system

Abstract

Providing a system with improved detection accuracy for defective discharge ports. [Solution] A system comprising an image forming apparatus equipped with a recording head having a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink onto a recording medium, an imaging means for capturing a pattern for identifying a defective ejection port recorded on the recording medium, a filtering means for filtering the pattern captured by the imaging means, a storage unit for storing information of the recording head, a setting means for setting the range of analysis for the presence or absence of pixels based on the information of the recording head in the storage unit in the data to be analyzed extracted by the filtering means, a determination means for determining the presence or absence of pixels within the analysis range, and a transmission unit for transmitting the location of the defective ejection port to the image forming apparatus based on the determination result of the determination means.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system.

Background Art

[0002] In an inkjet recording apparatus, it is important to keep the state of the ejection ports of a recording head that ejects ink normal. However, due to the adhesion of paper dust, dust, ink droplets, etc. to the vicinity of the ejection ports, manufacturing errors of the ejection ports, etc., the state of the ejection ports may become defective and affect the ejection. If a defective ejection port is not correctly detected during recording, it will lead to a deterioration in image quality. Therefore, conventionally, as a method for detecting a defective ejection port, there is a method of recording and analyzing a defect detection pattern (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technique described in Patent Document 1, although it is possible to identify that there is a defective ejection port, depending on the output result of the defect detection pattern, it may be difficult to identify which ejection port is the defective ejection port, and there may also be cases of false detection.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a system with improved detection accuracy for defective ejection ports.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The above objective is achieved by the present invention as described below. Specifically, the system according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: an image forming apparatus equipped with a recording head having a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink onto a recording medium; an imaging means for imaging a pattern that identifies a defective ejection port recorded on the recording medium; a filtering means for filtering the pattern imaged by the imaging means; a storage unit for storing information of the recording head; a setting means for setting the range of analysis for the presence or absence of pixels based on the information of the recording head in the storage unit in the data to be analyzed extracted by the filtering means; a determination means for determining the presence or absence of pixels within the range of analysis; and a transmission unit for transmitting the location of the defective ejection port to the image forming apparatus based on the determination result of the determination means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a system that improves the accuracy of detecting defective discharge ports. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing the entire system of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram showing the external configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] A schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment, viewed from above. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of a fault detection pattern for the discharge port. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of a defective discharge port. [Figure 6] Flowchart for detecting defects in the discharge port in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of a pattern for identifying defects in the discharge port in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] A diagram showing an example of a pattern for identifying defects in the discharge port in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] A figure showing an example of determining the setting range for pixel detection in the first embodiment. [Figure 10]A diagram showing an example of a method for determining defects in the discharge port in the first embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to preferred embodiments.

[0010] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire system of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the inkjet recording device is shown as having only a recording function, but it is not limited to this. For example, the inkjet recording device may also function as a copier by further including a reading unit to read an image on the original, or as a multi-function device (MFP: Multi-Function Peripheral) with other functions added. The terminal device may be a personal computer (PC), smartphone, or tablet terminal.

[0011] In Figure 1, terminal device 1 comprises a program ROM 10, RAM 11, a wireless communication module 12, a CPU 13, a host I / F 14, an LCD 15, a battery 16, and a camera 17. These are connected by a system bus 18, enabling data transmission and reception between each component. The program ROM 10 stores programs for controlling the operation of the CPU 13, managing data for each module (including structural information of the recording head), and controlling the installed applications. The RAM 11 is used as the work area for the CPU 13. Programs stored in the program ROM 10 are loaded into the RAM 11 and executed by the CPU 13. The wireless communication module 12 is a module that controls wireless communication with the image forming apparatus 100. The CPU 13 is a central processing unit in the form of a microprocessor (microcomputer), and controls the operation of the entire terminal device 1 by executing programs and starting hardware.

[0012] The host I / F 14 receives various data from the host computer 190 via stream communication, and the supplied data is stored in the RAM 11. The connection method with the terminal device 1 is not limited to via the network 191; for example, it may be directly connected via wireless communication. The LCD 15 is a display unit that displays the startup screen and image data of each application, and preferably has a touch panel that accepts touch operations by the user. The battery 16 supplies power to a power supply circuit (not shown) built into the terminal device 1, and supplies power to each hardware via this power supply circuit. Alternatively, an external power supply such as a commercial power supply or an auxiliary battery may be provided instead of the battery 16. A configuration in which an external power supply or auxiliary battery is provided in conjunction with the battery 16 is also possible. The camera 17 captures an image of a subject formed through an optical lens (not shown) using an image sensor. The captured data is stored in a non-volatile external memory (not shown) via the RAM 11. It is also possible to display the captured data on the LCD 15.

