Scanner and printing device production method

Abstract

To produce a printer in which a printing unit is adjusted with high precision.SOLUTION: A scanner comprises: a scanning unit that performs intermittent scanning in which it moves intermittently; a stop state analysis unit that compares with each other a stop time image obtained through scanning of an identification pattern on a medium at a stop position where the movement of the scanning unit is temporarily stopped, and a resumption time image obtained through scanning of the identification pattern at the stop position at a timing subsequent to the timing when the stop time image is obtained, and based on a result of the comparison, determines whether the medium has moved; and a scanning control unit that, when the medium has moved, interrupts the intermittent scanning that is temporality stopped, and when the medium has not moved, continues the intermittent scanning that is temporarily stopped.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a scanner and a printing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a scanning method called intermittent scanning. For example, high resolution is required when scanning an adjustment pattern. Therefore, a large amount of memory capacity is required to scan one page. Therefore, when memory capacity is limited, it is necessary to divide one page into multiple parts and repeatedly scan limited ranges. In this case, the movement is paused when moving to a predetermined range, and when image analysis is complete, the memory is cleared and movement is resumed. However, when performing intermittent scanning in this manner, there is a possibility that the medium to be scanned will move while movement is stopped. In response to this, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that detects the movement of a document by detecting the edges of the document. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-92572 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the conventional technology, there is a problem that depending on the movement of the document while the movement is stopped, there may be no change in the edge, and the movement of the document may not be detected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In view of the above problems, the scanner comprises a scanning unit that performs intermittent scanning by moving intermittently, a stopped state analysis unit that compares a stopped image obtained by scanning an identification pattern on a medium at a stop position where the movement of the scanning unit is temporarily stopped with a resumed image obtained by scanning the identification pattern at the stop position at a timing later than the timing at which the stopped image is obtained, and determines whether the medium has moved based on the comparison result, and a scan control unit that interrupts the paused intermittent scanning if the medium has moved, and continues the paused intermittent scanning if the medium has not moved.

[0006] Another embodiment is a method for producing a printing device, which includes printing a test pattern on a medium, in which a first adjustment pattern, an identification pattern, and a second adjustment pattern are arranged in that order in a direction corresponding to the sub-scanning direction of the scanning unit, causing the scanning unit to perform intermittent scanning by stopping at the position of the identification pattern on the medium, and comparing a stopped image obtained by scanning the identification pattern on the medium at the stop position where the movement of the scanning unit is temporarily stopped with a resumed image obtained by scanning the identification pattern at the stop position at a timing later than the timing at which the stopped image was obtained, and determining whether the medium has moved based on the comparison result, and continuing the intermittent scanning if the medium has not moved, and interrupting the intermittent scanning if the medium has moved, and storing adjustment parameters based on the first adjustment pattern and the second adjustment pattern in non-volatile memory if the intermittent scanning continues. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a multifunction peripheral. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a scanning unit and a medium. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a test pattern. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a multiple circle pattern. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a multiple circle pattern. [Figure 4C] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a multiple circle pattern. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a multiple circle pattern. [Figure 6A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing experimental results of the degree of pigment bleeding. [Figure 6B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing experimental results of the degree of dye bleeding. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a process for determining whether a medium has moved. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a process for determining whether a medium has moved. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the amount of change in tilt of a medium. [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart showing a production method. [Figure 11A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first modified example. [Figure 11B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first modified example. [Figure 12A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a ninth modified example. [Figure 12B] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a ninth modified example. [Figure 12C] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a ninth modified example. [Figure 12D] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a ninth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a multifunction device 10 according to this embodiment. The multifunction device 10 has a printing function and a scanning function. However, the multifunction device 10 may also have other functions, such as a fax function. The multifunction device 10 includes a printing unit 11, a scanning unit 12, a processor 13, a nonvolatile memory 14, a UI unit 15, and a communication unit 16. The printing unit 11 includes a print head 111, a carriage 112, and a transport mechanism 113.

[0009] The print head 111 has nozzle rows corresponding to four types of ink: CMYK (C: cyan, M: magenta, Y: yellow, K: black), and performs printing using an inkjet method. The nozzle rows have multiple nozzles, and each nozzle ejects ink of a corresponding color. The ink for each nozzle is supplied from an ink tank (not shown) of the corresponding color, or the like. Ink is ejected from each nozzle of the print head 111 to form ink droplets (dots) on the medium. The print head 111 is an example of a printing unit.

[0010] The print head 111 is mounted on the carriage 112, and the carriage 112 moves back and forth in a specific direction under the control of the processor 13, causing the print head 111 to move back and forth in the specific direction. The direction in which the print head 111 moves back and forth is called the main scanning direction of the print head 111. The transport mechanism 113 is a device that transports the medium to be printed on. The transport mechanism 113 transports the medium in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction of the print head 111. Here, the direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction of the print head 111, i.e., the direction in which the medium is transported, is called the sub-scanning direction of the print head 111.

[0011] Multiple nozzles are arranged at equal intervals in the sub-scanning direction within each nozzle row of the print head 111. Printing on the medium is performed by repeating the ejection of ink of each color from the nozzles during the reciprocating movement of the print head 111 and the transport of the medium by the transport mechanism 113.

[0012] The scanning unit 12 includes a light source and a light receiving element that receives light from the object to be scanned. In this embodiment, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) line sensor of the CIS (Contact Image Sensor) type is used for the scanning unit 12. As another example, the scanning unit 12 may be a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type sensor. Hereinafter, the arrangement direction of the light receiving elements in the line sensor will be referred to as the main scanning direction of the scanning unit 12.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the multifunction device 10 includes a medium table 122 with a glass surface 121 on which a scanning target P is placed. That is, the multifunction device 10 includes a flatbed scanning device including the scanning unit 12, the glass surface 121, and the medium table 122. The scanning unit 12 moves on the glass surface 121 in a direction B perpendicular to the main scanning direction A under the control of the processor 13. Hereinafter, the direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction will be referred to as the sub-scanning direction of the scanning unit 12. The scanning unit 12 scans the entire object P by repeatedly scanning while moving a predetermined amount in the sub-scanning direction. The scanning unit 12 is located at a retracted position (home position) H when not in a scanning operation, and starts moving in the sub-scanning direction from the home position H when in a reading operation.

[0014] In this embodiment, the relative position between the object P and the scanning unit 12 changes as the scanning unit 12 moves relative to the placed object P. However, as another example, the relative position may change as the medium is transported in the sub-scanning direction by the transport mechanism 113 relative to the fixed scanning unit 12.

