Recording apparatus and recording method

Abstract

To suppress deviation of a landing position of an ink droplet.SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes a recording unit (102) configured to record an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets, an acquisition unit (51) configured to acquire information on a deviation amount from a landing position of the ink droplets ejected from the recording unit (102), and a control unit (51) configured to perform control to increase an ejection speed of the ink droplets ejected from the recording unit (102) when the deviation amount indicated by the information exceeds a threshold value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique for recording on a storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a recording method has been known in which a recording head ejects ink droplets onto a recording medium while moving over the recording medium along a carriage axis to record an image on the recording medium. In this recording method, for example, there may be a deviation in the landing position of ink droplets on the recording medium when the recording head moves in a first direction and when it moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for adjusting the moving speed of the recording head when it moves in the first direction or the second direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-62840 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not take into account local variations in the distance between the print head and the print medium, which poses a problem in that such local variations can cause deviations in the landing positions of ink droplets.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to suppress deviations in the landing positions of ink droplets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A recording device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a recording means for recording an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets, an acquisition means for acquiring information regarding an amount of deviation from a landing position of the ink droplets ejected from the recording means, and a control means for controlling an increase in the ejection speed of the ink droplets ejected from the recording means when the amount of deviation indicated by the information exceeds a threshold value. The present invention is characterized by comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress deviation of the landing position of ink droplets. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the recording apparatus of FIG. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern; [Figure 4] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state in which the bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern of FIG. 3 is recorded on a recording medium. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a method for evaluating the printing results of the misregistration amount evaluation pattern in both directions in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the amount of misregistration in both directions due to the influence of fluctuations in the distance between the print head and the print medium and fluctuations in the ejection speed; [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart illustrating processing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a flowchart illustrating the first registration and second registration processes of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a method for changing the ejection speed of ink droplets by pulse width modulation. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a set value of a threshold level for evaluating a decrease in the discharge speed. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a modified example of the processing of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a modified example of the process of the second embodiment. [Figure 14] 14 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the first registration in FIG. 13 and the second registration in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state in which an evaluation pattern for the amount of misregistration between rows is printed on a printing medium; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure, and not all combinations of features described in the following embodiments are necessarily essential to the solutions of the present disclosure. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components.

[0010] (overview) In a conventional recording device that records an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from a recording head onto the recording medium, a recording format is known in which the recording head moves over the recording medium while ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium. In this recording format, the recording head moves back and forth over the recording medium multiple times to record an image. For example, consider a use case in which, when recording a straight line in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction of the recording head, the timing of ink droplet ejection is not adjusted when the recording head moves in a first direction and when it moves in a second direction opposite the first direction. In this use case, there may be a misalignment between the landing positions of ink droplets ejected when the recording head moves in the first direction and the landing positions of ink droplets ejected when the recording head moves in the second direction. For example, when performing registration to adjust misregistration of print data, a reference pattern is recorded on the recording medium when the recording head moves in a first direction (hereinafter referred to as the forward direction). On the other hand, when the print head moves in a second direction (hereinafter referred to as the return direction), which is the opposite direction to the forward direction, a corresponding pattern is printed on the print medium. However, if the ink droplet ejection timing is not adjusted, misregistration, in which the corresponding pattern deviates more than expected from the reference pattern, can occur in both directions. The term "bidirectional" refers to the main scanning direction and includes both the forward and return directions. Bidirectional misregistration (hereinafter referred to as bidirectional misregistration) refers to a state in which the corresponding pattern printed when the print head moves in the return direction deviates more than expected from the reference pattern printed when the print head moves in the forward direction. If misregistration occurs in both directions, the quality of straight lines printed in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction of the print head (hereinafter referred to as the sub-scanning direction or the print medium transport direction) will be reduced. For example, if vertical ruled lines are printed on the print medium as such straight lines, the quality of the vertical ruled lines will be reduced. Therefore, the ink droplet ejection timing must be adjusted so that the ink droplets land on the same straight line. Therefore, to eliminate misregistration in both directions, bidirectional registration is required.Bidirectional registration (hereinafter referred to as bidirectional registration) refers to the adjustment of bidirectional printing misalignment. For example, the amount of misalignment between a reference pattern and a corresponding pattern is acquired as the amount of misalignment in both directions, and the ejection timing is adjusted based on the acquired misalignment. In other words, bidirectional registration is an example of a process in which a registration pattern for evaluating the amount of bidirectional misalignment is recorded, an optimal value for the target misalignment amount is obtained from the recording result, and the acquired optimal value is used to adjust the ejection timing of liquid droplets such as ink droplets. However, even if the ejection timing is adjusted based on the amount of bidirectional misalignment using a certain distance between the print head and the recording medium as a reference, bidirectional misalignment occurs at locations where the distance between the print head and the recording medium has deviated from the reference distance. In other words, local variations in the distance between the print head and the recording medium can also cause deviations in the landing position of ink droplets. Furthermore, as the ink droplet ejection speed decreases with increasing usage time of the print head, the amount of bidirectional misalignment increases. Therefore, in the present disclosure, control is performed to suppress deviations in the landing position of ink droplets, even when local variations or a decrease in ejection speed occur. That is, in the present disclosure, when the amount of deviation indicated by the information relating to the amount of deviation from the landing position of the ink droplet exceeds a threshold, control is performed to increase the ejection speed of the ink droplet. Details of the present disclosure will be described below.

[0011] (First embodiment) (Schematic configuration) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The recording apparatus includes a carriage 101, a recording head 102, a sensor 103, a line feed (LF) roller 105, a platen 106, a carriage shaft 107, and a timing belt 108. A recording medium 104 is transported in the y direction shown in FIG. 1 as the LF roller 105 rotates, and an image is recorded by the recording head 102 along the transport path. The y direction is the direction along which the recording medium 104 is transported. The platen 106 is provided below the recording head 102 and supports the back side of the recording medium 104 as it is transported in the y direction, thereby accurately determining the image recording position. The platen 106 may be provided with a rib (not shown) to more accurately determine the distance between the recording medium 104 and the recording head 102. If a rib is provided, the distance between the recording medium 104 and the recording head 102 is essentially the distance between the apex of the rib and the recording head 102. The recording head 102 is mounted on the carriage 101. The carriage 101 is supported and guided by a carriage shaft 107 so as to be movable in the x direction in FIG. 1. The x direction is along the axis of the carriage shaft 107. The position of the print head 102 in the x direction is managed by a timing belt 108. With this configuration, an image is printed stepwise on the print medium 104 by alternately repeating print scanning in the x direction by the print head 102 and conveying the print medium 104 in the y direction. The sensor 103 is provided on the print head 102 and moves together with the print head 102 to scan the image printed on the print medium 104 and acquire image information. Specifically, the sensor 103 is composed of an optical sensor that receives reflected light irradiated onto the landing position of ink droplets. The sensor 103 outputs a value corresponding to the brightness of the received reflected light as an output value.

