JP2011126137A - Apparatus, method and program for controlling printing - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce frequency by which parameters for paper feeding according to a recording medium is reset when an image is printed on the recording medium that is fed from any of a plurality of feeding parts. <P>SOLUTION: The printing control apparatus stores paper-feeding parameters to feed the recording medium from each feeding part by associating the feeding parameters with kinds of the recording medium to perform printing to feed the recording medium from any of the feeding parts 102, 103, 104. The apparatus guides the recording medium according to the feeding parameters that is currently set to the feeding parts. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a print control apparatus, method, and program for printing an image on a recording medium fed from any of a plurality of paper feed units.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, printing apparatuses that perform printing by selectively using one of a plurality of types of recording media are known that perform printing by changing printing conditions according to the thickness and type of the recording medium (Patent Literature). 1). In such a printing apparatus, for example, parameters for feeding the recording medium are changed according to the thickness and type of the recording medium.

JP 2007-128178 A

  However, in a printing apparatus having a plurality of paper feeding units, when changing the parameters for paper feeding according to the recording medium set in the paper feeding unit, it is necessary to change the parameters every time the recording medium is changed. It becomes. For this reason, there are problems such as complicated parameter resetting, and inability to start printing until parameter resetting is completed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems. When an image is printed on a recording medium fed from any of a plurality of paper feeding units, a parameter for feeding according to the recording medium is set. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing control apparatus, method, and program capable of reducing the frequency of resetting.

  In order to achieve the above object, a print control apparatus according to the present invention is a print control apparatus that prints an image on a recording medium fed from any of a plurality of paper feeding units. A storage unit that associates and stores parameters for feeding the recording medium in each of the paper feeding units, and a storage unit that stores the recording medium in any of the plurality of paper feeding units. Determining means for determining a paper feeding unit according to the type of recording medium to be set based on the stored information.

  According to the present invention, by setting the recording medium in the corresponding paper feeding unit based on the information in which the recording medium and the paper feeding unit are associated with each other, it is possible to reset the parameters for paper feeding according to the recording medium. The frequency can be reduced.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the inkjet recording device of embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an inkjet recording device. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the feed amount correction value determination pattern of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the feed amount correction value stored. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of an operation panel, and the information registered into RAM. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of an operation panel. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of an operation panel.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an ink jet recording apparatus (printer) which is an example of a print control apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  The printer main body 100 includes an operation panel 101 including a display unit and keys, and three-stage sheet feeding units (also referred to as sheet feeding units) 102, 103, and 104 that store media.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus (printer) shown in FIG.

  In addition to the program executed by the printer control unit 204, the ROM 214 stores device-specific information and numerical data necessary for printing. The RAM 215 stores media (recording medium) information currently set in the printer, media set information that is a combination thereof, identifier information for identifying the media set information, media-specific media control (paper feed) correction values ( Parameter) is stored.

  When recording (printing) an image, image data such as characters, line drawings, and photo tones to be recorded is input from the host computer 216 to the image data storage unit 202 via the external I / F unit 201. Specifically, the image data storage unit 202 includes a memory, a hard disk, and the like, and can store image data from the start to the end of printing (hereinafter, image data for one page).

  Data other than image data, for example, command data for instructing start of printing or instructing interruption from the host computer 216 is input to the printer control unit 204 without entering the image data storage unit 202. The recording head control unit 205 controls the recording head 26 based on a command from the printer control unit 204 and image data and timing signals from the image processing unit 203. For example, an image is formed by selectively driving nozzles according to image data. When recording for one band is started, the recording head control unit 205 sends a timing signal for starting the movement of the carriage 208 to the carriage control unit 207. When the carriage reaches the recording start position, the carriage control unit 207 returns a timing signal notifying the recording head control unit 205 of the start of recording. When the recording for one band is finished, the recording head control unit 205 returns a timing signal notifying the image processing unit 203, the carriage control unit 207, and the media conveyance control unit 209 that the recording is completed. As a result, the image processing unit 203 prepares image data for the next band, and the carriage control unit 207 stops scanning of the carriage. Then, the media transport control unit 209 rotates the transport roller 210 by a predetermined amount calculated based on the media control correction value stored in the RAM 215 to transport the media to the recording position of the next band. The image processing unit 203 gives a timing signal to the recording head control unit 205 again after the preparation is completed. The media conveyance control unit 209 also gives a timing signal to the recording head control unit 205 after the completion of media conveyance. By repeating this, all images are recorded one band at a time.

