preset time period. Then, the module checks if the load on the printhead to continue printing exceeds a preset load threshold after transferring a portion of the printing area from the printhead to the printhead to the printhead. If the load does not exceed the preset load threshold, the module transfers a portion of the printing area to the printhead to the printhead and generates a cleaning schedule.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the printhead status monitoring module monitors the health scores and cleaning indicators of the first and second printheads in real time. When a printhead needs cleaning but its health score is still higher than the preset health threshold, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module determines whether a portion of the printhead's printing area can be transferred to another printhead. Under the premise of not exceeding the preset load threshold, a cleaning scheduling plan is generated, thereby enabling printhead maintenance to be completed without stopping the overall printing task and reducing downtime.

[0018] Optionally, the first and second printheads are controlled to perform collaborative printing operations on the print job according to the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy. Specifically, this includes: using the print path planning and control module to generate motion trajectory and jet control data based on the target print area segmentation scheme, the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, and the cleaning schedule; using the print path planning and control module to control the first and second printheads to perform the following collaborative printing operations on the current print job based on the motion trajectory and jet control data; when the printhead to be cleaned is detected to meet the preset cleaning trigger conditions, the printhead to be cleaned is controlled to move to the cleaning station to perform the cleaning operation according to the cleaning schedule; during the cleaning operation of the printhead to be cleaned... During the process, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module controls the printheads to continue executing the target printing tasks. The target printing tasks include the printing tasks currently handled by the printheads that continue printing and the printing tasks corresponding to a portion of the printing area in the current printing task. After the printhead to be cleaned completes the cleaning operation, the printhead status monitoring module obtains the printhead health status change information of the printhead to be cleaned. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module adds the printhead to be cleaned back to the scheduling queue and reassigns a portion of the printing area to the printhead to be cleaned. The parameter and job record module records the target printing area splitting scheme, the dual printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, the cleaning scheduling plan, and the printhead health status change information.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the printing path planning and control module integrates the target printing area segmentation scheme, dual-head collaborative scheduling strategy, and cleaning scheduling plan to generate motion trajectory and jet control data. During the cleaning operation of the printhead to be cleaned, the printhead to continue printing is controlled to continue printing tasks. After cleaning is completed, the printhead to be cleaned is added back to the scheduling queue and the printing area is reassigned. At the same time, the parameter and job record module records relevant information for optimization reference in subsequent operations, realizing the interleaved scheduling of work and maintenance and improving the continuous production capacity of the equipment.

[0020] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a dual-printhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system, which includes: one or more processors and a memory; the memory is coupled to one or more processors, the memory is used to store computer program code, the computer program code includes computer instructions, and one or more processors call the computer instructions to cause the dual-printhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system to perform the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0021] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product containing instructions that, when the computer program product is run on a dual-printer-coordinated and intelligent scheduling printing system, cause the dual-printer-coordinated and intelligent scheduling printing system to perform the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0022] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system, cause the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system to perform the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the printing area allocation and transition area in the embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the asynchronous cleaning and maintenance scheduling in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-nozzle collaborative expansion structure in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the physical device structure of a dual-printer collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The terminology used in the following embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the singular expressions “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” “the,” and “this” are intended to include the plural expressions as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application refers to any or all possible combinations including one or more of the listed items.

[0031] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as implying or suggesting relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature, and in the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.

[0032] This application provides a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method, see reference. Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 This includes the following steps:

[0033] Step S101: Obtain the job to be printed and perform image content analysis on the image data included in the job to obtain image feature information;

[0034] Step S102: Generate multiple printing area splitting schemes based on image feature information and nozzle configuration information, and determine the target printing area splitting scheme from the multiple printing area splitting schemes based on the load balancing degree and the smoothness of boundary image change corresponding to each printing area splitting scheme.

[0035] Step S103: Based on the target printing area splitting scheme, set an overlapping transition area at the boundary between the first and second printheads, and configure a seamless splicing scheme for the overlapping transition area.

[0036] Step S104: Determine the target printing mode based on the printing parameter information included in the job to be printed, and generate a dual-printer collaborative scheduling strategy based on the target printing mode, the target printing area splitting scheme, and the seamless splicing scheme.

[0037] Step S105: Control the first and second printheads to perform collaborative printing operations on the print job according to the dual printhead collaborative scheduling strategy.

[0038] The "Print Job" refers to the print task submitted by the user, including image data, target size and resolution, print media type, color, surface morphology, and whether white ink, varnish, or embossing channels are enabled. Image data refers to the single-page or multi-page image files contained in the print job. Image feature information refers to the feature data obtained after image content analysis of the image data, including ink distribution in each area, color coverage, image complexity (including edge density, detail richness, etc.), and expected print path length. Printhead configuration information refers to the configuration parameters of the first and second printheads in a dual-printhead UV printer, including printhead arrangement (side-by-side or front-and-back arrangement), printhead spacing, etc. The print area splitting scheme refers to the scheme for dividing the entire print area into sections for the first and second printheads, including left-right division, staggered strip division (odd / even rows assigned to different printheads), and asymmetric division based on image complexity. Load balancing refers to the degree of balance in the print workload undertaken by the first and second printheads in the print area splitting scheme. Boundary image change smoothness refers to the degree of image change at the boundary line of the printed region splitting scheme. The smoother the image change at the boundary, the higher the boundary image change smoothness. The target printed region splitting scheme refers to the optimal splitting scheme selected from multiple printed region splitting schemes, which has good load balancing and smooth image change at the boundary.

[0039] In this system, both the first and second printheads are inkjet printheads in a dual-printhead UV printer, and they can be arranged side-by-side or front-to-back on the same crossbeam. The dividing position refers to the boundary between the printing area handled by the first printhead and the printing area handled by the second printhead in the target printing area splitting scheme. The overlap transition zone refers to the area near the dividing position jointly printed by the first and second printheads, typically 5 to 20 pixels wide. The seamless stitching scheme refers to the printing strategy configured for the overlap transition zone to eliminate seams, including ink mixing strategies or staggered nozzle output strategies. Printing parameter information refers to the printing configuration parameters included in the print job, including target size, resolution, printing media type, and channel activation information. The target printing mode refers to the printing working mode determined based on the printing parameter information, including single-channel printing mode and multi-channel printing mode. Single-channel printing mode refers to a mode where both printheads spray the same color ink, while multi-channel printing mode refers to a mode where one printhead handles color ink and the other handles white ink or varnish. The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy refers to a scheduling scheme generated based on the target printing mode, target printing area segmentation scheme, and seamless splicing scheme to coordinate the work of the first and second printheads. This includes information such as the printing data stream and trigger timing of each printhead. Collaborative printing operation refers to the process by which the first and second printheads coordinate and cooperate to complete the printing task according to the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy.

[0040] In the above embodiments, the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system first acquires the print job through the job analysis module and performs image content analysis on the image data to obtain image feature information including ink distribution in each region, color coverage, image complexity, and the expected print path length. Specifically, the job analysis module divides the image data into M×N grid regions, calculates the ink distribution value for each grid region, which is equal to the sum of the CMYK (printing four-color) channel ink values ​​of all pixels in that grid region divided by the total number of pixels; calculates the color coverage, which is equal to the number of pixels in that grid region with an ink value greater than a preset ink threshold (e.g., 5%) divided by the total number of pixels; and calculates the image complexity, which is represented by edge density. After edge detection of the image using the Sobel operator, the edge density is equal to the number of edge pixels divided by the total number of pixels. Then, the region intelligent splitting module generates multiple printing region splitting schemes based on the image feature information and printer configuration information. The intelligent region segmentation module generates at least three printing region segmentation schemes based on the image width W and the printhead arrangement: The first is a left-right region segmentation scheme, with the center line of the image width as the dividing line, the left region is handled by the first printhead, and the right region is handled by the second printhead; the second is a strip staggered segmentation scheme, which divides the image according to scan lines, with odd-numbered lines printed by the first printhead and even-numbered lines printed by the second printhead; the third is an asymmetric segmentation scheme based on ink volume distribution, which determines the position of the dividing line according to the ink volume distribution value of each grid region, so that the total ink volume on both sides of the dividing line is as equal as possible.

[0041] In the above embodiments, the region intelligent splitting module performs printing efficiency analysis on each printing region splitting scheme. The formula for calculating the first estimated printing time T1 is: T1 = (total ink volume of the area handled by the first printhead × unit ink volume ejection time) + (number of scanned lines of the area handled by the first printhead × single line scan time); the second estimated printing time T2 is calculated using the same formula for the printing time of the area handled by the second printhead. The first estimated round-trip idle distance D1 is equal to the difference between the leftmost and rightmost positions of the area handled by the first printhead multiplied by the number of scanned lines; the second estimated round-trip idle distance D2 is calculated using the same method. The formula for calculating the load balance is: Load balance = 1 - |T1 - T2| / (T1 + T2) - α × |D1 - D2| / (D1 + D2), where α is the distance weighting coefficient, ranging from 0.1 to 0.3, and the load balance ranges from 0 to 1, with a larger value indicating a more balanced load. The method for determining the smoothness of boundary image changes is as follows: calculate the image complexity value at the location of the region boundary line. If the complexity value is less than 0.8 times the average complexity of the entire image, the smoothness of boundary image changes is determined to be high; if the complexity value is between 0.8 and 1.2 times the average complexity of the entire image, the smoothness of boundary image changes is determined to be medium; if the complexity value is greater than 1.2 times the average complexity of the entire image, the smoothness of boundary image changes is determined to be low.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the intelligent region segmentation module uses a weighted scoring method to select the target printing region segmentation scheme from multiple printing region segmentation schemes. The comprehensive score = β × load balance + γ × boundary image change smoothness value, where the boundary image change smoothness value is 1 when it is high, 0.6 when it is medium, and 0.2 when it is low; β is the load balance weight, with a value of 0.6; and γ is the boundary image change smoothness weight, with a value of 0.4. The scheme with the highest comprehensive score is selected as the target printing region segmentation scheme. Next, an overlapping transition zone is set at the boundary position between the first and second printheads by the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module. The width of the overlapping transition zone is determined according to the printing resolution. When the printing resolution is 720 dpi, the width of the overlapping transition zone is set to 10 pixels, and when the printing resolution is 1440 dpi, the width of the overlapping transition zone is set to 20 pixels. The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module then determines the target printing mode based on the channel activation information in the printing parameters. If the channel activation information only includes a color channel, it is determined to be a single-channel printing mode; if it includes both a color channel and a white ink channel, or both a color channel and a varnish channel, it is determined to be a multi-channel printing mode. The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module generates printing data streams for the first and second printheads respectively based on the target printing mode, the target printing area splitting scheme, and the seamless splicing scheme, forming a dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy. Finally, the printing path planning and control module generates motion trajectories and jet control data based on the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, controlling the first and second printheads to perform collaborative printing operations on the job to be printed.

[0043] Through the above steps, a printing area splitting scheme is intelligently generated based on image feature information and printhead configuration information. The optimal target printing area splitting scheme is determined according to load balancing and the smoothness of boundary image changes. Simultaneously, an overlapping transition zone is set at the boundary between the first and second printheads, and a seamless splicing scheme is configured. A dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy is generated based on the target printing mode, thereby achieving efficient collaborative printing between the first and second printheads. This solves the technical problem in related technologies of difficulty in improving the overall printing efficiency of dual printheads while ensuring overall print quality, achieving the technical effect of improving overall printing efficiency while ensuring overall print quality.