[0012] (Control Configuration) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the recording device of FIG. 1. The control configuration of the recording device includes a host device 40 and a control unit 50. The host device 40 transmits and receives data to and from the control unit 50 via an interface I / F 54. The host device 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 42, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 43. The CPU 41 functions as a central processing unit. The ROM 42 stores control programs and initial variable values. The RAM 43 is used as a work area for various programs such as the control program. The control unit 50 includes the CPU 51, ROM 52, and RAM 53. The CPU 51 functions as a central processing unit. The ROM 52 stores control programs and initial variable values. The RAM 53 is used as a work area for various programs such as the control program. The control unit 50 drives various mechanisms within the recording device to control the entire device. For example, the control unit 50 receives image data from the externally connected host device 40 via the interface I / F 54, and loads the image data into the RAM 53 in accordance with a control program stored in the ROM 52. Thereafter, the control unit 50 executes a recording operation in accordance with the recording data loaded into the RAM 53.

[0013] Specifically, the control unit 50 drives the print head 102 via a head driver 55 in accordance with the print data, causing ink to be ejected from each nozzle of the print head 102. The control unit 50 also drives a carriage motor 59 via a motor driver 58 to control the movement of the carriage 101. The control unit 50 also drives a transport motor 57 via a motor driver 56 to rotate the LF roller 105 by the specified amount. This allows the print medium 104 to be set to a predetermined print start position before printing begins and to be transported a predetermined distance each time a print scan is completed. The control unit 50 also executes various control programs stored in the ROM 52. The various programs are appropriately selected based on information input by the user via the input / output panel 109. Furthermore, the control unit 50 performs bidirectional registration, which will be described in detail later. As described above, bidirectional registration is a series of processes that record a pattern for evaluating the amount of registration misalignment in both directions, obtain an optimal value for the target misalignment amount from the printing results, and adjust the ejection timing of droplets by setting the obtained optimal value. The pattern for evaluating the amount of misregistration will be referred to as a misregistration amount evaluation pattern hereinafter.

[0014] (Bidirectional registration) Next, the registration pattern and obtaining the optimal value of the target misregistration amount will be described. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern used as a registration pattern when performing bidirectional registration processing. The bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern of FIG. 3 is recorded on the recording medium 104 to determine the impact misregistration of ink droplets. The impact misregistration of ink droplets on the recording medium 104 is determined based on the bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern. The bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern will be specifically described. FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing an example of a combination of patterns 80 as a configuration of the bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern. FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of each pattern 80 in FIG. 3(a). For example, each pattern 80 is configured as an image of 8 dots horizontally and 300 dots vertically at a pitch of 1200 dpi. FIG. 3(a) shows block patterns 82, 84, 86, 88, and 90 as a combination of patterns 80. In each of the block patterns 82, 84, 86, 88, and 90, patterns 80 are arranged at 8-dot intervals along the scanning direction X. Each of the block patterns 82, 84, 86, 88, and 90 includes a reference pattern 82a, 84a, 86a, 88a, or 90a. Each of the block patterns 82, 84, 86, 88, and 90 also includes a corresponding pattern 82b, 84b, 86b, 88b, or 90b. Each of the reference patterns 82a, 84a, 86a, and 88a corresponds to each of the corresponding patterns 82b, 84b, 86b, 88b, or 90b. For convenience of illustration, the reference pattern and the corresponding pattern are shown shifted along the transport direction Y, but the reference pattern and the corresponding pattern are actually formed to overlap without being shifted in the transport direction Y. The amount of misregistration in both directions is the amount by which the corresponding pattern is misaligned from the reference pattern in the scanning direction X. For example, if the corresponding pattern is to be printed with a misalignment of two dots from the reference pattern, then a misalignment amount other than two dots will be the amount of misregistration that is greater than the amount by which the corresponding pattern is misaligned from the reference pattern. Therefore, each corresponding pattern is formed so as to be misaligned by a predetermined amount in the scanning direction X, either positively or negatively, from each reference pattern.

[0015] Specifically, it is assumed that the reference pattern is printed while the print head moves in the forward direction, and the corresponding pattern is printed while the print head moves in the backward direction. In this assumption, it is assumed that the corresponding pattern 82b is printed offset by −4 dots from the reference pattern 82a in the scanning direction X. It is assumed that the corresponding pattern 84b is printed offset by −2 dots from the reference pattern 84a in the scanning direction X. It is assumed that the corresponding pattern 88b is printed offset by +2 dots from the reference pattern 88a in the scanning direction X. It is assumed that the corresponding pattern 90b is printed offset by +4 dots from the reference pattern 90a in the scanning direction X. It is assumed that the corresponding pattern 86b is not intentionally offset from the reference pattern 86a, but is formed so as to overlap it. Next, the actual printing results will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0016] FIG. 4 shows an example of the state in which the bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern of FIG. 3 has been printed on a printing medium. FIG. 4 illustrates four of the multiple ejection port arrays 70 provided in the print head 102. Each ejection port array 70 is arranged at a constant pitch along the scanning direction X. Each ejection port array 70 also has multiple ejection ports along the transport direction Y. The ejection ports are arranged at a constant pitch along the transport direction Y. A printing element 71 is provided within the opening of each ejection port. In summary, the print head 102 has multiple ejection port arrays 70 each consisting of a plurality of ejection ports arranged in a row, and each ejection port has a printing element 71 within its opening. The configuration of the printing element 71 varies depending on the printing method of the print head 102. If the printing method of the print head 102 is a piezoelectric method, the printing element 71 is composed of a piezoelectric element. If the printing method of the print head 102 is a thermal method, the printing element 71 is composed of a heater. The recording elements 71 eject, for example, black ink droplets. In FIG. 4, a total of 300 outlet groups 72 located at the center of each outlet array 70 are used to record the bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern of FIG. 3. Note that FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which some outlet groups 72 of four outlet arrays 70 are used to record the bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern of FIG. 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the combination of patterns 80 is recorded by some of the outlets of the multiple outlet arrays 70. In other words, it is sufficient that not all of the multiple outlets of the multiple outlet arrays 70 are used to record the combination of patterns 80, as long as some of them are used.