[0015] The processor 13 includes a RAM, a CPU, etc. The non-volatile memory 14 stores various data and programs. The processor 13 can execute the programs stored in the non-volatile memory 14. The UI unit 15 includes an input unit for receiving user input and a display unit for displaying various information to the user. The communication unit 16 communicates with external devices such as PCs and tablet terminals connected via wired communication, wireless communication, etc.

[0016] In the multifunction peripheral 10 of this embodiment, the printing unit 11 prints a test pattern on a medium. Here, the test pattern is an image in which a predetermined pattern is displayed at a predetermined position. The multifunction peripheral 10 can adjust the control content of the printing unit 11 by scanning the medium on which this test pattern is printed and performing image analysis. This process will be described in detail later. Examples of adjustments to the control content include adjustment of medium transport deviation (PF deviation, Paper Feed deviation) and adjustment of dot formation position deviation (Bi-D) caused by relative positional movement between the printing unit 11 and the medium during reciprocal movement in the main scanning direction. Note that the adjustment target may be any mechanism whose physical quantity can be identified from the test pattern, and is not limited to the embodiment.

[0017] The processor 13 of this embodiment includes a print control unit 131, a scan control unit 132, a detection unit 133, an adjustment unit 134, and a stop state analysis unit 135 as functional components for adjusting the printing unit 11 using a test pattern. The functions of the print control unit 131, the scan control unit 132, the detection unit 133, the adjustment unit 134, and the stop state analysis unit 135 are realized by the processor 13 reading and executing an adjustment program 130 stored in the non-volatile memory 14. In other words, hereinafter, processes described as being executed by the print control unit 131, the scan control unit 132, the detection unit 133, the adjustment unit 134, and the stop state analysis unit 135 are actually processes executed by the processor 13.

[0018] The print control unit 131 controls the print unit 11. The scan control unit 132 controls the scan unit 12. The detection unit 133 detects a predetermined pattern in the scanned image. The adjustment unit 134 adjusts the print unit 11 based on the pattern detection results by the detection unit 133. The stop state analysis unit 135 analyzes the state of the scan unit 12 when the scan unit 12 is stopped and the movement of the scan unit 12 is temporarily stopped, when the scan unit 12 performs intermittent scanning. Here, intermittent scanning refers to scanning in which the movement of the scan unit 12 in the sub-scanning direction and the illumination (lighting) of the light source are temporarily stopped and then resumed midway through the movement of the scan unit 12 in the sub-scanning direction, and the movement and illumination are repeatedly paused and resumed. Intermittent scanning is performed when there is insufficient free memory capacity to hold the scanned image of the entire medium.

[0019] In intermittent scanning, when the movement in the sub-scanning direction and lighting of the scanning unit 12 are temporarily stopped, the scanned image obtained up to that point (a portion of the scanned image of the entire medium) is recorded in memory, and image analysis (pattern matching) is performed on that image. After image analysis is completed, the scanned image recorded in memory is deleted, and movement in the sub-scanning direction and lighting resume from the paused position. This makes it possible to perform pattern matching across the entire scanned image with limited memory capacity. The processing of each functional component will be described in detail later.

[0020] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a test pattern according to this embodiment. The print head 111 prints a test pattern 300 on a medium under the control of the print control unit 131. Image data of the test pattern 300 is assumed to be stored in advance in the non-volatile memory 14. Note that the image data of the test pattern 300 may also be stored in an external device and transmitted from the external device to the multifunction device 10.

[0021] The test pattern 300 includes a plurality of adjustment patterns 310 for adjusting the printing unit 11. The test pattern 300 also includes a multiple circle pattern 220. The multiple circle pattern 220 is a pattern in which the circumferences of a plurality of concentric circles with different radii are displayed in black. The shape of the multiple circle pattern 220 will be described in detail later. The multiple circle pattern 220 is arranged at a predetermined relative position with respect to the adjustment pattern 310 so that it has a known positional relationship with the adjustment pattern 310. Therefore, by detecting the multiple circle pattern 220, it is possible to predict the range in which the adjustment pattern 310 exists, thereby shortening the time required to search for the adjustment pattern 310.

[0022] Furthermore, in order to adjust the printing unit 11, it is necessary to be able to accurately identify the position, size, tilt, etc. of the adjustment pattern 310 printed on the medium from the scanned image. The multiple circle pattern 220 is a pattern used to accurately identify the position and size of the adjustment pattern 310 from the scanned image.

[0023] In this embodiment, four multiple circular patterns 220 are arranged at four positions T1 to T4 for one adjustment pattern 310. T1 to T4 are arranged at the vertices of a rectangle with two sides in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. In this way, the four multiple circular patterns 220 are arranged to form a rectangle of a known size.

[0024] For example, the relative positional relationship (relative positional relationship) between position T1 of multiple circular pattern 220 and the upper left vertex 211 of adjustment pattern 310 is set in advance. Therefore, processor 13 can perform pattern detection of adjustment pattern 310 using the position of multiple circular pattern 220 as a landmark. Furthermore, as described above, processor 13 can identify and correct the presence or absence of distortion, tilt, etc. in the scanned image based on the scan results of four rectangular multiple circular patterns 220 and the known size of the rectangle.

[0025] Here, the processing of the detection unit 133 will be described. The detection of the multiple circular pattern 220 is performed by pattern matching with image data (reference pattern) of the multiple circular pattern 220 stored in advance in the non-volatile memory 14. In pattern matching, the detection unit 133 first sets a comparison region, which is a range of a predetermined number of pixels, around a position in the scanned image where the reference pattern is expected to exist based on the relative positional relationship from the upper left vertex 211. Then, the detection unit 133 shifts the comparison region pixel by pixel and compares each comparison region with the reference pattern.

[0026] Specifically, the detection unit 133 compares the pixel values ​​(brightness) of corresponding pixels in the comparison area and the reference pattern. The detection unit 133 then calculates the sum of the absolute values ​​of the differences between the pixel values ​​(brightness) obtained by the comparison. In the case of a perfect match, the sum of the differences will theoretically be zero. The detection unit 133 calculates the match rate based on the sum of the differences. The match rate is set to 100% when the sum of the differences is zero, and decreases as the sum of the differences increases. The detection unit 133 then detects the comparison area with the highest match rate as the range of the multiple circular pattern 220, and identifies the center of this range as the multiple circular pattern position. This process is repeated to detect four multiple circular patterns surrounding the target adjustment pattern.

