Recording device, control method, and program

Abstract

Apply the appropriate drive pulse. [Solution] One embodiment of the present invention is a recording head having a plurality of first heat-generating resistance elements that generate energy for discharging liquid from a plurality of discharge ports, and a plurality of second heat-generating resistance elements that generate energy for generating the flow of the liquid in a flow path, and a control means for controlling the recording head based on discharge data indicating discharge / non-discharge for each of the plurality of discharge ports, and driveability data indicating whether the plurality of second heat-generating resistance elements can be driven, wherein the control means for controlling the recording head has a heat level calculation means for deriving a heat level based on the discharge data and the driveability data, and a drive pulse generation means for generating a drive pulse corresponding to the derived heat level, and the heat level calculation means has a calculation means for calculating the number of second heat-generating resistance elements that are driven simultaneously based on the discharge data and the driveability data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a recording apparatus, a control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] As a liquid ejection head, for example, an inkjet recording head that ejects ink can be mentioned. In an inkjet recording head, there is a risk that volatile components in the ink evaporate from the ejection openings that eject the ink, and the ink in the ejection openings thickens. Due to such thickening of the ink, the ejection speed of the ink and the like may change, and ejection defects including a decrease in the landing accuracy of the ink may occur. In particular, when the pause time of the ink ejection operation is long, the increase in ink viscosity becomes remarkable, the solid content in the ink adheres to the ejection openings, the flow resistance of the ink increases, and ink ejection defects are likely to occur.

[0003] As a countermeasure against such a liquid thickening phenomenon, a method of flowing fresh liquid to the ejection openings in the liquid chamber is known. As a means of this method, there is a method of circulating the liquid in the head by a pressure difference using a main body side pump provided separately from the fluid die that performs ejection. Also, as another means, there is a method of providing a circulation element in the fluid die itself and circulating it.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses, as an example of a circulation element provided in the fluid die itself, a configuration in which a fluid energy generating element is provided in the fluid die, and liquid is circulated through the ejection port row between both ends of a flow path that extends so as to cross the ejection port row.

[0005] By determining the drive pulse applied to the first heating resistance element (ejection heater) that is driven simultaneously in the recording head, ink is ejected from the ejection openings. At this time, as the amount of ink ejected simultaneously increases, the required power also increases. Therefore, when the applied drive pulse is not appropriate, there is a problem that ejection defects and a decrease in image quality occur.

[0006] Patent Document 2 discloses a method for solving this problem, which involves counting the number of first heating resistors of multiple sizes that are driven simultaneously and controlling the drive pulse based on the count result. This method involves counting the number of first heating resistors driven simultaneously for each size of ink droplet and determining the drive pulse applied to each first heating resistor driven simultaneously for each size based on the count result. This makes it possible to prevent the above-mentioned ejection failure. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-104312 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-58527 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, when the second heat-retaining resistive element (circulation module) becomes active, separate from the first heat-retaining resistive element, ink circulation is performed in addition to ink ejection. Therefore, a drive pulse that takes into account the driving of this second heat-retaining resistive element must be supplied, but the aforementioned patent document does not take into account the second heat-retaining resistive element which is driven simultaneously. In this case, since the driving of the second heat-retaining resistive element is not taken into account, the applied drive pulse may be inappropriate, which raises concerns about ink ejection failure and a decrease in image quality.

[0009] Therefore, in view of the above issues, this disclosure aims to provide a technology for applying appropriate drive pulses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention is a recording device comprising: a recording head having a plurality of first heat-generating resistance elements that generate energy for discharging liquid from a plurality of discharge ports, and a plurality of second heat-generating resistance elements that generate energy for generating the flow of the liquid in a flow path; a control means for controlling the recording head based on discharge data indicating whether each of the plurality of discharge ports is discharged or not, and driveability data indicating whether the plurality of second heat-generating resistance elements can be driven, the control means comprising: a heat level calculation means for deriving a heat level based on the discharge data and the driveability data; and a drive pulse generation means for generating a drive pulse corresponding to the derived heat level, wherein the control means drives the second heat-generating resistance element corresponding to each of the plurality of discharge ports when the discharge data for each of the plurality of discharge ports indicates not to discharge and the driveability data indicates that it can be driven, the recording device comprising: a heat level calculation means for calculating the number of second heat-generating resistance elements to be driven simultaneously based on the discharge data and the driveability data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] This disclosure provides a technique for applying appropriate drive pulses. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a liquid dispensing device equipped with a liquid dispensing head. [Figure 2] Diagram showing the configuration of the liquid dispensing head. [Figure 3] Schematic diagram of the area near the discharge port of the liquid discharge head. [Figure 4] Diagram showing the circuit configuration [Figure 5] Diagram showing the circuit configuration of the recording element substrate. [Figure 6] Diagram showing the control data supply circuit [Figure 7] Block diagram showing the control configuration of the recording device. [Figure 8] Block diagram showing the configuration of the recording head control unit. [Figure 9] Figure showing the timing generation of data transfer [Figure 10] Image diagram of data signals etc. [Figure 11] Block diagram showing the configuration of the heat level calculation unit [Figure 12] Figure showing the count of the number of second heating resistance elements [Figure 13] Flowchart of the process of determining a drive pulse and generating and transmitting the determined drive pulse [Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims more than necessary, and not all of the features described in the following embodiments are essential to the solution means of the present disclosure. The same reference numerals are assigned to the same components. First, the basic configuration of the present disclosure will be described below, and then the characteristic configuration of the present disclosure will be described.

[0014] [First Embodiment] [Liquid ejection device] Hereinafter, the schematic configuration of the liquid ejection device 50 in the present embodiment will be described. FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are enlarged views of the liquid ejection head 1 of the liquid ejection device 50 and its periphery, respectively, and are perspective views schematically showing a liquid ejection device using the liquid ejection head. The liquid ejection device 50 is a liquid ejection device (serial type liquid ejection device) that performs image recording by ejecting liquid onto a recording medium P by a liquid ejection head that scans in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the recording medium P. Here, a serial type liquid ejection device is taken as an example for description, but the application target of the present disclosure is not limited to only serial type liquid ejection devices. The present disclosure is also applicable to a page-wide type liquid ejection device that performs image recording by ejecting liquid onto a recording medium conveyed in the conveyance direction using a line head (page-wide type head) that is long in the page width direction of the recording medium. As an example of the liquid ejection head 1, a recording head that ejects ink droplets for recording can be mentioned.

[0015] The liquid ejection head in this embodiment is capable of ejecting four types of inks, namely black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), and it is possible to record a full-color image with these inks. Note that the inks that can be ejected from the liquid ejection head are not limited to the above four types of inks. The present disclosure is also applicable to a liquid ejection head for ejecting other types of inks. That is, the type and number of inks ejected from the liquid ejection head are not limited.

