Inkjet Head Correction for Nozzle Defect Stripe Unevenness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ink-jet recording apparatuses face issues with overlapping correction, leading to stripe unevenness due to defective nozzles, which requires repeated updates of correction values, increasing time and cost to achieve appropriate image correction.

Innovation Solution

An image recording apparatus with a recording control unit, storage units for correction values, and processing units that detect defective nozzles and perform flattening processing to suppress variations in correction values, preventing overlapping corrections by generating new correction information based on property information from test charts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If density unevenness correction and non-ejection correction are both applied to correct stripe unevenness, then correction effectiveness is improved, but overlapping correction occurs causing stripe unevenness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage correction accuracyVSAvoidoverlapping correction stripe unevenness

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary flattening processing on correction values before applying non-ejection correction. By pre-adjusting the correction values of surrounding nozzles to reduce variations, the system prevents overlapping correction from causing stripe unevenness while maintaining the benefits of both density unevenness correction and non-ejection correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different correction strategies to different nozzles based on their specific conditions. Surrounding nozzles adjacent to defective nozzles receive flattened correction values to prevent overlapping correction, while non-defective nozzles use standard correction values. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction between applying comprehensive correction and avoiding overlapping correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If correction values are repeatedly updated to fix overlapping correction stripe unevenness, then correction accuracy is improved, but time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecorrection value accuracyVSAvoidupdate time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs flattening processing as a preliminary step before final correction value determination. By pre-adjusting correction values to suppress variations in surrounding nozzles, the system obtains accurate correction values in a single update cycle, eliminating the need for repeated updates and reducing time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9132659B2Image recording apparatus, control method thereof, and recording medium

Publication Date: 2015.09.15 FUJIFILM CORP

AI summary

Unevenness correcting information is generated based on property information indicating a recording property of each of a plurality of recording elements which are included in a recording head, the recording elements being subjected to output correction in a first output correction unit based on unevenness correcting information obtained after a flattening processing and output correction in a second output correction unit, and the unevenness correcting information close to an appropriate value with which an image in an appropriately-corrected state can be obtained can be generated.