[0027] The detection unit 133 then detects the adjustment pattern based on the detection results of the four multiple circular patterns, i.e., the detected positions of the multiple circular patterns. Specifically, the detection unit 133 predicts the range in which the adjustment pattern exists based on the preset relative positional relationship between the four multiple circular patterns and the adjustment pattern. As described above, the detection unit 133 adjusts the distortion and tilt of the adjustment pattern in the detection results of the scanned image based on the detection results of the four multiple circular patterns. Setting the comparison area based on the upper left vertex 211 can reduce the processing required to search for the multiple circular patterns. By detecting the multiple circular patterns with high accuracy, the position of the adjustment pattern can also be determined with high accuracy. This allows the printing unit 11 to be adjusted with high accuracy and less processing effort.

[0028] Next, the multiple circle pattern will be described with reference to Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, 5, 6A, and 6B. In the multifunction device 10 of this embodiment, the multiple circle pattern is used as a position correction pattern for correcting the position of the adjustment pattern. There are three problems with detecting the position correction pattern, as described below. 1) The accuracy of pattern matching decreases due to the tilt of the medium during scanning. 2) Missing print images due to nozzle clogs 3) Deterioration of positional accuracy due to ink bleeding

[0029] Even when these situations occur, it is necessary to be able to detect the position of the position correction pattern with high accuracy.In light of the first problem, it is undesirable to use position correction patterns that are, for example, square, triangular, or X-shaped, as their matching rate decreases when the medium is tilted; therefore, circular patterns are preferable.

[0030] However, for example, in a circular pattern filled with one color, if a part of the pattern is missing due to nozzle missing, as in the second problem, the position of the position correction pattern may be incorrectly identified.

[0031] For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, assume that the upper half of a circle is missing due to a missing nozzle. The portion indicated by the dashed-dotted line is the missing portion. When half of a circle is missing like this, as shown in FIG. 4B, in a filled-in circle pattern, in pattern matching between a semicircular comparison area 2211 and the entire circle (reference pattern) 2212, the brightness values ​​of pixels that do not actually match become similar. For this reason, it is difficult to see a significant difference in match rate between a comparison area that should actually match and a comparison area that should not actually match, and as a result, an incorrect position is identified as the position of the multiple circle pattern.

[0032] In contrast, as shown in Figure 4C, a multiple circle pattern has multiple edges, so when pattern matching between a comparison area that does not actually match and a reference pattern, there are more pixels with different brightnesses than with a solid circle, resulting in a higher match rate. Therefore, the center position can be identified with higher accuracy than with a solid circle. For these reasons, the multifunction device 10 of this embodiment uses multiple circles as the position correction pattern.

[0033] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a multiple circle pattern 220 according to this embodiment. The multiple circle pattern 220 according to this embodiment is a pattern showing double circles. The multiple circle pattern 220 is a pattern showing two circumferential lines 2201 and 2202 that have the same center but different radii. As shown in FIG. 5, the multiple circle pattern 220 is a pattern whose circumference is drawn with black lines. Here, the black parts of the circumference are indicated by hatching.

[0034] Assume that a specific accuracy of one pixel or less at 600 dpi is required for the adjustment pattern. In this case, the resolution for both scanning and printing must be 600 dpi. When the resolution for scanning and printing is 600 dpi, the distance D between the two circumferential lines 2201, 2202 is seven pixels long. More preferably, the distance D between the lines may be seven pixels or more, or even eight pixels or more. Furthermore, the thickness E of the lines that draw the two circumferential lines is seven pixels long. More preferably, the thickness of the lines may be seven pixels or more, or even eight pixels or more.

[0035] The reason for setting the spacing D of the circumferential lines to 7 pixels is to address the third problem mentioned above. By setting the spacing D to 7 pixels, it is possible to avoid erroneous recognition in pattern matching of areas that should be the spacing of the circumference due to ink bleeding. By providing sufficient spacing in this way, it is possible to correctly identify the position of the multiple circular pattern even when ink bleeding occurs. Furthermore, by setting the line thickness to 7 pixels or more, it is possible to accurately recognize inked and uninked areas during image recognition of the scanned image of the test pattern.

[0036] Figures 6A and 6B show experimental results evaluating the degree of ink bleeding by varying the line spacing and line thickness. The upper panels of Figures 6A and 6B show printed matter with printed lines. The lower panels of Figure 6A show graphs with the horizontal axis representing the horizontal direction of the printed matter in the upper panels of Figures 6A and 6B and the vertical axis representing brightness. As can be seen from the results shown in Figure 6A, which shows a pigment ink print, when the line spacing is one pixel, the line spacing is filled with bleeding, and high brightness cannot be obtained. On the other hand, when the line spacing exceeds seven pixels, high brightness can be obtained within the line spacing range. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6B, which shows a dye ink print, when the line spacing exceeds eight pixels, high brightness can be obtained within the line spacing range. From these results, seven pixels or more is preferable for pigment inks, and eight pixels or more is preferable to reliably obtain high brightness with both dye and pigment inks.

[0037] Furthermore, as the line thickness E of the pattern becomes thinner, the accuracy of line detection decreases. Therefore, the line thickness E is set to be approximately the same as the line spacing D. This allows both line portions and non-line portions to be detected with high accuracy.

[0038] Furthermore, if the line spacing D and line thickness E are 8 pixels, the size (diameter) of the multiple circle pattern (double circle pattern) in 600 dpi printing will be 2.7 mm according to (Equation 1). Also, for a triple circle pattern, the size (diameter) will be 4.1 mm according to (Equation 2). Note that the radius of the white circle in the center will be 8 pixels.

number

[0039] Furthermore, the multiple circle pattern is assumed to be printed in one pass using nozzle rows of the same color. In this embodiment, the multiple circle pattern is assumed to be printed in pure black. For example, if printed using composite black, there is a possibility that misalignment between the nozzle rows may occur, resulting in misalignment of the ink ejection positions of each color when printing the multiple circle pattern. In contrast, printing the multiple circle pattern using nozzle rows of the same color can prevent such misalignment problems from occurring. Furthermore, using black multiple circles provides a high contrast with white, improving the accuracy of pattern matching.

[0040] Next, intermittent scanning will be described. In intermittent scanning, while the movement and lighting of the scanning unit 12 are temporarily stopped, the medium may move, for example, if the user accidentally touches the medium. Here, medium movement refers to a change in the position or inclination of the medium relative to the glass surface 121. If pattern matching is performed on the scanned image obtained after resuming scanning as if the medium had not moved, even though the medium has moved, the pattern matching will not produce correct results, and therefore the correct adjustment pattern cannot be set. Note that, hereinafter, such medium movement will also be referred to as medium misalignment.

