Recording device, program

Abstract

To solve a problem that there is a room for improvement in view of usability in a conventional configuration since the conventional configuration only notifies a user of a fact that a recording medium is fed in an inclined manner by an alarm, lighting of a lamp, a warning message, or the like, resulting in shortage of information related to the inclination of the recording medium.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: an edge detection part for detecting an edge of a medium in a conveyance path; and a control part that receives detection information of the edge detection part. The control part acquires a direction of inclination and a degree of inclination of the medium in the conveyance path on the basis of the detection information of the edge detection part, and outputs inclination information including the direction of inclination and the degree of inclination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that performs recording on a medium. The present invention also relates to a program executed by a control unit of the recording apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In a printer typified by a recording apparatus, as shown in Patent Document 1, a method for detecting the inclination of a recording medium when feeding the recording medium has been proposed. Further, Patent Document 1 describes that when the recording medium is fed while being inclined, the user is notified by an alarm, lighting of a lamp, a warning message, or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the printer described in Patent Document 1, as long as the user is notified by an alarm, lighting of a lamp, a warning message, or the like that the recording medium has been fed while being inclined, information related to the inclination of the recording medium is insufficient, and there is room for improvement from the viewpoint of usability. <00​​​​​The recording device of the present invention, which solves the above problems, comprises a transport path for transporting a medium, a recording unit for recording on the medium in the transport path, a transport unit located upstream of the recording unit in the transport path and transporting the medium toward the recording unit, an edge detection unit for detecting the edge of the medium in the transport path, and a control unit for receiving detection information from the edge detection unit, wherein the control unit acquires the direction and degree of the inclination of the medium in the transport path based on the detection information from the edge detection unit, and outputs inclination information including the direction and degree of the inclination.

[0006] The present invention also relates to a program executed by the control unit of a recording device comprising: a transport path for transporting a medium; a recording unit for recording on the medium along the transport path; a transport unit located upstream of the recording unit along the transport path and transporting the medium toward the recording unit; an edge detection unit for detecting the edge of the medium along the transport path; and a control unit for receiving detection information from the edge detection unit. The program is characterized by including the steps of: acquiring the direction and degree of inclination of the medium along the transport path based on the detection information from the edge detection unit; and outputting inclination information including the direction and degree of inclination. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] (A) is a perspective view of the printer from the front, and (B) is a perspective view of the printer from the rear. [Figure 2] A diagram showing the media transport path in a printer. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the media transport path in a printer. [Figure 4] A diagram showing a configuration for adjusting the nip load of a feed roller pair. [Figure 5] A block diagram showing the control system for a printer and a mobile information terminal. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating the control flow performed by the control unit. [Figure 7] A flowchart illustrating the tilt detection process. [Figure 8] A diagram showing the location for detecting the leading edge of the medium. [Figure 9] A diagram showing a UI that displays the tilt of the media. [Figure 10] A diagram showing a UI that displays the tilt of the media. [Figure 11] A diagram showing the UI for ejecting media. [Figure 12] A diagram showing a UI that prompts manual correction of the media's tilt. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The present invention will be described in general terms below. A recording device according to the first embodiment comprises a transport path for transporting a medium, a recording unit for recording on the medium along the transport path, a transport unit located upstream of the recording unit along the transport path and transporting the medium toward the recording unit, an edge detection unit for detecting the edge of the medium along the transport path, and a control unit for receiving detection information from the edge detection unit, wherein the control unit acquires the direction and degree of inclination of the medium along the transport path based on the detection information from the edge detection unit, and outputs inclination information including the direction and degree of inclination.

[0009] According to this embodiment, the control unit acquires the direction and degree of the tilt of the medium in the transport path based on the detection information of the edge detection unit, and outputs tilt information including the direction and degree of the tilt. As a result, the user can understand not only that the tilt is occurring, but also the direction and degree of the tilt, and can select subsequent processing based on this, thereby improving usability.