[0016] In the serial liquid ejection device 50, the liquid ejection head 1 is mounted on the carriage 60. The carriage 60 reciprocates in the main scanning direction (X direction) along the guide shaft 51. The recording medium is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction (Y direction) that intersects (in this example, is orthogonal to) the main scanning direction by the conveyance rollers (conveyance means) 55, 56, 57, and 58. Note that in each figure referred to below, the Z direction indicates the vertical direction and intersects (in this example, is orthogonal to) the X-Y plane defined by the X direction and the Y direction.

[0017] FIG. 1(a) shows a configuration in which a main ink tank is provided as a liquid storage unit outside the liquid ejection head. The liquid (ink) stored in the ink tank is supplied to the sub ink tank 54 on the liquid ejection head 1 side through an ink supply tube (liquid connection path) 59 or the like by the driving force of an external pump. On the other hand, FIG. 1(b) shows a configuration in which (without having a main ink tank as a liquid storage unit outside the liquid ejection head) an ink tank 54 is provided directly above the liquid ejection head 1. At this time, the liquid ejection head 1 may be provided integrally with the ink tank 54 and configured to be detachable / attachable to the carriage 60. Alternatively, the liquid ejection head 1 may be provided integrally with the carriage 60 and only the ink tank 54 may be configured to be detachable / attachable. Hereinafter, the description will be made using the configuration of FIG. 1(a) as a representative example.

[0018] The liquid discharge head 1 is configured to include individual discharge units, which will be described later (see Figure 3). The specific configuration will be described later, but each individual discharge unit is provided with a discharge port for discharging liquid and a pressure chamber communicating with the discharge port. Furthermore, each individual discharge unit is provided with a first energy generating element in the pressure chamber, an individual flow path communicating with the pressure chamber, and a second energy generating element in the individual flow path. Here, the first energy generating element is a discharge energy generating element that generates energy for discharging liquid from the discharge port, and the second energy generating element is a fluid energy generating element. The liquid discharge head 1 has a plurality of individual discharge units and has a supply flow path for supplying liquid to the individual flow path in each individual discharge unit.

[0019] When using a liquid ejection head, the ejection of liquid can become unstable due to evaporation of volatile components such as water from the ejection port, and the resulting concentration of solids near the ejection port. Various measures have been taken to prevent this. For example, a liquid ejection device may be provided with a cap member (not shown) that can cover the ejection port surface of the liquid ejection head, located off-center in the X direction from the transport path of the recording medium. The cap member is used to cover the ejection port surface of the liquid ejection head when recording is not in progress, preventing drying and protecting the ejection port. Furthermore, an ink suction mechanism (not shown) may also be provided, in which case the cap member is used for ink suction from the ejection port. This ink suction refreshes the ink near the ejection port, maintaining the quality of the resulting image. In addition, methods are known to perform pre-ejection (also called pre-dispense) when recording is not in progress to discard concentrated ink, or to pre-eject a predetermined amount of ink (paper pre-ejection / in-page pre-ejection) in a location on the recording medium that is not visually noticeable during recording. While these methods significantly improve image quality, they require discarding some ink to refresh the ink nozzle, thus necessitating minimizing the amount of waste ink.

[0020] To address these challenges, by installing a second energy generating element (fluid energy generating element) in each individual flow path and circulating the ink within the flow path, it is possible to suppress the amount of waste ink while also suppressing drying at the discharge port and concentration of ink near the discharge port. Specifically, the number of pre-discharge and suction recovery cycles can be minimized. Minimizing the number of pre-discharge cycles, etc., leads to improvements in throughput and yield.

[0021] The second energy generating element (fluid energy generating element) does not need to be installed in all individual dispensing units of the liquid dispensing head. The above-mentioned effects can be obtained by installing it in some individual dispensing units compared to not installing it.

[0022] Furthermore, the liquid ejection head shown in Figure 1(a) may be configured such that all parts corresponding to the four types of ink are equipped with a second energy generating element, or it may be configured such that only the part corresponding to one type of ink is equipped with a second energy generating element. In other words, the liquid ejection head may not circulate all four types of ink, but may be configured to circulate at least one type of ink.

[0023] <Basic configuration of a liquid dispensing head> Figure 2(a) is an exploded perspective view of the liquid ejection head in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2(a), the liquid ejection head comprises a sub-ink tank 54 for temporarily storing ink in the head and a liquid ejection tip 3 for ejecting the ink supplied from the sub-ink tank 54 onto the recording medium P. In this embodiment, the liquid ejection head is fixedly supported on the carriage by positioning means (not shown) and electrical contacts provided on the carriage of the liquid ejection device. The liquid ejection head ejects ink while moving together with the carriage in the main scanning direction (X direction) shown in Figure 1, and records onto the recording medium P.

[0024] An ink supply tube 59 is provided on an external pump connected to an ink tank, which serves as the ink supply source (see Figure 1(a)). A liquid connector (not shown) is provided at the tip of this ink supply tube. When the liquid ejection head 1 is mounted on the liquid ejection device 50, the liquid connector at the tip of the ink supply tube 59 is liquid-tightly connected to a liquid connector insertion port, which is a liquid inlet provided on the head housing of the liquid ejection head 1. This forms an ink supply path from the ink tank through the external pump to the liquid ejection head 1. In this embodiment, since four types of ink are used, four sets of ink tanks, external pumps, ink supply tubes 59, and sub-ink tanks 54 are provided, corresponding to each ink, and four independent ink supply paths corresponding to each ink are formed. Thus, the liquid ejection device in this embodiment is equipped with an ink supply system that supplies ink from an ink tank provided outside the liquid ejection head 1. Note that the liquid ejection device in this embodiment is not equipped with an ink recovery system that recovers the ink in the liquid ejection head into the ink tank. Therefore, while the liquid ejection head is provided with a liquid connector inlet for connecting the ink supply tube of the ink tank, it is not provided with a connector inlet for connecting a tube to collect the ink from the liquid ejection head back into the ink tank. Note that a separate liquid connector inlet is provided for each ink cartridge.

[0025] Figures 2(b), 2(c), and 2(d) are overall diagrams of the liquid dispensing chips that constitute the liquid dispensing head. Figure 2(b) shows a configuration of one chip per four colors, Figure 2(c) shows a configuration of one chip per two colors, and Figure 2(d) shows a configuration of one chip per color. Each liquid dispensing chip is provided with a dispensing port and a pad used for electrical mounting. Figure 2(a) shows the liquid dispensing head including the chip configuration of Figure 2(b).

[0026] Figure 2(b) shows a first embodiment in which one chip is composed of four colors. The four colors are, for example, black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, and each color is represented by its own row, which is arranged in the Y direction. The ejection ports of each row are adjacent to each other and offset in the X direction, and are arranged at equal intervals along the Y direction. Here, the ejection ports of each row may be arranged in a single row along the Y direction without offset in the X direction. Alternatively, black may be represented by two rows, resulting in a total of five rows for the four colors.

[0027] Figure 2(c) shows a second embodiment in which one chip is configured for each of the two colors, and two chips are used. When mounting two chips to a liquid dispensing head, two chips may be mounted on one liquid dispensing head, or two heads may be prepared, each with one chip mounted on it.

