Patent EP0595650A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0595650A2
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EP
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Colour ink jet recording method and apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1993-10-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-10-29
Abstract
Abstract Whether or not a color image is present adjacent to a black image is discriminated. Whether the black image is formed using a black ink or a plurality of color inks C, M, and Y is determined in accordance with the discrimination result. When the black image is formed using the plurality of color inks, it is recorded using a repetitive pattern of two of C, M, and Y so as to prevent blurring with the color image, and to improve fixing characteristics by decreasing the total ejection amount.
Inventors
- 👤 Jiro C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Moriyama
- 👤 Naoji C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Otsuka
- 👤 Nobuyuki C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Kuwabara
- 👤 Isao C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ebisawa
- 👤 Atsushi C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Arai
- 👤 Hisao C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Yaegashi
- 👤 Toshiharu C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Inui
- 👤 Kentaro C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Yano
- 👤 Kiichiro c/oCanon Kabushiki Kaisha Takahashi
- 👤 Osamu c/oCanon Kabushiki Kaisha Iwasaki
- 👤 Daigoro Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Kanematsu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 19:46
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/21; B41J2/2132; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/46; H04N1/52; H04N1/56; H04N1/58
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 50
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
A color ink jet recording method for forming a desired color image by ejecting a black ink and a plurality of color inks different from the black ink onto a recording medium, comprising the steps of: discriminating whether or not a color image is present at a position adjacent to a black image; determining, in accordance with the discrimination result, whether the black image is formed using the black ink or the plurality of color inks; and decreasing an ejection amount per unit area of the plurality of color inks when the black image is formed using the plurality of color inks.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of color inks include cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) inks.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein the black image is recorded using two or less inks of the C, M, and Y inks for at least one black pixel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein the black image is recorded by decreasing an ink ejection amount of at least one of the C, M, and Y inks for one black pixel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein the black image is recorded by selectively using three or less inks of the C, M, and Y inks in a specified pattern in a black recording area.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein the specified pattern is a pattern in which C, M, and Y are uniformly distributed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein the specified pattern is a pattern in which C+M, M+Y, and Y+C are alternately repeated.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein the specified pattern is a pattern in which C, M, and Y are alternately repeated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein the specified pattern is a pattern which is randomly determined by at least eight kinds of patterns including Non (not recorded), C, M, Y, and C+M, M+Y, Y+C, and C+M+Y.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein as the specified pattern, an optimal pattern is selected in accordance with a recording medium.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
19 words
A method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the ink is ejected by heat energy.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
A color ink jet recording method for performing recording using a plurality of color inks including a black ink, comprising the steps of: discriminating a character and an image; and recording a black character using both the black ink and other color inks.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 12, wherein an image other than a character is recorded using only the color inks.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 12, wherein when a black character is recorded, pixels constituting the black character are divided into pixels on which the black ink is printed, and pixels on which the color inks are printed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 12, wherein when a black character is recorded, the color inks are printed on all pixels constituting the black character, and the black ink is printed on some of the pixels constituting the black character.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 12, wherein image recording is performed by ejecting ink droplets by causing a change in state in the ink using heat energy.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
91 words
A color ink jet recording method for recording a desired color image on a recording medium using a black ink and a plurality of color inks having different recording medium penetration characteristics from characteristics of the black ink, comprising the steps of: discriminating whether or not a recording frequency of black in a specified area at a recording position of the recording medium is larger than a specified value; and selecting, in accordance with the discrimination result, whether black is recorded using the plurality of color inks or the black ink.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein when the discrimination result indicates that the frequency is larger than the specified value, black is recorded using the plurality of color inks, and when the discrimination result indicates that the frequency is equal to or smaller than the specified value, black is recorded using the black ink.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein the discrimination of the generation frequency of black record pixels in the specified area is performed a plurality of number of times for a single recording position, and is performed based on an OR of the discrimination results.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein a size of the specified area is 2P × 2P or larger where P is the minimum recording pitch.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein the specified value assumes a larger value as the generation frequency of record pixels other than black in the specified area is lower.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein an ink ejection amount per pixel of each of the plurality of color inks is smaller than an ink ejection amount per pixel of the black ink.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein the ink is ejected by causing a change in state in the ink using heat energy generated by an electro-thermal energy converting member.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein the ink is ejected using mechanical energy generated by an electro-mechanical energy converting member.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
122 words