[0044] The entity performing the above steps can be a system, such as a dual-printer collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system, or a device, or a controller or processor in the device or system, or a separate controller or processor, or other processing devices or processing units with similar processing functions, but is not limited to these.

[0045] In an optional embodiment, multiple printing area splitting schemes are generated based on image feature information and printhead configuration information. A target printing area splitting scheme is determined from the multiple schemes based on the load balancing degree and boundary image change smoothness corresponding to each scheme. Specifically, this includes: using a region intelligent splitting module to obtain the image width from the printing parameter information included in the job to be printed and the printhead arrangement from the printhead configuration information; using the region intelligent splitting module to generate multiple printing area splitting schemes based on the image width, printhead arrangement, and image complexity included in the image feature information; and using the region intelligent splitting module to perform printing efficiency analysis on each printing area splitting scheme to determine the target printing area splitting scheme. The system calculates the first estimated printing time and first estimated round-trip distance for one printhead, the second estimated printing time and second estimated round-trip distance for the second printhead, and whether the region boundary line of each printing region segmentation scheme falls within a high-detail region. Using a region intelligent segmentation module, the system determines the load balance of each printing region segmentation scheme based on the first estimated printing time, second estimated printing time, first estimated round-trip distance, and second estimated round-trip distance. It also determines the smoothness of boundary image changes for each printing region segmentation scheme based on whether the region boundary line falls within a high-detail region. Finally, using the region intelligent segmentation module, the system determines the target printing region segmentation scheme from multiple printing region segmentation schemes based on the load balance and the smoothness of boundary image changes.

[0046] The intelligent area splitting module is a functional module in the dual-printhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system used to intelligently generate printing area splitting schemes based on image feature information and printhead configuration information. Image width refers to the width of the image to be printed in the printing direction. Printhead arrangement refers to the arrangement of the first and second printheads on the printing equipment beam, including side-by-side and front-and-back arrangements. Image complexity is a comprehensive measure of features such as edge density and detail richness; higher image complexity indicates richer image details. The first estimated printing time is the estimated time required for the first printhead to complete printing its assigned area according to a given printing area splitting scheme. The second estimated printing time is the estimated time required for the second printhead to complete printing its assigned area according to a given printing area splitting scheme. The first estimated round-trip distance is the estimated round-trip distance of the first printhead during the printing process according to a given printing area splitting scheme. The second estimated round-trip distance is the estimated round-trip distance of the second printhead during the printing process according to a given printing area splitting scheme. The area boundary line is the dividing line between the areas assigned to the first and second printheads in the printing area splitting scheme. High detail areas refer to regions in an image with high edge density and rich details. Stitching in high detail areas can easily produce visible seams.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the intelligent area splitting module performs the following specific steps to achieve intelligent splitting of the printing area: First, it obtains the image width and printhead arrangement. The intelligent area splitting module obtains the image width W from the printing parameter information included in the print job. The image width W is in pixels. For example, when the physical width of the image to be printed is 500 mm and the printing resolution is 720 dpi, the image width W = 500 × 720 / 25.4 ≈ 14173 pixels. The intelligent area splitting module obtains the printhead arrangement from the printhead configuration information. The printhead arrangement includes two types: side-by-side arrangement and front-and-back arrangement. Side-by-side arrangement means that the first and second printheads are arranged side-by-side along a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. Front-and-back arrangement means that the first and second printheads are arranged one behind the other along the scanning direction. Second, it generates multiple printing area splitting schemes. The intelligent region segmentation module generates multiple printing region segmentation schemes based on the image width W, the nozzle arrangement, and the image complexity included in the image feature information. The specific generation logic is as follows: For the generation of the left and right region segmentation schemes: The intelligent region segmentation module divides the image along the width direction into a first printing region on the left and a second printing region on the right. The initial boundary position is set to the center position of the image width, i.e., the boundary position X_boundary = W / 2. When the nozzles are arranged side by side, the first nozzle is responsible for the first printing region (X coordinate range from 0 to X_boundary), and the second nozzle is responsible for the second printing region (X coordinate range from X_boundary to W).

[0048] In the above embodiments, for the generation of the stripe staggered partitioning scheme: the region intelligent partitioning module divides the image according to the scan lines. The height of the scan line is equal to the printing height H_scan of a single scan of the printhead. For example, when the nozzle array height of the printhead is 1 inch, H_scan = 720 pixels (at 720 dpi resolution). The region intelligent partitioning module assigns the scan lines numbered odd (lines 1, 3, 5...) to the first printhead and the scan lines numbered even (lines 2, 4, 6...) to the second printhead. For the generation of the asymmetric partitioning scheme based on image complexity: the region intelligent partitioning module first divides the image into K equal-width vertical stripes along the width direction. The value of K ranges from 10 to 20. For example, when K=10, the width of each strip is W / 10 pixels. The region intelligent segmentation module calculates the image complexity value C_k (k=1,2,...,K) for each strip. The image complexity value C_k is represented by the edge pixel density within that strip. The calculation method is as follows: apply the Sobel edge detection operator to the image region within the strip, count the number of edge pixels N_edge, and C_k=N_edge / (strip width × strip height). The region intelligent segmentation module calculates the cumulative complexity value, accumulating the image complexity values ​​of each strip from left to right. When the cumulative complexity value reaches 50% of the total complexity value, the corresponding strip boundary position is used as the boundary position X_boundary_asym for asymmetric partitioning.

[0049] In the above embodiments, the intelligent region splitting module can also generate a printing region splitting scheme by dividing according to content complexity or by ink volume load. When dividing according to content complexity, the intelligent region splitting module first obtains the current health scores of the first and second printheads to determine the printhead in better condition. Then, the intelligent region splitting module identifies high-complexity regions in the image (e.g., regions containing fine text, complex patterns, or high-frequency details), assigns these high-complexity regions to the printhead in better condition for printing, and assigns low-complexity regions to the other printhead for printing, to ensure the printing quality of high-complexity regions. When dividing according to ink volume load, the intelligent region splitting module calculates the ink volume distribution of each region of the image, identifying high-ink-volume regions (e.g., large areas of dark filling) and low-ink-volume regions (e.g., light-colored backgrounds or blank areas). The intelligent region splitting module cross-allocates high-ink-volume and low-ink-volume regions to the first and second printheads, making the total ink volume handled by each printhead as close as possible, thereby achieving a balanced distribution of ink volume load and preventing one printhead from experiencing accelerated wear or excessive temperature due to prolonged high-load jetting.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the third step is to analyze the printing efficiency of each printing area splitting scheme. The intelligent area splitting module calculates the following parameters for each printing area splitting scheme: The calculation method for the first estimated printing time T1 is: T1 = T1_spray + T1_move, where T1_spray is the ejection time of the first printhead, and T1_move is the movement time of the first printhead. T1_spray = M1 × t_droplet, where M1 is the total number of ink droplets to be ejected in the area responsible for by the first printhead, and t_droplet is the ejection time of a single ink droplet (determined by the maximum ejection frequency of the printhead; for example, when the maximum ejection frequency is 20kHz, t_droplet = 1 / 20000 = 0.05 milliseconds). The calculation method for M1 is: traverse all pixels in the area responsible for by the first printhead, calculate the number of ink droplets to be ejected for each pixel based on the CMYK color value of each pixel, and accumulate them to obtain M1. T1_move = N1_scan × (L1_scan / V_scan + t_turn), where N1_scan is the number of scan lines in the area covered by the first printhead, L1_scan is the scan length of each scan line, V_scan is the scan speed, and t_turn is the turning time when switching scan lines. The second estimated printing time T2 is calculated using the same method for the area covered by the second printhead. The first estimated round-trip idle distance D1 is calculated as follows: D1 = Σ(|X1_start_i - X1_end_(i-1)|), where X1_start_i is the starting X coordinate of the first printhead in the i-th scan line, and X1_end_(i-1) is the ending X coordinate of the first printhead in the (i-1)-th scan line. D1 is obtained by summing the idle distances of all scan lines. The idle distance represents the distance the printhead moves without ejecting between adjacent scan lines. A larger idle distance indicates more ineffective movement and lower printing efficiency. The second estimated round-trip drift distance D2 is calculated using the same method for the drift distance of the second nozzle.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the method for determining whether a region boundary line falls within a high-detail region is as follows: The region intelligent segmentation module calculates the local image complexity value C_boundary at the boundary position. The calculation method is as follows: taking a vertical strip with a width of 20 pixels centered at the boundary position, the edge pixel density of this strip is calculated as C_boundary. The region intelligent segmentation module calculates the average image complexity value C_avg of the entire image, C_avg=Σ(C_k) / K. When C_boundary>1.2×C_avg, it is determined that the region boundary line falls within a high-detail region; when C_boundary≤1.2×C_avg, it is determined that the region boundary line does not fall within a high-detail region. The fourth step is to determine the load balancing of each printing region segmentation scheme. The intelligent region splitting module calculates the load balancing degree LB for each printing region splitting scheme using the following formula: LB = 1 - λ1 × |T1 - T2| / max(T1,T2) - λ2 × |D1 - D2| / max(D1,D2) based on the first estimated printing time T1, the second estimated printing time T2, the first estimated round-trip idle distance D1, and the second estimated round-trip idle distance D2. Here, λ1 is the printing time difference weight, with a value of 0.7; and λ2 is the idle distance difference weight, with a value of 0.3. The load balancing degree LB ranges from 0 to 1; a value closer to 1 indicates a more balanced load between the two printheads.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the fifth step is to determine the smoothness of boundary image changes for each printing region segmentation scheme. The intelligent region segmentation module determines the smoothness of boundary image changes (BP) for each printing region segmentation scheme based on whether the region boundary line falls within a high-detail region: BP = 1.0 when the region boundary line does not fall within a high-detail region; BP = 0.6 when the region boundary line falls within a high-detail region and C_boundary ≤ 1.5 × C_avg; and BP = 0.3 when the region boundary line falls within a high-detail region and C_boundary > 1.5 × C_avg. The sixth step is to determine the target printing region segmentation scheme from multiple printing region segmentation schemes. The intelligent region segmentation module calculates a comprehensive score S = ω1 × LB + ω2 × BP for each printing region segmentation scheme, where ω1 is the load balancing weight, with a value of 0.6; and ω2 is the boundary image smoothness weight, with a value of 0.4. The intelligent region segmentation module compares the comprehensive scores S of all printing region segmentation schemes and selects the scheme with the highest comprehensive score S as the target printing region segmentation scheme. When multiple solutions have the same overall score S, the solution with the higher load balancing degree LB is preferred.