[0028] Figure 2(d) shows a third embodiment in which one chip is configured for each color, and four chips are used. When mounting the four chips to a liquid dispensing head, all four chips may be mounted on one liquid dispensing head, or four liquid dispensing heads, each with one chip mounted, may be prepared.

[0029] As shown in Figures 2(c) and 2(d), when a chip is divided into multiple chips, not all chips need to have the same chip length. Furthermore, various combinations of other colors are possible for a chip, and the same applies when the total number of colors exceeds four.

[0030] <Configuration of the circulation unit> Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the vicinity of the discharge port of a straight-type liquid discharge head. "Straight-type" means that the individual flow channels, which house the first energy generating element (discharge energy generating element) and the second energy generating element (flow energy generating element), have their ends positioned on either side of the row of discharge ports. Specifically, it means that the aforementioned individual flow channels have a straight shape that extends in a direction intersecting the row of discharge ports (in the case of Figure 3, in a perpendicular direction). In other words, in the individual flow channels of the individual discharge unit, the first energy generating element and the second energy generating element are arranged in a direction intersecting the row of discharge ports.

[0031] Figure 3(a) is a plan view from the direction in which the liquid droplet is ejected from the nozzle. Figure 3(b) is a cross-sectional view along the cross-sectional line IIIb-IIIb' of Figure 3(a), and Figure 3(c) is a different cross-sectional view. Figure 3(d) is a diagram illustrating the ink flow when the first energy generating element is driven.

[0032] In Figures 3(a) to 3(c), a pressure chamber 12 corresponding to each discharge port 11 is formed between the substrate 18 and the orifice plate 19, separated by a partition wall 21, and individual flow paths 23 for flowing ink through these pressure chambers 12. An ink meniscus is present at the discharge port 11, forming a discharge port interface that serves as the interface between the ink and the atmosphere.

[0033] The substrate 18 is equipped with a first energy generating element 14 that generates energy for ejecting ink from the pressure chamber. In this example, an electrothermal conversion element is used as the first energy generating element 14. The first energy generating element 14 is located closer to the second supply opening 32 than to the first supply opening 22, together with the discharge port 11 and the pressure chamber 12. By driving the first energy generating element 14 to generate heat and foam the ink in the pressure chamber 12, the foaming energy can be used to eject ink from the discharge port 11. The first energy generating element is not limited to an electrothermal conversion element as in this example; a piezoelectric element or the like can also be used.

[0034] Furthermore, the substrate 18 is equipped with a second energy generating element 24 that generates energy to create a circulating flow 27 in the individual channels, as indicated by the arrows. In this example, an electrothermal conversion element is used as the second energy generating element 24. In this example, a second energy generating element 24 is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with each of the multiple first energy generating elements 14.

[0035] Furthermore, the substrate 18 is provided with an opening for supplying liquid from a common channel to individual channels. This opening may be configured to have multiple openings (independent supply openings), as shown in Figure 3(a), or it may be a single large opening called a supply groove. The second energy generating element 24 is located closer to the first supply opening 22 than to the second supply opening 32.

[0036] The individual channel 23 extends in a second direction that intersects (in this example, perpendicular to) the direction in which the discharge ports are arranged in a row (first direction). The individual channel 23 includes the pressure chamber 12, an inlet (upstream) side connecting channel 13 in Figure 3(b) that communicates with one end of the pressure chamber 12, and an outlet (downstream) side channel in Figure 3(b) that communicates with the other end of the pressure chamber 12. At one upstream end, the individual channel 23 communicates with a first supply opening 22 that penetrates the substrate 18, and at the other downstream end, it communicates with a second supply opening 32 that penetrates the substrate 18. Therefore, the inlet (upstream) side connecting channel 13 is located on the second energy generating element 24 side of the row of discharge ports. Both ends of the individual channel 23 are located on opposite sides of the row of discharge ports.

[0037] The ink flow in the individual channels can be broadly classified into two types: (1) the first ink flow that drives the first energy generating element 14 and refills after ejection, and (2) the second ink flow that drives the second energy generating element 24 and forms a circulating flow.

[0038] When the first energy generating element 14 is driven and liquid is discharged from the discharge port 11, ink is supplied from the first supply opening 22 and the second supply opening 32 as shown in Figure 3(d), and ink flows into the pressure chamber from both supply openings.

[0039] When the second energy generating element 24 is driven to form a circulating flow, ink flows into the individual channel 23 through the first supply opening 22, which is on the connecting channel side, and flows out to the outside through the second supply opening 32, which is not on the connecting channel side. In this example, the ink that has flowed out from the second supply opening 32 is returned to the first supply opening 22 and circulated, thereby forming a circulating flow 27 indicated by the arrow within the individual channel 23. Note that the configuration in which the first supply opening 22 and the second supply opening 32 are common within the chip is shown in Figure 3(b). Alternatively, the configuration in which the first supply opening 22 and the second supply opening 32 are connected to individual channels and are common outside the recording head is shown in Figure 3(c). Either the configuration shown in Figure 3(b) or the configuration shown in Figure 3(c) may be adopted.

[0040] Filters 31 for removing foreign matter from the ink may be provided in the ink circulation channels inside and outside the recording head. In Figure 3, the filters are located on the inflow and outflow sides, which are outside the individual channels. Alternatively, filters may be placed between the first energy generating element and the second energy generating element in the individual channels. In that case, it is not necessary to place a filter on the upstream side (second energy generating element side), which is outside the individual channel.

[0041] <Drive method (toggle drive)> In this embodiment, the selective drive circuit 200 shown in Figure 4 is formed on the substrate 18. A voltage source and a controller 110 are provided outside the substrate and are connected to the selective drive circuit 200 on the substrate. The selective drive circuit 200 includes an on-on drive circuit (a first switch that switches between on and off) 230. The on-on drive circuit 230 responds to control signals at each address (N1 to N16 in this example) received from the control data supply circuit 112 to turn on and drive either the first energy generating elements (A1 to A16) or the second energy generating elements (B1 to B16). Thus, the selective drive circuit 200 has a switch configured to switch between the first and second energy generating elements exclusively so that only one of them can be driven at a time. With this switch, when the first energy generating element is drivable, the second energy generating element is always in a state where it cannot be driven. Conversely, when the second energy generating element is drivable, the first energy generating element is always in a state where it cannot be driven. Here, the control data supply circuit 112 controls the drive pulse for driving the first energy generating element or the second energy generating element, and the time (interval) for applying the drive pulse to each element.

[0042] When the second energy generating element is selected in the on-on drive circuit 230, the drive of the second energy generating element is further controlled by the on-off drive circuit (a second switch that switches between on and off) 240 in accordance with the driveability signal 300 for the second energy generating element. In other words, the second energy generating element is further controlled by a switch configured to switch between a driveable state and a non-driveable state. Therefore, if the first energy generating element is in a non-driveable state, the second energy generating element is in a driveable state, but it will only be driven if the driveability signal (indicating whether it is driveable or not) received for the second energy generating element indicates that it is driveable. If there is no driveability signal, the second energy generating element will not be driven even if the second energy generating element is selected in the on-on drive circuit 230. In other words, in this case, neither the first nor the second energy generating element will be driven.

