Inkjet Printer Nozzle Defect Compensation via Dynamic Ink Rate Adjustment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ink jet printers face issues with 'dot missing' due to nozzle clogging, leading to white lines in printed images, especially when a defective nozzle is not detected before printing, and existing solutions are inadequate for real-time compensation during multipath printing.
Innovation Solution
A printing control apparatus and method that detects defective nozzles and uses complementary nozzles to form compensatory dots, adjusting the ink usage rate to ensure effective dot formation by redistributing ink usage across multiple nozzles during subsequent scanning passes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multipath printing is performed without pre-detection of defective nozzles, then printing speed and productivity are improved, but white lines appear in printed images due to undetected dot missing
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary allocation of complementary nozzles and planning of dot complementation strategies before the actual printing process begins. The controller pre-identifies which nozzles will serve as complementary nozzles and prepares the dot complementation data structure in advance, enabling rapid response when defects occur during printing without compromising image quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors nozzle discharge status during printing and dynamically adjusts dot complementation based on real-time feedback. When a nozzle is detected as defective during printing, the controller immediately activates complementary nozzles and modifies the printing plan to compensate for the defect, preventing white lines while maintaining high printing speed
2Manufacturing precision
If complementary dots are formed using complementary nozzles with equal ink usage rate distribution, then dot coverage is improved, but ink waste increases due to excessive ink discharge in later scanning passes
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the ink usage rate of complementary nozzles based on the scanning pass number and the specific defect pattern. The ink usage rate is set to be higher in earlier scanning passes and progressively reduced in later passes, optimizing the balance between dot coverage and ink consumption. This dynamic adjustment prevents both insufficient coverage and excessive ink waste
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the ink usage rate parameter of complementary nozzles according to the scanning pass sequence. By setting different ink usage rates for different scanning passes (higher in first passes, lower in later passes), the system achieves effective dot complementation while minimizing ink waste. The parameter adjustment is based on the accumulated dot formation status and remaining need for complementation
Data Source
AI summary
A printing control apparatus includes a defective nozzle detecting section that detects a defective nozzle included in the plurality of nozzles; and a complementing section that forms a complementary dot which complements dots of a first raster to be recorded using the defective nozzle on at least one of a second raster and the first raster using a complementary nozzle included in the plurality of nozzles. The complementing section includes an adjusting section which sets main scanning being performed after the defective nozzle is detected as a first main scanning, sets main scanning being performed M times after the defective nozzle is detected as a M-th main scanning, and allows a usage rate of ink in the first main scanning to be greater than a usage rate of ink in the M-th main scanning, regarding the usage rate of ink discharged using the same complementary nozzle.