  Further, data notifying the operation state of the control device 200 is transmitted from the control device 200 to the host computer 216. The printer control unit 204 acquires the ink remaining amount value from a storage area (not shown) of the ink tank 212 via the ink tank management unit 211, and conversely subtracts the ink used for printing from the ink remaining amount. can do. The ink tank management unit 211 can manage the remaining amount of ink for each ink color.

  The operation panel 213 includes a display unit and an input unit such as a push button switch. When the medium is attached, the display unit displays the media type and media set to the operator. The input unit is used by an operator to select and input media and media sets.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a media feed amount determination process by the ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment. This flowchart shows the flow of processing performed by the printer control unit 204 loading a program stored in the ROM 214 into the RAM 215 and executing the program.

  The feed amount (F) finally obtained in this process is the rotation amount of the carriage roller 210 per scan of the carriage. First, the basic feed amount (B) is obtained (step S301). The basic feed amount is not related to the type of media or the paper feed unit.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus of this embodiment, in order to reduce printing unevenness and the like, multi-pass printing is performed in which an image for one band is printed by a plurality of scans. The number of multipasses is defined as the number of print passes (P). P may differ depending on the job to be printed. Generally, P is increased when printing is desired, and P is decreased when printing is performed quickly. The recording head is composed of a plurality of nozzles arranged in a line. If the length is the head length (L), the basic feed amount (B) is determined by the following equation.

Basic feed amount (B) = head length (L) / number of printing passes (P)
In step S302, a feed amount correction value (A) related to the property of the medium and the paper feed unit is acquired.

  The correction value acquisition method uses a method in which a plurality of feed amount correction value determination patterns are printed and the user selects an appropriate correction value based on the print result. The feed amount correction value determination pattern will be described later. Finally, in step S303, the feed amount (F) is obtained by the following equation.

Feed amount (F) = Basic feed amount (B) + Feed amount correction value (A)
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a media feed amount correction value determination pattern in the present embodiment.
In FIG. 4, 400 indicates a medium. Reference numerals 401, 403, and 405 denote a part of the feed amount correction value determination pattern printed on the medium 400. Reference numerals 402, 404, and 406 are printed on the medium 400 and indicate correction values corresponding to the feed amount correction value determination patterns 401 and 403, respectively. A plurality of feed amount correction value determination patterns are printed. Each of them is composed of a pattern in which a rectangular area of 50% density printed in two bands is adjacent to the media feed direction (arrow in the figure), and is printed with slightly different feed amount correction values. Therefore, the overlapping states of adjacent portions are different from each other. If the feed amount correction value is too small, the overlapping area (dark black band) becomes large. On the other hand, if the feed amount correction value is too large, the feed amount correction value does not overlap as in 405, and a white gap is left (this is represented by 401). Therefore, when the feed amount is properly corrected, there is no overlap and no gap (this is assumed to be represented by 403). The user selects a pattern in such a state from a plurality of patterns. The ink jet recording apparatus inputs the numerical value written to the right of the pattern ("-1" shown in 404 in the figure) as an appropriate feed amount correction value from the operation panel, and stores it in the RAM 215. Thus, an appropriate feed amount correction value for one printing pass can be acquired. Although omitted in the present embodiment for the sake of simplicity, in practice, it is necessary to perform this printing for all the printing paths supported by the recording apparatus and to allow the user to input. It takes a long time to obtain adjustment values for all media and all sizes. Therefore, this work is performed for the media type and size to be used.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of stored feed amount correction values.
The feed amount correction value acquired as described above is stored in the RAM 215 in a table format together with the media type, the paper feed stage, and the acquisition date and time as shown in FIG.

