Dynamic Carriage Velocity Threshold for Printers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image recording apparatuses face issues with accurately determining carriage velocity due to environmental changes, leading to potential false jam detections and increased first print-out time (FPOT), as the threshold value may not accurately reflect the current use environment.
Innovation Solution
An image recording apparatus that includes a carriage, a liquid-discharging head, a velocity sensor, and a controller, which executes a velocity obtaining operation at appropriate timings for different recording modes to determine and set a threshold value based on real-time carriage velocity data, ensuring accurate jam detection and minimizing FPOT.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the velocity obtaining operation is executed after receiving the recording command to set an exact threshold value, then the accuracy of jam detection is improved, but the first print-out time (FPOT) increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the velocity obtaining operation conditional rather than fixed. The controller dynamically determines whether to execute the velocity obtaining operation based on the selected recording mode. For high image quality recording modes, the operation is executed to ensure accurate threshold values. For high velocity recording modes, it is skipped to reduce FPOT. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between measurement precision and time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of operation execution timing based on recording mode characteristics. By selecting different recording modes (high image quality vs. high velocity), the system changes whether the velocity obtaining operation should be performed. This parameter change approach allows the system to optimize between threshold accuracy and FPOT depending on the specific recording requirements.
2Device complexity
If a fixed threshold value is used without considering environmental changes, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of jam detection deteriorates due to false detections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by executing the velocity obtaining operation in advance of the actual recording operation. The threshold value is determined before the recording command is executed, so the threshold is already optimized for the current environmental conditions when recording begins. This eliminates the need for complex real-time adjustments during recording while maintaining high detection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the velocity obtaining operation to adjust the threshold value based on actual carriage velocity measurements in the current environment. The velocity data obtained serves as feedback that allows the controller to set an accurate threshold value reflecting current conditions, thereby improving jam detection reliability without requiring overly complex continuous monitoring during recording.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for precise determination of carriage velocity, reducing the likelihood of false jam detections and shortening the FPOT, particularly by prioritizing threshold accuracy in high image quality recording modes while minimizing FPOT in high velocity recording modes.
Implementation Method 1
a velocity sensor configured to obtain velocity data related to a velocity of the carriage
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an image recording apparatus including a carriage, a head, a velocity sensor, and a controller. The controller obtains velocity data of the carriage from the velocity sensor, determines a threshold value based on the velocity data, records an image on a recording medium, and suspends a recording pass when the controller has determined that a velocity indicated by the velocity data is lower than a velocity corresponding to the threshold value. The controller can execute a first recording mode and a second recording mode in which the velocity of the carriage is faster than that of the first recording mode. The velocity data for the first recording mode is obtained in a warm-up time after a recording command is received until recording of the image is started. The velocity data for the second recording mode is obtained in other time other than the warm-up time.