[0053] In the above embodiments, for example, for a printable image with a width of 10,000 pixels, the intelligent region segmentation module generates three printing region segmentation schemes and calculates the parameters of each scheme as follows: Scheme 1 (left and right region division scheme): T1=120 seconds, T2=180 seconds, D1=5000 mm, D2=5500 mm, C_boundary=0.15, C_avg=0.12. The calculated values ​​are: LB=1-0.7×|120-180| / 180-0.3×|5000-5500| / 5500=1-0.233-0.027=0.74; Since C_boundary=0.15>1.2×0.12=0.144, the region boundary line falls in the high detail region, BP=0.6; the overall score S=0.6×0.74+0.4×0.6=0.684. Option 2 (Strip Interlacing Segmentation): T1=145 seconds, T2=155 seconds, D1=8000 mm, D2=8200 mm. Calculation yields: LB=1-0.7×|145-155| / 155-0.3×|8000-8200| / 8200=1-0.045-0.007=0.948; the strip interlacing segmentation scheme has no fixed boundary position, BP=1.0; comprehensive score S=0.6×0.948+0.4×1.0=0.969. Option 3 (Asymmetric Segmentation Based on Image Complexity): T1=148 seconds, T2=152 seconds, D1=4800 mm, D2=5200 mm, C_boundary=0.10, C_avg=0.12. The calculation yields: LB = 1 - 0.7 × |148 - 152| / 152 - 0.3 × |4800 - 5200| / 5200 = 1 - 0.018 - 0.023 = 0.959; Since C_boundary = 0.10 < 1.2 × 0.12 = 0.144, the region boundary line does not fall within the high-detail region, BP = 1.0; The overall score S = 0.6 × 0.959 + 0.4 × 1.0 = 0.975. Comparing the overall scores of the three schemes, Scheme 3 has the highest overall score S = 0.975. Therefore, the region intelligent segmentation module selects Scheme 3 (an asymmetric partitioning scheme based on image complexity) as the target printing region segmentation scheme.

[0054] In an optional embodiment, an overlapping transition zone is set at the boundary between the first and second printheads according to the target printing area segmentation scheme, and a seamless splicing scheme is configured for the overlapping transition zone. Specifically, this includes: determining the boundary position using the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module based on the target printing area segmentation scheme; setting an overlapping transition zone of a preset width at the boundary position using the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module; and configuring a seamless splicing scheme for the overlapping transition zone using the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module. The seamless splicing scheme includes an inkjet mixing strategy or a nozzle staggering strategy. The overlapping transition... Each pixel in the region has a first distance from the first printhead and a second distance from the second printhead. The inkjet mixing strategy is to configure pixels with a first distance less than the second distance to have an inkjet output ratio of the first printhead greater than that of the second printhead, and to configure pixels with a first distance greater than the second distance to have an inkjet output ratio of the first printhead less than that of the second printhead. The nozzle staggering strategy is to configure the first printhead to enable the odd number of nozzles in the first nozzle array and the second printhead to enable the even number of nozzles in the second nozzle array within the overlapping transition region.

[0055] The transition zone and seamless splicing module is a functional module in the dual-printhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system used to set an overlapping transition zone and configure a seamless splicing scheme at the boundary between the first and second printheads. The preset width refers to the width of the overlapping transition zone, which can be 5 to 20 pixels. The inkjet mixing strategy refers to the strategy of proportionally allocating the inkjet output of the two printheads within the overlapping transition zone based on the distance between each pixel and the first and second printheads. The nozzle staggering strategy refers to the strategy of using odd-numbered nozzles in the first printhead's nozzle array and even-numbered nozzles in the second printhead's nozzle array within the overlapping transition zone to achieve staggered output. The first distance refers to the distance between each pixel within the overlapping transition zone and one side boundary of the area handled by the first printhead. The second distance refers to the distance between each pixel within the overlapping transition zone and one side boundary of the area handled by the second printhead. The first nozzle array refers to the array of nozzles on the first printhead. The second nozzle array refers to the array of nozzles on the second printhead. The inkjet output ratio refers to the proportion of ink output by the printhead when printing a certain pixel to the total ink volume of that pixel.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module first determines the boundary position between the first printing area handled by the first printhead and the second printing area handled by the second printhead according to the target printing area splitting scheme. The boundary position is represented by pixel coordinates. For example, when the image width is 1000 pixels and a left-right area division scheme is adopted, the boundary position is a vertical line with an X coordinate of 500. Then, an overlapping transition zone of a preset width is set at the boundary position. The overlapping transition zone extends half of the preset width to both sides from the boundary position. For example, when the preset width is 10 pixels, the range of the overlapping transition zone is the area with an X coordinate from 495 to 505. Next, a seamless splicing scheme is configured for the overlapping transition zone. The seamless splicing scheme includes an inkjet mixing strategy or a nozzle staggered strategy. When an inkjet mixing strategy is adopted, the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module calculates a first distance d1 and a second distance d2 for each pixel in the overlapping transition zone. The first distance d1 is equal to the X coordinate of the pixel minus the X coordinate of the left boundary of the overlapping transition zone, and the second distance d2 is equal to the X coordinate of the right boundary of the overlapping transition zone minus the X coordinate of the pixel. The inkjet output ratio R1 of the first printhead and the inkjet output ratio R2 of the second printhead are calculated using a linear gradient method: R1=d2 / (d1+d2), R2=d1 / (d1+d2), ensuring that R1+R2=1. For example, for a pixel with an X coordinate of 497 in the overlapping transition area, d1=497-495=2, d2=505-497=8, then R1=8 / (2+8)=0.8, R2=2 / (2+8)=0.2, meaning that this pixel receives 80% of the ink from the first printhead and 20% from the second printhead.

[0057] In the above embodiments, in addition to the linear gradient method, the inkjet mixing strategy can also adopt a non-linear weighting method or a random dithering method. When the non-linear weighting method is adopted, the inkjet output ratio R1 of the first printhead and the inkjet output ratio R2 of the second printhead are calculated using an S-shaped curve function, for example, R1=1 / (1+exp(k×(d1-d2) / W_overlap)), where k is the curve steepness parameter and W_overlap is the width of the overlapping transition zone. This method makes the mixing ratio change more gradual at the center of the transition zone, while the mixing ratio change more rapidly near the two side boundaries, which is suitable for images with high color contrast at the boundaries. When using the random dithering method, the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module 130 calculate the basic blending ratio for each pixel in the overlapping transition zone based on the pixel's position. Then, a random perturbation value is superimposed on the basic blending ratio. The range of the random perturbation value is determined by the distance of the pixel from the center of the transition zone. The closer to the center, the larger the range of random perturbation; the farther from the center, the smaller the range of random perturbation. This method introduces randomness to break the rules of the gradual transition mode, making the splicing boundary more natural. It is suitable for high-quality printing applications that are highly sensitive to splicing marks.

[0058] In the above embodiments, the width of the overlapping transition area can be adaptively adjusted according to the image content. Specifically, when setting the overlapping transition area, the transition area and seamless splicing processing module 130 first acquires image feature information at the boundary position, including the color change gradient and image complexity at that position. When the color change gradient or image complexity at the boundary position is large, the transition area and seamless splicing processing module 130 increases the width of the overlapping transition area, for example, increasing the width from the default 10 pixels to 15 pixels or 20 pixels, to provide more sufficient transition space and ensure a smooth splicing effect. When the color change gradient and image complexity at the boundary position are small, the transition area and seamless splicing processing module 130 can appropriately reduce the width of the overlapping transition area, for example, reducing the width from the default 10 pixels to 5 pixels or 8 pixels, to reduce the area of ​​repeated printing by the two printheads and improve printing efficiency. The adaptive adjustment formula for the width of the overlapping transition region can be expressed as: W_overlap=W_base+k×(C_boundary / C_avg-1), where W_base is the width of the base transition region, k is the adjustment coefficient, C_boundary is the image complexity at the boundary position, and C_avg is the average complexity of the entire image.

[0059] In the above embodiments, when a nozzle staggered strategy is adopted, the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module configures the first printhead to only activate nozzles numbered odd in the first nozzle array (such as nozzles 1, 3, 5, 7...) within the overlapping transition zone, and configures the second printhead to only activate nozzles numbered even in the second nozzle array (such as nozzles 2, 4, 6, 8...) within the overlapping transition zone. Each pixel is printed alternately by adjacent odd-numbered and even-numbered nozzles, achieving a smooth transition through the physical staggered distribution of the nozzles. The selection criteria for the seamless splicing scheme are: when the color change at the image boundary is drastic, an inkjet mixing strategy is preferred to achieve a smoother color transition; when the color at the image boundary is relatively uniform, a nozzle staggered strategy can be used to simplify the control logic. Through the configuration of the above seamless splicing scheme, it is ensured that there is no obvious color difference or seam at the boundary between the first and second printed areas as perceived by the human eye, achieving a seamless splicing effect.

[0060] In an optional embodiment, a target printing mode is determined based on the printing parameter information included in the print job, and a dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling strategy is generated based on the target printing mode, the target printing area splitting scheme, and the seamless splicing scheme. Specifically, this includes: using a dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module to determine the target printing mode based on the channel activation information included in the printing parameter information; when the target printing mode is a single-channel printing mode, using the dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module to generate a first print data stream for the first printer and a second print data stream for the second printer based on the target printing area splitting scheme and the seamless splicing scheme, the first print data stream includes the area print data of the first printing area and the transition area print data printed by the first printer in the overlapping transition area, and the second print data stream includes the area print data of the second printing area and the transition area print data printed by the second printer in the overlapping transition area; and using the dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module to generate a dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling strategy based on the first print data stream and the second print data stream.

[0061] The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module is a functional module in the dual-printhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system used to generate dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategies based on the target printing mode, target printing area splitting scheme, and seamless splicing scheme. Channel activation information refers to the information in the printing parameters indicating which printing channels are enabled, such as enabling only the color channel, enabling both the color channel and the white ink channel, or enabling both the color channel and the varnish channel. Single-channel printing mode refers to a printing mode where both printheads spray the same color ink, used to expand the effective print width or increase printing speed. The first print data stream refers to the print data generated for the first printhead, including the area print data of the first printing area handled by the first printhead and the transition area print data printed by the first printhead within the overlapping transition area. The second print data stream refers to the print data generated for the second printhead, including the area print data of the second printing area handled by the second printhead and the transition area print data printed by the second printhead within the overlapping transition area. The first printing area refers to the printing area primarily handled by the first printhead in the target printing area splitting scheme. The second printing area refers to the printing area primarily handled by the second printhead in the target printing area splitting scheme. Area print data refers to the print data of each pixel within a specific print area, including color values, ink volume, and other information. Transition area print data refers to the print data of pixels within the overlapping transition area that are printed by a single printhead.

[0062] In the above embodiments, the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module performs the following steps to generate a dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy: First, it determines the target printing mode based on channel activation information. The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module obtains channel activation information from the printing parameter information. This information indicates the type of printing channel required for the current printing job. In this embodiment, the printing channel types include color channels, white ink channels, varnish channels, and embossing channels. The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module determines the target printing mode based on the channel activation information, with the following specific rules: When the channel activation information indicates that only the color channel is enabled, the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module determines the target printing mode as a single-channel printing mode. In this mode, both the first and second printheads eject color ink to expand the effective print width or increase printing speed. When the channel activation information indicates that both the color and white ink channels, or both the color and varnish channels, are enabled simultaneously, the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module determines the target printing mode as a multi-channel printing mode. In this mode, the first and second printheads are responsible for ejecting different types of ink.