[0043] In summary, in this embodiment, the drive circuit for controlling the driving of the first energy generating element and the second energy generating element is configured such that only one of the first and second energy generating elements can be driven. Specifically, the drive circuit in this embodiment includes a first switch configured to be mutually exclusive as described above, and a second switch configured to be switchable between a state in which the second energy generating element can be driven and a state in which it cannot be driven. By using a drive circuit with such a configuration, the first energy generating element and the second energy generating element are configured to be driven under the following conditions.

[0044] The conditions for the above drive control are as follows: When a certain first energy generating element is driven, the second energy generating element corresponding to that first energy generating element will not be driven. On the other hand, when a certain first energy generating element is not driven, and a drive signal is received to enable the driving of the second energy generating element, the second energy generating element corresponding to that first energy generating element will be driven.

[0045] Furthermore, it is preferable that the on-off drive circuit (second switch) is located closer to the second energy generating element than the on-on drive circuit (first switch), that is, electrically downstream of the second energy generating element. It is also preferable to control the drive of multiple second energy generating elements using a common drive signal.

[0046] For comparison, the following describes countermeasures for thickened ink in liquid ejection heads that do not form a circulating flow. These countermeasures include pre-ejection, which ejects ink from the ejection port, and suction, which draws ink from the ejection port. For example, in a serial-type liquid ejection system, pre-ejection or suction is performed in the head standby area before the head leaves the protective cap and proceeds to the printing operation. Alternatively, pre-ejection is performed in the non-printing area away from the printing medium when the print carriage moves back and forth during the printing operation. These operations are performed at different timings than the printing operation. Furthermore, in the case of inks that tend to thicken easily, pre-ejection may be performed in addition to the printing operation in the printing area during the back-and-forth movement, to the extent that it does not affect the image quality.

[0047] In this embodiment, the number of pre-discharge and suction operations can be reduced by performing a circulating operation by driving the second energy generating element. In this regard, the circulating operation in the head standby area and the non-printing area during reciprocating movement is performed at a different timing than the printing operation, similar to the liquid dispensing head that does not form a circulating flow as described above. Therefore, in this embodiment, the driving of the second energy generating element can be easily controlled by the drive feasibility signal 300 for the second energy generating element. Furthermore, in the case of ink that is prone to thickening, in the circulating operation in the printing area during reciprocating movement, it is necessary to prioritize the dispensing operation at a timing close to the printing operation. On the other hand, by providing multiple timings for the circulating operation or providing a certain period of time, it is not necessary to drive the circulating operation and the printing operation simultaneously. Therefore, in this embodiment, by driving the first energy generating element when the first energy generating element is selected, the circulating operation can be controlled as appropriate without affecting the printing operation.

[0048] In this embodiment, the second energy generating element is controlled to be driven based on discharge data indicating whether to discharge or not (i.e., whether to drive the first energy generating element) for each discharge port, and a drive capability signal indicating whether to put all of the second energy generating elements into a driveable state.

[0049] Furthermore, even when there are multiple second energy generating elements, it is possible to control the drive based on a common drive feasibility signal. This eliminates the need to provide individual drive data for each second energy generating element, thus reducing the amount of drive data. In this embodiment, the first energy generating element Ai and the second energy generating element Bi are controlled as a group of 32 elements (16 sets) up to i=16, but the total number of elements in one group can be various numbers such as 16 (8 sets), 24 (12 sets), etc.

[0050] Furthermore, while an electrothermal conversion element or a piezoelectric element can be used as the second energy generation element, this embodiment describes the direction of the circulating flow in the case where an electrothermal conversion element is used. Note that when a piezoelectric element is used, the direction of the circulating flow may be opposite to that of this embodiment depending on the driving method.

[0051] In this embodiment, a drive capability signal 300 is provided on the substrate 18 to control the drive of the second energy generating element. However, the drive of the second energy generating element may also be controlled by providing a liquid discharge head outside the substrate or a liquid discharge device outside the liquid discharge head.

[0052] <Circuit configuration of the recording element substrate> Figure 5 shows the circuit configuration of the recording element substrate in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the recording element substrate has an ejection module 71 and a circulation module 72. The ejection module 71 has an ejection heater (electric heat conversion element) RhA, an ejection drive element (transistor) MD1 for supplying current to the heater RhA, and an ejection logic circuit AND1 for selectively driving the drive element MD1. By supplying current to the ejection heater RhA, heat is generated, causing the ink to foam and be ejected, allowing it to be recorded on the recording paper.

[0053] The circulation module 72 includes a circulation heater (electric heat conversion element) RhB, a circulation drive element (transistor) MD2 for supplying current to the heater RhB, and a circulation logic circuit AND2 for selectively driving the drive element MD2. By supplying current to the circulation heater RhB, heat is generated, and ink bubbles grow, thereby generating a circulating flow in the ink supply channel. Furthermore, a piezoelectric element can be used as the energy element for ejecting ink in the ejection heater RhA, and a piezoelectric element can also be used as the energy element for circulating ink in the circulation heater RhB.

[0054] The ejection module 71 receives the ejection group selection signal 76 and time-division selection signal 78 output from the control data supply circuit 73, as well as the enable signal HE which controls the pulse width (the time the drive element MD1 is turned on and current is flowing). Specifically, these signals are input to the ejection logic circuit AND1 of the ejection module 71, and the ejection drive element MD1 is selected and controlled to conduct according to each input signal, allowing current to flow to the ejection heater RhA.

[0055] The circulating module 72 receives the circulating group selection signal 77 and the time-division selection signal 78, as well as the enable signal HE, which are output from the control data supply circuit 73. Specifically, these signals are input to the circulating logic circuit AND2 of the circulating module 72, and are selected and controlled to allow current to flow to the corresponding circulating heater RhB.

[0056] Regarding the supply of the time-division selection signal 78, the ejection module 71 and the circulation module 72 share the same signal line. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of serial data transferred, as described later, and to reduce the layout area of ​​the signal wiring within the recording element board.

[0057] The control data supply circuit 73 is composed of shift registers 90a and 90b and latch circuits 91a and 91b, as shown in Figure 6(a), for example. The control data supply circuit 73 has three external input terminals. Specifically, these are the clock signal CLK for serial data transfer of selection information for the ejection module 71 and the circulation module 72 to the shift registers 90a and 90b, the data signal DATA, and the latch signal LT for holding the selection information. The clock signal CLK, the data signal DATA, and the latch signal LT are transmitted from the controller 101 mounted on the inkjet recording device 100. The recording element substrate 70 also has an enable signal HE input terminal as an external input terminal for controlling the pulse width (the time the transistor is turned on and current is flowing) of the drive elements MD1 and MD2 of the selected ejection module 71 and the circulation module 72. The enable signal HE is transmitted from the controller 101 mounted on the inkjet recording device 100. The enable signal HE is a signal used to adjust the current pulse width so that the desired thermal energy can be generated, taking into account manufacturing variations in the heater resistance value on the recording element substrate 70, manufacturing variations in the power supply, and voltage drops in the power supply wiring when multiple heaters are driven simultaneously. It is preferable to prepare separate enable signals HE for the ejection heater and the circulation heater, and to control the pulse width for each. However, in this embodiment, one enable signal HE is shared between the ejection heater and the circulation heater to reduce the number of signal terminals, so it is not possible to control the pulse width separately for the ejection heater and the circulation heater. Therefore, it is preferable to form the ejection heater RhA and the circulation heater RhB in the same step of the semiconductor manufacturing process. If they are formed in the same step, the two types of heaters formed can be assumed to have the same manufacturing variation (amount of resistance value deviation from the ideal value), and the pulse width can be adjusted with one enable signal HE.

