Printing Control Device Band Area Boundary Management

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing printing technologies face increased printing time due to the need to manage blank pixel lines between band areas, which can result in noticeable boundaries and inefficiencies in the printing process.

Innovation Solution

A control device that selectively executes either first or second processing based on the presence of blank pixel lines, where the second processing shifts the printing boundary to a blank pixel line, thereby suppressing the visibility of boundaries between band areas without increasing printing time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the existing technology is used to manage blank pixel lines between band areas, then the boundary visibility is suppressed, but the printing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveboundary visibilityVSAvoidprinting time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The invention performs preliminary determination of whether dots are adjacent across passes before executing the printing operation. By pre-identifying the presence of blank lines and adjacent dots, the system can proactively adjust the band area division strategy, avoiding the need to add extra passes for boundary management and thus preventing printing time increase while still suppressing boundary visibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention dynamically adjusts the band area division based on the actual image content and blank line distribution. Instead of using a fixed printing strategy, the system adapts the band area boundaries and pass allocation according to the specific characteristics of each image, optimizing the balance between boundary suppression and printing efficiency for different printing scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the total count of passes is increased to manage blank pixel lines, then the boundary visibility is suppressed, but the productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveboundary visibilityVSAvoidprinting productivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the parameter of band area division strategy based on image characteristics. By adjusting how band areas are segmented and which passes print which regions, the system achieves effective boundary suppression without increasing the total pass count, thereby maintaining printing productivity while improving image quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11161350B2Control device, printing apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Publication Date: 2021.11.02 BROTHER KOGYO KK

AI summary

A control device is configured to cause a print execution unit to print an image by repetitively executing: partial printing of causing a print head to eject ink while causing a main scanning unit to perform the main scanning; and conveying processing of causing a conveyor to perform a conveyance, and the control device is configured to execute: selection processing of selecting one of first processing and second processing for printing an Nth band area when the Nth band area includes a blank pixel line extending in a second direction; and execution processing of executing the one of the first processing and the second processing, and in the selection processing, the control device is configured to: select the second processing when a total count condition is satisfied; and select the first processing when the total count condition is not satisfied.