[0017] The process of printing the misregistration evaluation pattern in both directions in FIG. 3, as shown in FIG. 4, will be described. First, the control unit 50 causes the print head 102 to scan in the forward scanning direction X+ (forward direction) while ejecting ink droplets from the 300 ejection ports of the ejection port group 72. This operation forms reference block patterns 82a, 84a, 86a, 88a, and 90a on the print medium 104. Then, the control unit 50 causes the print head 102 to scan in the direction opposite to the forward scanning direction X+ (backward direction) while ejecting ink droplets from the 300 ejection ports of the ejection port group 72. This operation forms corresponding patterns 82b, 84b, 86b, 88b, and 90b on the reference pattern. Note that, as described above, the corresponding patterns are formed overlapping the reference pattern so that they are offset by a predetermined amount in the X direction relative to the reference pattern, with some exceptions. Finally, a total of five rectangular block patterns 82, 84, 86, 88, and 90 are formed. Note that this rectangle is shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 15 (described later), but is drawn for convenience of explanation. Each of the five block patterns 82, 84, 86, 88, and 90 in FIG. 4 is detected by the sensor 103 in FIG. 1, and an output value is obtained. The output value results are shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for evaluating the misregistration amount evaluation pattern in both directions in FIG. 4. Assume that the color of the recording medium 104 is white. Note that the sensor 103 detects brightness as an output value. As brightness increases, the color becomes brighter. As brightness decreases, the color becomes darker. In other words, the higher the light reflectance of a color, the higher the brightness. As brightness decreases, the lower the light reflectance of a color, the lower the brightness. The highest brightness is white, and the lowest brightness is black. Therefore, the output value tends to increase as the brightness of the block pattern increases. In each of FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the vertical axis represents the output value, and the horizontal axis represents the value corresponding to each block pattern. Specifically, the horizontal axis of each of FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) represents the target deviation amount (unit: dots) of the corresponding pattern from the reference pattern in each block pattern.

[0018] In FIG. 5(a), the output value from the block pattern 84 with a target deviation of -2 dots is the highest. The highest output value indicates that the reference pattern 84a and the corresponding pattern 84b overlap, resulting in the largest proportion of white color in the detection range of the sensor 103 on the recording medium. This indicates that the target deviation of -2 dots has not been reached. In other words, it can be seen that the ink droplet ejection timing for backward printing is shifted by +2 dots in the scanning direction X compared to forward printing. In this case, the ink droplet ejection timing for backward printing can be adjusted so that it is shifted by -2 dots in the scanning direction X from the current setting, thereby obtaining the optimal value of -2 as the target deviation amount.

[0019] On the other hand, in FIG. 5(b), the output value from the block pattern 82 with a target deviation amount of -4 dots is the highest. The fact that the output value is the highest indicates that the reference pattern 82a and the corresponding pattern 82b overlap, resulting in the largest proportion of white in the detection range of the sensor 103 on the recording medium 104. This indicates that the target deviation amount has not reached -4 dots. In other words, it can be seen that the ink droplet ejection timing for backward printing is shifted by at least +4 dots in the scanning direction X compared to forward printing. In this case, the ink droplet ejection timing for backward printing should be adjusted so that it is shifted by at least -4 dots in the scanning direction X from the current setting, thereby obtaining the optimal value of -4 as the target deviation amount.

[0020] In other words, the control unit 50 reads the misregistration amount evaluation pattern using the sensor 103. From the results of reading the misregistration amount evaluation pattern, it is possible to obtain information on the landing positions of multiple ink droplets, specifically, the amount of misregistration of ink resulting from the timing of ink droplet ejection during bidirectional printing. Furthermore, an optimal value for the target misregistration amount is set based on the results of reading the misregistration amount evaluation pattern. Thus, with bidirectional registration, by recording and reading the misregistration amount evaluation pattern and setting the optimal value for the target misregistration amount, it is possible to correct the misregistration amount in both directions using the misregistration amount evaluation pattern.

[0021] (local fluctuations) Next, bidirectional misregistration that occurs when the distance between the print head and the print medium varies from the reference distance will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the amount of bidirectional misregistration that occurs due to the influence of variations in the distance between the print head 102 and the print medium 104 and variations in the ejection speed.

[0022] (Use Case 1) 6(a) is a diagram showing use case 1 in which a registration plane 203, which is the height of the recording medium surface used as a reference when performing bidirectional registration, differs from the height of a recording medium surface 204 when actual recording is performed. In use case 1, ink droplets ejected from the recording head 102 during forward recording and ink droplets ejected from the recording head 102 during backward recording are ejected so as to overlap at point 202 on the registration plane 203. Therefore, on the recording medium surface 204, the ink droplets ejected in the forward direction and the ink droplets ejected in the backward direction do not overlap. The amount of deviation in impact position that occurs at this time is the bidirectional registration deviation amount 205.

[0023] (Use Case 2) 6B shows Use Case 2, in which bidirectional printing is performed after bidirectional registration is performed in a state in which the ink droplet ejection speed has decreased due to aging or other reasons. In Use Case 2, the ejection timing is adjusted so that ink droplets ejected from the print head 102 during forward printing and ink droplets ejected from the print head 102 during backward printing overlap at point 202 on the registration plane 203. Therefore, when the ejection speed decreases, the vertically downward velocity of the ink droplets decreases, and the inclination of the ink droplet ejection trajectory 206 from the vertical direction increases. This further increases the amount of registration deviation 207 caused by fluctuations in the distance between the print head 102 and the print medium surface 204.

[0024] In this way, variations in the distance between the print head 102 and the print medium 104 or variations in the ejection speed can cause deviations in the landing positions of ink droplets in the forward and backward directions, resulting in large amounts of registration deviation in both directions. Therefore, a process for suppressing deviations in the landing positions of ink droplets even when local variations or a decrease in the ejection speed occur will be described.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the first embodiment. The flowchart in FIG. 7 includes a first registration process and a second registration process. The first registration process and the second registration process will be described later with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the first registration process and the second registration process of FIG. 7. A program for executing the contents of the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is stored in ROM 52 in control unit 50, and is executed when, for example, a user issues an instruction to start two-way registration via input / output panel 109.