[0010] The second embodiment is characterized in that, in the first embodiment, it includes a display unit that displays various information under the control of the control unit, and the control unit causes the display unit to display the angle of inclination as the inclination information. According to this aspect, since the control unit causes the display unit to display the angle of the inclination as the inclination information, the user can select an appropriate process by grasping the angle of the inclination.

[0011] A third aspect is characterized in that, in the second aspect, the control unit causes the display unit to display the direction of the inclination of the medium as a figure as the inclination information. According to this aspect, since the control unit causes the display unit to display the direction of the inclination of the medium as a figure as the inclination information, it becomes easier for the user to grasp the inclination.

[0012] A fourth aspect is characterized in that, in the second or third aspect, the control unit causes the display unit to display information related to the deviation of the recorded image with respect to the medium as the inclination information. According to this aspect, since the control unit causes the display unit to display information related to the deviation of the recorded image with respect to the medium as the inclination information, the user can select an appropriate subsequent process based on the information related to the deviation.

[0013] A fifth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the control unit causes the display unit to display a user interface for allowing the user to select any one of a first selection of executing recording regardless of the inclination, a second selection of discharging the medium to the upstream or downstream of the conveyance path with respect to the conveyance unit without executing recording, and a third selection of manually correcting the inclination of the medium, together with the inclination information, and performing a process corresponding to the selected item. According to this aspect, the user can select a desired item based on the inclination information, and the usability can be improved.

[0014] A sixth aspect is characterized in that, in the fifth aspect, the conveyance unit is composed of a pair of rollers that nip and convey the medium, and when the third selection is selected, the control unit releases the nip of the pair of rollers or reduces the nip load of the pair of rollers. According to this aspect, when the third selection is made, the control unit releases the nip of the roller pair or reduces the nip load of the roller pair, so that the medium rotates more easily and the user can more easily manually correct the inclination.

[0015] A seventh aspect is, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the recording unit is a recording head that discharges ink onto a medium, and is configured by a recording head provided on a carriage that is movable in a width direction, which is a direction intersecting the medium conveyance direction, and the edge detection unit is configured by an optical sensor provided at a position facing the medium on the carriage. According to this aspect, when the edge detection unit is configured by an optical sensor provided on the carriage, any one of the operational effects of the first to sixth aspects described above can be obtained.

[0016] An eighth aspect is, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the control unit outputs the inclination information to a portable information terminal capable of communicating with the control unit. According to this aspect, in the configuration where the control unit outputs the inclination information to a portable information terminal capable of communicating with the control unit, any one of the operational effects of the first to seventh aspects described above can be obtained.

[0017] A program according to a ninth aspect is a program executed by a control unit of a recording apparatus including a conveyance path for conveying a medium, a recording unit that performs recording on the medium in the conveyance path, a conveyance unit that is located upstream of the recording unit in the conveyance path and conveys the medium toward the recording unit, an edge detection unit for detecting an edge of the medium in the conveyance path, and a control unit that receives detection information of the edge detection unit. The program includes steps of obtaining a direction and a degree of inclination of the medium in the conveyance path based on the detection information of the edge detection unit, and outputting inclination information including the direction and the degree of inclination.

[0018] According to this embodiment, the program includes the step of acquiring the direction and degree of tilt of the medium in the transport path based on the detection information of the edge detection unit, and outputting tilt information including the direction and degree of tilt. As a result, the user can understand not only that tilt is occurring, but also the direction and degree of tilt, thereby improving usability.

[0019] The present invention will be described in detail below. The following describes an inkjet printer 1 as an example of a recording device. Hereafter, the inkjet printer 1 will simply be referred to as printer 1. In each figure, the XYZ coordinate system is such that the X-axis direction is the width of the device, and the width of the recording medium is the same. The Y-axis direction is the depth direction of the device and is aligned with the media transport direction during recording. The +Y direction is from the back of the device towards the front, and the -Y direction is from the front of the device towards the back. In this embodiment, of the sides that make up the perimeter of the printer 1, the side on which the operation panel 6 is provided, i.e., the side in the +Y direction, is the front of the device, and the side in the -Y direction is the back of the device. The Z-axis direction is aligned with the vertical direction and corresponds to the height of the device. The +Z direction is vertically upward, and the -Z direction is vertically downward.