[0013] The image forming apparatus 100 can be connected to the host computer 190 via a network 191. The image forming apparatus 100 has an input / output interface 122, a ROM interface 125, a memory controller 126, a host interface 127, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 128, and an image processing unit 130. These are connected via a system bus 132. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 100 has a Flash ROM 123 and a RAM 124, which are connected to the system bus 132 via the ROM interface 125 and the memory controller 126, respectively.

[0014] The CPU 128 is a central processing unit in the form of a microprocessor (microcomputer), and controls the operation of the entire image forming apparatus 100 by executing programs and starting up hardware. The Flash ROM 123 stores programs for the CPU 128 to execute and various data necessary for various operations of the image processing unit 130. The RAM 124 is used as a work area for the CPU 128, as a temporary storage area for various received data, and to store various setting data.

[0015] The image processing unit 130 performs various image processes. For example, it performs processes such as expanding (converting) recording data (e.g., data represented in a page description language) handled by the image forming apparatus 100 into image data (bitmap image data) and other image processes. Also, the image processing unit 130 converts the color space (e.g., YCbCr) of the image data included in the input recording data into a standard RGB color space (e.g., sRGB). Further, the image processing unit 130 performs various image processes on the image data as necessary, such as syntax analysis, resolution conversion to an effective number of pixels (that can be record-processed by the image forming apparatus 100), image analysis, and image correction. The image data obtained by the image process is stored in the RAM 124.

[0016] The image forming apparatus 100 includes a recording head 151, a cutter motor 162, a conveyance motor 163, a maintenance motor 164, a carriage motor 165, and various sensors 171. Each part is connected to the system bus 132 via a head I / F 152, a motor driver 161, or a sensor I / F 172.

[0017] The recording head 151 is controlled by the CPU 128 via the head I / F 152, and records an image on a sheet based on the image data. The recording head 151 discharges ink in synchronization with the conveyance of the recording paper and the carriage operation of the recording head 151 to form an image on the recording paper.

[0018] The cutter motor 162 is a motor for driving a cutter that cuts a recording medium used as the recording medium in the present embodiment, and is controlled by the CPU 128 via the motor driver 161. By driving the cutter motor 162 in cutting the recording medium, the recording medium after image recording is cut to a predetermined length.

[0019] The conveyance motor 163 is a motor for driving a conveyance roller that conveys the recording medium, and is controlled by the CPU 128 via the motor driver 161. During the maintenance operation of the recording head 151, the operation of the maintenance unit is switched by driving the conveyance motor 163. The maintenance motor 164 is a motor used during the maintenance operation of the recording head 151, and is controlled by the CPU 128 via the motor driver 161. The carriage motor 165 is a motor for driving the carriage of the recording head 151, and is controlled by the CPU 128 via the motor driver 161. The paper feed motor 166 is a motor for rotating the recording medium tube and conveying the recording medium in cooperation with the conveyance motor 163, and is controlled by the CPU 128 via the motor driver 161. By driving the paper feed motor 166 to rotate the recording medium tube in the reverse direction, the recording medium on the conveyance roller can also be wound back to the recording medium tube side. By the CPU 128 acquiring sensor signals from the various sensors 171 via the sensor I / F 172, the conveyance state of the recording medium, the carriage position of the recording head, etc. can be detected.

[0020] The input / output unit 121 includes hard keys, panels, etc. for the user to perform various operations such as recording settings, and a display unit for displaying (notifying) various information to the user. Here, the recording settings include the setting of enabling / disabling manual cutting described later. The input / output unit 121 is controlled by the CPU 128 via the input / output unit I / F 122. Also, the input / output unit 121 may display information to the user by outputting sound (such as a buzzer, voice, etc.) based on the acoustic information from the sound generator.

[0021] In this embodiment, the input / output unit 121 is located inside the image forming apparatus 100, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, it may be connected as an external component via a network 191. The host computer 190 may also function as the input / output unit 121. In addition to the input / output unit 121, the image forming apparatus may be further connected to other input / output units via a network 191 or the like.