[0063] In the above embodiment, in the second step, when the target printing mode is a single-channel printing mode, a first printing data stream is generated for the first printhead, and a second printing data stream is generated for the second printhead. The first printing data stream refers to the complete set of data required for the first printhead to perform the printing operation. The first printing data stream includes the area printing data of the first printing area and the transition area printing data printed by the first printhead in the overlapping transition area. The area printing data of the first printing area is generated as follows: the dual printhead collaborative scheduling module determines the range of the first printing area responsible for the first printhead according to the target printing area splitting scheme. The range of the first printing area is represented by pixel coordinates, including the start X coordinate, end X coordinate, start Y coordinate, and end Y coordinate. The dual printhead collaborative scheduling module extracts the color information of all pixels within the range of the first printing area from the image data. The color information is represented in CMYK color mode, including cyan component values, magenta component values, yellow component values, and black component values. The value range of each component value is 0 to 255. The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module converts the color component value of each pixel into the corresponding ink droplet ejection quantity. The conversion method is as follows: the ink droplet ejection quantity equals the color component value divided by 255, multiplied by the maximum number of ink droplet levels supported by the printhead, and then rounded down. For example, when the maximum number of ink droplet levels supported by the printhead is 15, the ink droplet ejection quantity corresponding to the pixel with a color component value of 200 is 200 divided by 255, multiplied by 15, and rounded down to equal 12. The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module organizes the position coordinates of all pixels in the first printing area and the corresponding ink droplet ejection quantity of each color channel into area printing data.

[0064] In the above embodiments, the generation method of the transition area printing data printed by the first printhead in the overlapping transition area is as follows: The dual printhead collaborative scheduling module determines the inkjet output ratio of each pixel in the overlapping transition area that is handled by the first printhead according to the seamless splicing scheme. When the seamless splicing scheme adopts an inkjet hybrid strategy, the inkjet output ratio of the first printhead is determined according to the relative position of the pixel in the overlapping transition area. Specifically, the inkjet output ratio of the first printhead is equal to the distance of the pixel from the right boundary of the overlapping transition area divided by the total width of the overlapping transition area. For example, when the width of the overlapping transition area is 10 pixels, and a pixel is 3 pixels from the left boundary and 7 pixels from the right boundary of the overlapping transition area, the inkjet output ratio of the first printhead is 7 divided by 10, which equals 0.7, that is, the first printhead is responsible for 70% of the ink output of that pixel. The dual-printer collaborative scheduling module multiplies the original number of ink droplets ejected from each pixel by the inkjet output ratio of the first printhead and then rounds it to obtain the actual number of ink droplets ejected by the first printhead at that pixel. The module then organizes the position coordinates of all pixels in the overlapping transition area, the actual number of ink droplets ejected by the first printhead, and the inkjet output ratio into the transition area printing data.

[0065] In the above embodiments, when the seamless splicing scheme adopts a nozzle staggered strategy, the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module allocates the pixel columns with odd X coordinates in the overlapping transition zone to the first printhead and the pixel columns with even X coordinates to the second printhead. The transition zone printing data of the first printhead only contains pixel data of the odd-numbered pixel columns, and the number of ink droplets ejected from each pixel remains unchanged. The generation method of the second printing data stream is similar to that of the first printing data stream, except that the second printing data stream includes the area printing data of the second printing area handled by the second printhead, and the transition zone printing data printed by the second printhead in the overlapping transition zone. When the seamless splicing scheme adopts an inkjet hybrid strategy, the inkjet output ratio of the second printhead is equal to 1 minus the inkjet output ratio of the first printhead; when the seamless splicing scheme adopts a nozzle staggered strategy, the transition zone printing data of the second printhead includes pixel data of the even-numbered pixel columns.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the third step involves generating a dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling strategy based on the first and second print data streams. The dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling strategy refers to a control scheme used to coordinate the working sequence and action coordination of the first and second printers during the printing process. The strategy includes scanning mode, scanning speed, scanning stroke planning, and printer triggering timing. The scanning mode is determined as follows: the dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module determines the scanning mode based on the ratio of the height of the image to be printed to the single scan height of the printer. When the height of the image to be printed is less than 10 times the single scan height of the printer, the dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module determines the scanning mode as unidirectional scanning. In unidirectional scanning mode, the printer only performs inkjet operation when moving along the positive X-axis and does not perform inkjet operation when returning along the negative X-axis. When the height of the image to be printed is greater than or equal to 10 times the single scan height of the printer, the dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module determines the scanning mode as bidirectional scanning. In bidirectional scanning mode, the printer performs inkjet operation when moving along both the positive and negative X-axis directions to improve printing efficiency. The scanning speed is determined as follows: The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module calculates the scanning speed based on the print resolution and the printhead's maximum ejection frequency. The formula is: Scanning speed equals the printhead's maximum ejection frequency divided by the print resolution. For example, when the print resolution is 720 dpi (720 pixels per inch) and the printhead's maximum ejection frequency is 20,000 times per second, the scanning speed is 20,000 divided by 720, which is approximately 27.8 inches per second, or about 706 millimeters per second in metric units. In practical applications, the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module also needs to adjust the scanning speed appropriately based on factors such as ink characteristics and substrate material to ensure print quality.

[0067] In the above embodiments, the scan stroke planning is generated as follows: The dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module calculates the total number of scan strokes required based on the height of the image to be printed and the single scan height of the printer. The total number of scan strokes is equal to the height of the image to be printed divided by the single scan height of the printer and rounded up. The dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module determines the start position, end position, scanning direction, and corresponding print data range for each scan stroke. For the first printerhead, the print data range for each scan stroke is obtained from the data of the corresponding scan line in the first print data stream; for the second printerhead, the print data range for each scan stroke is obtained from the data of the corresponding scan line in the second print data stream. The printer trigger timing is generated as follows: The dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module calculates the ejection trigger time corresponding to each pixel based on the scanning speed and the X-coordinate position of each pixel. The ejection trigger time is equal to the X-coordinate position of the pixel divided by the scanning speed. The dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module arranges all ejection trigger times of the first and second printerheads in the same scan stroke in chronological order to form the printer trigger timing. For pixels within the overlapping transition area, the first printhead and the second printhead perform their respective inkjet operations at the same trigger time. The number of ink droplets ejected by the first printhead is the total number of ink droplets for that pixel multiplied by the inkjet output ratio of the first printhead, and the number of ink droplets ejected by the second printhead is the total number of ink droplets for that pixel multiplied by the inkjet output ratio of the second printhead.

[0068] In the above embodiments, the generation process of the dual-printer collaborative scheduling strategy is illustrated below with a specific example. Assume the image to be printed has a width of 352.8 mm (corresponding to 10,000 pixels at 720 dpi resolution) and a height of 176.4 mm (corresponding to 5,000 pixels at 720 dpi resolution). The single-scan height of the printhead is 25.4 mm (corresponding to 720 pixels at 720 dpi resolution). The target printing area segmentation scheme divides the image along the width direction into a first printing area (X coordinate 0 to 5004 pixels) and a second printing area (X coordinate 4996 to 10000 pixels). The overlapping transition area ranges from X coordinate 4996 to 5004 pixels (width is 8 pixels). The seamless splicing scheme adopts an inkjet hybrid strategy. The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy generated by the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module includes the following: the scanning method is unidirectional scanning (because the image height of 176.4 mm is less than 10 times the printhead's single scan height of 25.4 mm, i.e., 254 mm); the scanning speed is 706 mm / s; the total number of scan passes is 7 (5000 pixels divided by 720 pixels and rounded up); the first print data stream of the first printhead contains pixel data in the X coordinate range of 0 to 5004, where the pixel data in the X coordinate range of 4996 to 5004 is the transition zone print data, and the inkjet output ratio of the first printhead for each pixel decreases linearly from 1.0 to... 0.0; The second print data stream of the second printhead contains pixel data in the range of X coordinate 4996 to 10000, of which the pixel data in the range of X coordinate 4996 to 5004 is the transition zone print data. The inkjet output ratio of the second printhead for each pixel increases linearly from 0.0 to 1.0; In each scan stroke, the first printhead starts spraying from the X coordinate 0 position and ends spraying at the X coordinate 5004 position, and the second printhead starts spraying from the X coordinate 4996 position and ends spraying at the X coordinate 10000 position. The two printheads perform inkjet operations simultaneously in the overlapping transition zone of X coordinate 4996 to 5004.

[0069] In an optional embodiment, after determining the target printing mode using the dual-printer collaborative scheduling module based on the channel activation information included in the printing parameter information, the method further includes: when the target printing mode is a multi-channel printing mode, using the dual-printer collaborative scheduling module to determine the first layer corresponding to the first printer and the second layer corresponding to the second printer, and generating a third print data stream for the first layer for the first printer and a fourth print data stream for the second layer for the second printer; using the dual-printer collaborative scheduling module to generate a staggered synchronous printing sequence based on the third distance between the first printer and the second printer, the staggered synchronous printing sequence instructing the first printer and the second printer to perform staggered synchronous printing of the first layer and the second layer in the same scan stroke; using the dual-printer collaborative scheduling module to generate a dual-printer collaborative scheduling strategy based on the third print data stream, the fourth print data stream and the staggered synchronous printing sequence.

[0070] Multi-channel printing mode refers to a printing mode where one printhead handles color ink while another handles white ink or varnish, enabling simultaneous color and white ink printing. The first layer refers to the layer printed by the first printhead, such as a white ink layer or a varnish layer. The second layer refers to the layer printed by the second printhead, such as a color layer. The third print data stream refers to the print data generated for the first layer of the first printhead. The fourth print data stream refers to the print data generated for the second layer of the second printhead. The third distance refers to the physical distance between the first and second printheads. The staggered synchronous printing sequence refers to the printing sequence generated based on the third distance between the first and second printheads. This sequence instructs the first and second printheads to print different layers synchronously in the same scan stroke, meaning the first printhead prints one layer first, and the second printhead immediately follows by printing another layer at the same position.

[0071] In the above embodiments, when the target printing mode is a multi-channel printing mode, it means that the first printhead and the second printhead are responsible for different printing layers to achieve simultaneous color and white printing. The dual printhead collaborative scheduling module first determines the first layer corresponding to the first printhead and the second layer corresponding to the second printhead. The specific allocation method is determined according to the physical position of the printheads: when the first printhead is in front of the second printhead (along the printing scanning direction), the first printhead is responsible for the white ink layer or varnish layer as the first layer, and the second printhead is responsible for the color layer as the second layer, to ensure that the white ink or varnish is sprayed onto the substrate before the color ink. Then, a third print data stream for the first printhead is generated for the first layer, which contains the white ink or varnish spray volume data of each pixel in the first layer; a fourth print data stream for the second printhead is generated for the second layer, which contains the CMYK ink volume data of each pixel in the second layer. The dual printhead collaborative scheduling module generates a staggered synchronous printing sequence based on the physical distance between the first printhead and the second printhead, i.e., the third distance. The third distance is measured by measuring the distance along the scanning direction between the center point of the nozzle array of the first nozzle and the center point of the nozzle array of the second nozzle. For example, the third distance is 50 mm.