[0020] In the following, the direction in which the medium is sent will be referred to as "downstream," and the opposite direction as "upstream." In this specification, the terms "recording" and "printing" may be used, but in this embodiment, both refer to inkjet recording on a medium as an example. Also, in this specification, the terms "medium" and "paper" may be used, but "paper" is an example of a "medium".

[0021] In Figure 1, the printer 1 is configured as a multifunction device equipped with a scanner unit 3, which is an example of an image reading device, on top of the main unit 2 that performs inkjet recording on a medium. In other words, it is configured as a multifunction device that has both an inkjet recording function and a document reading function. An example of a medium is recording paper.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1(A), the main unit 2 of the device is equipped with an operation panel 6 on the front of the device for performing various operation settings and displaying recording settings and previews of recorded images. In this embodiment, the operation panel 6 is configured as a touch panel and displays various information and implements a user interface (hereinafter referred to as "UI") that accepts various setting operations by the user. In other words, the operation panel 6 functions as a display unit that displays various information in the printer 1. The user performs various setting operations and execution operations according to the UI displayed on the operation panel 6.

[0023] The front of the device features an operation panel 6, a media cassette 10, a media outlet 9, and a media receiving tray 21. An extension support section 12B is provided at the upper rear of the device so as to be able to extend upward. Also, as shown in Figure 1(B), a reversing unit 24 is provided at the rear of the device so as to be able to attach and detach it from the main body 2 of the device.

[0024] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the media feeding or transport paths in printer 1 will be explained. Printer 1 has three media feeding paths: media feeding path T1 when feeding media from the media cassette 10 at the bottom of the device, media feeding path T2 when feeding media from the upper rear of the device, and media feeding path T3 when feeding media from the rear of the device. Reference numeral T4 denotes the media transport path between the feed roller pair 15 and the discharge roller pair 19. All of the media feeding paths T1, T2, and T3 are connected to the media transport path T4.

[0025] In the media feeding path T1, the media is fed out of the media cassette 10, which serves as the media storage unit, in the -Y direction by the pick roller 11, curved and inverted by the inversion roller 20, and then fed in the +Y direction, specifically toward the side of the recording head 17, toward the feed roller pair 15. Thus, the media feeding path T1 includes a curved and inverted path that curves and inverts the media fed out of the media cassette 10 by the inversion roller 20. The pick roller 11 and the reversing roller 20 are powered by a transport motor 53 (see Figure 5). Driven rollers 22a, 22b, and 22c are provided along the outer circumference of the reversing roller 20.

[0026] In the medium supply path T2, the medium, supported in an inclined position by the inclined support section 12A and the extended support section 12B, is fed toward the feed roller pair 15 by the feed roller 13 and the auxiliary roller 14. In other words, the medium supply path T2 is the path for supplying the medium set at the upper rear of the device. The feed roller 13 and the auxiliary roller 14 are powered by the transport motor 53 (see Figure 5).

[0027] The media supply path T3 is a path for manually feeding media from the back to the front of the device. The media supply path T3 is a nearly straight path, and in this embodiment, it extends horizontally. The media supply path T3 is formed by removing the inversion unit 24 from the back side of the device body 2, removing the adapter 23 provided on the inversion unit 24, and attaching it to the device body 2 as shown in Figure 3. In other words, the inversion unit 24 is a unit that blocks the media supply path T3 when attached.

[0028] The inversion unit 24 is configured to be removed from the rear side of the main body 2 in the -Y direction, as shown in Figure 1(B), and is configured as a unit body equipped with an inversion roller 20. An adapter 23 is attached to the top of the inversion unit 24 in the +Y direction, as shown in Figure 2. When feeding media using the media feeding path T3, the adapter 23 is removed from the inversion unit 24 and attached to the printer 1 as shown in Figure 3. The adapter 23 is provided with a pair of edge guides 23a that guide the widthwise edges of the medium. Figure 3 shows the edge guides 23a provided in the +X direction in the X-axis direction. The pair of edge guides 23a are provided to move closer to or further apart from each other by a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown).