[0022] The host computer 190 is, for example, an external device that serves as a source of recording data, and may have a printer driver installed. The image forming apparatus 100 may be equipped with a data supply device that serves as a source of recording data, such as an image reader, digital camera, or smartphone, instead of the host computer 190. The host I / F 127 receives recording data from the host computer 190 via stream communication, and the supplied recording data is stored in the RAM 124 via the memory controller 126. The connection method between each device and the image forming apparatus 100 is not limited to via the network 191, but may also be directly connected via wireless communication, for example.

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. Figure 2(a) shows the paper feeding operation of the recording medium, and Figure 2(b) shows the paper discharge operation of the recording medium. The image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment is equipped only with a transport path for the recording medium, but it may also be equipped with transport paths for both the recording medium and cut paper, enabling the feeding and discharge of both the recording medium and cut paper. In the operation shown in Figure 2(a), the recording medium 202 is transported from the recording medium tube 201 along the transport path by the rotation of the recording medium tube 201 driven by the paper feeding motor 166 and the rotation of the transport roller 204 driven by the transport motor 163. The recording medium is then fed to a position facing the carriage 203 equipped with the recording head 151. The recording head 151 records an image by ejecting ink onto the recording medium 202 that has been delivered by the transport roller 204. In the operation shown in Figure 2(b), the cutter unit 206 is operated by the cutter motor 162 to cut the recording medium after recording is complete. The paper on which the image is recorded is then ejected from the paper output slot 205.

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, viewed from the top surface of the recording medium. The carriage motor 165 drives the carriage 203, on which the recording head 151 is mounted, to reciprocate along the carriage transport path 303 along the recording guide. The transport motor 163 drives the transport rollers 204 to transport the recording medium 202. Recording is performed on the recording medium 202 by the combination of the reciprocating movement of the carriage 203 and the transport of the recording medium 202. Then, the cutter unit 206, located downstream of the recording medium 202 transport path, is operated to cut the recording medium 202 after recording is complete.

[0025] The maintenance operation of the recording head 151 is performed by moving the carriage 203 to a position opposite the maintenance unit 207 and operating the maintenance unit 207. When the transport motor 163 is driven, a gear 304 that contacts the maintenance unit 207 is rotated via the transport roller 204. The operation of the maintenance unit 207 can be switched via the gear 304 by driving the transport motor 163. The maintenance unit 207 is also equipped with a cap 302.

[0026] Figure 4 shows an example of a pattern for identifying a faulty ejection port in an image forming apparatus. In this embodiment, the ejection port rows of the recording head 151 are assigned one row for each ink (Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), BK1 (black 1), BK2 (black 2)) from left to right. In this embodiment, a total of five colors are used for explanation, but the number of colors is not limited to this. The lower side of Figure 4 (the side with smaller numbers) is defined as the "upstream side of the ejection port," and the upper side of Figure 4 (the side with larger numbers) is defined as the "downstream side of the ejection port." The recording head 151 records an image by ejecting ink onto the recording medium 202 which is sent out by the transport roller 204. Specifically, when ink is ejected from the multiple ejection ports assigned from the upstream side of the ejection port, the arrangement is calculated so that each ink lands in a position where it does not interfere with each other, and an image is recorded on the recording medium 202.

[0027] Figure 5 shows a diagram illustrating the occurrence of a defective ink nozzle. For illustrative purposes, Figure 5 is a magnified view focusing on the BK2 ink nozzle of the recording head 151. If ink is not ejected from the nozzle, or if foreign matter such as paper dust adheres to the nozzle, the nozzle may become clogged. When the nozzle becomes clogged, ejection failure occurs. In addition, manufacturing tolerances of the nozzle can cause deviations in the landing position of the ejected ink. Here, "ejection failure" refers to, for example, when ink is not ejected from the nozzle at the time it should be ejected, or when the predetermined amount of ink is not ejected to the correct position. If ejection failure occurs during recording, dots may be missed, or the amount of ink ejected may be insufficient, resulting in a faint appearance. In other words, an ink nozzle where such ejection failure occurs is a defective nozzle.

[0028] In Figure 5, each grid cell corresponds to a "pixel" (a hypothetical unit area defined on the carriage 203), and dots of a predetermined size are formed in all images. However, no liquid is discharged from discharge port #i, and discharge port #j is positioned further downstream than the other discharge ports. In other words, discharge ports #i and #j correspond to defective discharge ports.

