US6158836A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Print method and apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1997-04-22
•
Granted: 2000-12-12
•
Expires: 2017-04-22
Abstract
Abstract Multi-valued image data is separated into data in units of nozzle groups of the individual colors of a printhead, and each divided multi-valued image data is converted into n-valued image data consisting of a plurality of bits. Based on the n-valued image data of the corresponding colors, print codes are generated and are transmitted to a printer apparatus. The printer apparatus receives the print codes, stores them in print buffers of the corresponding colors, and generates print data based on the print codes using mask patterns set in correspondence with image data of the individual colors. The print timing in each scan of the printhead is determined in accordance with the significant bit position in the print data, and an image is printed on the basis of the print data by multi-pass printing.
Inventors
- 👤 Osamu Iwasaki
- 👤 Naoji Ohtsuka
- 👤 Kiichiro Takahashi
- 👤 Hitoshi Nishikori
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 07:12
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; G06K15/02; G06K15/10; G06K15/102; G06K15/105; G06K15/107; G06K2215/00; G06K2215/0082; G06K2215/0094
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
A printer apparatus for printing an image by scanning a printhead having a plurality of ejection portions that eject ink a plurality of number of times with respect to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium, comprising: printing means for printing image data expressed by a plurality of (n) bits by performing at least n scans of the printhead; conversion means for converting the image data for each scan of the printhead in correspondence with a position of a significant bit of the n bits of the image data; and control means for controlling said printing means on the basis of image data converted by said conversion means to print an image on the printing medium, wherein said printing means prints the image having tones by forming dots for one pixel on the printing medium with at least portions of the dots overlapping each other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
147 words
A printer apparatus for printing an image by scanning a printhead having a plurality of ejection portions that eject ink a plurality of number of times with respect to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium, comprising: printing means for printing image data expressed by a plurality of (n) bits by performing at least n scans of the printhead; conversion means for converting the image data for each scan of the printhead in correspondence with a position of a significant bit of the n bits of the image data; and control means for controlling said printing means on the basis of image data converted by said conversion means to print an image on the printing medium, wherein said printing means prints the image having tones by forming dots for one pixel on the printing medium with at least portions of the dots overlapping each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conversion means converts the image data on the basis of a mask pattern.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the mask pattern has different patterns corresponding to each of the n bits of the image data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printhead can be exchanged among a first ink-jet printhead for ejecting first ink with high color property, and a second ink-jet printhead for ejecting second ink with low color property.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A printer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an ink container having information indicating a color property of ink contained therein.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
A printer apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a head cartridge including a combination of an ink container and a printhead, said combination including information indicating color property of ink contained in the ink container.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
117 words
A print method for printing an image by scanning a printhead having a plurality of ejection portions that eject ink a plurality of number of times with respect to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium, comprising the step of: printing image data expressed by a plurality of (n) bits after the image data is converted in accordance with a position of a significant bit in the n bits of the image data upon printing the image data by performing at least n print scans of the printhead, wherein the printhead prints an image having tones by forming dots for one pixel on the printing medium, at least portions of the dots overlapping each other.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
117 words
A print method for printing an image by scanning a printhead having a plurality of ejection portions that eject ink a plurality of number of times with respect to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium, comprising the step of: printing image data expressed by a plurality of (n) bits after the image data is converted in accordance with a position of a significant bit in the n bits of the image data upon printing the image data by performing at least n print scans of the printhead, wherein the printhead prints an image having tones by forming dots for one pixel on the printing medium, at least portions of the dots overlapping each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 7, wherein the image data is converted on the basis of a mask pattern.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 8, wherein the mask pattern has different patterns corresponding to each of the n bits of the image data.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
101 words
A print method for printing an image by scanning a printhead having a plurality of ejection portions that eject ink a plurality of number of times with respect to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium, comprising the step of: printing 2-bit image data by performing at least two print scans after the image data is converted so that a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on an upper bit of the 2-bit image data is nearly twice a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on a lower bit of the image data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
101 words
A print method for printing an image by scanning a printhead having a plurality of ejection portions that eject ink a plurality of number of times with respect to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium, comprising the step of: printing 2-bit image data by performing at least two print scans after the image data is converted so that a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on an upper bit of the 2-bit image data is nearly twice a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on a lower bit of the image data.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
