Inkjet Recording Head Ejection Failure Detection Priority Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing recording apparatuses face challenges in evenly determining ejection failure across multiple ejection ports due to shared detection circuits, leading to uneven selection of ejection ports for failure determination, which affects image quality.
Innovation Solution
A recording apparatus with a recording head, acquisition unit, control unit, selection unit, and determination unit that selects ejection ports based on predetermined priority orders and updates these orders to ensure even ejection failure determination across pixel rows, allowing for simultaneous ejection operation and failure detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a shared detection circuit is used for multiple ejection ports, then device complexity is reduced, but ejection failure determination becomes uneven across different ejection ports
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ejection ports into groups and assigns different priority orders to ejection ports in different pixel rows. By dividing the determination process into sequential steps with prioritized selection, the system achieves even coverage across all ejection ports while using a shared detection circuit, thus resolving the contradiction between device complexity and measurement precision.
2Productivity
If priority order for ejection port selection is offset by one for each pixel row, then ejection ports are selected preferentially, but ejection failure determination becomes uneven and affects image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the priority order of ejection ports based on pixel row position. Instead of using a fixed priority order, the system modifies priorities dynamically for each pixel row to ensure even distribution of ejection failure determination across all ejection ports, thereby maintaining image quality while preserving detection efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If ejection failure determination is performed for all ejection ports simultaneously, then detection coverage is improved, but detection circuit resources are overloaded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by performing ejection failure determination in sequential steps rather than simultaneously. The system determines ejection failure for ejection ports in a prioritized sequence across different pixel rows, allowing the shared detection circuit to handle one ejection port at a time systematically, thus achieving comprehensive coverage without overloading the detection circuit resources.
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
Enables even determination of ejection failure across all ejection ports, improving image quality by ensuring consistent and accurate detection of ejection failures, even when shared detection circuits are used.
Implementation Method 1
residual vibration in a pressure chamber when a piezoelectric element is driven
Implementation Method 2
residual vibration in a pressure chamber when a piezoelectric element is driven is detected by using a detection circuit
Data Source
AI summary
Priority order is updated so that an ejection port that is selected as an ejection port subjected to ejection failure determination in a pixel row in which a previous ejection operation is to be performed has the lowest priority order, which is used for selecting an ejection port subjected to ejection failure determination, in a pixel row in which a subsequent ejection operation is to be performed.