[0026] That is, the process shown in Fig. 7 is realized by the CPU 51 in the control unit 50 reading out a program stored in the ROM 52 into the RAM 53 and executing it. Specifically, the process shown in Fig. 7 is executed when the bidirectional registration process is started. Note that some or all of the functions of the steps in Fig. 7 may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC or an electronic circuit. The symbol "S" in the explanation of each process indicates a step in the flowchart.

[0027] In S100, the CPU 51 acquires a dot count value as dot count information from the internal memory of the recording device. The dot count value is the cumulative number of black ink droplets ejected since the user began using the recording device or since the dot count value was reset in S130 (described later) up to the present time. In other words, by counting the cumulative number of ink droplets ejected since a specific point in time, it is possible to determine whether the ink droplet ejection speed has decreased over time as the recording head 102 has been used. If the ink droplet ejection speed has decreased, the amount of deviation in the ink droplet landing position increases, as described above with reference to FIG. 6. In other words, the cumulative number of ink droplets can be used to determine the amount of deviation in the ink droplet landing position. This is not limited to black ink droplets. Ink droplets of other colors will be described later with reference to FIG. 11. Hereinafter, the cumulative number of ink droplets will be referred to as the number of ink droplets.

[0028] In S110, the CPU 51 determines whether the dot count value acquired in the process of S100 exceeds a threshold value. The threshold value is a criterion for determining whether to increase the ejection speed above the currently set speed, and is the upper limit threshold value for the number of ink droplets ejected while maintaining the ink droplet ejection speed. An example of the threshold value will be described later with reference to FIG. 10. If the dot count value does not exceed the threshold value, the CPU 51 advances the process of S110 to S125. In this case, the CPU 51 determines that the ink droplet ejection speed has not decreased. In S125, the CPU 51 executes first registration. The first registration is a process of performing bidirectional registration of the ink droplet ejection speed at the currently set speed. Details of the first registration process will be described later with reference to FIG. 8(a). After executing the process of S125, the CPU 51 advances the process of S125 to S140. In S140, the CPU 51 executes registration other than bidirectional registration and ends the process. An example of registration other than bidirectional registration is registration between rows. Registration between rows is a process of correcting the ejection timing of ink droplets between adjacent ejection opening rows 70. A specific example of registration between rows will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0029] On the other hand, if the dot count value exceeds the threshold value in S110, the CPU 51 advances the process of S110 to S120. In this case, the CPU 51 determines that the ink droplet ejection speed may have decreased. In S120, the CPU 51 executes second registration. The second registration is a process in which bidirectional registration is performed after controlling the ink droplet ejection speed to be higher than the currently set speed. Details of the second registration process will be described later with reference to FIG. 8B. After executing S120, the CPU 51 advances the process of S120 to S130. In S130, the CPU 51 resets the dot count value stored in the internal memory of the recording device, and advances the process of S130 to S140. In S140, the CPU 51 executes registration other than bidirectional registration and ends the process. As described above, an example of registration other than bidirectional registration is row-to-row registration.

[0030] (First registration in Figure 7) FIG. 8A is a flowchart illustrating the first registration process. When the first registration process is initiated, the process of S200 begins. In S200, the CPU 51 causes printing of a bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern to be performed in order to perform bidirectional registration. This operation causes the bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern, as shown in FIG. 4, to be recorded as a print pattern on the recording medium 104. In S210, the CPU 51 uses the sensor 103 to read the bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern recorded as a print pattern on the recording medium 104. In S220, the CPU 51 acquires the bidirectional misregistration amounts as misregistration amount information from the read bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern. In S230, the CPU 51 sets an optimal value for the target misregistration amount based on the bidirectional misregistration amounts, and then ends the process.

[0031] (Second registration in Figure 7) FIG. 8B is a flowchart illustrating the second registration process. When the second registration process is initiated, the process of S300 begins. In S300, the CPU 51 executes a discharge speed improvement process. As the discharge speed improvement process, the CPU 51 controls the discharge speed of ink droplets discharged from the print head 102 to be higher than the currently set speed. For example, the CPU 51 controls the discharge speed to be higher than the currently set speed by pulse width modulation of an electrical signal supplied to the print head 102. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a method for changing the discharge speed of ink droplets using pulse width modulation. In the example of FIG. 9, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the voltage of the electrical signal pulse, and the electrical signal pulse is shown, with one cycle spanning from time 0 to T3. This electrical signal pulse is applied to the printing element 71 provided within each orifice, causing ink droplets to be discharged from each orifice of the print head 102. Alternatively, the CPU 51 may control the discharge speed to be higher than the currently set speed by adjusting the temperature of the print head 102. Alternatively, the CPU 51 may perform control to increase the ejection speed above the currently set speed by adjusting the power supply voltage supplied to the print head 102 .

[0032] Specifically, applying an electric signal pulse to the recording element 71 and then rapidly heating it vaporizes the ink, causing it to foam. Therefore, the greater the amount of heat transferred to the ink, the greater the ejection speed. Therefore, simply increasing the power supplied to the recording element 71 is sufficient. In other words, increasing the total time (T1) of the application of the electric signal pulse P1 and the application time (T2) of the electric signal pulse P2 is effective. However, once the ink begins to vaporize, the gap between the recording element 71 and the ink becomes blocked by gas, making it difficult to transfer heat. Therefore, to increase the amount of heat transferred to the ink, the application time (T1) of the electric signal pulse P1 is increased, but not long enough to transfer heat to the ink before it begins to vaporize. Alternatively, as described above, the temperature of the printhead 102 may be increased. Note that if the ink droplet ejection speed is increased above the current setting speed by the process in S300, the increased ejection speed is used in subsequent printing of the bidirectional registration misregistration evaluation pattern or adjustment of the bidirectional registration misregistration amount.

[0033] The processes of S310 to S340 are the same as those of S200 to S230, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. The dot count value is reset by the process of S130 in Fig. 7. The process of S130 prevents the CPU 51 from repeatedly determining in the process of S110 that there is a possibility of a decrease in the ejection speed each time bidirectional registration is performed. In other words, after the second registration process is performed, the ejection speed is controlled to be increased above the currently set speed, and the dot count value can be started from 0 at that increased ejection speed.