[0058] Here, we will explain the drive control method for a series of ejector heaters 79 having m groups, where each group consists of n ejector heaters RhA. As an example, assuming a recording element substrate with heater rows arranged at a density of 600 dpi over a 1-inch length, the control method for (n=16) × (m=40 groups) of ejector heaters RhA will be described below. As mentioned above, each of these ejector heaters RhA constitutes an ejector module 71. The 16 ejector modules 71 within each group are driven in a time-division manner by a time-division selection signal 78. Time-division driving is a method of controlling the system by dividing the time of a certain ejection cycle into 16 units and driving one ejector module 71 sequentially for each divided time unit. Multiple ejector modules 71 within the same group are not driven simultaneously. In time-division drive, the ejection module 71 is not selected simultaneously within a group. Therefore, to further reduce the amount of serial data transferred from the inkjet recording device 100, a decoder circuit 92 is installed in the control data supply circuit 73, for example, as shown in Figure 6(a). In this case, when time-division n=16, a decoder circuit 92 that converts 4-bit data to 16-bit data is used. It should be noted that if the amount of serial data transferred increases, faster serial data transfer becomes necessary, which leads to increased costs and size of signal transmission and reception circuits and transmission lines in the inkjet recording device 100 and the recording element substrate 70. Therefore, it is preferable to reduce the amount of data transferred.

[0059] An m-bit ejection group selection signal 76 for selecting and driving one of the m groups is output from the control data supply circuit 73. The group selection is a control that allows simultaneous selection, and a signal of the same number as the number of groups, m bits, is serially transmitted from the inkjet recording device 100. As described above, the ejection module 71 is selected and controlled so that current flows to the ejection heater RhA at the corresponding location when these ejection group selection signals 76, time-division selection signal 78, and enable signal HE are input to the ejection logic circuit AND1. In this embodiment, the case of n=16 and m=40 is described, but similar control can be performed for other values, such as n=8 and m=80, or n=32 and m=40.

[0060] Next, the drive control method for the circulating heater array 80 will be described. Since the circulating heater RhB is an energy generating element that generates ink circulation flow in individual channels adjacent to the ejection port, it needs to be placed in close proximity to the ejection heater RhA, which is located directly below the ejection port, as a pair. In this embodiment, a method for selecting and controlling a circulating heater array 80, in which the circulating heater RhB is composed of (n=16) × (m=40 groups), from the inkjet recording device 100 side will be described. As mentioned above, each circulating heater RhB constitutes a circulating module 72. Within each group, the group is driven in 16 time divisions by a time division selection signal 78 shared with the ejection module 71. Group selection is controlled by a 40-bit circulating group selection signal 77 to enable simultaneous driving. The circulating group selection signal 77 could be configured to be transferred from the inkjet recording device 100 together with the ejection serial data, but in this embodiment, in order to further reduce the amount of data transferred, the signal is generated by the circulating group selection circuit 82. The circulating group selection circuit 82 is located within the control data supply circuit 73 and is configured to generate the circulating group selection signal 77 according to the selection information contained in the ejection group selection signal 76. Specifically, for each bit of the ejection group selection signal 76, a signal obtained by logically inverting the respective selection information is output as the circulating group selection signal 77. With this circuit configuration, when the ejection module 71 is in a selected state, the circulating module 72 arranged in its pair is in a deselected state, and when the ejection module 71 is in a deselected state, the circulating module 72 arranged in its pair is in a selected state. That is, the pair of ejection modules 71 and circulating modules 72 are mutually exclusive in their selection relationship. Note that when time-division selection is not performed by the time-division selection signal 78, neither the ejection module 71 nor the circulating module 72 is selected. Furthermore, this embodiment includes a pump flag signal 83 for determining whether or not the circulation group selection signal 77 is enabled. By disabling the circulation group selection signal 77 with the pump flag signal 83, the selection of the circulation module 72 is prohibited during normal recording operations that do not require ink circulation.The preferred method for transferring the pump flag signal is serial transfer from the inkjet recording device.

[0061] In this embodiment, the ejection module 71 and the circulation module 72 are connected to a common power supply voltage VH (for example, 24V) and a common ground potential GNDH. However, this configuration is not necessary if it is desired to further mitigate fluctuations in ejection energy due to voltage drops when multiple heaters are driven simultaneously. In such cases, the ejection module 71 and the circulation module 72 may each have their own power supply wiring and external connection terminals within the recording element substrate, and these may be supplied individually from the power supply circuit 102 mounted on the inkjet recording device 100.

[0062] Generally, since drive elements operate at higher voltages than logic circuits, substrates are used that contain both high-voltage transistors and ordinary transistors. In this embodiment, the ejection drive element MD1 and the circulation drive element MD2 are composed of high-voltage MOS transistors, specifically DMOS transistors (Double-diffused MOSFETs). The ejection logic circuit AND1, the circulation logic circuit AND2, the circulation group selection circuit 82, and other logic circuits such as the shift registers 90a and 90b, latch circuits 91a and 91b, and decoder circuit 92 are composed of low-voltage MOS transistors.

[0063] The drive current of the circulating heater RhB generates thermal energy to circulate the ink in the individual channels. If the drive current of the circulating heater RhB is smaller than the drive current of the ejection heater RhA that ejects ink onto the recording paper, the current driving capability of the DMOS transistor can be small, so it is preferable that the area of ​​the circulating drive element MD2 is smaller than the area of ​​the ejection drive element MD1.

[0064] <Control configuration of the recording device> Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the recording device in this embodiment.

[0065] Image data is input to the host interface 132 from the host device 131. This image data is stored in the receive buffer 136A provided in the RAM 136. The image processing unit 134 converts the image data into multi-level data of CMYK color components and stores it in the multi-level data buffer 136B provided in the RAM 136. The print data processing unit 135 converts the multi-level data into dot data (binary data) and stores it in the dot data buffer 136C. The recording head control unit 140 transfers the binary data stored in the dot data buffer 136C to the recording head. The processing in the print data processing unit 135 is synchronized with the heat trigger signal output by the timing generation unit 139, and the processing in the recording head control unit 140 is synchronized with the block trigger signal output by the timing generation unit 139, so that the processing is in line with the transport timing.

