Inkjet Printer Nozzle Inspection via Image Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inkjet printers face challenges in accurately inspecting nozzle states due to image incorrectness when capturing test patterns, which hinders precise identification of nozzles causing injection errors.
Innovation Solution
The inkjet printer incorporates a controller with a test image printer, image capturer controller, corrector, and inspector. It prints a test image with a predefined mark to correct image captured by the image capturing device, allowing for precise inspection of nozzle states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If an image capturing device is used to capture a test pattern for nozzle inspection, then the inspection can be automated and performed remotely, but image incorrectness (enlargement, shrinking, distortion) occurs making it difficult to accurately specify which nozzle is causing injection errors
Solution Approach 1:
A mark of predefined shape is introduced as an intermediary reference object in the test pattern. This mark serves as a mediator between the image capturing device and the nozzles, allowing the system to calculate correction values based on the mark's captured image versus its predefined shape, thereby compensating for image incorrectness and enabling accurate nozzle identification
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of the captured image by calculating correction values that compensate for enlargement, shrinking, and distortion. These correction values are applied to adjust the captured image parameters back to their expected values, allowing accurate specification of nozzle positions and identification of defective nozzles
2Measurement precision
If the image of the test pattern is captured with high precision to accurately identify defective nozzles, then nozzle inspection accuracy improves, but image incorrectness due to enlargement, shrinking or distortion cannot be eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by comparing the captured image of the mark with its predefined shape to calculate correction values. This feedback loop allows the system to detect image incorrectness and automatically compensate for it, maintaining high inspection accuracy despite image distortion
Solution Approach 2:
The mark with its predefined shape serves as a reference copy that can be compared against the captured image. By having this known reference copy, the system can identify deviations caused by image incorrectness and correct them, preserving measurement precision
Data Source
AI summary
A test image printer of an inkjet printer causes a test image, including a mark with a predefined shape and usable to correct an image captured by an image capturing device, and a test pattern usable to inspect a plurality of nozzles, to be printed on a recording medium. An image capture controller controls the image capturing device to capture an image of the test image printed on the recording medium. A corrector compares the image of the mark captured by the image capturing device, to the predefined shape of the mark, to calculate a correction value, and corrects the image of the test pattern, captured by the image capturing device, based on the calculated correction value. An inspector inspects the plurality of nozzles based on the image of the test pattern corrected by the corrector.