Print Engine Nozzle Selection for Positional Deviation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printing techniques using multiple head units for inkjet printers do not adequately suppress image quality degradation due to positional deviations between head units, leading to suboptimal nozzle alignment and image quality issues.
Innovation Solution
A setting device and method for a print engine with multiple head units, where nozzles from different head units are strategically selected based on relative position information to compensate for positional deviations, ensuring optimal nozzle usage and minimizing image quality degradation by determining which nozzles to use and which to exclude within overlapping ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional techniques determine nozzle association using test patterns considering installation errors, then basic alignment is achieved, but image quality degradation cannot be sufficiently suppressed due to head unit configurations with nozzles of the same color arranged in a line
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the nozzles into multiple groups (first nozzle group, second nozzle group, etc.) where each group contains nozzles of the same color arranged in different directions. This segmentation allows selective determination of use/no-use status for different nozzle groups based on their specific alignment characteristics, thereby suppressing image quality degradation that cannot be addressed by conventional single-line arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by determining the use/no-use status of nozzles individually or in groups based on their specific positional deviation characteristics. Instead of uniformly treating all nozzles, the system selectively activates or deactivates specific nozzles or nozzle groups depending on their alignment performance, ensuring optimal image quality in different local regions of the printed output.
2Productivity
If multiple head units are used to print one raster line, then printing coverage is increased, but positional deviations between head units cause image quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment by determining the use/no-use status of nozzles based on actual measured positional deviations between head units. The system adaptively selects which nozzles to activate or deactivate according to the specific alignment conditions detected during testing, allowing the printing system to dynamically compensate for installation errors and maintain high positional alignment precision across multiple head units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of individual nozzles or nozzle groups by setting their use/no-use status based on measured positional deviations. This parameter adjustment allows the system to compensate for installation errors by selectively activating nozzles that meet alignment criteria while deactivating those that do not, thereby maintaining high printing precision despite using multiple head units for increased coverage.
3Device complexity
If nozzles are arranged in a line for same color ink, then head unit structure is simplified, but image quality deterioration cannot be sufficiently suppressed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments nozzles of the same color into multiple nozzle groups arranged in different directions rather than a single line. This segmentation increases structural complexity but enables selective determination of use/no-use status for different groups, thereby suppressing image quality deterioration that occurs with simple linear arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a one-dimensional linear arrangement of nozzles to a multi-dimensional configuration where nozzle groups are arranged in different directions. This dimensional change increases structural complexity but provides better coverage and allows selective activation of nozzle groups based on their specific alignment characteristics, thereby improving image quality reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A setting device for a print engine is configured to cause the print engine to print a specific image including a first image to be printed using first nozzles of a first head unit and a second image to be printed using second nozzles of a second head unit, receive relative position information determined based on the printed specific image, the relative position information including information indicating a positional deviation amount in a specific direction between the first nozzles and the second nozzles, and set, based on the relative position information, use nozzles to be used for printing and non-use nozzles not to be used for printing among the first nozzles and the second nozzles within a range in which a first range where the first nozzles are located and a second range where the second nozzles are located overlap with each other.