Printer Controller Index Value Analysis for Blank Space Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques struggle to accurately determine whether to print areas with blank spaces in images, as they may contain colors different from white, leading to potential misidentification and inefficient printing processes.
Innovation Solution
A control device for a printer that acquires and processes image data by calculating index values from pixel values of partial images to determine whether to print unit images, using a controller to control the printer's ejection and movement processes, ensuring accurate determination and efficient printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional scanning processing is used to determine blank spaces, then printing speed can be increased by skipping white areas, but accuracy deteriorates because areas with colors different from white (e.g., light gray, beige) are incorrectly identified as blank spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image into multiple unit images along the main scanning direction, and further divides each unit image into multiple partial images. This segmentation allows the system to analyze color characteristics of specific regions rather than treating the entire image uniformly, enabling accurate distinction between true blank spaces and areas with non-white colors while maintaining printing speed benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent calculates index values based on pixel values of partial images within each unit image, applying different evaluation criteria to different regions. By examining local color characteristics of partial images rather than using global thresholds, the system can accurately identify blank spaces even when they have non-white colors, resolving the contradiction between processing speed and identification accuracy
2Manufacturing precision
If the printer processes all unit images sequentially, then printing quality is maintained, but printing time increases due to unnecessary ejection processing for blank areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary analysis of unit images by calculating index values from partial images before actual ejection processing. This preliminary determination of whether to print each unit image allows the system to skip unnecessary ejection operations for blank areas while maintaining quality for areas that require printing, thus reducing printing time without compromising quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial processing by analyzing only the necessary partial images within each unit image to determine printability, rather than processing all pixels uniformly. This selective analysis reduces computational overhead and processing time while maintaining sufficient accuracy to determine which areas require ejection processing
Data Source
AI summary
In a control device, a controller is configured to perform: determining whether to print a target unit image according to J number of index values respectively corresponding to J number of target partial images; in response to determining to print the target unit image, controlling a printer to execute ejection processing and movement processing for printing a band image constituted with H number of successive unit images arranged in a sub-scanning direction and including the target unit image, the ejection processing ejecting a droplet of coloring material onto a printing medium while moving a print head in a main scanning direction, the movement processing moving the printing medium in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the print head; and in response to determining not to print the target unit image, controlling the printer to execute the movement processing but not execute the ejection processing for printing the target unit image.