[0041] Furthermore, when intermittent scanning is paused, the scanning unit 12 also stops emitting light from the light source. If light from the light source is resumed when intermittent scanning is resumed, the light intensity may not stabilize and the required light intensity may not be obtained. If the light intensity falls below a certain level, scanning cannot be continued. When performing intermittent scanning, the multifunction device 10 detects changes in the position and tilt of the medium during the pause and the light intensity from the light source, and determines whether to stop intermittent scanning based on the detection results. Note that, hereinafter, the timing of the pause is referred to as the pause. Furthermore, the timing immediately before the resumption of movement of the scanning unit 12 in intermittent scanning after the pause, when analysis such as pattern matching of the scanned image is completed, is referred to as the resume time. Note that the resume time may be any time after the pause, after the scanned image stored in memory has been deleted, and before the resumption of movement of the scanning unit 12.

[0042] Next, the determination pattern 330 of the test pattern 300 will be described. Here, the determination pattern 330 is an example of an identification pattern for identifying changes in medium misalignment and light intensity between temporary stop and restart. In the test pattern 300, the determination pattern 330 is arranged between two adjustment patterns 310 in a direction corresponding to the sub-scanning direction of the printing unit 11. In the test pattern 300 shown in FIG. 3, the adjustment pattern 310, the determination pattern 330, the adjustment pattern 310, the determination pattern 330, and the adjustment pattern 310 are arranged in this order along the direction corresponding to the sub-scanning direction of the scanning unit 12. In this way, in the test pattern 300, the determination pattern 330 is arranged following the adjustment pattern 310 in the sub-scanning direction. Note that the two adjustment patterns 310 arranged on either side of the determination pattern 330 are an example of a first adjustment pattern and a second adjustment pattern.

[0043] The determination pattern 330 is a pattern in which multiple square basic patterns 331 are arranged in the sub-scanning direction. Each basic pattern 331 is arranged so that one pair of opposing sides is parallel to the main scanning direction. Furthermore, each basic pattern 331 includes a black pattern 331a of a black triangle and a white pattern 331b of a white triangle, with one diagonal line as the boundary.

[0044] The stop state analysis unit 135 analyzes the state during a pause in intermittent scanning by using the test pattern 300, which includes the determination pattern 330. Specifically, the stop state analysis unit 135 determines whether the medium moved during the pause, and if the medium moved, further identifies the amount of movement and tilt change of the medium. FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrams for explaining the process of determining whether the medium moved. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the medium on which the test pattern 300 is printed has a rectangular shape, and a length direction L and a width direction W of the medium are defined. Note that the length direction L of the medium corresponds to the medium transport direction (the sub-scanning direction of the printing unit 11) when the test pattern 300 is printed on the medium. For ease of explanation, it is assumed that the medium is set so that its length direction L coincides with the sub-scanning direction of the scanning unit 12 at the start of scanning.

[0045] As shown in the upper part of Figure 7, it is assumed that during intermittent scanning, the scanning unit 12 is temporarily stopped at a position on the medium corresponding to the line F1. Note that hereinafter, when the scanning unit 12 is positioned at a position corresponding to a predetermined position on the medium, this is referred to as the scanning unit 12 being positioned at a predetermined position on the medium.

[0046] During this pause, the position of the medium moves parallel to the length direction L of the medium, and intermittent scanning resumes in this parallel state. In this case, the relative positional relationship between the scanning unit 12 and the medium changes, as shown in the lower part of Figure 7. As a result, the scanning unit 12 will be located, for example, on line F2 on the medium when scanning resumes. The line image G10 scanned when the scanning unit 12 is located on line F1 will be different from the line image G20 scanned when the scanning unit 12 is located on line F2.

[0047] Line image G10 includes five black areas G11, G12, G13, G14, and G15. A white area is included between each black area. Line image G20 similarly includes five black areas G21, G22, G23, G24, and G25, with a white area included between each black area. However, the detection positions of line image G10 and line image G20 are different in the length direction L on the medium. Therefore, the width of each black area in line image G10 is different from the width of each black area in line image G20. Therefore, movement of the medium in the sub-scanning direction can be detected from such changes in the width of the black areas. Note that when the medium moves in the sub-scanning direction, the inclination of the medium does not change, so the widths of each black area G21 to G25 in line image G20 are all the same value.

[0048] Furthermore, by using the judgment pattern, it is possible to detect changes in the tilt of the medium. After the scanning unit 12 stops at position F1 shown in the upper part of Figure 8, the tilt of the medium changes, and the relative position of the scanning unit 12 with respect to the medium becomes the position of the straight line F3 of the medium, as shown in the lower part of Figure 8. In this case, when the scanning unit 12 resumes scanning, a line image G30 is obtained. Similar to line image G10, line image G30 includes five black areas G31, G32, G33, G34, and G35.

[0049] Line image G10 and line image G30 have different slopes of the straight lines (F1 and F3) corresponding to their detection positions. Therefore, the width of the black area in line image G10 differs from the width of the black area in line image G30. Furthermore, the width of each black area included in line image G30 gradually increases in the order of G31 to G35 due to the slope of line F3 relative to line F1. In this way, a change in the tilt of the medium between when paused and when resumed can be detected based on the change between the width of the black area included in line image G10 and the width of the black area included in line image G30, and the change between the widths of each black area included in line image G30.

[0050] The black pattern 331a has two sides (two straight lines) that are inclined relative to the main scanning direction of the scan unit 12, and the inclination angles of the two sides relative to the main scanning direction are different. As such, since the determination pattern includes multiple lines with different inclination angles relative to the main scanning direction, the resulting linear detection pattern differs depending on the medium misalignment. Therefore, by using such a determination pattern, it is possible to detect changes in the position and inclination of the medium.

[0051] Next, we will explain the process of determining the amount of movement and tilt change of the medium when the medium moves. As shown in Figure 8, when the medium moves in the sub-scanning direction, the amount of movement in the sub-scanning direction can be determined according to the change in the width of the black area. Also, when the medium moves in the main scanning direction, the amount of movement in the main scanning direction can be determined according to the change in the position of the black area.