  For example, the first line indicates that the correction value when plain paper is set in the upper sheet feeder is 2, and the update date is 10:00:24 on January 4, 2008. Since the feed amount correction value is uniquely determined by the media type and the paper feed unit, the same media type and paper feed unit do not overlap. If the same media type and the feed amount correction value of the paper feed unit are reacquired, the corresponding line is overwritten and the update date / time is also updated. Further, depending on the limitation of the storage capacity of the RAM 215, it is not possible to save all past correction values, and therefore, the oldest one may be deleted. Therefore, when the correction value of the corresponding condition is not in this table, it is necessary to acquire the correction value by the above-described correction value pattern printing.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of the operation panel when registering a media set and contents registered in the RAM.
A media set is a combination of a plurality of media types set simultaneously in the upper, middle, and lower stages of the paper feed stage. FIG. 6A shows a display when a menu for operating the media set is selected from the operation panel. Here, the user can arbitrarily select “register”, “edit”, and “delete” operations of the media set by using the up key or the down key. When “Register” is selected here, the media types in the upper, middle, and lower stages currently set in the printer are displayed as shown in FIG. 6B. This is the media set that we are going to register. The user confirms the match between the actually set media and the display and presses the OK key. Then, as shown in the screen of FIG. 6C, the printer prompts the user to input the media set name. Here, the user inputs an arbitrary media set name using a character input tool such as a keyboard (not shown). Finally, when registration is completed normally, a display as shown in FIG. By the above operation, a table as shown in FIG. The media set name input in FIG. 6C is stored as an identification name. In addition, three media types determined in FIG. 6B are stored in association with the identification name. When the registration operation is performed several times as described above, a plurality of media sets are stored in the RAM 215 as shown in FIG. Here, there is a case where there are only two media in one set, such as the identification name “Company B Order 1”, because the media does not necessarily have to be set in all paper feeding units.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the operation panel when a media set is selected.
FIG. 7A shows an operation panel display when the user switches media from the media set list. The first line from the top of the screen is a title, which indicates that this screen is a media set selection screen. The second to fourth lines are a list of media sets currently stored in the printer and correspond to the identification names in FIG. FIG. 7B is a screen that is transitioned to after “A Company Order 1” is selected in FIG. 7A, and displays a recommended paper feed stage for each media type. The processing of the printer control unit 204 at this time will be described below.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing for setting a recording medium (medium) in each paper feed unit (paper feed stage) and setting a correction value (paper feed parameter) according to the type of the medium. This flowchart shows the flow of processing performed by the printer control unit 204 loading a program stored in the ROM 214 into the RAM 215 and executing the program.

  When the media selection is started, a selection screen in which identification names of media sets are arranged as shown in FIG. 7A is displayed (S801). Next, it waits until the user selects one of the media sets (S802). When a media set is selected, the media set storage area of the RAM 215 is searched from the selected identification name, and a media set composed of a maximum of three media is acquired (S803). Next, in preparation for the subsequent steps, all media of the media set obtained in step S803 are set in the “paper feed stage unconfirmed” state, and all paper feed stages are set in the “media unconfirmed” state (S804).

  From step S805 to step S816, a loop process is performed over all paper feed stages (N = 1, 2, 3). Here, N = 1, 2, and 3 represent the upper, middle, and lower stages, respectively. First, a process of determining a medium is performed for N = 1 (upper stage). In step S806, the media in the “paper feed stage indeterminate” state are extracted from the feed amount correction value data shown in FIG. S806). If there is no record extracted in step S807, the process proceeds to step S816 to proceed to the next paper feed stage. If there is an extracted record, it is further determined in step S808 whether the number of records is one. If there is only one, the correspondence between the paper feed stage and the medium is determined. Therefore, the media type of the paper feed stage is set as the media type of the extraction record 1, and the feed amount correction value of the paper feed stage is simultaneously set as the feed amount of the extraction record 1. A correction value is set (S809).