[0034] Here, if the dot count value is to be used for purposes other than bidirectional registration processing, it is necessary to avoid resetting the dot count value. Therefore, instead of resetting the dot count value, the CPU 51 may update the threshold value in S110. Specifically, a parameter called threshold level Th is used. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the set value of threshold level Th for evaluating a decrease in ejection speed. In FIG. 10, the set value [ejection] for evaluating the dot count value is set so that as the threshold level Th increases, the set value [ejection] for evaluating the dot count value also increases. For example, the higher the threshold level Th, the larger the corresponding set value. For example, the initial state of threshold level Th is set to 1. When threshold level Th is 1, the set value is 6×10 6 If the threshold level Th is 2, the setting value is 10 x 10 6 If the threshold level Th is 3, the setting value is 12 × 10 6 Therefore, if an update formula Th=Th+1 is set as the process of S130, the threshold level Th increases and the set value also increases each time the process of S130 is performed. By setting it in this way and using the set value as the threshold, after the second registration process is performed in the process of S120, the threshold level Th also increases in the process of S130. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ejection speed improvement process from being repeatedly performed until the dot count value exceeds the next threshold.

[0035] The dot count value is not reset after the first registration process is performed because the first registration process does not include a process to increase the ejection speed above the currently set speed. In other words, if the dot count value is reset after the first registration process, the dot count value will not be accumulated, and control to increase the ejection speed will not be performed. In particular, if the dot count value is reset when the user frequently instructs bidirectional registration, a situation will continue in which no opportunity to control the ejection speed will occur. For this reason, the dot count value is not reset after the first registration process.

[0036] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, the dot count value stored in the internal memory is used to determine whether the ejection speed is decreasing, thereby increasing the ejection speed at the appropriate timing and performing bidirectional registration. This makes it possible to prevent the amount of registration deviation in both directions from increasing due to fluctuations in the distance between the print head 102 and the print medium 104 when the ejection speed is decreasing.

[0037] (Variation A) In the first embodiment, bidirectional registration is executed when the user issues an instruction to start bidirectional registration via the input / output panel 109, but this is not limiting. The host device 40 may also issue an instruction to start bidirectional registration to the control unit 50 via the interface I / F 54.

[0038] (Variation B) In the above description, an example has been described in which the color of ink ejected from the recording elements 71 is black, but this is not particularly limited. For example, ink droplets of the same or different colors may be ejected from inks of black, cyan, magenta, etc., respectively, from the multiple ejection port arrays 70. The bidirectional registration process for each ink color, based on the dot count values ​​corresponding to each color, such as black, cyan, magenta, etc., will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a modified example of the process of the first embodiment. A program for executing the contents of this flowchart is stored in the ROM 52 in the control unit 50, and is executed when, for example, the user issues an instruction to start bidirectional registration via the input / output panel 109.

[0039] That is, the process shown in Fig. 11 is realized by the CPU 51 in the control unit 50 reading out a program stored in the ROM 52 into the RAM 53 and executing it. Specifically, the process shown in Fig. 11 is executed when the bidirectional registration process is started. Note that some or all of the functions of the steps in Fig. 11 may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC or an electronic circuit. The symbol "S" in the explanation of each process indicates a step in the flowchart.

[0040] In S1100, the CPU 51 sets the value of the ink color flag I to 1. Here, the ink color flag is a unique value corresponding to each color. For example, the ink color flag I corresponding to black is 1, the ink color flag I corresponding to cyan is 2, and the ink color flag I corresponding to magenta is 3. In S1110, the CPU 51 acquires from the internal memory the dot count value of the ink corresponding to the currently set ink color flag I. In S1120, the CPU 51 determines whether the dot count value acquired in the process of S1110 exceeds the threshold value. If the dot count value acquired in the process of S1110 does not exceed the threshold value, the CPU 51 advances the process of S1120 to the process of S1135. In S1135, the CPU 51 executes the first registration process for the ink corresponding to the ink color flag I, and advances the process of S1135 to the process of S1150. The process of S1135 is similar to S125, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. On the other hand, if the dot count value acquired in the process of S1110 exceeds the threshold value, the CPU 51 executes second registration processing for the ink corresponding to the ink color flag I, and causes the process of S1135 to proceed to S1140. The process of S1130 is similar to S120, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. At S1140, the CPU 51 resets the dot count value for the ink corresponding to the ink color flag I, and causes the process of S1140 to proceed to S1150. At S1150, the CPU 51 increments the value of the ink color flag I by 1, and causes the process of S1150 to proceed to S1160. At S1160, the CPU 51 determines whether the ink color flag I is greater than 3. If the ink color flag I is greater than 3, the CPU 51 causes the process of S1160 to proceed to S1170. At S1170, the CPU 51 performs other registrations, as in the process of S140, and then ends the process. On the other hand, if the ink color flag I does not exceed 3, the CPU 51 returns the process of S1160 to the process of S1110, and similarly performs the bidirectional registration process for the ink color corresponding to the next ink color flag I.

[0041] (Effects of Modification B) By executing the above processing flow, the dot count values ​​for each of the inks of multiple colors can be obtained in order and compared with the threshold value, so that appropriate bidirectional registration can be performed for each color.

[0042] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. In the second embodiment, the misregistration amount of a misregistration evaluation pattern is acquired as the amount of misregistration of the ink droplet landing positions, and it is determined whether the acquired misregistration amount exceeds a predetermined range. As described in the first embodiment, the misregistration amount of a misregistration evaluation pattern is the amount of misregistration of a corresponding pattern relative to a reference pattern. The reference pattern is generated by ejecting ink droplets while the print head 102 moves in the forward direction. The corresponding pattern is generated by ejecting ink droplets while the print head 102 moves in the backward direction, which is opposite to the forward direction. The CPU 51 also acquires an output value based on the brightness of the reflected light received by the sensor 103 as the misregistration amount of the misregistration evaluation pattern. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the second embodiment. FIG. 12 illustrates an example of automatic registration processing in which the sensor 103 reads the misregistration amount evaluation pattern. A program for executing the contents of this flowchart is stored in the ROM 52 of the control unit 50 and is executed when, for example, a user issues an instruction to start automatic registration via the input / output panel 109.

[0043] That is, the process shown in Fig. 12 is realized by the CPU 51 in the control unit 50 reading out a program stored in the ROM 52 into the RAM 53 and executing it. Specifically, the process shown in Fig. 12 is executed when the automatic registration process is started. Note that some or all of the functions of the steps in Fig. 12 may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC or electronic circuit. The symbol "S" in the explanation of each process indicates a step in the flowchart.

