Ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method

Claim 2

An ink jet recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium in a plurality of colors, comprising: a plurality of ink jet recording heads provided along a main scan direction, each of said plurality of ink jet heads recording on the recording medium by discharging ink through a discharge port and having a plurality of discharge port groups having a plurality of discharge ports arranged along a direction different from said main scan direction, said plurality of discharge port groups of a predetermined said recording head corresponding to the plurality of colors and also said plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to ink of a same said color being arranged on said plurality of ink jet recording heads; scanning means for reciprocally scanning said plurality of ink jet recording heads relatively along said main scan direction; and recording control means for controlling both scanning of said plurality of ink jet recording heads by said scanning means relative to the recording medium and recording using said ink jet recording heads by discharging ink through said discharge ports, wherein, with respect to each of said colors, a position where said discharge port group of a same color is provided in each of said recording heads is different along the arranging direction of said discharge ports and said recording control means forms an image corresponding to each of said colors by said plurality of discharge sort groups provided in said plurality of recording heads.

Claim 3

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising image data supply means for dividing a predetermined image data into pieces of thinned image data in complementary relation to each other and supplying said pieces of thinned image data to respective different discharge ports groups, which are caused to record said predetermined image data.

Claim 4

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said ink jet recording heads comprise a plurality of electricity-heat converters for generating a thermal energy discharge the ink.

Claim 5

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of said ink jet recording heads cause a state change in the ink as a consequence of the thermal energy generated by said electricity-heat converters, and discharges the ink through said discharge ports due to said state change.

Claim 6

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising receiving means for receiving an image information.

Claim 7

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting means for transmitting an image information to an image recording apparatus connected through a signal line.

Claim 8

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an original image reading means for reading an original image.

Claim 9

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an original image reading means for reading an original image.

Claim 10

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording signal input means for inputting a recording signal.

Claim 11

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that said recording signal input means is a keyboard.

Claim 12

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of discharge port groups of the predetermined ink jet recording head correspond to the plurality of colors, respectively.

Claim 13

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of discharge port groups of the predetermined ink jet recording head are divided into a the plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to each of the plurality of colors.

Claim 14

An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording means records an image area corresponding to a plurality of discharge ports constituting one discharge port group by a plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to a same color complementarily with each other.

Claim 15

An information processing apparatus comprising: an ink jet recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium in a plurality of colors, comprising: a plurality of ink jet recording heads provided along a main scan directions each of said plurality of ink jet heads recording on the recording medium by discharging ink through a discharge port and having a plurality of discharge port groups having a plurality of discharge ports arranged along a direction different from said main scan direction, said plurality of discharge port groups of a predetermined said recording head corresponding to the plurality of colors and also said plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to ink of a same said color being arranged on said plurality of ink jet recording heads; scanning means for reciprocally scanning said plurality of ink jet recording heads relatively along said main scan direction; recording control means for controlling scanning of said plurality of ink jet recording heads by said scanning means relative to the recording medium to record by discharging ink through said discharge ports; and computation means for performing a computation involved in recording, wherein, with respect to each of said colors, a position where said discharge port group of a same color is provided in each of said recording heads is different along the arranging direction of said discharge ports and said recording control means forms an image corresponding to each of said colors by said plurality of discharge port groups provided in said plurality of recording heads.

Claim 16

An information processing apparatus comprising: an ink jet recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium in a plurality of colors, comprising: a plurality of ink jet recording heads provided along a main scan directions each of said plurality of ink jet heads recording on the recording medium by discharging ink through a discharge port and having a plurality of discharge port groups having a plurality of discharge ports arranged along a direction different from said main scan direction, said plurality of discharge port groups of a predetermined said recording head corresponding to the plurality of colors and also said plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to ink of a same said color being arranged on said plurality of ink jet recording heads; scanning means for reciprocally scanning said plurality of ink jet recording heads relatively along said main scan direction; recording control means for controlling scanning of said plurality of ink jet recording heads by said scanning means relative to the recording medium to record by discharging ink through said discharge ports; and computation means for performing a computation involved in recording, wherein, with respect to each of said colors, a position where said discharge port group of a same color is provided in each of said recording heads is different along the arranging direction of said discharge ports and said recording control means forms an image corresponding to each of said colors by said plurality of discharge port groups provided in said plurality of recording heads.

Claim 17

An information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of discharge port groups of the predetermined ink jet recording head correspond to the plurality of colors, respectively.

Claim 18

An information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of discharge port groups of the predetermined ink jet recording head are divided into a the plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to each of the plurality of colors.

Claim 19

A plurality of ink jet recording heads for use with an ink jet recording apparatus which records on a recording medium in a plurality of colors while moving said recording head in a main scan direction, wherein said plurality of ink jet recording heads are provided along a main scan direction, and wherein each of said ink jet recording heads having a plurality of discharge port groups having a plurality of discharge ports arranged along a direction different from the main scan direction, wherein, with respect to each of said colors, a position where said discharge port group of a same said color is provided in each of said recording heads is different along the arranging direction of said discharge ports and said plurality of discharge port groups of a predetermined said recording head corresponding to the plurality of colors and also said plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to ink of a same said color being arranged on said plurality of ink jet recording heads and wherein said recording head discharges an ink onto the recording medium to effect recording in response to an applied image signal, and when said head is mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus, said recording head has a unit of said discharge ports comprising said plurality of discharge port groups which are disposed in said main scan direction.

Claim 20

A plurality of ink jet recording heads for use with an ink jet recording apparatus which records on a recording medium in a plurality of colors while moving said recording head in a main scan direction, wherein said plurality of ink jet recording heads are provided along a main scan direction, and wherein each of said ink jet recording heads having a plurality of discharge port groups having a plurality of discharge ports arranged along a direction different from the main scan direction, wherein, with respect to each of said colors, a position where said discharge port group of a same said color is provided in each of said recording heads is different along the arranging direction of said discharge ports and said plurality of discharge port groups of a predetermined said recording head corresponding to the plurality of colors and also said plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to ink of a same said color being arranged on said plurality of ink jet recording heads and wherein said recording head discharges an ink onto the recording medium to effect recording in response to an applied image signal, and when said head is mounted in the ink jet recording apparatus, said recording head has a unit of said discharge ports comprising said plurality of discharge port groups which are disposed in said main scan direction.

Claim 21

A plurality of ink jet recording heads according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of discharge port groups of the predetermined ink jet recording head correspond to the plurality of colors, respectively.

Claim 22

A plurality of ink jet recording heads according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of discharge port groups of the predetermined ink jet recording head are divided into a the plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to each of the plurality of colors.

Claim 23

An ink jet recording method comprising: providing a plurality of ink jet recording heads for use with an ink jet recording apparatus which records on a recording medium in a plurality of colors while moving said recording heads in a main scan directions said recording heads discharging an ink onto the recording medium to effect recording, and when said heads are mounted in said ink jet recording apparatus, each of said plurality of ink jet recording heads having a plurality of discharge port groups having a plurality of discharge ports arranged along a direction different from the main scan direction, wherein, with respect to each of said colors, a position where said discharge port group of a same said color is provided in each of said recording heads is different along the arranging direction of said discharge sorts and said plurality of discharge port groups of a predetermined said recording head corresponding to the plurality of colors and also said plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to ink of a same said color being arranged on said plurality of ink jet recording heads; mounting said ink jet recording head on said ink jet recording apparatus; and recording in response to an applied image signal by discharging ink through said discharge ports by scanning said plurality of ink jet recording heads by said scanning means relative to the recording medium, said recording forming an image corresponding to each of said colors by said plurality of discharge port groups provided in said plurality of recording heads.

Claim 24

An ink jet recording method comprising: providing a plurality of ink jet recording heads for use with an ink jet recording apparatus which records on a recording medium in a plurality of colors while moving said recording heads in a main scan directions said recording heads discharging an ink onto the recording medium to effect recording, and when said heads are mounted in said ink jet recording apparatus, each of said plurality of ink jet recording heads having a plurality of discharge port groups having a plurality of discharge ports arranged along a direction different from the main scan direction, wherein, with respect to each of said colors, a position where said discharge port group of a same said color is provided in each of said recording heads is different along the arranging direction of said discharge sorts and said plurality of discharge port groups of a predetermined said recording head corresponding to the plurality of colors and also said plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to ink of a same said color being arranged on said plurality of ink jet recording heads; mounting said ink jet recording head on said ink jet recording apparatus; and recording in response to an applied image signal by discharging ink through said discharge ports by scanning said plurality of ink jet recording heads by said scanning means relative to the recording medium, said recording forming an image corresponding to each of said colors by said plurality of discharge port groups provided in said plurality of recording heads.

Claim 25

An ink jet recording method according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of discharge port groups of the predetermined ink jet recording head correspond to the plurality of colors, respectively.

Claim 26

An ink jet recording method according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of discharge port groups of the predetermined ink jet recording head are divided into a the plurality of discharge port groups corresponding to each of the plurality of colors.