  Further, among the media of “paper feed stage unconfirmed” in the media set, the paper feed stage corresponding to the media type of the extraction record 1 is set as the paper feed stage N (S810). Finally, the media for which the paper feed stage has been determined by the above processing is set to the “paper feed stage determined” state, and the paper feed stage N is also set to the “media determined” state (S811). If there are a plurality of records in the extracted record 1 in step S808, the process proceeds to step S812. This means that there are a plurality of media that can immediately handle the same paper feed tray (without adjusting the feed amount). Therefore, in order to determine any one of the media next, the latest update date and time is extracted from the extracted record 1 in step S812, and this is used as the extracted data 2. Since records with the same update date and time are usually not possible, one medium is extracted by this step. Accordingly, the media type of the paper feed stage is set as the media type of the extraction record 2, and at the same time, the feed amount correction value of the paper feed stage is set as the feed amount correction value of the extraction record 2 (S813).

  In addition, among the media of “paper feed stage unconfirmed” in the media set, the paper feed stage of the media type of the extraction record 2 is set as the paper feed stage N (S814). Finally, the media for which the paper feed stage has been determined by the above processing is set to the “paper feed stage determined” state, and the paper feed stage N is also set to the “media determined” state (S815). When the loop processing is completed for all the paper feed stages, in step S817, the “paper feed stage unconfirmed” media and the “media unconfirmed” paper feed stage are considered again. If these numbers are one-to-one, no other corresponding selection can be made regardless of the presence or absence of the feed amount correction value. Correlation (S818, S819) Display as shown in FIG. 7B is performed. If there are two or more “paper source unconfirmed” media and “media unconfirmed” paper source because there is no feed amount correction value, etc., they can be automatically associated. Can not. In step S820, this result is displayed, and the process waits until the user confirms the “paper feed stage unconfirmed” medium (S821).

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display example of an operation panel for causing the user to select a sheet feeding unit when the setting of any sheet feeding unit is unconfirmed as a result of the above-described processing.
As a result of the above-described processing, if unconfirmed remains in any of the paper feed stages, a display asking the user to select the paper feed stage for the “paper feed unconfirmed” media as shown in FIG. To do. As shown in FIG. 9B, the user selects a medium on which “Please select” is displayed, and selects and confirms an arbitrary empty paper feed stage. After the confirmation, media having no correction value are displayed as shown in FIG.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, after a recording medium is set in order to set a recording medium corresponding to the sheet feeding parameter set for each of the plurality of sheet feeding units in the corresponding sheet feeding unit. Printing can be started without changing the paper feed parameters. Therefore, the user does not need to perform complicated paper feed parameter resetting, and the printer can also start printing quickly without resetting the parameters when the recording medium is set.

  In the above example, the upper, middle and lower three paper feed stages have been described as the paper feed unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be two or four or more. The paper may be fed by various paper feeding mechanisms.

  The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and a computer (CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus reads and executes the program. It is processing to do. Further, the program may be executed by a single computer or may be executed in conjunction with a plurality of computers. Moreover, it is not necessary to implement all of the above-described processing by software, and part or all of the processing may be implemented by hardware.

Claims (5)

A print control device that prints an image on a recording medium fed from any of a plurality of paper feed units,
Storage means for storing the type of the recording medium and a parameter for feeding the recording medium in each of the plurality of paper feeding units in association with each other;
Determining means for determining a paper feed unit according to the type of the recording medium to be set based on information stored in the storage means when the recording medium is set in any of a plurality of paper feed units. A printing control apparatus characterized by the above.   The print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit determines a paper feeding unit that does not require the parameter to be changed.   It has means for holding a media set in which a set of a plurality of recording media is combined, and the determining means determines a paper feed unit for each of the plurality of recording media included in the held media set. The printing control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. A print control method for printing an image on a recording medium fed from one of a plurality of paper feed units,
Storing the type of the recording medium and the parameters for feeding the recording medium in each of the plurality of paper feeding units in association with each other;
A printing control method, wherein when a recording medium is set in any of a plurality of paper feeding units, a paper feeding unit corresponding to the type of the recording medium to be set is determined based on the stored information.   A program for realizing each means of the print control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 by a computer.

Images