[0029] A pair of feed rollers 15 that moves the medium to a position opposite the recording head 17 is an example of a transport unit, and comprises a feed roller 15a and a nip roller 15b. The feed roller 15a is powered by a transport motor 53 (see Figure 5). The nip roller 15b is provided to move back and forth relative to the feed roller 15a and is pressed toward the feed roller 15a by a compression spring 27 (see Figure 4), and nips the medium between itself and the feed roller 15a to rotate in a driven manner.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the compression spring 27 applies a pressing force to the rotation axis 15c of the nip roller 15b via the spring receiving portion 26a. The spring receiving portion 26b is provided on the upper part of the compression spring 27, and an eccentric cam 28 is provided on the spring receiving portion 26b. The eccentric cam 28 rotates around the rotation axis 28a, which rotates by receiving power from the cam motor 49 (see Figure 5). The length of the compression spring 27 is adjusted by the rotation of the eccentric cam 28, and the nip load when the nip roller 15b and the feed roller 15a nip the medium is adjusted. In this embodiment, the nip load can be switched between two stages: a "large nip load" which is the nip load when conveying the medium, and a "small nip load" which is the nip load when performing diagonal correction, which will be described later. Furthermore, the control unit 50 (see Figure 5) can determine the phase of the eccentric cam 28 based on detection information from a rotation detection means (not shown), and thereby switch the nip load.

[0031] In Figures 2 and 3, downstream of the return feed roller pair 15, a recording head 17, which is an example of a recording unit, and a media support unit 18 are positioned opposite each other. In this embodiment, the recording head 17 is configured as an inkjet recording head that ejects ink. The media support unit 18 defines the gap between the recording head 17 and the media by supporting the media. The carriage 16, on which the recording head 17 is mounted, is configured to reciprocate in the media width direction and moves in the X-axis direction by obtaining power from a carriage motor 51 (see Figure 5) controlled by a control unit 50 (see Figure 5). However, the recording head 17 is not limited to a serial type that records while moving in the X-axis direction, but may also be a fixed line head.

[0032] Downstream of the recording head 17 and the media support section 18, a pair of discharge rollers 19 is provided. The discharge roller pair 19 comprises a feed roller 19a and a nip roller 19b. The feed roller 19a is powered by a transport motor 53 (see Figure 5). The nip roller 19b is mounted to be able to move back and forth relative to the feed roller 19a and is pressed toward the feed roller 19a by a spring (not shown), and nips the media between itself and the feed roller 19a to rotate in a driven manner. The recorded media is discharged out of the device by the discharge roller pair 19 and supported by a media receiving tray 21.

[0033] Next, we will explain the control system in printer 1, referring to Figure 5. The control unit 50 controls various functions of the printer 1, including feeding, transporting, recording, and ejecting media in the main unit 2, and scanning documents in the scanner unit 3. Signals from the operation panel 6 are input to the control unit 50, and signals for implementing the user interface (UI) on the operation panel 6 are transmitted from the control unit 50 to the operation panel 6.

[0034] The control unit 50 controls the carriage motor 51, the transport motor 53, and the cam motor 49. In this embodiment, each of these motors is a DC motor. The control unit 50 also receives detection signals from the following detection units: the position detection unit 57, the rotation detection unit 58, the first medium detection unit 59, the second medium detection unit 60, and the adapter detection unit 63.

[0035] The position detection unit 57 is a linear encoder and is a detection unit for detecting the position of the carriage 16 in the X-axis direction. The rotation detection unit 58 is a rotary encoder and is a detection unit for detecting the amount of rotation and rotational speed of the transport motor 53.

[0036] The adapter detection unit 63 is a detection unit provided in the device body 2 at the mounting position of the adapter 23 (see Figure 3) for detecting whether or not the adapter 23 is mounted on the device body 2. In this embodiment, the adapter detection unit 63 is composed of a contact-type sensor.