[0052] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the amount of change θ in media tilt when the medium is tilted. For ease of explanation, FIG. 9 shows a determination pattern consisting of three basic patterns. As shown in FIG. 9, the width of determination pattern 3301 in the line image obtained along line F11 at the time of pause is defined as W11, and the width of the line image obtained along line F12 at the time of restart is defined as W12. The length of one side of basic pattern 3302 in determination pattern 330 is defined as J, and the widths of the white and black areas of basic pattern 3302 obtained at the time of restart are defined as M and N, respectively. The point in the upper right corner of basic pattern 3302 in FIG. 9 is defined as Q0. Furthermore, the intersection of the boundary between the black and white areas of basic pattern 3302 and line F12 at the time of stoppage is defined as Q10. Q11 is the point located at the same position in the main scanning direction as Q0 but different from Q10 in the sub-scanning direction. Q12 is the point located at the same position in the sub-scanning direction as Q0 but different from Q10 in the main scanning direction. In this case, the length between Q0 and Q11 and the length between Q0 and Q12 are both {N / (M+N)×J}. The amount of change in slope θ is expressed by (Equation 3).

number

[0053] The tilt of the medium can also be detected from a change in length corresponding to the width W1 of the determination pattern shown in FIG. 8. For example, the length W1 is obtained for line F1, while the length of the determination pattern for line F3 is longer than W1. In this way, if the width of the determination pattern changes, it can be determined that the tilt has changed. The tilt can also be determined from the amount of change in width. The length of the determination pattern can be obtained by detecting the ends of the determination pattern in the width direction. Furthermore, translation of the medium in the main scanning direction can be detected from the shift in the position of the edge corresponding to the width W1 in the length direction of the determination pattern, and the amount of movement can be determined from the degree of that positional shift. As described above, the stop state analysis unit 135 determines whether the medium has moved, and if the medium has moved, it determines the amount of movement and the amount of change in tilt.

[0054] Up to this point, the explanation has been given on the assumption that the length direction L of the medium coincides with the sub-scanning direction of the scanning unit 12 when scanning begins, but the length direction L of the medium does not have to coincide with the sub-scanning direction of the scanning unit 12. In this case, for example, it is possible to identify the medium misalignment (misalignment in the position or tilt of the medium) when scanning begins by pattern matching using a position correction marker, and then, taking into account the medium misalignment at the start, detect the presence or absence of movement and the degree of the medium misalignment as described above.

[0055] The stopped state analysis unit 135 first acquires a line image obtained by the scanning unit 12 when the device is temporarily stopped. Hereinafter, this line image will be referred to as the stopped line image. The stopped state analysis unit 135 also acquires a line image obtained by the scanning unit 12 when the device is resumed. Hereinafter, this line image will be referred to as the resumed line image. In the above example, the line image obtained by the straight line F1 corresponds to the stopped line image, and the line images obtained by the straight lines F2 and F3 correspond to the resumed line image. The stopped line image and the resumed line image are examples of the stopped image and the resumed image, respectively.

[0056] The stop state analysis unit 135 further determines the boundary line of the determination pattern and both ends of the black area by edge detection. The stop state analysis unit 135 compares the positions of both ends of the black area obtained by edge detection when pausing and resuming. If the total amount of change in the corresponding edge positions (ends of the black area) is within a predetermined reference range, the stop state analysis unit 135 determines that the edge positions are equal and that the medium has not moved. If the total difference is outside the reference range, the stop state analysis unit 135 determines that the medium has moved. The stop state analysis unit 135 also determines the width of the black area from the edge position and identifies the degree of medium misalignment (change in the movement and tilt of the medium) based on the change in the width. As another example, the stop state analysis unit 135 may also determine whether the medium has moved based on the width of each black area obtained from the edge position.

[0057] The scanning unit 12 is also equipped with three line sensors corresponding to each of the RGB colors, but the line image at the time of stopping and restarting is scanned by a line sensor of one of the colors. In other words, the image at the time of stopping and the image at the time of restarting are images of the color corresponding to the line sensor. This reduces the amount of calculation required to detect whether the medium has moved or not. The three line sensors correspond to a first line sensor that scans the first color, a second line sensor that scans the second color, and a third line sensor that scans the third color.

[0058] The stopped state analysis unit 135 further detects the light intensity of the light source when the intermittent scanning is resumed. This process is described below. The stopped state analysis unit 135 creates a histogram of the line image at the time of resumption, with the horizontal axis representing each luminance and the vertical axis representing the frequency of luminance, and identifies the maximum luminance value. The stopped state analysis unit 135 then continues the intermittent scanning if the maximum luminance value is within the continuation range. When movement is temporarily stopped during intermittent scanning, light emission from the light source is also stopped. Therefore, when light emission from the light source is resumed, the light intensity may not be stable. The continuation range is an evaluation value used to determine whether the light intensity is unstable. In other words, the continuation range is a range of light intensity within which reading of the medium can be continued, and is assumed to be set in advance. Note that the evaluation value used by the stopped state analysis unit 135 to determine whether the light intensity is within the continuation range may be a value determined based on the luminance of each line image at the time of resumption, and is not limited to the maximum luminance value.

[0059] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a method for producing the multifunction device 10. Here, an incomplete multifunction device 10 is one in which mechanical and electrical components have been assembled and the device is capable of printing, but is not yet adjusted and therefore is unable to print clearly. A completed multifunction device 10 is one in which adjustments have been made and adjustment patterns have been stored in non-volatile memory, enabling the device to print clearly. The flowchart in FIG. 10 is performed as part of the production process in a factory, or after the incomplete multifunction device 10 has been installed at a customer's site.

[0060] First, the printing unit 11 of the incomplete multifunction peripheral 10 prints a test pattern 300 on a medium under the control of the printing control unit 131 in response to a user operation (step S100). That is, the printing unit 11 prints an adjustment pattern 310, a multiple circle pattern 220, and a determination pattern 330 on the medium. This produces a printed matter on which the adjustment pattern as an identification pattern, the position correction pattern (multiple circle pattern), and the determination pattern are printed in predetermined relative positions. Next, the user sets (places) the medium on the glass surface 121 and performs a user operation to start scanning. In response to this, the scan control unit 132 first moves the scan unit 12 to the home position to perform intermittent scanning of the medium on which the test pattern 300 is printed (step S102). Next, the scan control unit 132 corrects the light intensity of the light source, i.e., performs shading correction (step S104). Specifically, the scan control unit 132 samples a white reference board installed at the home position to generate white reference data for color correction, turns off the light source, samples a black reference, and generates black reference data for color correction.

[0061] Next, when the user places the medium on which the test pattern 300 is printed on the medium tray 122 and inputs a scan command, the scan control unit 132 starts driving the scan unit 12 (step S106). This starts intermittent scanning of one medium to be scanned. Next, the adjustment pattern area is scanned (step S108). Here, the adjustment pattern area is an area on the medium that includes the adjustment pattern and the position correction pattern. The range of the sub-scanning direction of the scan unit 12 that corresponds to the adjustment pattern is predetermined, and the scan unit 12 scans within this predetermined range.