[0044] (Automatic registration) In S400, the CPU 51 executes a first registration process. That is, in this embodiment, when automatic registration is first started, the first registration is executed. The content of the first registration process is the same as the process described in FIG. 8A of the first embodiment. Next, in S410, the CPU 51 determines whether the deviation amount of the ink droplet landing position exceeds a threshold. If the deviation amount of the ink droplet landing position does not exceed the threshold, the CPU 51 advances the process of S410 to S440. In this case, the CPU 51 determines that the ink droplet ejection speed has not decreased. In S440, the CPU 51 executes registration other than bidirectional registration and ends the process. On the other hand, if the deviation amount of the ink droplet landing position exceeds the threshold, the CPU 51 advances the process of S410 to S420. In this case, the CPU 51 determines that the ink droplet ejection speed has decreased. In S420, the CPU 51 executes a second registration process. The second registration process is similar to the process described in FIG. 8B of the first embodiment. After completing the second registration process, the CPU 51 advances the process of S420 to S430. In S430, the CPU 51 determines whether the deviation amount of the ink droplet landing position exceeds a threshold. If the deviation amount of the ink droplet landing position does not exceed the threshold, the CPU 51 advances the process of S430 to S440. In this case, the CPU 51 determines that the ink droplet ejection speed has not decreased. In S440, the CPU 51 performs registration other than bidirectional registration and ends the process. On the other hand, if the deviation amount of the ink droplet landing position exceeds the threshold, the CPU 51 returns the process of S430 to S420. In this case, the CPU 51 determines that the ink droplet ejection speed may be insufficient. Therefore, by repeating the second registration process, the ink droplet ejection speed is further increased compared to when the second registration process was first performed.

[0045] The threshold value in S410 in the above embodiment may be set within a range of set values ​​that can be detected from the misregistration amount evaluation pattern. Alternatively, the threshold value in S410 in the above embodiment may be set to a value that may be outside the range of the target misregistration amount, as shown in FIG. 5B. Specifically, when the amount of deviation of the landing position exceeds a predetermined range, the CPU 51 controls the ink droplet ejection speed to be higher than the currently set speed. Here, the CPU 51 may use an output value estimated from the amount of misregistration as the predetermined range, as the estimated output threshold value.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the CPU 51 compares the misregistration amount of the misregistration evaluation pattern with a threshold value pre-stored in the printer's memory in step S410. However, this is not limiting. The CPU 51 may also compare the difference between the misregistration amount of the misregistration evaluation pattern and the initial misregistration amount of the misregistration evaluation pattern acquired when the recording device was first used with a threshold value offset for individual differences. In this case, the difference is offset to account for individual differences in the recording device, allowing for a more accurate determination of a decrease in the ejection speed.

[0047] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, a decrease in ejection speed is determined by comparing the amount of registration misalignment in the registration misalignment evaluation pattern obtained by reading the printed registration misalignment evaluation pattern with the threshold value using the sensor 103. This allows the ejection speed to be increased at an appropriate timing, and bidirectional registration is performed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the amount of registration misalignment from increasing due to fluctuations in the distance between the print head 102 and the print medium 104 when the ejection speed decreases.

[0048] Next, bidirectional registration including a manual step (hereinafter referred to as manual registration) will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a modified example of the process of the second embodiment. FIG. 13 includes a visual confirmation step during bidirectional registration pattern processing. Specifically, the manual registration process includes a step of visually checking the bidirectional registration misregistration amount evaluation pattern and a step of the user setting an appropriate bidirectional registration misregistration amount for the recording device. The flowchart of FIG. 13 includes a first registration process and a second registration process. The first registration process and the second registration process will be described later with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating the first registration process of FIG. 13 and the second registration process of FIG. 13. A program for executing the contents of the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 is stored in the ROM 52 in the control unit 50, and is executed when the user issues an instruction to start bidirectional registration via the input / output panel 109, for example.

[0049] That is, the process shown in Fig. 13 is realized by the CPU 51 in the control unit 50 reading out a program stored in the ROM 52 into the RAM 53 and executing it. Specifically, the process shown in Fig. 13 is executed when the manual registration process is started. Note that some or all of the functions of the steps in Fig. 13 may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC or electronic circuit. The symbol "S" in the explanation of each process indicates a step in the flowchart.

[0050] (Manual Registration) In S500, the CPU 51 determines whether the flag is ON. If the flag is ON, the CPU 51 advances the process of S500 to S540. If the flag is not ON, the CPU 51 advances the process of S500 to S510. Here, the flag is set to ON by the process of S545, which will be described later. Alternatively, the flag is set to OFF by the process of S550, which will be described later. In S510, the CPU 51 executes a first registration process and advances the process of S510 to S520. In S520, the CPU 51 determines whether the deviation amount of the ink droplet landing position exceeds a threshold value. If the deviation amount of the ink droplet landing position does not exceed the threshold value, the CPU 51 advances the process of S520 to S530. In S530, the CPU 51 determines whether to print a registration pattern again. Specifically, the CPU 51 confirms with the user whether to record a registration deviation amount evaluation pattern again as a registration pattern. For example, the input / output panel 109 may display a message asking, "Do you want to record a misregistration amount evaluation pattern?" If the user does not want to record, the user presses an NG button displayed on the input / output panel 109, which causes the CPU 51 to change the flag to the ON state in S545 and terminate the process. If the user wants to record, the user presses an OK button displayed on the input / output panel 109, which causes the CPU 51 to execute second registration processing in S540, and then change the flag to the OFF state in S550 and terminate the process. In other words, if the misregistration amount accepted by the input / output panel 109 as a user input exceeds a predetermined range, the CPU 51 determines in S530 whether an input to be recorded again has been accepted as a user input.

[0051] (effect) In S430 of Fig. 12, after the second registration process is performed, a process is performed to determine the deviation amount of the ink droplet landing position against a threshold value, but in S540 of Fig. 13, after the second registration process is performed, the determination process of S430 is not performed. In Fig. 13, the detection range of the misregistration amount evaluation pattern is determined to be sufficiently wide, so similar process is not performed. This can simplify the control.