[0066] The user gives instructions to the recording device via the control panel 133. The CPU 137 performs control of the driving of the recording elements and the relative transport of the recording elements and the recording medium (e.g., paper) according to the control program stored in the ROM 138.

[0067] The following explains the generation of commonly used data transfer timings using Figure 9. Here, we will explain using the example of dividing the print data for one column into 16 timings (time-division multiplexing).

[0068] The encoder inputs an encoder signal (phase A) 151 and an encoder signal (phase B) 152 with a phase shift of one-quarter of a period to the timing generation unit 139. The timing generation unit 139 generates a reference pulse 153 at the timing of the rising edge of the encoder signal 151, and multiplies it to generate a heat trigger signal 154 that is output at intervals equal to the recording resolution. Furthermore, the interval of the heat trigger signal 154 is divided into 16 parts to generate a block trigger signal 155. Data is input to the recording head at the timing of this block trigger signal 155. In this way, by transferring data within the period of the block trigger signal 155 generated based on the encoder signal, which is the position information of the carriage, recording can be performed at the desired position.

[0069] The recording head control unit 140 will be described below with reference to Figures 8 and 10.

[0070] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the recording head control unit 140. The recording head control unit 140 operates based on the timing of the block trigger signal 155 generated by the timing generation unit 139.

[0071] The clock signal generation unit 141 generates a clock signal of a predetermined number of cycles when a block trigger signal 155 is input, and transmits the generated clock signal to the recording head. In the example in Figure 10, a clock signal for 23 cycles is generated, but the number of cycles of the generated clock signal is variable in the settings, and the required number of cycles is determined by the number of bits of data to be transmitted to the recording head.

[0072] When the latch signal generation unit 142 receives the block trigger signal 155, it generates a latch signal and transmits the generated latch signal to the recording head.

[0073] When the block trigger signal 155 is input, the data signal generation unit 143 reads data from the RAM 136, temporarily stores the data for one time-division drive in an internal buffer, and transfers it to the recording head when the next block trigger signal 155 is input. Figure 10 shows the transfer data for the ejection group selection signal, which is 40 bits (0 to 39), and the time-division selection signal, which is 6 bits (G0 to G5). However, in 16 time-division drives, the time-division selection data from 0 to 15 can be transferred using 4 bits (G0 to G3), so G4 and G5 are unnecessary. Therefore, by assigning the pump flag signal 83 to G4 or G5 and transferring it to the recording head, it is possible to control the switching between enabling and disabling the circulation module 72.

[0074] The drive pulse generation unit 144 generates a drive pulse determined by the heat level calculation unit 170 based on the data read from the RAM 136 by the data signal generation unit 143, and transmits the generated drive pulse to the recording head.

[0075] Figure 11 is a detailed block diagram of the heat level calculation unit 170 (see Figure 8), and is a diagram illustrating the generation of drive pulses for the first heat-generating resistive element and the second heat-generating resistive element. In this specification, "first heat-generating resistive element" is another name for the aforementioned first energy generating element 14, and "second heat-generating resistive element" is another name for the aforementioned second energy generating element 24.

[0076] The data read from RAM136 is divided into ejection data indicating whether or not ink is ejected from each ejection port, and second heat-resistant element driveability data indicating whether or not all of the second heat-resistant elements are in a driveable state, and input to the heat level calculation unit 170. The ejection data is input to the first heat-resistant element counting unit 171 and the second heat-resistant element calculation unit 172, and the second heat-resistant element driveability data is input to the second heat-resistant element calculation unit 172. The first heat-resistant element counting unit 171 counts the number of first heat-resistant elements that are driven simultaneously for each size of first heat-resistant element associated with multiple sizes of ink droplets (in other words, multiple sizes of nozzles). Specifically, for example, the number of first heat-resistant elements for a large-sized nozzle is counted as 30, for a medium-sized nozzle as 20, and for a small-sized nozzle as 10.

[0077] In the second heat-generating resistance element calculation unit 172, the input output data is inverted by the inversion element 172A and logically ANDed with the second heat-generating resistance element drive feasibility data by the AND element 172B. Using the output data of the AND element 172B generated in this way, the second heat-generating resistance element count unit 172C counts the number of second heat-generating resistance elements that are driven simultaneously. In other words, when the second heat-generating resistance element drive feasibility data is input, if the input data indicates that the element can be driven, the number of first heat-generating resistance elements that are not driven becomes the number of second heat-generating resistance elements.

[0078] The heat level calculation coefficient holding unit 173 for the first heat-generating resistance element counts the first heat-generating resistance element count unit 171 and, based on the count results, holds the calculation coefficients necessary for calculating the drive pulse for each of the first heat-generating resistance elements associated with their respective sizes. Regarding the holding of calculation coefficients, since the drive pulse supplied to a single ejection heater differs depending on the size of the ejected ink droplet (in other words, the nozzle size), it is necessary to hold calculation coefficients for each size. Similarly, the heat level calculation coefficient holding unit 174 for the second heat-generating resistance element counts the second heat-generating resistance element count unit 172C and, based on the count results, holds the calculation coefficients necessary for calculating the drive pulse for the second heat-generating resistance element that is driven simultaneously. The calculation coefficients held in the heat level calculation coefficient holding unit 173 for the first heat-generating resistance element and the heat level calculation coefficient holding unit 174 for the second heat-generating resistance element may be configured to be set in advance by the user, or they may be configured to be changed afterward.

[0079] The first heat-generating resistance element calculation unit 175 performs calculations to determine the drive pulse for the first heat-generating resistance element based on the count of the first heat-generating resistance element for each size of ink droplet to be ejected and the heat level calculation coefficient for the first heat-generating resistance element for each size. Similarly, the second heat-generating resistance element calculation unit 176, when data indicating whether the second heat-generating resistance element can be driven is input, performs calculations to determine the drive pulse for the second heat-generating resistance element based on the count of the second heat-generating resistance element to be driven simultaneously and the heat level calculation coefficient for the second heat-generating resistance element.

[0080] Then, in the adder element 177, the calculation result of the first heat-generating resistance element calculation unit 175 and the calculation result of the second heat-generating resistance element calculation unit 176 are added together. By comparing this added result with the heat level table held in the heat level table holding unit 178, the heat level indicating the drive pulse to be generated is determined.

[0081] Figure 12 shows the counting of the number of second heat-generating resistors. When the output data inversion signal 182 is active (so-called asserted), the first heat-generating resistor is not driven, and when the inversion signal 182 is inactive (so-called negated), the first heat-generating resistor is driven. When both the second heat-generating resistor drive capability data and the output data inversion signal 182 are asserted, the second heat-generating resistor drive data 183 is generated, and the number of driven second heat-generating resistors at this time is counted.

[0082] The following describes, as an example, a case where the number of ejection modules 71 and circulation modules 72 on the recording element substrate are each 100, and the size of the ejected ink droplets (in other words, the nozzle size) is one type. In this case, the heat level calculation coefficient for one ejection heater RhA is 2K, and the heat level calculation coefficient for one circulation heater RhB is K.