[0062] Next, the scan control unit 132 determines whether the area scanned in step S108 is the last adjustment pattern area (step S110). The last adjustment pattern area is the adjustment pattern area that is scanned last among the adjustment pattern areas included in one medium. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the range of the last adjustment pattern area in the sub-scanning direction is preset in the multifunction device 10. The scan control unit 132 determines whether the area is the last adjustment pattern area based on whether the position of the scan unit 12 is within this range. If the area scanned in step S108 is not the last adjustment pattern area (N in step S110), the scan control unit 132 advances the scan unit 12 to the determination pattern area. Then, the scan control unit 132 temporarily stops the movement of the scan unit 12 over the determination pattern area and stops irradiation by the light source (step S112). Here, the determination pattern area is an area that includes the determination pattern. The position of the scan unit 12 in the sub-scanning direction corresponding to the determination pattern is predetermined, and the scan unit 12 moves to the predetermined position.

[0063] Next, the scan control unit 132 acquires a stationary line image (step S114). Next, the detection unit 133 and the adjustment unit 134 perform image analysis of the scanned image of the adjustment pattern obtained in step S108 (step S116). Specifically, the detection unit 133 first detects four position correction patterns around the adjustment pattern. Then, the scan control unit 132 identifies the adjustment pattern area based on the positions of the position correction patterns. As described in the first embodiment, the relative positional relationship between the adjustment pattern area and the position correction patterns is set in advance, and the scan control unit 132 identifies the adjustment pattern area based on this positional relationship. Furthermore, as described above, the detection unit 133 adjusts the distortion and tilt of the adjustment pattern in the detected result of the scanned image based on the detection result of the four overlapping circular patterns. Then, the adjustment unit 134 generates adjustment parameters for the printing unit 11 based on the pattern matching result of the adjustment patterns and stores them in the non-volatile memory 14. After that, the detection unit 133 deletes the scanned image recorded in memory.

[0064] After completing the image analysis and deleting the scanned image from memory, the scan control unit 132 scans again to acquire a resumed line image (step S118). Next, the paused state analysis unit 135 references the paused line image and the resumed line image to determine whether a determination pattern is included in either line image. Specifically, the paused state analysis unit 135 determines that a determination pattern is included if a repetition of white and black areas is included (step S120). If a determination pattern is not included (N in step S120), the paused state analysis unit 135 suspends the intermittent scanning during the pause and displays information indicating a sheet misalignment error on the display unit (step S130). This completes the process. In this case, for example, if the user resets the medium and performs an operation to resume scanning, the processor 13 restarts the process from step S102 in response to the user's operation.

[0065] On the other hand, if the determination pattern is included in step S120 (Y in step S120), the stop state analysis unit 135 proceeds to step S122. In step S122, the stop state analysis unit 135 compares the stop-time line image with the resume-time line image. Specifically, the stop state analysis unit 135 determines whether the medium has moved based on the sum of the amount of change in edge position between the stop-time line image and the resume-time line image and the reference range.

[0066] If the medium has not moved (N in step S122), the stopped state analysis unit 135 proceeds to step S128. If the medium has moved (Y in step S122), the stopped state analysis unit 135 determines whether the amount of medium movement can be corrected (step S124). Specifically, the stopped state analysis unit 135 identifies the amount of movement and the amount of tilt change, and determines whether correction is possible by comparing the amount of movement with a movement amount threshold and the amount of tilt change with a tilt change amount threshold. Here, the movement amount threshold and the tilt change amount threshold are values ​​determined corresponding to the range of tilt deviation when the position of the medium is included in the entire readable range of glass surface 121, and are assumed to be preset.

[0067] If correction is possible (Y in step S124), the stopped state analysis unit 135 calculates the amount of movement and tilt change of the medium and updates the medium position information based on these values ​​(step S126). The position of the image to be scanned thereafter is updated based on the corrected medium position information. Here, the medium position information indicates the relative position of the medium with respect to the scanning unit 12 and is used when analyzing the adjustment pattern. For example, assume that at the start of scanning, the medium is placed along the main scanning direction, with a predetermined corner of the glass surface 121 as the reference. In this case, the medium position information indicates a predetermined position of the scanning unit 12 as the medium reference position, and the main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction are indicated as the width direction and length direction of the medium, respectively. Then, if the medium moves, the medium reference position and the medium orientation (width direction and length direction) are updated according to the amount of positional deviation and tilt change.

[0068] Next, the stopped state analysis unit 135 determines whether the change in light intensity of the scanning unit 12 is within the continuation range based on the stopped line image and the restarted line image. If the change in light intensity is within the continuation range (Y in step S128), the scan control unit 132 proceeds to step S106. In this case, the scan control unit 132 restarts intermittent scanning by the scanning unit 12 at the stopped position.

[0069] If the change in light amount is outside the range that can be continued (N in step S128), the scan control unit 132 proceeds to step S102. That is, the scan control unit 132 moves the scanning unit 12 to the home position, corrects the light amount again, and then performs intermittent scanning on the subsequent adjustment pattern area.

[0070] In this way, if the medium is not moving and the change in light intensity is within a range where scanning can continue, the scan control unit 132 resumes intermittent scanning from the position where it was paused. Even if the medium has moved, the scan control unit 132 makes corrections if possible and then resumes intermittent scanning from the position where it was paused. On the other hand, if the medium has moved and corrections are not possible, the scan control unit 132 interrupts the paused intermittent scanning.

[0071] In step S110, if this is the last adjustment pattern area on the medium being processed (Y in step S110), the detection unit 133 and adjustment unit 134 perform image analysis of the scanned adjustment pattern (step S140). That is, the detection unit 133 performs pattern matching of the adjustment pattern, and the adjustment unit 134 generates adjustment parameters for the printing unit 11 based on the matching results and stores these in non-volatile memory. This completes the adjustment of the multifunction device 10 and the production of the completed multifunction device 10.

[0072] As described above, in the multifunction device 10 of this embodiment, if the medium does not move while intermittent scanning is paused, intermittent scanning continues. On the other hand, if the medium moves, intermittent scanning is interrupted. This allows the size, position, tilt, etc. of the test pattern to be correctly identified even if the medium moves. Furthermore, if the medium moves, it is assumed that the medium is not moving, and pattern matching of the scanned image is not performed, allowing correct pattern matching. Furthermore, even if the edge of the medium cannot be detected, movement of the medium can be detected. Furthermore, by using multiple circular patterns, it is possible to produce a multifunction device 10 with a highly accurately adjusted printing unit. Furthermore, image analysis of a scanned image of an adjustment pattern printed on the medium allows the size, position, tilt, etc. of the adjustment pattern to be correctly identified.