[0072] In the above embodiments, the generation of the staggered synchronous printing timing is relaxed as follows: the time delay Δt is calculated based on the printing scan speed V and the third distance L, where Δt = L / V. For example, when the scan speed V is 500 mm / s and the third distance L is 50 mm, Δt = 50 / 500 = 0.1 seconds. During the same scan stroke, the first printhead immediately ejects the ink of the first layer upon reaching a certain printing position, and the second printhead ejects the ink of the second layer after a delay of Δt (i.e., when the second printhead reaches the same printing position). The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module generates a dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy based on the third print data stream, the fourth print data stream, and the staggered synchronous printing timing. The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy includes a trigger timing table for the first and second printheads in each scan stroke, recording the trigger times of the first and second printheads corresponding to each printing position. Compared to the sequential process of printing the entire white ink layer first and then the color layer, the staggered synchronous printing method completes the printing of the white ink layer and the color layer simultaneously in a single scan stroke, reducing the printing time by about 40% to 50%. At the same time, since the white ink has not been fully cured when the color ink is sprayed (the UV curing light source is located behind the two printheads and only cures after the color ink is sprayed), the interlayer adhesion between the color ink and the white ink is better, resulting in a better visual layering effect.

[0073] In an optional embodiment, before controlling the first and second printheads to perform collaborative printing operations on the print job according to the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, the method further includes: using a printhead status monitoring module to determine a first health score and a first cleaning flag for the first printhead, and determining a second health score and a second cleaning flag for the second printhead; if the first cleaning flag indicates that the first printhead needs cleaning and the first health score is higher than a preset health threshold, using a cleaning and maintenance scheduling module to identify the first printhead as the printhead to be cleaned and the second printhead as the printhead to continue printing; or, if the second cleaning flag indicates that the second printhead needs cleaning and the second health score is higher than a preset health threshold... In the following scenario, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module identifies the second printhead as the printhead to be cleaned and the first printhead as the printhead to continue printing. If the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module determines that the current printing task corresponding to the print job allows pausing the printhead to be cleaned at the target printing position, and the printhead to continue printing has pending printing tasks within a preset time period, then the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module determines whether the load on the printhead to continue printing exceeds a preset load threshold after transferring a portion of the printing area handled by the printhead to be cleaned to the printhead to continue printing. If the load does not exceed the preset load threshold, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module transfers a portion of the printing area to the printhead to continue printing and generates a cleaning scheduling plan.

[0074] The printhead status monitoring module is a functional module in the dual-printhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system used to acquire printhead status information in real time or periodically and perform health assessments. The first health score is calculated by the printhead status monitoring module based on information such as the nozzle count, temperature, last cleaning time, nozzle clogging detection results, and ink level of the first printhead. The second health score is calculated by the printhead status monitoring module based on relevant status information of the second printhead. The first cleaning flag is a flag determined by the printhead status monitoring module based on the status information of the first printhead, indicating whether cleaning is required. The second cleaning flag is a flag determined by the printhead status monitoring module based on the status information of the second printhead, indicating whether cleaning is required. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module is a functional module in the dual-printhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system used to intelligently schedule printheads to achieve asynchronous cleaning and maintenance when cleaning is required. A printhead to be cleaned refers to a printhead identified as needing cleaning. A printhead that continues printing refers to a printhead that continues printing while the printhead to be cleaned is undergoing cleaning. The preset health threshold is a health score threshold used to determine whether a printhead can continue printing. When a printhead's health score is higher than the preset health threshold, it means that the printhead, although needing cleaning, can continue printing for a period of time. The target print position is the position in the current print job where the printhead awaiting cleaning is allowed to pause. The preset time period is the time period used to determine whether a printhead awaiting printing has a print job to perform. The partial print area refers to the area within the print area handled by the printhead awaiting cleaning that has been transferred to the printhead continuing printing. The preset load threshold is the maximum load threshold that the printhead continuing printing can withstand. The cleaning schedule plan is a plan generated by the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module to guide the printhead awaiting cleaning in performing cleaning operations, including information such as the cleaning trigger timing and cleaning duration.

[0075] In the above embodiments, the printhead status monitoring module acquires the status information of the first printhead and the second printhead in real time or periodically (e.g., every 30 seconds). The status information includes: nozzle working count (recording the number of times each nozzle has sprayed since the last cleaning), printhead temperature (acquired by a temperature sensor), the time of the last cleaning (recording the time interval from the current moment), nozzle clogging detection results (detecting missing nozzle lines by printing a test pattern and performing image analysis), ink balance (acquired by an ink cartridge level sensor), and remaining space in the waste ink tank (acquired by a waste ink tank level sensor). The printhead status monitoring module calculates a health score based on the above status information. The formula for calculating the health score is: Health Score = 100 - W1 × Nozzle Clogging Rate - W2 × Temperature Deviation - W3 × Cleaning Interval Coefficient - W4 × Ink Insufficiency Coefficient, where: Nozzle Clogging Rate = Number of clogged nozzles / Total number of nozzles × 100, W1 is 0.5; Temperature Deviation = |Current Temperature - Optimal Operating Temperature| / Optimal Operating Temperature × 100, W2 is 0.2; Cleaning Interval Coefficient = min(Time since last cleaning / Recommended cleaning interval, 1) × 30, W3 is 1; Ink Insufficiency Coefficient = max(0, (Ink Warning Line - Current Ink Balance) / Ink Warning Line) × 20, W4 is 1. The health score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating a better printhead condition.

[0076] In the above embodiments, the printhead status monitoring module can also combine a printhead health prediction model to predict the risk of printhead clogging based on historical printhead status data and current status trends, and schedule cleaning operations in advance. Specifically, the printhead status monitoring module records the health score of each printhead at different time points, forming a health time series data. The printhead status monitoring module performs trend analysis on the health time series data and calculates the rate of health decline. When the rate of health decline exceeds a preset rate threshold, the printhead status monitoring module predicts that the health score of the printhead will drop below the preset health threshold within a preset time (e.g., within 30 minutes). At this time, the printhead status monitoring module sends an advance cleaning suggestion to the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module. Based on the advance cleaning suggestion, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module schedules the printhead to perform preventative cleaning operations at an appropriate time in the current printing task (e.g., the interval between two printing jobs), thereby avoiding forced interruption of printing tasks due to sudden deterioration of printhead status during printing and improving overall production continuity.

[0077] In the above embodiments, the cleaning flag is determined as follows: when the nozzle clogging rate is greater than 5%, or the time since the last cleaning exceeds 80% of the recommended cleaning interval, or the health score is lower than 70, the cleaning flag is set to require cleaning; otherwise, the cleaning flag is set to not require cleaning. When the first cleaning flag indicates that the first printhead needs cleaning, and the first health score is higher than the preset health threshold, it indicates that the first printhead is in poor condition but can still print. The preset health threshold is set based on the following: when the health score is higher than 60, the printhead can still guarantee basic printing quality and can be cleaned after completing part of the printing task; when the health score is lower than 60, the printhead printing quality drops significantly, and printing needs to be stopped immediately for cleaning. Therefore, the preset health threshold is set to 60. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module identifies the first printhead as the printhead to be cleaned and the second printhead as the printhead to continue printing. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module determines whether the current printing task allows the first printhead to be paused at the target printing position. The selection principle for the target printing position is: firstly, the end position of the current scan stroke is selected, and secondly, the boundary position of the image area is selected, in order to reduce the impact of the pause on the printing quality. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module determines whether the printhead has any print jobs to be performed within a preset time period. The preset time period is determined based on the estimated time of the cleaning operation. The estimated time for a quick cleaning operation is 1 to 3 minutes, so the preset time period is set to 5 minutes to ensure that the printhead has enough print jobs to perform during the cleaning period.

[0078] In the above embodiments, under the aforementioned conditions, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module calculates whether the load of the continuing print head exceeds a preset load threshold after transferring the portion of the printing area currently handled by the print head to the continuing print head. The load is calculated as follows: Load = Estimated printing time of the area currently handled by the continuing print head / Maximum continuous working time of the continuing print head × 100%. The preset load threshold is set to 80% to ensure that the continuing print head has sufficient margin to handle additional printing tasks without causing a decrease in print quality due to overload. If the load does not exceed the preset load threshold, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module determines the range of the transferable portion of the printing area. This portion of the printing area is typically the area near the overlapping transition zone within the area handled by the print head to be cleaned, with a width not exceeding 20% ​​of the total width of the area handled by the print head to be cleaned. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module transfers the portion of the printing area to the continuing print head and generates a cleaning schedule plan. The cleaning schedule plan includes: the cleaning trigger timing (after the current scan cycle ends), the cleaning duration (determined based on the print head status, typically 1 to 3 minutes), the range of the portion of the printing area (represented in pixel coordinates), and the area redistribution scheme after the print head to be cleaned returns.

[0079] In an optional embodiment, the first and second printheads are controlled to perform collaborative printing operations on the print job according to a dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy. Specifically, this includes: using a print path planning and control module to generate motion trajectory and jet control data based on the target print area segmentation scheme, the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, and the cleaning schedule; using the print path planning and control module to control the first and second printheads to perform the following collaborative printing operations on the current print job based on the motion trajectory and jet control data; when the printhead to be cleaned is detected to meet a preset cleaning trigger condition, the printhead to be cleaned is controlled to move to the cleaning station to perform a cleaning operation according to the cleaning schedule; and the cleaning operation is performed on the printhead to be cleaned. During operation, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module controls the printheads to continue executing the target printing tasks. The target printing tasks include the printing tasks currently handled by the printheads that continue printing and the printing tasks corresponding to a portion of the printing area in the current printing task. After the printhead to be cleaned completes the cleaning operation, the printhead status monitoring module obtains the printhead health status change information of the printhead to be cleaned. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module adds the printhead to be cleaned back to the scheduling queue and reassigns a portion of the printing area to the printhead to be cleaned. The parameter and job record module records the target printing area splitting scheme, the dual printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, the cleaning scheduling plan, and the printhead health status change information.

[0080] The print path planning and control module is a functional module in the dual-printhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system used to generate specific motion trajectories and jet control data by integrating the results of region segmentation, dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategies, and cleaning scheduling plans. The motion trajectory refers to the movement path of the first and second printheads during the printing process, including the movement trajectories in the X, Y, and Z axes. Jet control data refers to the data controlling the ink jetting of the first and second printheads, including jetting timing and jetting volume. Preset cleaning trigger conditions refer to the conditions that trigger the cleaning operation of the printhead to be cleaned, such as the printhead completing its current scan stroke or reaching the cleaning trigger timing specified in the cleaning scheduling plan. The cleaning station is the component in a dual-printhead UV printer used to perform cleaning operations on the printheads. Cleaning operations refer to the maintenance operations performed on the printheads at the cleaning station, including flash cleaning, vacuum ink extraction, and wiping. The target print task refers to the print task performed by the continuing printhead during the cleaning operation of the printhead to be cleaned, including the print task originally handled by the continuing printhead in the current print task and the print task corresponding to a portion of the print area in the current print task. Printhead health status change information refers to the change in the health score of the printhead to be cleaned after the cleaning operation is completed. The scheduling queue is a queue used to manage the scheduling of printing tasks for the first and second printheads. The parameter and job record module is a functional module in the dual-printhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system used to record information such as the splitting scheme, scheduling strategy, cleaning records, and printhead health status changes for each job, providing optimization references for subsequent similar jobs.