[0029] In this embodiment, one ejection port is assigned to each color in a row of pixels (pixel row). That is, in a pixel row to which a defective ejection port is assigned, phenomena such as non-ejection, dot misalignment, and reduced dot diameter occur in all pixels, as shown in Figure 5(a). As a result, as shown in Figure 5(b), the pixel row to which the defective ejection port is assigned appears as streaks in the image.

[0030] Figure 6 is a flowchart for detecting defects in the ejection port. This process is initiated, for example, when the user operates the input / output unit 121 of the image forming apparatus 100 and selects the defective ejection port identification pattern recording menu 701 from the maintenance menu list 700 shown in Figure 7(a). In S61, the CPU 128 executes the program stored in the FlashROM 123 and records the defective ejection port identification pattern 702 shown in Figure 7(b) onto the recording medium 202. After that, the user performs the defective ejection port analysis process (S62). After that, the ejection port defect detection is terminated.

[0031] The defective ejection port analysis process performed in S62 will be explained using Figure 6(b). First, the user operates the LCD 15 of the terminal device 1, and the activated camera 17 captures an image of the defective ejection port identification pattern 702 recorded in S61 on the recording medium 202, and the CPU 13 stores the captured data in RAM 11 (S601). Next, the CPU 13 acquires information about the recording head of the image forming apparatus to be analyzed (for example, the length of the ejection port, the pitch information between ejection ports, the arrangement and order of each color) stored in the program ROM 10 and stores it in RAM 11 (S602). Then, the CPU 13 executes the color filter program that has been loaded from the program ROM 10 into RAM 11 (S603). Details about the color filter will be described later. RAM 11 also functions as a storage unit for recording head information.

[0032] After the color filter program is executed, the CPU 13 stores the vertical (carriage direction) analysis size X (number of pixels) of the pixel determination area based on the recording head information stored in RAM 11 in S602 (S604). Next, the CPU 13 stores the horizontal (carriage movement direction) analysis size Y (number of pixels) of the pixel determination area based on the recording head information stored in RAM 11 in S602 (S605). Then, the CPU 13 identifies the end positions of the analysis in the X and Y directions from the image area of ​​the captured data stored in RAM 11 and the analysis sizes set in S604 and S605, and stores them in RAM 11 (S606). Proceeding to S607, the CPU 13 sets the coordinate information of the analysis positions in the X and Y directions to the (0,0) position. Next, the CPU 13 determines whether the coordinates of the analysis position in the X direction exceed the end position of the analysis in the X direction (S608). In S608, if CPU 13 determines that the analysis end position has been exceeded, the process proceeds to S609. If CPU 13 determines that the analysis end position has not been exceeded, the process proceeds to S611.

[0033] In S609, the CPU 13 determines from the recording head information stored in RAM 11 whether the analysis of faulty ejection ports for each color of the recording head is complete. If it is complete, the process proceeds to S610. On the other hand, if the CPU 13 determines in S609 that the analysis of faulty ejection ports is not complete, the process proceeds to S616.

[0034] In S610, the CPU 13 uses the wireless communication module 12, which acts as the transmitter, to provide feedback (transmit) to the image forming apparatus 100, and the CPU 128 stores the feedback information about the defective ejection port in the Flash ROM 123. Then, the defective ejection port analysis process is terminated.

[0035] In S611, the CPU 13 determines whether the coordinates of the analysis position in the Y direction exceed the analysis end position in the Y direction. If it determines that it exceeds the analysis end position, it proceeds to S612. On the other hand, if the CPU 13 determines in S611 that it does not exceed the analysis end position, it proceeds to S614. In S612, the CPU 13 initializes the analysis position in the Y direction to 0. Then, the CPU 13 slides the position in the X direction to the position of analysis size X stored in RAM 11 (S613). After that, it returns to S608 again.

[0036] In S614, the CPU 13 performs nozzle defect detection processing. Then, in S615, the CPU 13 slides the Y-direction position using the analysis size Y position stored in RAM 11, and returns to S611. Here, sliding the analysis size X(Y) position means incrementing the X(Y) coordinate information by 1. In S616, the CPU 13 determines the next color (ejector) to analyze from the recording head information stored in RAM 11, and returns to S603.