[0073] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a first modified example of this embodiment. In this first modified example, the multiple circle pattern is not limited to a double circle, but may be any pattern consisting of multiple circles. For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, the multiple circle pattern may be a triple circle pattern 221, which is a pattern showing three circles with the same center but different radii. As another example, as shown in FIG. 11B, the multiple circle pattern may be a pattern 222 including solid concentric circles. Even when a solid circle is included, adding a line indicating the circumference to the outside increases the number of edges. Therefore, even when a nozzle is missing, the center position can be identified with high accuracy. As described above, the multiple circle pattern may be any pattern showing multiple circles with different radii, and the specific number of circumferences, etc., is not limited to those described in the embodiment. Furthermore, the center of the multiple circles may or may not include a solid circle.

[0074] In addition, as a second modification, the number and size of the circumferences of the multiple circle pattern, the line width and the line spacing are not limited to those in the embodiment. For example, in cases where a large size of the multiple circle pattern does not pose a problem, the line width and spacing may be wider.

[0075] In a third variation, the multiple circle pattern may be formed using ink of one color, and is not limited to black. The multifunction device 10 may include multiple print heads 111, one for each nozzle row of each color. In this case, the multiple circle pattern is printed using a nozzle row corresponding to one color of ink provided in one print head 111.

[0076] As a fourth modification, the printing unit 11 may be any printing unit that uses ink, and the printing method is not limited to the inkjet method. As another example, the printing unit 11 may print using a dye sublimation transfer method. As another example, the printing unit 11 may print using a laser method.

[0077] As a fifth variation, the multifunction peripheral 10 may produce a printed material on which a multiple circle pattern is printed together with an identification pattern to be recognized. Examples of such printed materials include answer sheets. A multiple circle pattern whose relative positional relationship with a pattern indicating the mark position as an identification pattern is known may be printed on a medium used as an answer sheet. There is no limit to the number of multiple circle patterns printed on a printed material. For example, to identify the position of a single point on a printed material, a multiple circle pattern may be printed at that point. To identify a specific direction on the medium, two multiple circle patterns may be printed on a line whose angle with the desired direction is known. To identify a specific rectangular area on the medium, at least three multiple circle patterns may be printed. The three points are assumed to be located at the three vertices of the rectangular area.

[0078] As a sixth variation, the multifunction device 10 may be equipped with a print head 111 capable of using both pigment ink and dye ink. In this case, the print head 111 prints the multiple circular pattern using only pigment ink. It is known that dye ink tends to bleed more than pigment ink. Figures 6A and 6B also show that printing the multiple circular pattern using pigment ink allows for more accurate detection. Therefore, when both pigment ink and dye ink can be used, it is preferable to use pigment ink.

[0079] A seventh modified example will now be described. In the embodiment, a method for producing a multifunction device 10 by setting an adjustment pattern for the print head 111 of an incomplete multifunction device 10 has been described. However, the printing of a test pattern, generation of a scanned image of the test pattern, and setting of an adjustment pattern by analyzing the scanned image, which are executed in the multifunction device 10, may be executed at a time other than during production. The setting of an adjustment pattern may be executed, for example, when maintenance of the multifunction device 10 is performed.

[0080] An eighth modification will now be described. The production target device may be any device equipped with a printing unit and is not limited to a multifunction peripheral. The production target device may also be a printing device. Furthermore, if the production target device is a printing device, the printing device only needs to print the test pattern and set the generated adjustment pattern, and other processing is performed by a scanning device (scanner) that is a device separate from the printing device. That is, the scanning device generates a scanned image from a medium on which the test pattern is printed, generates an adjustment pattern, and transmits this to the printing device. In this case, it is assumed that the scanning device has pre-stored information about the printing device necessary to generate the adjustment pattern. As another example, the scanning device may only generate the scanned image, and the processing of generating the adjustment pattern from the scanned image may be performed by the production target printing device.

[0081] As another example, the scanning device may only generate a scanned image, and the process of generating an adjustment pattern from the scanned image may be performed by an adjustment device, which is a device different from the scanning device and the printing device. In this case, the scanned image is sent from the scanning device to the adjustment device, and the adjustment parameters are sent from the adjustment device to the printing device.

[0082] 12A to 12D are diagrams showing a ninth modified example. The determination pattern may include multiple lines that are inclined relative to the main scanning direction and have different angles of inclination relative to the main scanning direction. Determination pattern 341 shown in FIG. 12A includes a black triangle whose vertex is located at a position other than the vertex of a square. Determination pattern 342 shown in FIG. 12B includes a trapezoid. Determination pattern 343 shown in FIG. 12C includes a quadrant. In this way, the lines (boundaries) are not limited to straight lines and may be curved. Furthermore, determination pattern 344 shown in FIG. 12D includes multiple triangular lines with the same center of gravity. Increasing the number of lines in this way makes it possible to more accurately determine whether or not the medium is moving and the extent of that movement.

[0083] Furthermore, the determination pattern may be any pattern that changes the length of the detection range of the determination pattern when the tilt of the medium changes, and changes the pattern to be scanned when the medium moves. Therefore, it does not need to be a repetition of the reference pattern. Furthermore, although the determination pattern is described as including a black range and a white range, it is sufficient to include a range where ink is ejected and a range where ink is not ejected (white range), and the ink color is not limited to black.

[0084] As a tenth variation, the scan control unit 132 may temporarily stop intermittent scanning, and if it determines that the medium has moved, resume intermittent scanning. If a position correction pattern is detected in the subsequent adjustment pattern area, intermittent scanning may be continued. In this case, position information indicating the relative position of the medium with respect to the reading position of the scanning unit may be updated based on the position of the detected correction position pattern. Furthermore, if a position correction pattern is not detected in the subsequent adjustment pattern area, the scan control unit 132 may suspend intermittent scanning at that point.

[0085] In an eleventh variation, when multiple media are scanned continuously, the scanning is paused at a position corresponding to the determination pattern after completing the scanning of one medium. The paused state analysis unit 135 may then determine whether the medium has been changed to a new medium based on the paused line image and the resumed line image. Specifically, the paused state analysis unit 135 acquires the paused line image during the pause. After that, the user changes the medium to a new medium and performs an operation for rescanning. The scan control unit 132 causes scanning at the stop position in response to the user's operation. The paused state analysis unit 135 then acquires a line image (resumed line image). If the amount of change in edge position between the paused line image and the resumed line image is equal to or greater than the allowable range, the paused state analysis unit 135 determines that the medium has been changed to a new medium. If the amount of change in edge position is less than the allowable range, the stopped state analysis unit 135 determines that the user performed an operation for rescanning without changing the medium, and prompts the user to change the medium.

[0086] Note that the acceptable range here is a preset range. The acceptable range is assumed to be wider than the reference range for determining whether the medium has moved. In other words, the acceptable range includes a larger amount of change in edge position than the reference range.