[0081] In the above embodiments, the print path planning and control module integrates the target print area segmentation scheme, the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, and the cleaning schedule to generate specific motion trajectories and jet control data. The motion trajectory is generated as follows: based on the target print area segmentation scheme, the print area ranges responsible for the first and second printheads are determined, and the start and end positions of each scan stroke are calculated; based on the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, the synchronous movement paths of the two printheads in each scan stroke are determined; based on the cleaning schedule, the path for the printhead to be cleaned to move from its current position to the cleaning station and the path for it to return to the print area after cleaning are inserted at the cleaning trigger time. The motion trajectory is represented in the form of a coordinate sequence, including X-axis coordinates (along the scanning direction), Y-axis coordinates (along the paper feed direction), and Z-axis coordinates (along the printhead height direction). The jet control data is generated as follows: based on the first and second print data streams, a corresponding jet command is generated for each print position. The jet command includes the jet time (relative time based on the start time of the scan stroke), the activated nozzle number, and the number of ink droplets ejected by each nozzle.

[0082] In the above embodiments, the print path planning and control module ensures the following when generating the motion trajectory: First, the relative position of the printheads at any given time matches their respective responsible areas, i.e., the first printhead is always above the first printing area, and the second printhead is always above the second printing area; Second, the path of the printhead to be cleaned to the cleaning station avoids the substrate area, typically employing a three-stage path: first, it rises along the Z-axis to a safe height, then moves along the X and Y axes to above the cleaning station, and finally descends along the Z-axis to the cleaning position; Third, the switching timing of the UV curing light source is synchronized with the printhead position. The UV curing light source is turned on when the printhead passes through the printing area and turned off when the printhead moves to a non-printing area to save energy. The print path planning and control module controls the first and second printheads to perform collaborative printing operations for the current printing task based on the motion trajectory and jet control data. When it is detected that the printhead to be cleaned meets the preset cleaning trigger condition (the preset cleaning trigger condition is that the printhead to be cleaned completes the current scanning stroke and reaches the end position of the scanning stroke), the print path planning and control module controls the printhead to be cleaned to move along the preset path to the cleaning station to perform the cleaning operation according to the cleaning scheduling plan.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the cleaning operation is executed as follows: First, flash cleaning is performed, controlling all nozzles of the printhead to be cleaned to spray ink at the maximum frequency for 5 seconds to expel residual ink and air bubbles from the nozzles; then, vacuum ink extraction is performed, starting the vacuum pump of the cleaning station to perform negative pressure suction on the printhead surface for 10 seconds to remove ink stains and impurities from the nozzle surface; finally, wiping cleaning is performed, controlling the rubber scraper of the cleaning station to wipe the printhead surface back and forth 3 times to remove residual ink and impurities. During the cleaning operation of the printhead to be cleaned, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module controls the continuing printhead to continue executing the target printing task. The target printing task includes the printing task originally handled by the continuing printhead in the current printing task and the printing task corresponding to a portion of the printing area in the current printing task. The printing data stream of the continuing printhead has been updated to include the printing data of the portion of the printing area. During this period, the overall printing job is not interrupted, and the scanning speed is only slightly reduced (usually not exceeding 20%) because the continuing printhead needs to cover a larger printing area.

[0084] In the above embodiments, after the printhead to be cleaned completes the cleaning operation, the printhead status monitoring module re-acquires the status information of the printhead to be cleaned and calculates the health score after cleaning. The health score before cleaning is compared with the health score after cleaning to obtain the printhead health change information. For example, if the first health score of the first printhead before cleaning is 65 points, and the first health score after cleaning increases to 95 points, the printhead health change information is recorded as a health increase of 30 points. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module adds the printhead to be cleaned back to the scheduling queue. The scheduling queue uses a first-in-first-out queue structure to manage the printing tasks of each printhead. According to the area redistribution scheme in the cleaning scheduling plan, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module redistributes some printing areas to the printhead to be cleaned, updates the first and second printing data streams, restores the original area allocation scheme, or generates a new area allocation scheme based on the current printing progress, so that the first and second printheads return to a load-balanced collaborative printing state. The parameter and job record module records the target printing area splitting scheme, dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, cleaning scheduling plan, and printhead health change information for this job in the database. The recorded data format includes: job number, job time, image feature information summary, target printing area splitting scheme type and parameters, key parameters of the dual-nozzle collaborative scheduling strategy, execution status of the cleaning scheduling plan, and nozzle health change information. Subsequent similar jobs (jobs with image feature information similarity greater than 80%) can refer to this historical data to adjust parameters such as load balancing weight β, boundary image change smoothness weight γ, and preset health threshold to achieve self-learning optimization.

[0085] It should be noted that the embodiments described above are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0086] This application provides a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system, see below. Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system 100 according to an embodiment of this application. The dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system 100 mainly includes:

[0087] The job analysis module 110 is used to receive the print jobs submitted by the user and perform image content analysis on the image data included in the print jobs to obtain image feature information, including ink distribution in each area, color coverage, image complexity, and expected print path length.

[0088] The region intelligent splitting module 120 is used to generate multiple printing region splitting schemes based on image feature information and nozzle configuration information, and to determine the target printing region splitting scheme from the multiple printing region splitting schemes based on the load balance and boundary image change smoothness corresponding to each printing region splitting scheme.

[0089] The transition zone and seamless splicing processing module 130 is used to set an overlapping transition zone at the boundary between the first printhead and the second printhead according to the target printing area splitting scheme, and to configure a seamless splicing scheme for the overlapping transition zone.

[0090] The dual-printer collaborative scheduling module 140 is used to determine the target printing mode based on the printing parameter information included in the job to be printed, and to generate a dual-printer collaborative scheduling strategy based on the target printing mode, the target printing area splitting scheme and the seamless splicing scheme.

[0091] The nozzle status monitoring module 150 is used to acquire the status information of the first nozzle and the second nozzle in real time or periodically, and determine the health score and cleaning mark of each nozzle based on the status information.

[0092] The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 is used to intelligently schedule the printhead when it needs cleaning, transfer part of the printing area of ​​the printhead to be cleaned to the printhead that continues to print, and generate a cleaning scheduling plan.

[0093] The printing path planning and control module 170 is used to generate motion trajectory and jet control data according to the target printing area splitting scheme, dual-nozzle collaborative scheduling strategy and cleaning scheduling plan, and to control the first and second nozzles to perform collaborative printing operations.

[0094] The parameter and job record module 180 is used to record the target printing area splitting scheme, dual printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, cleaning scheduling plan and printhead health change information for each job.

[0095] The communication interface module 190 is used to establish a communication connection with the dual-printerhead UV printing device 200 to enable data communication between the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system 100 and the dual-printerhead UV printing device 200. The communication interface module 190 supports multiple communication protocols, including USB, Ethernet, and serial communication protocols. The communication interface module 190 is responsible for sending control information such as the dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling strategy, motion trajectory, and jet control data to the device control motherboard 260 of the dual-printerhead UV printing device 200, and simultaneously receiving printer status information, printing progress information, and fault alarm information from the device control motherboard 260. The communication interface module 190 is also responsible for packaging, unpacking, verifying, and retransmitting communication data to ensure reliable transmission of control commands and status information.

[0096] The dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system 100 is communicatively connected to the dual-printerhead UV printing device 200. The dual-printerhead UV printing device 200 includes: a first printer 210a and a second printer 210b for performing inkjet printing operations; a motion actuator 220, including X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis motion mechanisms for driving printer movement; a printing platform 230 for carrying the printing medium; a UV curing light source 240 for curing the printed ink with ultraviolet light; a cleaning station 250 for performing cleaning and maintenance operations on the printers; and a device control motherboard 260 for receiving control commands from the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system 100 and controlling each component to perform corresponding operations.

[0097] This application provides a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing process, see below. Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This includes the following steps:

[0098] Step S301: The job analysis module 110 acquires print job and media information;

[0099] The job analysis module 110 receives print jobs submitted by the user. These jobs include image data (single or multiple pages), target size and resolution, print media type, color, surface morphology, and printing parameters such as whether white ink, varnish, or embossing channels are enabled. The job analysis module 110 performs image content analysis on the image data, calculating ink distribution in each area, color coverage, image complexity (including edge density and detail richness), and the estimated print path length to obtain image feature information.

[0100] Step S302: The job analysis module 110 performs intelligent region segmentation;

[0101] The intelligent region segmentation module 120 generates multiple printing region segmentation schemes based on the image width and nozzle arrangement, combined with the image complexity in the image feature information. These schemes include left-right region segmentation, striped staggered segmentation (odd rows / even rows assigned to different nozzles), and asymmetric segmentation based on image complexity. For each printing region segmentation scheme, the intelligent region segmentation module 120 calculates the estimated printing time and estimated round-trip distance for the first and second nozzles, and determines whether the region boundary line falls within a high-detail region. Using heuristic or optimization algorithms, the intelligent region segmentation module 120 selects the scheme with good load balancing and smooth image changes at the boundaries as the target printing region segmentation scheme.

[0102] Step S303: The transition zone and seamless splicing processing module 130 generates the transition zone and seamless splicing scheme;

[0103] The transition zone and seamless splicing processing module 130 sets an overlapping transition zone (5 to 20 pixels wide) near the boundary between the first printhead and the second printhead. The transition zone and seamless splicing processing module 130 configures a seamless splicing scheme for the overlapping transition zone, including an inkjet mixing strategy (distributing inkjet output proportionally according to the distance between the pixel and each printhead) or a nozzle staggering strategy (the first printhead uses an odd number of nozzles, and the second printhead uses an even number of nozzles), to ensure that there are no obvious color differences and seams at the boundary.

[0104] Step S304: The dual-nozzle collaborative scheduling module 140 generates a dual-nozzle collaborative scheduling strategy;

[0105] The dual-printer coordinated scheduling module 140 determines the target printing mode based on the channel activation information in the printing parameters. When the target printing mode is a single-channel printing mode, the dual-printer coordinated scheduling module 140 generates a first printing data stream (including printing data of the first printing area and some pixels in the overlapping transition area) for the first printer and a second printing data stream (including printing data of the second printing area and some pixels in the overlapping transition area) for the second printer, based on the target printing area splitting scheme and seamless splicing scheme. When the target printing mode is a multi-channel printing mode, the dual-printer coordinated scheduling module 140 determines that the first printer is responsible for the first layer (such as the white ink layer) and the second printer is responsible for the second layer (such as the color layer), and generates a staggered synchronous printing sequence based on the physical distance between the two printers, so as to complete multi-layer printing in the same scanning stroke. The dual-printer coordinated scheduling module 140 generates a dual-printer coordinated scheduling strategy to coordinate the scanning direction, printing speed, and triggering sequence of the two printers.

[0106] Step S305: The nozzle status monitoring module 150 monitors the nozzle status and health.

[0107] The printhead status monitoring module 150 acquires the status information of the first and second printheads in real time or periodically, including nozzle working count, temperature, last cleaning time, nozzle clogging detection results, ink level, and remaining space in the waste ink tank. The printhead status monitoring module 150 integrates the above information to calculate a health score for each printhead and determines a cleaning indicator that indicates whether cleaning is required.