133 words
A printer apparatus for printing an image by scanning a printhead having a plurality of ejection portions that eject ink a plurality of number of times with respect to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium, comprising: printing means for printing image data expressed by 2 bits by performing at least two scans of the printhead; conversion means for converting the image data so that a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on an upper bit of the 2-bit image data is nearly twice a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on a lower bit of the image data; and control means for controlling said printing means on the basis of converted image data converted by said conversion means to print an image having gradations.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
133 words
A printer apparatus for printing an image by scanning a printhead having a plurality of ejection portions that eject ink a plurality of number of times with respect to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium, comprising: printing means for printing image data expressed by 2 bits by performing at least two scans of the printhead; conversion means for converting the image data so that a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on an upper bit of the 2-bit image data is nearly twice a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on a lower bit of the image data; and control means for controlling said printing means on the basis of converted image data converted by said conversion means to print an image having gradations.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said conversion means converts the image data using a mask pattern.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
139 words
A printer apparatus for printing an image by activating printing means corresponding to a print agent to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium a plurality of number of times, comprising: printing means for printing image data expressed by a plurality of (n) bits by performing at least n printing operations; conversion means for converting the image data for each scan of the printhead in accordance with a position of a significant bit of the n bits of the image data; and control means for controlling said printing means on the basis of the image data converted by said conversion means to print an image on the printing medium, wherein said printing means prints the image having gradations by forming dots for one pixel on the printing medium, at least portions of the dots overlapping each other.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
139 words
A printer apparatus for printing an image by activating printing means corresponding to a print agent to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium a plurality of number of times, comprising: printing means for printing image data expressed by a plurality of (n) bits by performing at least n printing operations; conversion means for converting the image data for each scan of the printhead in accordance with a position of a significant bit of the n bits of the image data; and control means for controlling said printing means on the basis of the image data converted by said conversion means to print an image on the printing medium, wherein said printing means prints the image having gradations by forming dots for one pixel on the printing medium, at least portions of the dots overlapping each other.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said conversion means converts the image data on the basis of a mask pattern.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the mask pattern has different patterns corresponding to each of the n bits of the image data.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
126 words
A printer apparatus for printing an image by activating printing means corresponding to a print agent to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium a plurality of number of times, comprising: printing means for printing image data expressed by 2 bits by performing at least two print scans of the printhead; conversion means for converting the image data so that a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on an upper bit of the 2-bit image data is nearly twice a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on a lower bit of the image data; and control means for controlling said printing means on the basis of converted image data converted by said conversion means to print an image.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
126 words
A printer apparatus for printing an image by activating printing means corresponding to a print agent to a substantially identical print area of a printing medium a plurality of number of times, comprising: printing means for printing image data expressed by 2 bits by performing at least two print scans of the printhead; conversion means for converting the image data so that a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on an upper bit of the 2-bit image data is nearly twice a generation rate of a dot to be printed based on a lower bit of the image data; and control means for controlling said printing means on the basis of converted image data converted by said conversion means to print an image.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4723129A
Cited
US4740796A
Cited
JPS5456847A
Cited
US4459600A
Cited
US4345262A
Cited
US4463359A
Cited
US4313124A
Cited
US4558333A
Cited
US4516135A
Cited
US4528576A
Cited
US4560997A
Cited
US4630076A
Cited
JPS59123670A
Cited
JPS59138461A
Cited
US4635078A
Cited
US4617580A
Cited
US4608577A
Cited
JPS6071260A
Cited
JPS60163571A
Cited
US5235351A
Cited
JPS62161541A
Cited
US5097343A
Cited
US4860026A
Cited
US4872027A
Cited
EP0351754A2
Cited
JPH0231562A
Cited
EP0372826A2
Cited
US5049898A
Cited
EP0401023A2
Cited
US5142374A
Cited
JPH035156A
Cited
JPH0351138A
Cited
EP0440261A2
Cited
US5138344A
Cited
US5245362A
Cited
US5625384A
Cited
US5394250A
Cited
US5604520A
Cited
US5448274A
Cited
US5623294A
Cited
EP0585028A1
Cited
EP0595517A1
Cited
JPH06155758A
Cited
EP0600735A2
Cited
JPH06199031A
Cited
EP0628415A2
Cited
JPH07144419A
Cited
US5831646A
Cited
EP0627323A2
Cited
US5729259A
Cited
EP0630752A2
Cited
JPH0752390A
Cited
US5818474A
Cited
US5854642A
Cited
EP0642260A1
Cited
EP0654352A2
Cited
US5579446A
Cited
EP0688673A2
Cited
US5828389A
Cited
JP3005156B2
Cited
US5739828A
Cited
EP0687565A2
Cited
US5805180A
Cited
EP0700786A2
Cited
US5625397A
Cited
US5714990A
Cited
EP0720916A2
Cited
EP0741488A2
Cited
EP0750994A2
Cited
US5742306A
Cited
JP3051138U
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-12-12 | 2004-06-12 | 2004-12-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-12-12 | 2008-06-12 | 2008-12-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-12-12 | 2012-06-12 | 2012-12-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |