Color Printer Multi-Color Text Legibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing color printers face issues with illegible explanatory texts when printing check patterns, due to abnormalities in the mechanism that prints these texts.
Innovation Solution
A color printer is configured to print check patterns and explanatory texts using multiple colors and/or multiple nozzle rows, allowing for legible printing even when printing mechanisms or nozzle rows operate abnormally.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If explanatory texts are printed using a single color or single nozzle row, then the printing process is simple, but the texts become illegible when that nozzle row operates abnormally
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of color usage from single-color to multi-color printing. By printing explanatory texts using multiple colors (CMYK) instead of a single color or nozzle row, the system ensures that if one nozzle row fails, the text remains legible through the combination of other colors, thus improving reliability without requiring redundant single-color printing mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the printing mechanism multi-functional by using all available nozzle rows (CMYK) for printing explanatory texts, not just one dedicated nozzle row. This universal approach allows any combination of working nozzle rows to produce legible texts, making the system adaptable to various failure scenarios without requiring specific single-function nozzle rows
2Loss of information
If check patterns are printed with detailed explanatory texts, then user understanding is improved, but printing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the existing multi-color printing capability (designed for color check patterns) to also print explanatory texts, rather than adding a separate printing mechanism. The same CMYK nozzle rows that print the color check patterns are used to print the explanatory texts, eliminating the need for additional printing time while maintaining information clarity
Data Source
AI summary
A color printer includes: a printing unit configured to print check patterns and explanatory texts for the check patterns; and an interface configured to accept a result of checking the check patterns from a user, and the printing unit prints the explanatory texts by using multiple colors and/or multiple nozzle rows.