Ink Amount Upper Limit Setting for Inkjet Printers

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ink jet printers face challenges in setting ink amount upper limits to prevent bleeding and wrinkles on print substrates while maintaining high color reproducibility, especially during color printing where ink dots of different colors tend to mix, leading to increased ink density.

Innovation Solution

A color conversion table generating apparatus that sets ink amount upper limits by designating target colors, defining correspondence relationships between color space coordinates and ink amounts, forming patches based on these limits, and determining color reproduction regions to recommend the lowest ink amount required for desired color reproduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the ink amount upper limit is increased to enhance color reproducibility, then color reproduction quality improves, but ink dot bleeding and substrate wrinkles occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolor reproduction qualityVSAvoidink dot bleeding and substrate wrinkles

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary measurement of the color reproduction region before final ink amount determination. By measuring the colorimetric values at candidate ink amount upper limits and evaluating color reproduction capability in advance, the system identifies the appropriate ink amount limit that prevents bleeding while achieving desired color reproduction, rather than trial-and-error adjustment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from colorimetric measurements to determine the ink amount upper limit. By measuring the colorimetric values of printed patches and evaluating whether target colors are contained in the color reproduction region, the system adjusts and determines the optimal ink amount upper limit that balances color reproduction quality with prevention of ink bleeding and substrate damage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the ink amount upper limit is set conservatively to prevent bleeding and wrinkles, then print quality is maintained, but color reproducibility deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprint quality stabilityVSAvoidcolor reproducibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary measurement of the color reproduction region before final ink amount determination. By measuring the colorimetric values at candidate ink amount upper limits and evaluating color reproduction capability in advance, the system identifies the appropriate ink amount limit that prevents bleeding while achieving desired color reproduction, rather than trial-and-error adjustment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from colorimetric measurements to determine the ink amount upper limit. By measuring the colorimetric values of printed patches and evaluating whether target colors are contained in the color reproduction region, the system adjusts and determines the optimal ink amount upper limit that balances color reproduction quality with prevention of ink bleeding and substrate damage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Manufacturing precision

If multiple ink amount upper limit candidates are evaluated to find the optimal value, then color reproducibility improves, but setting complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolor reproducibilityVSAvoidink amount setting complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the ink amount upper limit determination into discrete candidate values (first, second, and third candidates with different ink amounts). By dividing the continuous parameter space into discrete segments, the system enables systematic evaluation of multiple candidates while maintaining manageable complexity through structured comparison of color reproduction regions for each candidate

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary measurement of the color reproduction region before final ink amount determination. By measuring the colorimetric values at candidate ink amount upper limits and evaluating color reproduction capability in advance, the system identifies the appropriate ink amount limit that prevents bleeding while achieving desired color reproduction, rather than trial-and-error adjustment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3282683B1Ink amount upper limit setting apparatus, ink amount upper limit setting method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for storing program of ink amount upper limit setting method

Publication Date: 2022.12.14 SEIKO EPSON CORP

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B

AI summary

An ink amount upper limit setting apparatus includes a target color designating section that accepts the designation of at least one target color for which an ink amount upper limit is to be set. A patch controller causes an output device to form patches in accordance with output values. A colorimetric value acquiring section acquires colorimetric values of the formed patches. A color reproduction determination output section outputs color reproduction determination information that indicates whether the target color is contained in a color reproduction region for each of ink amount upper limit candidates, on the basis of a coordinate value of the target color and the colorimetric values.