[0108] Step S306: The nozzle status monitoring module 150 performs cleaning and maintenance scheduling based on the nozzle status;

[0109] When the printhead status monitoring module 150 detects that a printhead needs cleaning but its health score is still higher than a preset health threshold, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 determines whether the current printing task allows pausing the printhead at the target printing position, and whether another printhead has a printing task to be performed within a preset time period. Provided the conditions are met and the preset load threshold is not exceeded, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 transfers a portion of the printing area of ​​the printhead to be cleaned to the printhead that continues printing, and generates a cleaning scheduling plan. During the cleaning operation of the printhead to be cleaned, the printhead continues printing, and overall printing is uninterrupted or only slightly slowed down. After cleaning is completed, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 adds the printhead to be cleaned back to the scheduling queue and reallocates the printing area.

[0110] Step S307: The print path planning and control module 170 plans the print path and executes the printing;

[0111] The printing path planning and control module 170 integrates the target printing area segmentation scheme, dual printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, and cleaning scheduling plan to generate specific motion trajectories and jet control data. This ensures that the relative position of the printhead matches its respective area at any given time, preventing collisions between the printhead and the substrate during cleaning or maintenance. It also controls the UV curing light source to turn on or off at appropriate locations and times.

[0112] In step S308, the parameter and job record module 180 records the job parameters and scheduling results.

[0113] The parameter and job record module 180 records the target printing area splitting scheme, dual-nozzle collaborative scheduling strategy, cleaning scheduling plan, and nozzle health change information for each job. Subsequent similar jobs can refer to historical data to adjust weights and parameters, achieving self-learning optimization.

[0114] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the printing area allocation and transition area in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 This demonstrates the allocation of the printing area for dual printheads and the setting of the overlapping transition zone:

[0115] The entire print width is divided into three parts: the first print area A on the left (mainly printed by the first printhead), the second print area B on the right (mainly printed by the second printhead), and the overlapping transition area O in the middle. The first print area A is located on the left side of the print area, and the first printhead is responsible for printing all pixels within this area. The second print area B is located on the right side of the print area, and the second printhead is responsible for printing all pixels within this area. The overlapping transition area O is located between the first print area A and the second print area B, and its width is typically 5 to 20 pixels. Pixels within this area are printed jointly by the first and second printheads.

[0116] In the overlapping transition zone O, a smooth splicing is achieved using either an inkjet mixing strategy or a nozzle staggered strategy. When using an inkjet mixing strategy, pixels closer to the first printing area A receive a larger proportion of inkjet output from the first printhead, while the second printhead receives a smaller proportion. Conversely, pixels closer to the second printing area B receive a larger proportion of inkjet output from the second printhead, while the first printhead receives a smaller proportion. When using a nozzle staggered strategy, the first printhead uses only the odd-numbered nozzles from its first nozzle array within the overlapping transition zone O, and the second printhead uses only the even-numbered nozzles from its second nozzle array within the overlapping transition zone O. This staggered nozzle output achieves a smooth transition. By setting the overlapping transition zone O and configuring the seamless splicing scheme, it is ensured that there are no obvious color differences or seams at the boundary between the first printing area A and the second printing area B as perceived by the human eye, achieving a seamless splicing effect.

[0117] This application also provides an asynchronous cleaning and maintenance scheduling process, see below. Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating asynchronous cleaning and maintenance scheduling in an embodiment of this application. The flowchart shows how asynchronous cleaning and maintenance scheduling is implemented when a nozzle needs cleaning:

[0118] Step S501: Monitor the status of nozzle 1 in real time and find that nozzle 1 needs to be cleaned;

[0119] The printhead status monitoring module 150 acquires the status information of the first and second printheads in real time or periodically. This status information includes nozzle working count, printhead temperature, last cleaning time, nozzle clogging detection results (which can be obtained from test chart analysis), ink level, and remaining space in the waste ink tank. The printhead status monitoring module 150 calculates a first health score and determines a first cleaning flag for the first printhead based on the above status information, and calculates a second health score and determines a second cleaning flag for the second printhead. When the first cleaning flag indicates that the first printhead needs cleaning, and the first health score is higher than a preset health threshold (e.g., 60 points out of 100), it indicates that the first printhead is in poor condition but can still print. The printhead status monitoring module 150 then sends a notification to the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 that the first printhead needs cleaning.

[0120] Step S502: Determine the load and available capacity of nozzle 2;

[0121] After receiving a notification that the first printhead needs cleaning, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 identifies the first printhead as the printhead to be cleaned and the second printhead as the printhead to continue printing. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 first determines whether the current printing task allows pausing the first printhead at a target printing position, such as the end of the current scan stroke or the boundary of the image area. Then, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 determines whether the second printhead has any printing tasks to be performed within a preset time period (e.g., the next 5 minutes). If the above conditions are met, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 calculates whether the load on the second printhead exceeds a preset load threshold (e.g., 80%) after transferring a portion of the printing area handled by the first printhead to the second printhead. If the load on the second printhead does not exceed the preset load threshold, it is determined that the second printhead has sufficient available capacity to handle a portion of the printing area handled by the first printhead.

[0122] Step S503: Temporarily transfer a portion of the area to printhead 2 for printing;

[0123] After determining that the second printhead has sufficient availability, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 temporarily transfers a portion of the printing area previously handled by the first printhead to the second printhead. Specifically, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 determines the range of the transferable printing area based on the availability of the second printhead. This transferable printing area is typically the area near the overlapping transition zone within the first printing area handled by the first printhead. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 updates the second print data stream of the second printhead, adding the print data corresponding to the transferable printing area to the second print data stream, and generates a cleaning scheduling plan. The cleaning scheduling plan includes information such as the cleaning trigger timing, cleaning duration, the range of the transferable printing area, and the area redistribution scheme after the first printhead returns. During this period, the second printhead continues to execute the target printing task, which includes the printing task originally handled by the second printhead in the current printing task and the printing task corresponding to the transferable printing area in the current printing task. Overall printing is uninterrupted or only slightly slowed down.

[0124] Step S504: The nozzle 1 is moved to the cleaning station 250 to perform a rapid cleaning.

[0125] When the first printhead meets the preset cleaning trigger conditions (e.g., completing the current scan stroke), the print path planning and control module 170 controls the first printhead to move to the cleaning station 250 to perform the cleaning operation according to the cleaning schedule plan. The cleaning operation may include a combination of different cleaning modes such as flash cleaning, vacuum ink extraction, and wiping. During the cleaning operation of the first printhead, the print path planning and control module 170 ensures that the movement path of the first printhead does not collide with the substrate, while the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 controls the second printhead to continue performing the target printing task, maintaining the continuity of the overall printing job. The cleaning station 250 performs a rapid cleaning on the first printhead, and the cleaning time is determined according to the status of the first printhead and the cleaning mode, usually ranging from tens of seconds to several minutes.

[0126] Step S505: Cleaning complete, printhead 1 returns to the printing area;

[0127] After the first printhead completes the cleaning operation, the printhead status monitoring module 150 re-acquires the status information of the first printhead and calculates the health score after cleaning, obtaining the printhead health change information. For example, the first printhead's first health score was 65 points before cleaning, and it improved to 95 points after cleaning. The print path planning and control module 170 controls the first printhead to return from the cleaning station 250 to the printing area. The return path is planned to avoid collisions with the substrate and the second printhead. After the first printhead returns to the printing area, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 adds the first printhead back to the scheduling queue, preparing to resume the first printhead's printing task.

[0128] Step S506: Restore the original area allocation and rebalance the dual nozzles for coordinated operation.

[0129] The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160, based on the area redistribution scheme in the cleaning scheduling plan, redistributes a portion of the printing area to the first printhead, restoring the original area allocation scheme or generating a new area allocation scheme based on the current printing progress. The dual-printhead collaborative scheduling module 140 updates the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, regenerating the first printing data stream for the first printhead and the second printing data stream for the second printhead, restoring the first and second printheads to a load-balanced collaborative printing state. The printing path planning and control module 170 generates new motion trajectories and jet control data based on the updated dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, controlling the first and second printheads to continue performing collaborative printing operations. The parameter and job recording module 180 records the target printing area splitting scheme, dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, cleaning scheduling plan, and printhead health changes during this cleaning scheduling process. Subsequent similar jobs can refer to this historical data to adjust weights and parameters, achieving self-learning optimization.

[0130] Through the above asynchronous cleaning and maintenance scheduling process, the second printhead can continue printing even when the first printhead needs cleaning, ensuring that the overall operation is not interrupted or only slightly slowed down. By scheduling through software, work and maintenance can be interspersed, improving the continuous production capacity of the printing equipment and reducing downtime caused by printhead cleaning.

[0131] See Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-printer collaborative extension structure in an embodiment of this application, illustrating the structure of the technical solution of this application extended to multi-printer collaborative printing:

[0132] The dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method of this application is not only applicable to collaborative printing with two printers, but can also be extended to collaborative scheduling with three or more printers. In the multi-printerhead collaborative extension structure, the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system 100 can communicate with a UV printing device containing multiple printers. For example, when the UV printing device contains a first printer, a second printer, and a third printer, the area intelligent splitting module 120 can divide the printing area into three areas, each printed by one of the three printers. The transition zone and seamless splicing processing module 130 can set overlapping transition zones at the boundary positions of adjacent printers, forming a design of multiple transition zones. The dual-printerhead collaborative scheduling module 140 can be extended to a multi-printerhead collaborative scheduling module, generating a corresponding printing data stream for each printer and coordinating the printing sequence of multiple printers. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module 160 can allocate the printing area of ​​a printer to other printers when a printer needs cleaning, realizing load balancing and asynchronous cleaning scheduling among multiple printers.

[0133] Furthermore, regarding region segmentation strategies, in addition to left and right partitioning and strip partitioning, methods such as partitioning by content complexity (assigning complex pattern areas to printheads in better condition) or partitioning by ink volume load (assigning high ink volume areas and low ink volume areas to different printheads) can be adopted. Regarding transition zone strategies, the width of the transition zone can be adaptively adjusted according to the image content, and the hybrid strategy can adopt different methods such as linear gradient, non-linear weighting, or random dithering. Regarding printhead maintenance strategies, cleaning and maintenance scheduling can be combined with printhead health prediction models to schedule cleaning in advance based on clogging trends. Cleaning modes can include different combinations such as flash cleaning, vacuum ink extraction, and wiping. Regarding system deployment methods, it can be fully deployed on the MCU / ARM board inside the printer, or a PC host computer can complete most of the calculations and issue simplified control commands to the device, or a complex scheduling algorithm can be deployed in the cloud and the scheduling results can be distributed via the network.

[0134] In the above embodiments, the deployment method of the dual-printer collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system 100 can be flexibly selected according to the actual application scenario. In one optional deployment method, the dual-printer collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system 100 is fully deployed on the MCU or ARM control board inside the printer. The control board directly executes all computing tasks such as job analysis, intelligent area splitting, and dual-printer collaborative scheduling. This deployment method is suitable for application scenarios with high real-time requirements and limited network conditions. In another optional deployment method, the dual-printer collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system 100 is deployed on a PC host computer. The PC host computer completes computationally intensive tasks such as job analysis, intelligent area splitting, and dual-printer collaborative scheduling strategy generation. Then, it sends simplified control commands to the dual-printer UV printing device 200 through the communication interface module 190. This deployment method is suitable for application scenarios that require processing complex images or large-volume jobs. In another optional deployment method, the complex scheduling algorithm in the dual-printer collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system 100 is deployed on a cloud server. After receiving the print job, the cloud server performs intelligent area splitting and dual-printer collaborative scheduling strategy generation, and then sends the scheduling results to the local printing device control terminal for execution via the network. This deployment method is suitable for application scenarios where multiple printing devices are centrally managed and scheduled for optimization.