[0052] (First registration in Figure 13) FIG. 14A is a flowchart illustrating the first registration process. While the first registration process of FIG. 8A reads a bidirectional misregistration amount evaluation pattern using the sensor 103, the first registration process of FIG. 14A differs from the first registration process of FIG. 8A in the following respect. Specifically, the first registration process of FIG. 14A differs from the first registration process of FIG. 8A in that the misregistration amount of the misregistration amount evaluation pattern is received as misregistration amount information input by the user. When the first registration process starts, the process of S600 is initiated. In S600, the CPU 51 causes printing of a misregistration amount evaluation pattern to perform bidirectional registration processing. This operation records a misregistration amount evaluation pattern such as that shown in FIG. 4 as a print pattern on the recording medium 104. In S610, the CPU 51 displays a message to the user and enters a state in which it is ready to accept input from the user. For example, the input / output panel 109 displays a message saying, "Please enter the optimum registration value." Here, "registration" refers to the misregistration amount evaluation pattern. The "optimal registration value" is an optimal value of the target misregistration amount that is set based on the registration misregistration amount that can be confirmed from the registration misregistration amount evaluation pattern. The user checks the recording medium 104 that has been discharged by the processing of S600. By checking the discharged recording medium 104, the user ascertains the registration misregistration amount as registration misregistration amount information from each registration misregistration amount evaluation pattern. The optimal value of the target misregistration amount based on the registration misregistration amount that has been determined by the user is input to the input / output panel 109. In S620, the CPU 51 acquires the optimal value of the target misregistration amount based on the registration misregistration amount of each registration misregistration amount evaluation pattern input by the user. In S630, the CPU 51 sets the optimal value of the target misregistration amount based on the registration misregistration amount acquired by the processing of S620, and ends the processing.

[0053] (Second registration in Figure 13) 14B is a flowchart illustrating the second registration process. When the second registration process is started, the process of S700 is started. In S700, the CPU 51 executes a discharge speed improvement process. As the discharge speed improvement process, the CPU 51 controls the discharge speed of ink droplets discharged from the print head 102 to be higher than the currently set speed. The processes of S710 to S740 are similar to the processes of S600 to S630, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, the user reads the recorded misregistration amount evaluation pattern, and the misregistration amount obtained is compared with a threshold value to determine whether the ejection speed has decreased, thereby increasing the ejection speed at an appropriate timing and performing bidirectional registration. This makes it possible to prevent the misregistration amount from increasing due to fluctuations in the distance between the print head 102 and the recording medium 104 when the ejection speed is reduced.

[0055] <Other embodiments> Although various examples and embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described above, the spirit and scope of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific descriptions in this specification. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made. In addition, the present disclosure may be realized by appropriately combining parts of the above-described embodiments.

[0056] (Variation 1) For example, in S610 and S720 of the second embodiment, a message is displayed to the user via the input / output panel 109, and the user inputs the optimum register value, but this is not limiting. Alternatively, the host device 40 may display a message to the user, and the user may input the optimum register value. In this case, the host device 40 transmits the optimum register value to the control unit 50 via the interface I / F 54, allowing the control unit 50 to obtain the register misalignment amount information.

[0057] (Variation 2) In this embodiment, the user visually checks the misregistration amount evaluation pattern as a printed registration pattern and sets an appropriate misregistration amount in the recording device, but this is not limiting. For example, the user may use a scanner attached to the recording device to read the misregistration amount evaluation pattern and set an optimal value for the target misregistration amount based on the obtained information.

[0058] (Variation 3) Furthermore, the information required for the CPU 51 to determine whether the ejection speed has decreased is not limited to the dot count value and the results of printing the bidirectional registration misregistration amount evaluation pattern, but may also be information such as the printer operating time and the ejection speed measurement process.

[0059] (Variation 4) Furthermore, although the registration processing program described in both of the above embodiments is executed by the control unit 50, a part or all of the program may be executed by the host device 40.

[0060] (Variation 5) Furthermore, the bidirectional registration process described in the first and second embodiments is an example performed during bidirectional registration, but is not limited thereto. The bidirectional registration process may also be used during registration other than bidirectional registration. For example, it may be used for inter-array registration to correct the ink droplet ejection timing between multiple ejection port arrays 70 of the print head 102. In this case, the method of printing the misregistration amount evaluation pattern differs from that of the first and second embodiments. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an inter-array registration misregistration amount evaluation pattern printed on a print medium. The reference patterns 82a, 84a, 86a, 88a, and 90a are formed on the print medium 104 by 150 ejection ports included in the ejection port group 73 while the print head 102 is scanned in the positive scanning direction X+ (forward direction). The corresponding patterns 82b, 84b, 86b, 88b, and 90b are formed on the recording medium 104 by 150 outlets included in the outlet group 74 while the print head 102 is scanned in the positive scanning direction X+ (forward direction). The outlet group 74 is composed of an outlet array different from the outlet arrays that make up the outlet group 73. As in the first and second embodiments, the amount of registration misalignment between the rows can be corrected by setting an optimal value for the amount of registration misalignment between the rows based on the output value obtained by detecting each of the five block patterns in FIG. 15 with the sensor 103. In other words, the print head 102 ejects ink droplets from the first outlet group including the first outlet array while moving in the forward direction relative to the recording medium 104, thereby generating the reference patterns 82a, 84a, 86a, 88a, and 90a. The print head 102 ejects ink droplets from a second ejection port group including a second ejection port array while moving in the forward direction relative to the print medium 104, thereby generating corresponding patterns 82b, 84b, 86b, 88b, and 90b. The CPU 51 obtains the amount of misregistration of the corresponding patterns 82b, 84b, 86b, 88b, and 90b relative to the reference patterns 82a, 84a, 86a, 88a, and 90a as the amount of misregistration. This control makes it possible to correct the amount of misregistration between the arrays.

[0061] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. The program may also be provided by recording it on a computer-readable storage medium.

[0062] The disclosure of the present embodiment includes configurations typified by the following recording apparatus and recording method.

[0063] <Configuration 1> a recording means for recording an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets; an acquisition means for acquiring information regarding the amount of deviation from the landing position of ink droplets ejected from the recording means; a control means for controlling the ink droplet ejection speed of the recording means to increase when the deviation amount indicated by the information exceeds a threshold value; A recording device comprising:

[0064] <Configuration 2> 2. The recording device according to configuration 1, wherein the acquisition means acquires the cumulative number of shots since the specific point in time as the information.

[0065] <Configuration 3> 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the threshold value is the number of ejected ink droplets at which the ejection speed of the ink droplets can be maintained.

[0066] <Configuration 4> 2. The recording device according to configuration 1, wherein the acquiring means acquires the information by reading a pattern recorded by the recording means.