[0083] Assume that the number of discharge modules 71 driven at a certain time is 70. If no data on whether the second heat-generating resistor element can be driven is input, the calculation result (K value) by the first heat-generating resistor element calculation unit 175 will be 2K * 70 = 140K.

[0084] In contrast, if the input data indicating the driveability of the second heat-generating resistor element indicates that it can be driven, the calculation result (K value) by the first heat-generating resistor element calculation unit 175 will be 2K*70=140K, and the calculation result (K value) by the second heat-generating resistor element calculation unit 176 will be K*(100-70)=30K. The calculation result calculated by the first heat-generating resistor element calculation unit 175 and the calculation result calculated by the second heat-generating resistor element calculation unit 176 are added together by the adder element 177. In other words, in the above example, the calculation result when the driveability data for the second heat-generating resistor element is input will be 140K+30K=170K. This calculated calculation result is compared with the heat level table held in the heat level table holding unit 178 to derive the heat level value (specifically, for example, heat level 4) corresponding to the calculation result 170K. This makes it possible to determine the drive pulse required for simultaneous driving of the first heat-generating resistor element and the second heat-generating resistor element. Therefore, the subsequent drive pulse generation unit 144 can generate appropriate drive pulses and supply the generated drive pulses to the recording head, thereby preventing ink ejection failures. The heat level table held in the heat level table holding unit 178 describes the correspondence between the K value that can be obtained as a calculation result and the heat level value.

[0085] This explanation describes the case where the ejection module 71 ejects only one size of ink droplet, but a recording head that ejects multiple ink droplet sizes is also possible. In this case, the number of drives of the first heating resistor element is counted according to each size. Then, based on the count result, a calculation is performed to determine the drive pulse using calculation coefficients for each ink droplet size ejected by the simultaneously driven first heating resistor elements, thereby achieving a similar effect. The following describes this series of steps using Figure 13.

[0086] In S1302, the heat level calculation unit 170 determines whether the data for driving the second heat-generating resistor element has been asserted. If the result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1304; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1310.

[0087] In S1304, the number of first heat-generating resistance elements and the number of second heat-generating resistance elements for each size of ink droplet being ejected are counted. Specifically, the first heat-generating resistance element counting unit 171 counts the number of first heat-generating resistance elements for each size of ink droplet being ejected based on the ejection data. The second heat-generating resistance element counting unit 172C counts the number of second heat-generating resistance elements based on the ejection data and the data indicating whether the second heat-generating resistance elements can be driven.

[0088] In S1306, the K value for the first heat-generating resistor and the K value for the second heat-generating resistor are calculated. The specific calculation process is as follows: The first heat-generating resistor calculation unit 175 calculates the K value for the first heat-generating resistor based on the count value of the number of first heat-generating resistors for each size obtained in S1304 and the calculation coefficient for each size held in the heat level calculation coefficient holding unit 173 for the first heat-generating resistor. The second heat-generating resistor calculation unit 176 calculates the K value for the second heat-generating resistor based on the count value of the number of second heat-generating resistors obtained in S1304 and the calculation coefficient held in the heat level calculation coefficient holding unit 174 for the second heat-generating resistor.

[0089] In S1308, the adder 177 adds the calculation result of the first heat-generating resistance element calculation unit 175 (K value for the first heat-generating resistance element) obtained in S1306 and the calculation result of the second heat-generating resistance element calculation unit 176 (K value for the second heat-generating resistance element) obtained in S1306.

[0090] In S1310, the first heat-generating resistance element counting unit 171 counts the number of first heat-generating resistance elements for each size of ink droplet to be ejected, based on the ejection data.

[0091] In S1312, the first heat-generating resistance element calculation unit 175 calculates the K value for the first heat-generating resistance element based on the count value for each size obtained in S1310 and the calculation coefficient for each size held in the heat level calculation coefficient holding unit 173 for the first heat-generating resistance element.

[0092] In S1314, the heat level calculation unit 170 compares the calculation result (K value) calculated in S1308 or S1312 with the heat level value described as a table value in the heat level table held in the heat level table holding unit 178. Then, it derives the heat level value corresponding to the K value.

[0093] In S1316, the drive pulse generation unit 144 generates a drive pulse corresponding to the heat level value derived in S1314 and transmits the generated drive pulse to the recording head.

[0094] According to the process described above, even with a recording head that ejects ink droplets of multiple sizes, it becomes possible to apply appropriate drive pulses that take into account the driving of the second heat-generating resistance element.

[0095] [Other embodiments] This disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0096] [Technical Features of This Disclosure] This disclosure includes the following components:

[0097] (Configuration 1) A recording device comprising: a recording head having a plurality of first heat-generating resistive elements that generate energy for discharging liquid from a plurality of discharge ports, and a plurality of second heat-generating resistive elements that generate energy for generating the flow of the liquid in a flow path; a control means for controlling the recording head based on discharge data indicating whether each of the plurality of discharge ports is discharged or not, and driveability data indicating whether the plurality of second heat-generating resistive elements can be driven, the control means comprising: a heat level calculation means for deriving a heat level based on the discharge data and the driveability data; and a drive pulse generation means for generating a drive pulse corresponding to the derived heat level, wherein the control means drives the second heat-generating resistive element corresponding to each of the plurality of discharge ports when the discharge data for each of the plurality of discharge ports indicates not to discharge and the driveability data indicates that it can be driven, the recording device comprising: a heat level calculation means for calculating the number of second heat-generating resistive elements to be driven simultaneously based on the discharge data and the driveability data. (Configuration 2) The recording device according to Configuration 1, wherein the heat level calculation means further comprises a first counting means for counting the number of first heating resistance elements that are driven simultaneously based on the discharge data. (Configuration 3) The recording device according to Configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the calculation means comprises an inversion element for inverting the discharge data, an AND element for taking the logical AND of the discharge data inverted by the inversion element and the drive feasibility data, and a second counting means for counting the number of second heating resistor elements that are driven simultaneously using the output data of the AND element. (Configuration 4) The recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the heat level calculation means further comprises a first coefficient holding means for which a first coefficient for the first heat-generating resistance element is held, and the first coefficient is a coefficient for each size of the ejected droplet. (Configuration 5) The recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, wherein the heat level calculation means further comprises a first calculation means for calculating a K value for the first heat-generating resistance element based on a first count number for the first heat-generating resistance element according to the size of the ejected droplets, which is obtained by the first count means, and the first coefficient held in the first coefficient holding means. (Configuration 6) The recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, wherein the heat level calculation means further comprises a second coefficient holding means for which a second coefficient for the second heat-generating resistance element is held. (Configuration 7) A recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6, characterized in that the first coefficient held in the first coefficient holding means and the second coefficient held in the second coefficient holding means can be set by the user. (Configuration 8) The recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 7, wherein the heat level calculation means further comprises a second calculation means for calculating a K value for the second heat-generating resistance element based on a second count number for the second heat-generating resistance element obtained by the calculation means and the second coefficient held in the second coefficient holding means. (Configuration 9) The recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 8, characterized in that the heat level calculation means further includes an adder that adds the K value for the first heat-generating resistance element calculated by the first calculation means and the K value for the second heat-generating resistance element calculated by the second calculation means. (Configuration 10) A recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 9, further comprising a heat level table holding means that holds a heat level table describing the correspondence between K values ​​and heat level values. (Configuration 11) The recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 10, characterized in that the heat level calculation means derives a heat level value corresponding to the K value by comparing the K value as the output of the adder element with the heat level value described in the heat level table. (Configuration 12) A recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 11, characterized in that each of the plurality of discharge ports is provided with each of the plurality of first heat-generating resistance elements, and each of the plurality of second heat-generating resistance elements is provided with each of the plurality of first heat-generating resistance elements. (Configuration 13) The recording device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 12, characterized in that the liquid is ink. (Control Method) A control method for a recording device comprising: a recording head having a plurality of first heat-generating resistive elements that generate energy for discharging liquid from a plurality of discharge ports, and a plurality of second heat-generating resistive elements that generate energy for generating the flow of the liquid in a flow path; a control means for controlling the recording head based on discharge data indicating whether each of the plurality of discharge ports is discharged or not, and driveability data indicating whether the plurality of second heat-generating resistive elements are driveable, the control means comprising: a heat level calculation means for deriving a heat level based on the discharge data and the driveability data; and a drive pulse generation means for generating a drive pulse corresponding to the derived heat level, wherein the control means drives the second heat-generating resistive element corresponding to each of the plurality of discharge ports when the discharge data for each of the plurality of discharge ports indicates not to discharge and the driveability data indicates driveable, the control method characterized in that the heat level calculation means has a step of calculating the number of second heat-generating resistive elements to be driven simultaneously based on the discharge data and the driveability data. (Program) A program for causing a computer to execute the control method for a recording device, which includes: a recording head having a plurality of first heat-generating resistive elements that generate energy for discharging liquid from a plurality of outlets, and a plurality of second heat-generating resistive elements that generate energy for generating the flow of the liquid in a flow path; a control means for controlling the recording head based on discharge data indicating whether each of the plurality of outlets is discharged or not, and driveability data indicating whether the plurality of second heat-generating resistive elements are driveable, the control means comprising: a heat level calculation means for deriving a heat level based on the discharge data and the driveability data; and a drive pulse generation means for generating a drive pulse corresponding to the derived heat level, wherein the control means drives the second heat-generating resistive element corresponding to each of the plurality of outlets when the discharge data for each of the plurality of outlets indicates not to discharge and the driveability data indicates driveable, the heat level calculation means having a step of calculating the number of second heat-generating resistive elements to be driven simultaneously based on the discharge data and the driveability data. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0098] 14. First energy generating element 24 Second energy generation element 140 Recording head control unit 144 Drive pulse generation unit 170 Heat level calculation unit 172 Second Heating Resistance Element Calculation Unit

Claims

1. A recording head having a plurality of first heat-generating resistive elements that generate energy to discharge liquid from a plurality of outlets, and a plurality of second heat-generating resistive elements that generate energy to generate the flow of the liquid in a flow path, Control means for controlling the recording head based on discharge data indicating whether each of the plurality of discharge ports is discharged or not, and driveability data indicating whether each of the plurality of second heat-generating resistance elements is driveable, comprising: heat level calculation means for deriving a heat level based on the discharge data and the driveability data; and drive pulse generation means for generating a drive pulse corresponding to the derived heat level, wherein the control means drives the second heat-generating resistance element corresponding to each of the plurality of discharge ports when the discharge data for each of the plurality of discharge ports indicates not discharged and the driveability data indicates driveable, A recording device having, The heat level calculation means includes a calculation means for calculating the number of second heat-generating resistance elements that are driven simultaneously, based on the discharge data and the drive feasibility data. The recording device characterized by the above.

2. The heat level calculation means further includes a first counting means for counting the number of first heat-generating resistance elements that are driven simultaneously based on the discharge data. The recording device according to feature 1.

3. The calculation means includes an inversion element for inverting the discharge data, an AND element for taking the logical AND of the discharge data inverted by the inversion element and the drive feasibility data, and a second counting means for counting the number of second heating resistor elements that are driven simultaneously using the output data of the AND element. The recording device according to feature 2.

4. The heat level calculation means further includes a first coefficient holding means for which a first coefficient for the first heat-generating resistance element is held, The first coefficient is a coefficient for each size of the liquid droplet to be discharged. The recording device according to feature 3.

5. The heat level calculation means further includes a first calculation means that calculates a K value for the first heat-generating resistance element based on a first count number for the first heat-generating resistance element according to the size of the ejected droplet, obtained by the first count means, and the first coefficient held in the first coefficient holding means. The recording device according to feature 4.

6. The heat level calculation means further includes a second coefficient holding means for which a second coefficient for the second heat-generating resistance element is held. The recording device according to feature 5.

7. The first coefficient held in the first coefficient holding means and the second coefficient held in the second coefficient holding means are settable by the user. The recording device according to feature 6.

8. The heat level calculation means further includes a second calculation means that calculates a K value for the second heat-generating resistance element based on a second count number for the second heat-generating resistance element obtained by the calculation means and the second coefficient held in the second coefficient holding means. The recording device according to feature 7.

9. The heat level calculation means further includes an adder that adds the K value for the first heat-generating resistance element calculated by the first calculation means and the K value for the second heat-generating resistance element calculated by the second calculation means. The recording device according to feature 8.

10. The system further includes a heat level table holding means that holds a heat level table describing the correspondence between K values ​​and heat level values. The recording device according to feature 9.

11. The heat level calculation means derives a heat level value corresponding to the K value by comparing the K value as the output of the adder element with the heat level value described in the heat level table. The recording device according to feature 10.

12. Each of the plurality of discharge ports is provided with each of the plurality of first heating resistance elements. Each of the plurality of first heat-generating resistors is provided with each of the plurality of second heat-generating resistors. A recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by the features described herein.

13. The liquid is ink. The recording device according to feature 12.

14. A recording head having a plurality of first heat-generating resistive elements that generate energy to discharge liquid from a plurality of outlets, and a plurality of second heat-generating resistive elements that generate energy to generate the flow of the liquid in a flow path, Control means for controlling the recording head based on discharge data indicating whether each of the plurality of discharge ports is discharged or not, and driveability data indicating whether each of the plurality of second heat-generating resistance elements is driveable, comprising: heat level calculation means for deriving a heat level based on the discharge data and the driveability data; and drive pulse generation means for generating a drive pulse corresponding to the derived heat level, wherein the control means drives the second heat-generating resistance element corresponding to each of the plurality of discharge ports when the discharge data for each of the plurality of discharge ports indicates not discharged and the driveability data indicates driveable, A control method for a recording device having, The heat level calculation means includes the step of calculating the number of second heat-generating resistance elements to be driven simultaneously based on the discharge data and the drive feasibility data. The control method characterized by the above.

15. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method described in claim 14.

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