A color ink jet recording method for forming a desired color image on a recording medium using a black ink and a plurality of color inks different from the black ink, comprising the steps of: discriminating whether or not a color image is present at a position adjacent to a black image; forming a portion, adjacent to the color image, of the black image using black dots formed by mixing the plurality of color inks when the color image is present at the position adjacent to the black image; and forming another black image portion around the black image portion adjacent to the color image by mixing dots of the black ink in the black dots formed by mixing the color inks.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method according to claim 25, wherein when the other black image portion around the black image portion adjacent to the color image is formed by mixing the dots of the black ink in the black dots formed by mixing the color inks, a ratio of the dots of the black ink is gradually increased as the position is separated away from the black image portion adjacent to the color image.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 26, wherein the ratio of the dots of the black ink is gradually increased within a range from 10% to 90%.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 26, wherein the mixing ratio range of the black image portion adjacent to the color image is a range of one or more dots of the black ink to five dots formed by mixing the color inks.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 26, wherein the mixing ratio range of the black image portion adjacent to the color image is a range of one or more dots of the black ink to two dots formed by mixing the color inks.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method according to claim 25, wherein the other black image portion around the black image portion adjacent to the color image is formed by randomly mixing the dots of the black ink in the black dots formed by mixing the color inks.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 25, wherein the ink is ejected by causing a change in state in the ink using heat energy generated by an electro-thermal energy converting member.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 25, wherein the ink is ejected using mechanical energy generated by an electro-mechanical energy converting member.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
105 words
A color ink jet recording method for forming a desired color image on a recording medium using a black ink and a plurality of color inks different from the black ink, comprising the steps of: discriminating whether or not a color image is present at a position adjacent to a black image; and converting black image pixels adjacent to the color image into expanded pixels each defined by a plurality of pixels when the color image is present at the position adjacent to the black image, and processing the expanded pixels as black image pixels formed by mixing the color inks and the black ink.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 33, wherein each of the expanded pixels is defined by 2 × 2, i.e., four pixels.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 33, wherein at least two expanded pixels are arranged in black image pixels around pixels of the color inks.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method according to claim 33, wherein an arrangement and a ratio of ink colors in each of the expanded pixels are determined in accordance with a mask for image processing, and the expanded pixels are processed as the black image pixels.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 33, wherein image processing is performed so that the ratio of the black ink of the ink colors in each of the expanded pixels is increased stepwise.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 36 or 37, wherein setting of the mask for image processing is changed in correspondence with a print mode and/or the number of print passes.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 36 or 37, wherein setting of the mask for image processing is changed in correspondence with a type of a print recording medium and/or a print environment (temperature/humidity).
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 36 or 37, wherein the mask for image processing is set to randomly determine an arrangement and/or a ratio of the color inks and the black ink in each of the expanded pixels.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 33, wherein the expanded pixels are arranged around the color image while being rotated in a predetermined direction.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
143 words
A color ink jet recording method for forming a desired color image on a recording medium using a black ink and a plurality of color inks different from the black ink by selecting one of a normal mode for forming an image in a single main scan, and a fine mode for forming an image in a plurality of number of times of main scans, comprising the step of: determining whether a black image is formed using the black ink or the plurality of color inks, wherein when an identical image is formed in the normal mode and the fine mode, processing in the determining step is executed, so that a frequency of forming the black image using the black ink in the fine mode becomes higher than a frequency of forming the black image using the black ink in the normal mode.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 42, wherein whether the black image is formed using the black ink or the plurality of color inks is determined by discriminating whether or not a color image is present adjacent to the black image.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
81 words
A method according to claim 43, wherein in the normal mode, all black images are formed using the plurality of color inks, and in the fine mode, whether or not a color image is present adjacent to a black image of character code data of black images is discriminated, and whether or not the black image of the character code data is formed using the black ink or the plurality of color inks is determined in accordance with the discrimination result.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
86 words
A method according to claim 43, wherein in the normal mode, all black images are formed using the plurality of color inks, and in the fine mode, whether or not a color image is present adjacent to black images of character code data and bit image data of black images is discriminated, and whether the black images of the character code data and bit image data are formed using the black ink or the plurality of color inks is determined in accordance with the discrimination result.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
145 words
A method according to claim 43, wherein in the normal mode, whether or not a color image is present adjacent to a black image of character code data of black images is discriminated, whether or not the black image of the character code data is formed using the black ink or the plurality of color inks is determined in accordance with the discrimination result, and all black images of bit image data are formed using the plurality of color inks, and in the fine mode, whether or not a color image is present adjacent to a black image of bit image data in addition to the character code data is discriminated, and whether the black images of the character code data and bit image data are formed using the black ink or the plurality of color inks is determined in accordance with the discrimination result.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method according to claim 43, wherein when the black image is not adjacent to any color image, the black image is formed using the black ink, and when at least a portion of the black image is adjacent to a color image, the black image is formed using the plurality of color inks.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 42 or 43, wherein the plurality of color inks include yellow, magenta, and cyan inks.
Claim 49
Independent Claim
24 words
A method according to any one of claims 42 to 47, wherein the black ink and the color inks are ejected by heat energy.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
24 words
A color ink jet recording apparatus to which said color ink jet recording method of any one of claims 1 to 49 is applied.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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