[0067] <Configuration 5> further comprising an optical sensor that receives reflected light of light that is irradiated onto the landing position of the ink droplets; 5. The recording apparatus according to configuration 4, wherein the acquiring means acquires the information based on an output value based on the brightness of the reflected light.

[0068] <Configuration 6> a support means having a shaft core and guiding and supporting the recording means so that the recording means is movable along the shaft core; the recording means ejects ink droplets onto the recording medium while moving in a first direction along the axis to record a reference pattern, and ejects ink droplets onto the recording medium while moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction to record a corresponding pattern, 2. The recording apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein the acquiring means acquires the information by reading the amount of deviation of the corresponding pattern from the reference pattern.

[0069] <Configuration 7> a support means having a shaft core and guiding and supporting the recording means so that the recording means is movable along the shaft core; the recording means records a reference pattern by ejecting ink droplets from a first ejection port group including a first ejection port array while moving in a first direction along the axis relative to the recording medium, and records a corresponding pattern by ejecting ink droplets from a second ejection port group including a second ejection port array different from the first ejection port array while moving in the first direction; 2. The recording apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein the acquiring means acquires the information by reading the amount of deviation of the corresponding pattern from the reference pattern.

[0070] <Configuration 8> The recording apparatus according to configuration 5, wherein the control means performs control to increase the ejection speed when the deviation amount indicated by the information exceeds an estimated output threshold value estimated from the output value.

[0071] <Configuration 9> The recording device according to configuration 5, wherein the control means performs control to increase the ejection speed when a difference between the amount of misregistration indicated by the information and the amount of misregistration at the start of use of the recording means exceeds an individual difference offset threshold.

[0072] <Configuration 10> 2. The recording apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein the control for increasing the ejection speed is modulation of the pulse width of the electrical signal supplied to the recording means.

[0073] <Configuration 11> 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control for increasing the ejection speed is the adjustment of the temperature of the recording means.

[0074] <Configuration 12> 2. The recording apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein the control for increasing the ejection speed is an adjustment of a power supply voltage supplied to the recording means.

[0075] <Configuration 13> 5. The recording device according to configuration 4, further comprising a reading means for reading the pattern.

[0076] <Configuration 14> 5. The recording apparatus according to configuration 4, wherein the control means performs control to increase the ejection speed when receiving an input from a user to cause the recording means to record the pattern again.

[0077] <Configuration 15> 2. The recording apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein, when the recording means ejects ink droplets of a plurality of colors, the control means controls the ejection speed to increase for each of the colors.

[0078] <Configuration 16> further comprising an input means for accepting user input; The recording device according to configuration 14, wherein the control means determines whether the input to be re-recorded has been accepted as the user's input via the input means when the deviation amount accepted by the input means as the user's input exceeds the threshold value.

[0079] <Configuration 17> 2. The recording apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein the acquiring means acquires the information in response to receiving an instruction to adjust the amount of deviation.

[0080] <Configuration 18> a recording step of recording an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets; an acquiring step of acquiring information regarding the amount of deviation from the landing position of the ink droplets ejected in the recording step; a control step of increasing the ejection speed of ink droplets ejected from the recording means when the deviation amount indicated by the information exceeds a threshold value; A recording method comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 50 control section 70 outlet row 71 Recording element 101 Carriage 102 recording head 103 Sensors 104 Recording Media

Claims

1. a recording means for recording an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets; an acquisition means for acquiring information regarding the amount of deviation from the landing position of ink droplets ejected from the recording means; a control means for controlling the ink droplet ejection speed of the recording means to increase when the deviation amount indicated by the information exceeds a threshold value; A recording device comprising:

2. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring means acquires, as the information, a cumulative number of shots from a specific point in time.

3. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the threshold value is the number of ejected ink droplets at which the ejection speed of the ink droplets can be maintained.

4. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring means acquires the information by reading a pattern recorded by the recording means.

5. further comprising an optical sensor that receives reflected light of light that is irradiated onto the landing position of the ink droplets; 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the acquiring means acquires the information based on an output value that is based on the brightness of the reflected light.

6. a support means having a shaft core and guiding and supporting the recording means so that the recording means is movable along the shaft core; the recording means ejects ink droplets onto the recording medium while moving in a first direction along the axis to record a reference pattern, and ejects ink droplets onto the recording medium while moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction to record a corresponding pattern, 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring means acquires the information by reading the amount of deviation of the corresponding pattern from the reference pattern.

7. a support means having a shaft core and guiding and supporting the recording means so that the recording means is movable along the shaft core; the recording means moves in a first direction along the axis relative to the recording medium, ejecting ink droplets from a first group of ejection ports including a first array of ejection ports to record a reference pattern, and moves in the first direction, ejecting ink droplets from a second group of ejection ports including a second array of ejection ports different from the first array of ejection ports to record a corresponding pattern; 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring means acquires the information by reading the amount of deviation of the corresponding pattern from the reference pattern.

8. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the ejection speed to increase when the deviation amount indicated by the information exceeds an estimated output threshold value estimated from the output value.

9. The recording device according to claim 5, characterized in that the control means controls to increase the ejection speed when the difference between the amount of deviation indicated by the information and the amount of registration deviation at the start of use of the recording means exceeds an individual difference offset threshold.

10. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control for increasing the ejection speed is modulation of the pulse width of the electric signal supplied to the recording means.

11. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control for increasing the ejection speed is the adjustment of the temperature of the recording means.

12. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control for increasing the ejection speed is an adjustment of a power supply voltage supplied to the recording means.

13. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a reading means for reading the pattern.

14. 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control means performs control to increase the ejection speed when an input to print the pattern again by the printing means is received from the user.

15. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the recording means ejects ink droplets of a plurality of colors, the control means controls the ejection speed to increase for each of the colors.

16. further comprising an input means for accepting user input; The recording device according to claim 14, characterized in that, when the deviation amount accepted by the input means as the user's input exceeds the threshold, the control means determines whether the input to be recorded again has been accepted as the user's input via the input means.

17. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the information in response to receiving an instruction to adjust the amount of deviation.

18. a recording step of recording an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets; an acquisition step of acquiring information regarding the amount of deviation from the landing position of the ink droplets ejected in the recording step; a control step of performing control to increase the ejection speed of ink droplets ejected in the recording step when the deviation amount indicated by the information exceeds a threshold value; A recording method comprising:

Images