[0135] Through the embodiments of this application, a printing area splitting scheme is intelligently generated based on image feature information and printhead configuration information. The optimal target printing area splitting scheme is determined according to the load balance and the smoothness of boundary image changes. At the same time, an overlapping transition zone is set at the boundary position between the first printhead and the second printhead and a seamless splicing scheme is configured. A dual printhead collaborative scheduling strategy is generated according to the target printing mode, thereby ensuring the overall printing quality while achieving efficient collaborative printing of the first printhead and the second printhead.

[0136] The dual-printer collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system in the embodiments of this invention is described below from the perspective of hardware processing. (See attached document.) Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the physical device structure of a dual-printer collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system in the embodiments of this application.

[0137] It should be noted that, Figure 7 The structure of the dual-printer collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitations on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0138] like Figure 7 As shown, the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system includes a central processing unit (CPU) 701, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in read-only memory (ROM) 702 or a program loaded from storage section 708 into random access memory (RAM) 703, such as performing the methods described in the above embodiments. The RAM 703 also stores...

[0139] The system contains various programs and data required for operation. CPU 701, ROM 702, and RAM 703 are interconnected via bus 704. Input / output (I / O) interface 705 is also connected to bus 704. The following components are connected to I / O interface 705: input section 706, including audio input devices, push-button switches, etc.; output section 707, including a liquid crystal display (LCD), audio output devices, indicator lights, etc.; storage section 708, including a hard disk, etc.; and communication section 709, including a network interface card such as a LAN (Local Area Network) card, modem, etc. Communication section 709 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. Drive 710 is also connected to I / O interface 705 as needed. Removable media 711, such as a disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, semiconductor memory, etc., are installed on drive 710 as needed so that computer programs read from them can be installed into storage section 708 as needed.

[0140] In particular, according to embodiments of the present invention, the processes described above with reference to the flowcharts can be implemented as computer software programs. For example, embodiments of the present invention include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, the computer program containing computer programs for performing the methods shown in the flowcharts. In such embodiments, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via communication section 709, and / or installed from removable medium 711. When the computer program is executed by central processing unit (CPU) 701, it performs the various functions defined in the present invention.

[0141] It should be noted that specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, optical fiber, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. In this invention, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0142] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. Each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, program segment, or portion of code, which contains one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those shown in the drawings.

[0143] Specifically, the dual-printer collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system of this embodiment includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the dual-printer collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method provided in the above embodiment.

[0144] In another aspect, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which may be included in the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system described in the above embodiments; or it may exist independently and not assembled into the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system. The storage medium carries one or more computer programs, which, when executed by a processor of the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system, cause the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system to implement the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing method provided in the above embodiments.

[0145] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

[0146] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. This program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes described in the above method embodiments. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as ROM or random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A method for printing with dual nozzles in coordination and intelligent scheduling, characterized in that, include: Obtain the job to be printed, and perform image content analysis on the image data included in the job to obtain image feature information; Multiple printing area splitting schemes are generated based on the image feature information and printhead configuration information. A target printing area splitting scheme is determined from these schemes based on the load balancing degree and the smoothness of boundary image changes corresponding to each scheme. Specifically, this includes: The image width is obtained from the printing parameter information included in the job to be printed, and the printhead arrangement is obtained from the printhead configuration information using the region intelligent splitting module; The region intelligent segmentation module generates the multiple printing region segmentation schemes based on the image width, the nozzle arrangement, and the image complexity included in the image feature information; The intelligent region splitting module is used to perform printing efficiency analysis on each printing region splitting scheme to determine the first estimated printing time and first estimated round-trip distance of the first printhead, the second estimated printing time and second estimated round-trip distance of the second printhead, and whether the region boundary line of each printing region splitting scheme falls in a high detail region. The load balancing of each printing area splitting scheme is determined using the region intelligent splitting module based on the first estimated printing time, the second estimated printing time, the first estimated round-trip idle distance, and the second estimated round-trip idle distance. The region intelligent segmentation module is used to determine the smoothness of boundary image changes for each printing region segmentation scheme based on whether the region boundary line falls within a high detail region. The target printing region splitting scheme is determined from the multiple printing region splitting schemes by the region intelligent splitting module based on the load balancing degree and the smoothness of boundary image changes. According to the target printing area splitting scheme, an overlapping transition area is set at the boundary position between the first printhead and the second printhead, and a seamless splicing scheme is configured for the overlapping transition area; The target printing mode is determined based on the printing parameter information included in the job to be printed, and a dual-printer collaborative scheduling strategy is generated based on the target printing mode, the target printing area splitting scheme, and the seamless splicing scheme. According to the dual-printer coordinated scheduling strategy, the first printer and the second printer are controlled to perform coordinated printing operations on the job to be printed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The step of setting an overlapping transition zone at the boundary between the first and second printheads according to the target printing area splitting scheme, and configuring a seamless splicing scheme for the overlapping transition zone, specifically includes: The boundary position is determined using the transition zone and seamless splicing processing module based on the target printing area splitting scheme; The overlapping transition zone of a preset width is set at the boundary position using the transition zone and the seamless splicing processing module; The seamless splicing scheme is configured for the overlapping transition area using the transition area and seamless splicing processing module. The seamless splicing scheme includes an inkjet mixing strategy or a nozzle staggered strategy. Wherein, each pixel in the overlapping transition area has a first distance from the first nozzle, and each pixel has a second distance from the second nozzle; The inkjet mixing strategy is to configure pixels with a first distance smaller than the second distance to have an inkjet output ratio of the first printhead greater than that of the second printhead, and to configure pixels with a first distance greater than the second distance to have an inkjet output ratio of the first printhead less than that of the second printhead. The nozzle staggering strategy involves configuring the first nozzle to enable the odd number of nozzles in the first nozzle array and configuring the second nozzle to enable the even number of nozzles in the second nozzle array within the overlapping transition zone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The step of determining the target printing mode based on the printing parameter information included in the print job, and generating a dual-printer collaborative scheduling strategy based on the target printing mode, the target printing area splitting scheme, and the seamless splicing scheme, specifically includes: The target printing mode is determined using the dual-printer coordinated scheduling module based on the channel activation information included in the printing parameter information; When the target printing mode is a single-channel printing mode, the dual-printer collaborative scheduling module generates a first printing data stream for the first printer and a second printing data stream for the second printer according to the target printing area splitting scheme and the seamless splicing scheme. The first printing data stream includes the area printing data of the first printing area and the transition area printing data printed by the first printer in the overlapping transition area. The second printing data stream includes the area printing data of the second printing area and the transition area printing data printed by the second printer in the overlapping transition area. The dual-printer collaborative scheduling module generates the dual-printer collaborative scheduling strategy based on the first print data stream and the second print data stream.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, After the dual-printer coordinated scheduling module determines the target printing mode based on the channel activation information included in the printing parameter information, the method further includes: When the target printing mode is a multi-channel printing mode, the dual-printer collaborative scheduling module is used to determine the first layer corresponding to the first printer and the second layer corresponding to the second printer, and generates a third print data stream of the first layer for the first printer and a fourth print data stream of the second layer for the second printer. The dual-printer collaborative scheduling module generates a staggered synchronous printing sequence based on the third distance between the first printer and the second printer. The staggered synchronous printing sequence instructs the first printer and the second printer to perform staggered synchronous printing of the first layer and the second layer in the same scan stroke. The dual-printer collaborative scheduling module generates the dual-printer collaborative scheduling strategy based on the third print data stream, the fourth print data stream, and the staggered synchronous printing timing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, Before controlling the first printhead and the second printhead to perform a collaborative printing operation on the job to be printed according to the dual printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, the method further includes: The first health score and first cleaning indicator of the first nozzle are determined using the nozzle status monitoring module, and the second health score and second cleaning indicator of the second nozzle are determined. When the first cleaning indicator indicates that the first printhead needs cleaning and the first health score is higher than a preset health threshold, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module determines the first printhead as the printhead to be cleaned and the second printhead as the printhead to continue printing; or, when the second cleaning indicator indicates that the second printhead needs cleaning and the second health score is higher than a preset health threshold, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module determines the second printhead as the printhead to be cleaned and the first printhead as the printhead to continue printing. If the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module determines that the current printing task corresponding to the print job to be printed allows the printhead to be cleaned to be paused at the target printing position, and the printhead to continue printing has a printing task to be executed within a preset time period, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module determines whether the load of the printhead to continue printing exceeds a preset load threshold after the printing area handled by the printhead to be cleaned is transferred to the printhead to continue printing. If the load does not exceed the preset load threshold, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module transfers the partial printing area to the continuing printing nozzle and generates a cleaning scheduling plan.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The step of controlling the first and second printheads to perform collaborative printing operations on the job to be printed according to the dual-printhead collaborative scheduling strategy specifically includes: The printing path planning and control module generates motion trajectory and jet control data based on the target printing area segmentation scheme, the dual-nozzle collaborative scheduling strategy, and the cleaning scheduling plan. The printing path planning and control module uses the motion trajectory and the jet control data to control the first printhead and the second printhead to perform the following collaborative printing operation on the current printing task; When the nozzle to be cleaned is detected to meet the preset cleaning trigger conditions, the nozzle to be cleaned is controlled to move to the cleaning station to perform the cleaning operation according to the cleaning scheduling plan. During the cleaning operation of the printhead to be cleaned, the cleaning and maintenance scheduling module controls the printhead to continue to execute the target printing task. The target printing task includes the printing task in the current printing task that is handled by the printhead to continue printing and the printing task in the current printing task that corresponds to the partial printing area. After the cleaning operation is completed on the nozzle to be cleaned, the nozzle health status change information of the nozzle to be cleaned is obtained by the nozzle status monitoring module. The cleaning and maintenance scheduling module is used to add the printhead to be cleaned back to the scheduling queue and to redistribute the portion of the printing area to the printhead to be cleaned. The parameter and job recording module records the target printing area splitting scheme, the dual printhead collaborative scheduling strategy, the cleaning scheduling plan, and the printhead health change information.

7. A dual printhead coordinated and intelligent dispatch printing system, characterized in that, The dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system includes: one or more processors and a memory; the memory is coupled to the one or more processors, the memory is used to store computer program code, the computer program code includes computer instructions, and the one or more processors call the computer instructions to cause the dual-printerhead collaborative and intelligent scheduling printing system to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

8. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on the dual-printer-coordinated and intelligent scheduling printing system, the dual-printer-coordinated and intelligent scheduling printing system performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

9. A computer program product, characterised in that, When the computer program product is run on the dual-printer-coordinated and intelligent scheduling printing system, the dual-printer-coordinated and intelligent scheduling printing system performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-6.

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