[0087] As a twelfth modification, the scanning unit 12 does not have to be a line sensor. That is, the scanning unit 12 may scan one line in the width direction of the medium while moving in the main scanning direction.

[0088] A thirteenth modified example will be described. In the embodiment, a method for producing a multifunction device 10 by setting adjustment parameters for the print head 111 of an unfinished multifunction device 10 has been described. However, the printing of a test pattern, generation of a scanned image of the test pattern, and setting of adjustment parameters by analyzing the scanned image, which are performed in the multifunction device 10, may be performed at a time other than during production. The setting of adjustment parameters may be performed, for example, when maintenance of the multifunction device 10 is performed.

[0089] The above-described embodiment is an example of how the present invention can be implemented, and various other embodiments are possible. For example, various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention as defined in the claims, such as applying a modified version of one embodiment to another embodiment.

[0090] Alternatively, the entire scanned image may be searched for a multiple circular pattern. In particular, the first search is performed for a comparison region set based on the upper left vertex 211, but if no multiple circular pattern is found, the entire scanned image may be searched for a multiple circular pattern.

[0091] Alternatively, the entire medium may be scanned at once without performing intermittent scanning. Intermittent scanning may be performed if the free memory capacity is small due to other processing, but may not be performed if the free memory capacity is large due to no other processing.

[0092] Determining the movement of the medium during intermittent scanning using the determination pattern may be performed when scanning a medium on which no adjustment pattern is printed.

[0093] Alternatively, after storing the adjustment parameters in non-volatile memory, another process that does not affect print quality may be performed to complete the process.

[0094] Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied as a program or method executed by a computer. It can be realized as a single device as described above, or it can be realized using components included in multiple devices, and it encompasses various aspects. It can also be modified as appropriate, such as being partly software and partly hardware. Furthermore, the invention can also be realized as a recording medium for a program that controls a system. Of course, the recording medium for the program can be a magnetic recording medium or a semiconductor memory, and any recording medium developed in the future can be considered in the same way. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 10...multifunction device, 11...printing unit, 12...scanning unit, 13...processor, 131...printing control unit, 132...scanning control unit, 133...detecting unit, 134...adjusting unit, 135...stop state analyzing unit

Claims

1. a scanning unit that performs intermittent scanning by moving intermittently; a stop state analysis unit that compares a stop image obtained by scanning an identification pattern on a medium at a stop position where the movement of the scanning unit is temporarily stopped with a restart image obtained by scanning the identification pattern at the stop position at a timing later than the timing when the stop image is obtained, and determines whether the medium has moved based on the comparison result; a scan control unit that interrupts the paused intermittent scan when the medium is moved, and continues the paused intermittent scan when the medium is not moved; the identification pattern includes a plurality of lines that are inclined with respect to a main scanning direction of the scanning unit and have different inclination angles with respect to the main scanning direction; a printing unit that prints the first adjustment pattern, the identification pattern, and the second adjustment pattern on a medium in that order in a direction corresponding to the sub-scanning direction of the scanning unit; The scanning unit is a scanner that temporarily stops moving at a position corresponding to the identification pattern.

2. A scanning unit that performs intermittent scanning by moving intermittently; a stop state analysis unit that compares a stop image obtained by scanning an identification pattern on a medium at a stop position where the movement of the scanning unit is temporarily stopped with a restart image obtained by scanning the identification pattern at the stop position at a timing later than the timing when the stop image is obtained, and determines whether the medium has moved based on the comparison result; a scan control unit that interrupts the paused intermittent scan when the medium is moved, and continues the paused intermittent scan when the medium is not moved; The scanning unit a first line sensor for scanning a first color; a second line sensor for scanning a second color; a third line sensor for scanning a third color; A scanner in which the stopped image and the restarted image are images scanned only by the first line sensor.

3. A scanning unit that performs intermittent scanning by moving intermittently; a stop state analysis unit that compares a stop image obtained by scanning an identification pattern on a medium at a stop position where the movement of the scanning unit is temporarily stopped with a restart image obtained by scanning the identification pattern at the stop position at a timing later than the timing when the stop image is obtained, and determines whether the medium has moved based on the comparison result; a scan control unit that interrupts the paused intermittent scan when the medium is moved, and continues the paused intermittent scan when the medium is not moved; a detection unit that detects, when the medium moves, a position correction pattern that is printed at a predetermined position on the medium; The scan control unit resumes the interrupted intermittent scan when the position correction pattern is detected.

4. A scanning unit that performs intermittent scanning by moving intermittently; a stop state analysis unit that compares a stop image obtained by scanning an identification pattern on a medium at a stop position where the movement of the scanning unit is temporarily stopped with a restart image obtained by scanning the identification pattern at the stop position at a timing later than the timing when the stop image is obtained, and determines whether the medium has moved based on the comparison result; a scan control unit that interrupts the paused intermittent scan when the medium is moved, and continues the paused intermittent scan when the medium is not moved; The stop state analysis unit determines whether the medium has been changed to a new medium based on the image at the time of stop and the image at the time of restart.

5. The scanner according to claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment unit that stores adjustment parameters of the printing unit in a non-volatile memory based on the first adjustment pattern and the second adjustment pattern read by the scanning unit.

6. The scanner according to claim 1 , wherein the scanning unit is a MOS type line sensor.

7. The scanner according to claim 1 , wherein the scan control unit determines whether the medium has moved based on an edge position of the image at the time of stoppage and an edge position of the image at the time of resumption.

8. The stop state analysis unit determining whether the medium has been changed to a new medium based on whether the degree of difference between the image at the time of stoppage and the image at the time of resumption is within a first tolerance range that is set in advance; The scanner of claim 4 , wherein the determination of whether the medium has moved is based on whether the magnitude of the difference is within a second tolerance range that is narrower than the first tolerance range.

9. a test pattern in which a first adjustment pattern, an identification pattern, and a second adjustment pattern are arranged in this order in a direction corresponding to the sub-scanning direction of a scanning unit is printed on a medium; the scanning unit performs intermittent scanning by stopping at the position of the identification pattern on the medium; a stop image obtained by scanning the identification pattern on the medium at a stop position where the movement of the scanning unit is temporarily stopped is compared with a restart image obtained by scanning the identification pattern at the stop position at a timing later than the timing at which the stop image is obtained; determining whether the medium has moved based on the comparison result; If the medium does not move, the intermittent scanning continues; If the medium moves, the intermittent scan is interrupted; a method for producing a printing device, wherein, if the intermittent scanning continues, adjustment parameters based on the first adjustment pattern and the second adjustment pattern are stored in a non-volatile memory;

Images