[0037] Based on the above analysis, it becomes possible to perform non-ejection interpolation, which interpolates ejection at the corresponding ejection port in the other ejection port rows of each recording head, using nozzle failure information from FlashROM123, and to prompt the input / output unit 121 to perform cleaning.

[0038] Figure 7 shows a diagram relating to the identification pattern of a defective discharge port. Figure 7(a) is a user-operable maintenance menu on the input / output unit 121 of the image forming apparatus 100, which serves as a trigger for recording the identification pattern of a defective discharge port, and Figure 7(b) is an example of the identification pattern of a defective discharge port.

[0039] As mentioned above, when the user selects the defective ejection port identification pattern recording menu 701 from the maintenance menu shown in Figure 7(a), the image in Figure 7(b) is recorded on the recording medium 202. In Figure 7(b), 703 to 707 show the arrangement position images of the defective ejection port identification pattern, and in this embodiment, four colors (Y, M, C, BK) are shown. Specifically, these are the arrangement position image 703 for BK (first row), 704 for C, 705 for M, 706 for Y, and 707 for BK (second row). Depending on the arrangement and length of the ejection port of the recording head, the paper length may increase. Therefore, in this embodiment, paper can be saved by making the pattern stepped. Alternatively, the arrangement may be changed to place separate areas for each color.

[0040] The color filter in S603 will be explained using Figure 8. For the purpose of this explanation, we will focus on the two colors cyan and magenta in the black (first row) placement position image. Figure 8(a) is an image in which the two-color data is arranged in a staircase pattern, and Figure 8(b) is an image of the color filter. The placement position image 802 of Color1 and the placement position image 803 of Color2 are decomposed based on the information of the recording head of the image forming apparatus being analyzed in S602, and data other than the color being analyzed is filtered out. This color filter makes it possible to extract data suitable for defective ejection ports. Note that Figure 8 shows an example in which one color is filtered, but the color to be filtered can be selected as appropriate.

[0041] Figure 9 shows an example of determining the setting range for pixel detection in this embodiment. In Figure 9(a), the data is positioned from the left edge and is shown macroscopically in the carriage movement direction and the recording medium transport direction. The vertical X direction set in S604 is the transport direction, and the horizontal Y direction set in S605 is the carriage movement direction. Furthermore, the X direction is assigned numbers #1 to #N, and the Y direction is assigned numbers #1 to #M. The filled areas are where pixels are located.

[0042] As shown in Figure 9(b), in this embodiment, the range for pixel detection (the grid used in the analysis algorithm) is set to a 3x3 grid. This means that if a pixel is located within this grid, it will not be determined to be a defective ejection port.

[0043] Next, the method for determining defective discharge ports performed in S614 will be explained using Figure 10. As mentioned above, in analysis data 1001 to 1003, the image is contained within the grid. Therefore, it is not determined to be a defective discharge port. In analysis data 1004, there are no pixels at all within the grid, so it is determined to be a defective discharge port due to a discharge failure. In addition, in analysis data 1005, the pixels are encroaching on the adjacent grid. Therefore, the presence or absence of pixels in the nearby grid area that is encroaching is determined again to identify a discharge port with a faulty installation. By identifying defective discharge ports in this way, it is possible to accurately identify discharge ports with misalignment due to discharge port distortion or discharge ports that do not discharge.

[0044] Furthermore, while Patent Document 1 mentioned above requires recording patterns for secondary color combinations, in this embodiment, a pattern integrating each color pattern is recorded and separated by a color filter to determine defective ejection ports. Therefore, the number of recordings can be reduced. Moreover, the number of recordings can be further reduced by shifting the recording position of the staircase pattern.

[0045] <Second Embodiment> In this embodiment, we will explain the case where there is a defect in the captured pattern during the defective nozzle detection process shown in Figure 10. For example, if there is a recording defect in the area #M#1 to #M#N in Figure 9(a), in other words, if there is a defect in the pattern that makes analysis impossible, the CPU 13 uses the wireless communication module 12 to provide feedback to the image forming apparatus 100. Subsequently, the CPU 128 displays a message on the input / output unit 121 prompting the user to re-record the pattern. By operating the input / output unit 121, the flow of detecting defective nozzles restarts from S61. Here, the pattern to be re-recorded does not have to be the same as the defective nozzle identification pattern 702 shown in Figure 7(b). For example, it may be a pattern excluding the area that has already been analyzed.