[0037] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first media detection unit 59 is located near the upstream side of the feed roller pair 15 and is a detection unit for detecting the passage of the leading and trailing ends of the media. When the media feeding path T3 shown in Figure 3 is used, when the leading end of the media inserted by the user from the rear of the device passes the detection position of the first media detection unit 59, the control unit 50 emits a "beep" sound from a speaker (not shown) and starts rotating the feed roller pair 15, waiting for print data after a predetermined amount of the inserted media has been sent downstream. This first medium detection unit 59 can be configured with a contact-type or non-contact-type sensor.

[0038] The second media detection unit 60 is an example of an edge detection unit provided in the carriage 16 at a position facing the media, and is used for detecting the edge position in the Y-axis direction and the edge position in the X-axis direction of the media. The second media detection unit 60 is composed of an optical sensor comprising a light-emitting unit that emits detection light and a light-receiving unit that receives reflected light from the media. In this embodiment, the second medium detection unit 60 may use a fixedly mounted CIS (Contact Image Sensor) instead of the optical sensor provided on the carriage 16.

[0039] The control unit 50 includes a CPU 54 and a memory 55. The CPU 54 performs various processes according to the program stored in the memory 55 and controls various operations of the main unit 2 and the scanner unit 3. The memory 55 is a read-and-write non-volatile memory and is an example of a storage device. The memory 55 stores programs and various parameters for controlling the main unit 2 and the scanner unit 3. The control program (indicated as "SP" in Figure 5) 70 stored in the memory 55 transmits information related to the status of the printer 1, particularly tilt information (described later), to the operation panel 6 or the portable information terminal 100 (described later) as needed. Various setting information entered by the user via the operation panel 6 is also stored in the memory 55.

[0040] The control unit 50 is equipped with a communication unit 62. The communication unit 62 is a communication module for wireless communication with external devices, and in this embodiment, it is a communication module for wireless communication according to the Wi-Fi method. Wi-Fi is a method for performing wireless communication according to the international standard IEEE 802.11. Note that "Wi-Fi" is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. However, the communication unit 62 is not limited to this; it may also be a communication module that performs wireless communication using the Bluetooth method in accordance with the international standard IEEE 802.15.1, or it may also use infrared communication or other wireless communication methods. Furthermore, the communication unit 62 may be composed of multiple of the above-mentioned communication modules.

[0041] The printer 1, having the above configuration, forms a recording system together with a portable information terminal 100 that can communicate with the printer 1. A smartphone is an example of the portable information terminal 100. The portable information terminal 100 comprises a control unit 101 and a display unit 105. In this embodiment, the display unit 105 is configured as a touch panel and displays various information, as well as a user interface (UI) that accepts various setting operations from the user. The user performs various setting operations and execution operations according to the UI displayed on the display unit 105.

[0042] The control unit 101 receives signals from the display unit 105, and signals necessary for implementing the UI on the display unit 105 are transmitted from the control unit 101 to the display unit 105. The control unit 101 includes a CPU 102 and a memory 103. The CPU 102 performs various processes according to the program stored in the memory 103 and controls the display unit 105. The memory 103 is a non-volatile memory that can be read and written to, and stores programs executed by the CPU 102 and various parameters. The application program (AP in Figure 5) 110 stored in the memory 103 displays a UI for operating the printer 1, such as tilt information and processing UI described later, on the display unit 105 based on information transmitted from the printer 1.

[0043] The control unit 101 includes a communication unit 104. The communication unit 104 includes a communication module for mobile communication as well as a communication module for wireless communication according to the Wi-Fi method. The communication unit 104 may also include a communication module for wireless communication using the Bluetooth method, or a communication module for infrared communication or other wireless communication methods. However, the communication unit 104 must be able to establish communication with at least the printer 1.

[0044] Next, we will explain the detection of skew when feeding media using the media feeding path T3 shown in Figure 3. As described above, when the leading edge of the media inserted into the media feeding path T3 by the user passes the detection position by the first media detection unit 59, the control unit 50 sends the inserted media downstream and waits for print data. When the control unit 50 receives the print data, it performs the processing shown in Figure 6. The control unit 50 first performs tilt detection (step S101). Tilt detection is performed by the process shown in Figure 7 as an example. In Figure 7, the control unit 50 moves the carriage 16 so that the second media detection unit 60 is positioned at position X0 in Figure 8 (step S201). Position X0 is the center position in the X-axis direction of the printable area. In Figure 8, the symbol P represents the media and indicates that it is tilted at an angle α. In this state, the control unit 50 uses the forward and reverse rotation of the feed roller pair 15 to obtain the edge position E0 of the leading edge Pf of the media P (step S202).

[0045] Next, the control unit 50 moves the carriage 16 so that the second medium detection unit 60 is positioned at position X1 in Figure 8 (step S203). In this state, the control unit 50 uses the forward and reverse rotation of the feed roller pair 15 to obtain the edge position E1 of the leading edge Pf of the medium P (step S204). Next, the control unit 50 moves the carriage 16 so that the second medium detection unit 60 is positioned at position X2 in Figure 8 (step S205). In this state, the control unit 50 uses the forward and reverse rotation of the feed roller pair 15 to obtain the edge position E2 of the leading edge Pf of the medium P (step S206). Furthermore, the distance between position X0 and position X1, and the distance between position X0 and position X2 are the same in the X-axis direction.

[0046] The control unit 50 calculates the tilt angle α of the medium P based on the coordinate values ​​of edge positions E0, E1, and E2 in the XY plane obtained as described above (step S207). Here, the tilt angle α can take a positive or negative value and also indicates the direction of tilt. The tilt angle α is an example of tilt information. Furthermore, based on the paper size information, print area, and tilt angle α included in the print data, it is determined whether the print area will extend beyond the paper if printed as is (step S207). Whether the print area extends beyond the paper is an example of tilt information, and also an example of information related to misalignment of the printed image.

[0047] Returning to Figure 6, when the control unit 50 performs tilt detection in step S101, it transmits tilt information and information related to the processing UI to the operation panel 6 (step S102), and the operation panel 6 displays the tilt information and processing UI based on this. If a connection with the mobile information terminal 100 has been established, the control unit 50 may also transmit the tilt information and processing UI to the mobile information terminal 100. In this case, the tilt information and processing UI described below will be displayed on the display unit 105 of the mobile information terminal 100 in addition to the operation panel 6 of the printer 1. In this case, the tilt information and processing UI described below may be displayed only on the display unit 105 of the mobile information terminal 100.

[0048] Figure 9 shows an example of tilt information and processing UI, where reference numeral 90 indicates the overall UI, reference numerals 91 and 92 indicate the tilt information, and reference numeral 93 indicates the processing UI. Tilt information 91 displays the direction of the tilt of the medium P using a graphic, and tilt information 92 indicates the tilt angle α of the paper and whether or not the print area extends beyond the paper. Figure 9 is an example of the display when the print area does not extend beyond the paper, and Figure 10 is an example of the display when the print area extends beyond the paper. The aspect ratio of the paper, the aspect ratio of the print area, the tilt angle of the paper, the ratio of the paper to the print area, and the amount of print area extension shown in tilt information 91 should preferably be depicted according to the actual content so that the user can easily grasp it intuitively. The user uses the overall UI90 to determine the tilt angle, tilt direction, and whether the paper extends beyond the print area, and then selects one of the items shown in the processing UI93 based on this information.

[0049] Alternatively, instead of simply indicating whether the printable area extends beyond the paper boundaries when printed as is, or in addition to this, the amount of change in the margin at the trailing edge of the paper (the amount of shift in the printable area) may also be displayed. This allows the user to understand the situation at the trailing edge of the paper, especially when feeding and printing on long sheets of paper.

[0050] The processing UI93 displays three options along with radio buttons: "Print as is," "Eject paper," and "Manual tilt correction." The user selects one of these options and presses the OK button to perform the corresponding action. The control unit 50 determines the item selected in the processing UI 93 (step S103) and performs the processing corresponding to the selected item. Specifically, "Print as is" is an example of the first selection, and if this is selected, the control unit 50 performs recording on the medium P (step S104).

