US6007174A — Ink jet recording apparatus and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 85 words

An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head adapted for ejecting at least two colors of ink; discriminating means for discriminating between character data and bit map data; and control means for selecting a character data recording mode or a bit map data recording mode in accordance with a discrimination result by said discriminating means, wherein said control means controls an amount of ink per ejection in the bit map data recording mode to be less than that in the character data recording mode.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 85 words

An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head adapted for ejecting at least two colors of ink; discriminating means for discriminating between character data and bit map data; and control means for selecting a character data recording mode or a bit map data recording mode in accordance with a discrimination result by said discriminating means, wherein said control means controls an amount of ink per ejection in the bit map data recording mode to be less than that in the character data recording mode.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 21 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording head has an electro-thermal converting element provided near an ink ejection portion.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 26 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls the amount of ink per ejection by varying ejection energy supplied to said recording head.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 39 words

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means controls the amount of ink per ejection by varying a voltage value and/or a pulse of a drive signal applied to the electro-thermal converting element of said recording head.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 50 words

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a driving signal supplied to the electro-thermal converting element of said recording head per ejection comprises at least two pulses, and said control means controls the amount of ink per ejection by varying an interval between said two pulses of the driving signal.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 24 words

An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the two pulses of said driving signal each have a constant voltage and a constant pulse width.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 27 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls the amount of ink per ejection by varying a driving signal supplied to said recording head.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 18 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ink jet recording apparatus is applicable to a copying machine.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 18 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ink jet recording apparatus is applicable to a facsimile machine.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 19 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ink jet recording apparatus is applicable to a data processing machine.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 15 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising carrying means for carrying a recording medium.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 15 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising recovery means for recovering said recording head.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 96 words

An ink jet recording method of performing a recording using a recording head adapted for ejecting at least two colors of ink, the method comprising the steps of: discriminating between character data and bit map data; ejecting an ink per injection with a first amount of ink when a discrimination result in said discriminating step identifies the bit map data; and ejecting an ink per injection with a second amount of ink when a discrimination result in said discriminating step identifies the-character data, the first amount of ink being less than the second amount of ink.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 96 words

An ink jet recording method of performing a recording using a recording head adapted for ejecting at least two colors of ink, the method comprising the steps of: discriminating between character data and bit map data; ejecting an ink per injection with a first amount of ink when a discrimination result in said discriminating step identifies the bit map data; and ejecting an ink per injection with a second amount of ink when a discrimination result in said discriminating step identifies the-character data, the first amount of ink being less than the second amount of ink.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method according to claim 13, wherein said recording head has an electro-thermal converting element provided near an ink ejection portion.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 41 words

A method according to claim 14, wherein said two ejection steps each control the amount of ink per ejection by varying a voltage value and/or a pulse of a drive signal applied to the electro-thermal converting element of said recording head.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 52 words

A method according to claim 14, wherein a driving signal supplied to the electro-thermal converting element of said recording head per ejection comprises at least two pulses, and said two ejection steps each control the amount of ink per ejection by varying an interval between said two pulses of the driving signal.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method according to claim 16, wherein said two pulses each have predetermined a constant voltage and a constant pulse width.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 28 words

A method according to claim 13, wherein said two ejection steps each control the amount of ink per ejection by varying ejection energy supplied to said recording head.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 29 words

A method according to claim 13, wherein said two ejection steps each control the amount of ink per ejection by varying a driving signal supplied to said recording head.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 127 words

An ink jet recording apparatus for performing recording using a recording head for ejecting an ink, comprising: discrimination means for discriminating a type of recording data recorded by said recording head; and ejection quantity control means for controlling an ejection quantity of the ink ejected from said recording head according to the type of recording data discriminated by said discrimination means, wherein said ejection quantity control means controls the ejection quantity of the ink by maintaining a temperature of said recording head at a predetermined temperature, wherein said discrimination means discriminates whether the recording data recorded by said recording head is character data or image data, and wherein said ejection quantity control means sets a larger ejection quantity for recording a character than for recording an image.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 127 words

An ink jet recording apparatus for performing recording using a recording head for ejecting an ink, comprising: discrimination means for discriminating a type of recording data recorded by said recording head; and ejection quantity control means for controlling an ejection quantity of the ink ejected from said recording head according to the type of recording data discriminated by said discrimination means, wherein said ejection quantity control means controls the ejection quantity of the ink by maintaining a temperature of said recording head at a predetermined temperature, wherein said discrimination means discriminates whether the recording data recorded by said recording head is character data or image data, and wherein said ejection quantity control means sets a larger ejection quantity for recording a character than for recording an image.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 148 words

A method for reducing a mixed color produced from a plurality of inks at a record position for a bit map data on a recording medium containing a record portion for the bit map data and a record portion for a character data, said method comprising the steps of: providing a recording head for ejecting at least two colors of the inks; discriminating between the character data and the bit map data; and driving the recording head to eject the inks onto the recording medium such that an ejection amount of at least one of the inks per ejection in recording based on the bit map data is less than an ejection amount of at least one of the inks in recording based on the character data, thereby recording an image containing the record portion for the bit map data and the record portion for the character data.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 148 words

A method for reducing a mixed color produced from a plurality of inks at a record position for a bit map data on a recording medium containing a record portion for the bit map data and a record portion for a character data, said method comprising the steps of: providing a recording head for ejecting at least two colors of the inks; discriminating between the character data and the bit map data; and driving the recording head to eject the inks onto the recording medium such that an ejection amount of at least one of the inks per ejection in recording based on the bit map data is less than an ejection amount of at least one of the inks in recording based on the character data, thereby recording an image containing the record portion for the bit map data and the record portion for the character data.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-12-27	2003-06-28	2003-12-28	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-12-27	2007-06-28	2007-12-28	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-12-27	2011-06-28	2011-12-28	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Ink jet recording apparatus and method

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