[0046] (Other embodiments) Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized 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 realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0047] This embodiment includes the following configuration.

[0048] (Composition 1) An image forming apparatus equipped with a recording head having multiple ejection ports for ejecting ink onto a recording medium, and An imaging means for capturing an image of a pattern that identifies a defective ejection port recorded on the recording medium, A filter means for filtering the pattern captured by the imaging means, A storage unit for storing information of the recording head, In the data to be analyzed extracted by the filtering means, a setting means sets the range of analysis for the presence or absence of pixels based on the information of the recording head of the storage unit, Within the scope of the analysis, a determination means for determining the presence or absence of pixels, A system characterized by having a terminal device comprising a transmission unit that transmits the location of a defective discharge port to the image forming apparatus based on the determination result of the determination means.

[0049] (Configuration 2) The system according to configuration 1, wherein the filtering means filters the color of the pattern captured by the imaging means.

[0050] (Composition 3) The system according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the arrangement of pixels in the pattern for identifying the defective ejection port is changed based on information from the recording head.

[0051] (Composition 4) The system according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein, in the determination means, when it is determined that there are no pixels, the determination means re-determines the area within the range of analysis where it was determined that there are no pixels.

[0052] (Composition 5) An image forming apparatus equipped with a recording head having multiple ejection ports for ejecting ink onto a recording medium, and A reading means for reading a pattern that identifies a defective ejection port recorded on the recording medium, A filtering means for filtering the pattern read by the reading means, A storage unit for storing information of the recording head, In the data to be analyzed extracted by the filtering means, a setting means sets the range of analysis for the presence or absence of pixels based on the information of the recording head of the storage unit, Within the scope of the analysis, a determination means for determining the presence or absence of pixels, A system characterized by having a terminal device comprising a transmission unit that transmits the location of a defective discharge port to the image forming apparatus based on the determination result of the determination means.

[0053] (Composition 6) The system according to configuration 5, wherein the filtering means filters the color of the pattern read by the reading means.

[0054] (Composition 7) The system according to configuration 5 or 6, wherein the arrangement of pixels in the pattern for identifying the defective ejection port is changed based on information from the recording head.

[0055] (Composition 8) The system according to any one of the configurations 5 to 7, wherein, in the determination means, when it is determined that there are no pixels, the determination means re-determines the area within the range of the analysis where it was determined that there are no pixels.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus equipped with a recording head having multiple ejection ports for ejecting ink onto a recording medium, and An imaging means for capturing an image of a pattern that identifies a defective ejection port recorded on the recording medium, A filter means for filtering the pattern captured by the imaging means, A storage unit for storing information of the recording head, In the data to be analyzed extracted by the filtering means, a setting means sets the range of analysis for the presence or absence of pixels based on the information of the recording head of the storage unit, Within the scope of the analysis, a determination means for determining the presence or absence of pixels, A system characterized by having a terminal device comprising a transmission unit that transmits the location of a defective discharge port to the image forming apparatus based on the determination result of the determination means.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the filtering means filters the color of the pattern captured by the imaging means.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement of pixels in the pattern for identifying the defective ejection port is changed based on information from the recording head.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein, in the determination means, if it is determined that there are no pixels, the determination means re-determines the area within the range of analysis where it was determined that there are no pixels.

5. An image forming apparatus equipped with a recording head having multiple ejection ports for ejecting ink onto a recording medium, and A reading means for reading a pattern that identifies a defective ejection port recorded on the recording medium, A filtering means for filtering the pattern read by the reading means, A storage unit for storing information of the recording head, In the data to be analyzed extracted by the filtering means, a setting means sets the range of analysis for the presence or absence of pixels based on the information of the recording head of the storage unit, Within the scope of the analysis, a determination means for determining the presence or absence of pixels, A system characterized by having a terminal device comprising a transmission unit that transmits the location of a defective discharge port to the image forming apparatus based on the determination result of the determination means.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the filtering means filters the color of the pattern read by the reading means.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the arrangement of pixels in the pattern for identifying the defective ejection port is changed based on information from the recording head.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein, in the determination means, if it is determined that there are no pixels, the determination means re-determines the area within the range of analysis where it was determined that there are no pixels.

Images