[0051] "Paper ejection" is an example of a second selection, and if this is selected, the control unit 50 displays the ejection UI (step S105). In Figure 11, reference numeral 95 is an example of the ejection UI, and when the user presses the OK button, the control unit 50 reverses the feed roller pair 15 and ejects the medium P to the upstream side (step S106). Alternatively, in step S106, the feed roller pair 15 may be rotated forward to eject the medium P to the downstream medium receiving tray 21. However, ejecting the medium P to the upstream side reduces the path length when ejecting the medium P, and the risk of damage to the surface of the medium P is reduced.

[0052] "Manual tilt correction" is an example of a third selection. If this is selected, the control unit 50 first switches the nip load of the feed roller pair 15 to "small nip load" (step S107), and then displays the correction UI (step S108). In Figure 12, reference numeral 96 denotes an example of the correction UI. When the user corrects the skew of the paper and presses the OK button, the control unit 50 switches the nip load of the feed roller pair 15 to "large nip load" (step S109), and then executes the process again from step S101.

[0053] As described above, the printer 1 includes a second media detection unit 60, which is an edge detection unit for detecting the edge of the media P in the media transport path, and a control unit 50 that receives detection information from the second media detection unit 60. The control unit 50 acquires the direction and degree of tilt of the media P in the transport path based on the detection information from the second media detection unit 60 (step S101 in Figure 6), and outputs tilt information, including the direction and degree of tilt, to an information receiving unit that receives tilt information (step S102 in Figure 6). In this embodiment, the information receiving unit is at least one of the operation panel 6 of the printer 1 and the portable information terminal 100. This allows users to understand not only that the medium P is tilted, but also the direction and degree of the tilt, thereby improving usability.

[0054] In this embodiment, the control unit 50 displays the tilt angle α as tilt information on the operation panel 6 of the printer 1 or the display unit 105 of the portable information terminal 100 (tilt information 92). This allows the user to understand the tilt angle α and select the appropriate processing in the processing UI 93.

[0055] In this embodiment, the control unit 50 displays the direction of the tilt of the medium P as tilt information (tilt information 91) on the operation panel 6 of the printer 1 or the display unit 105 of the portable information terminal 100. This makes it easier for the user to understand the tilt of the medium P.

[0056] In this embodiment, the control unit 50 displays information related to the misalignment of the recorded image relative to the medium P as tilt information on the operation panel 6 of the printer 1 or the display unit 105 of the portable information terminal 100 (tilt information 92). This allows the user to select appropriate subsequent processing in the processing UI 93 based on the information related to the misalignment of the recorded image.

[0057] In this embodiment, the control unit 50 displays a processing UI 93 along with tilt information, allowing the user to select one of the following options: a first option to perform recording regardless of the tilt of the medium P; a second option to discharge the medium P upstream or downstream of the feed roller pair 15 without performing recording; or a third option to manually correct the tilt of the medium P. The control unit 50 then performs processing corresponding to the selected item, allowing the user to select the desired item based on the tilt information, thereby improving usability.

[0058] In this embodiment, if the third selection is made, the control unit 50 reduces the nip load of the feed roller pair 15 (step S107 in Figure 6). This makes it easier for the medium P to rotate and easier for the user to manually correct the tilt. In this embodiment, the nip load of the feed roller pair 15 is reduced, but the nip of the feed roller pair 15 may be completely released, that is, the nip roller 15b may be separated from the feed roller 15a. In this embodiment, if the third option is selected, the nip load of the feed roller pair 15 is adjusted, but the nip load of the feed roller pair 15 may be left as is without adjustment.

[0059] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as described in the claims, and these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, tilt information was displayed regardless of the tilt angle α of the medium P (step S102 in Figure 6). However, a threshold value for the tilt angle α may be set, and if the tilt angle α is less than the threshold value, the tilt information may not be displayed and recording may be performed as is. Furthermore, the threshold value may be adjustable by the user. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1...Inkjet printer, 2...Main unit, 3...Scanner unit, 6...Operation panel, 8...Top cover, 9...Media output port, 10...Media cassette, 11...Pick roller, 12A...Inclined support unit, 12B...Extension support unit, 13...Feed roller, 14...Auxiliary roller, 15...Feed roller pair, 15a...Feed roller, 15b...Nip roller, 16...Carriage, 17...Recording head, 18...Media support unit, 19...Ejection roller pair, 19a...Feed roller, 19b...Nip roller, 20...Reversal roller, 21...Media receiving tray, 22a, 22b, 22c...Driven roller, 23...Adapter, 24...Reversal unit, 26a, 26b...Spring support unit, 27 ...compression spring, 28...eccentric cam, 28a...rotating shaft, 49...cam motor, 50...control unit, 51...carriage motor, 53...transport motor, 54...CPU, 55...memory, 57...position detection unit, 58...rotation detection unit, 59...first media detection unit, 60...second media detection unit, 62...communication unit, 63...adapter detection unit, 70...control program (SP), 90...overall UI, 91, 92...tilt information, 93...processing UI, 95...discharge UI, 96...correction UI, 100...portable information terminal, 101...control unit, 102...CPU, 103...memory, 104...communication unit, 105...display unit, 110...application program (AP), T1, T2, T3...media supply path, P...media

Claims

1. A transport route for transporting the medium, A recording unit that records on a medium along the aforementioned transport path, A transport unit located upstream of the recording unit in the transport path and transporting the medium toward the recording unit, An edge detection unit for detecting the edge of the medium in the transport path, A control unit that receives detection information from the edge detection unit, The system includes a display unit that displays various information under the control of the control unit, The control unit acquires the direction and degree of the tilt of the medium in the transport path based on the detection information of the edge detection unit. The system outputs inclination information including the direction of the inclination and the degree of the inclination. The control unit causes the display unit to display the angle of inclination as the inclination information. The control unit, A first option is to perform recording regardless of the aforementioned tilt, A second option is to discharge the medium to the transport unit upstream or downstream of the transport path without performing recording, A third option for manually correcting the tilt of the medium, A user interface is displayed on the display unit along with the tilt information, allowing the user to select one of the following options, and processing is performed according to the selected item. A recording device characterized by the following features.

2. In the recording device according to claim 1, the control unit causes the display unit to display the direction of the tilt of the medium as tilt information using a graphic. A recording device characterized by the following features.

3. In the recording device according to claim 1 or claim 2, the control unit causes the display unit to display information relating to the displacement of the recorded image relative to the medium as the tilt information. A recording device characterized by the following features.

4. In the recording device according to claim 1, the transport unit is composed of a pair of rollers that nip and transport the medium, When the third selection is made, the control unit releases the nip of the roller pair or reduces the nip load of the roller pair. A recording device characterized by the following features.

5. A recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the recording unit comprises a recording head for ejecting ink onto a medium, the recording head being mounted on a carriage that is movable in the width direction which is intersecting the medium transport direction, The edge detection unit consists of an optical sensor provided in the carriage at a position facing the medium. A recording device characterized by the following features.

6. In the recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the control unit outputs the tilt information to a portable information terminal that can communicate with the control unit. A recording device characterized by the following features.

7. A transport route for transporting the medium, A recording unit that records on a medium along the aforementioned transport path, A transport unit located upstream of the recording unit in the transport path and transporting the medium toward the recording unit, An edge detection unit for detecting the edge of the medium in the transport path, A control unit that receives detection information from the edge detection unit, A program executed by the control unit of a recording device comprising a display unit that displays various information under the control of the control unit, The steps include obtaining the direction and degree of the tilt of the medium in the transport path based on the detection information of the edge detection unit, A step of outputting inclination information including the direction of the inclination and the degree of the inclination, The steps include displaying the angle of inclination as the inclination information on the display unit, The process includes a step of displaying a user interface on the display unit, along with the tilt information, allowing the user to select one of the following options: a first option to perform recording regardless of the tilt; a second option to discharge the medium to the transport unit upstream or downstream of the transport path without performing recording; or a third option to manually correct the tilt of the medium; and performing processing corresponding to the selected item. A program characterized by the following features.

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