Abstract: The present invention forms a high-quality image by using a print head, in which a plurality of arrayed small heads, each having a plurality of print elements arranged in columns, are arranged so that at least two sets of print elements in adjoining small heads are aligned in a scan direction. The print head and a print medium are moved relative to each other in the scan direction crossing a direction of the print element columns. The print elements are divided into a plurality of drive blocks and activated the drive blocks on a time-division basis. The small heads each have the plurality of print elements arranged in columns, the number of print elements being equal to an integer times the number of time-division drive blocks. Drive timings with which to activate the paired print elements aligned in the scan direction are the same time-division drive timing.

Abstract: When a number of passes of multi-pass recording has been changed, a repetitive cycle of a drive pattern is changed, depending on change of feeding amount caused by change of the number of passes. Accordingly, the drive pattern is set to a size corresponding to the changed feeding amount.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying power to a portable electronic device is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first receptacle to which an AC/DC adaptor is connectable, a second receptacle to which an electronic device is connectable, a battery charger for charging a battery using power supplied by the AC/DC adaptor, an output circuit for supplying power to the electronic device from the AC/DC adaptor when the AC/DC adaptor is connected to the apparatus, and supplies power to the electronic device from the battery when the AC/DC adaptor is not connected to the apparatus, and a control circuit for controlling the battery charger to supply power to the electronic device while charging the battery when the AC/DC adaptor is connected to the apparatus.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus prints by ejecting ink on the basis of image data while scanning a printing head, in which ejection openings for ejecting the ink are arranged, over a printing medium in a direction different from a direction of the arrangement of the ejection openings. The inkjet printing apparatus includes a counting unit for counting the number of ink ejections in a predetermined area among a plurality of areas on the basis of image data for each of the plurality of areas, with the plurality of areas being obtained by dividing, in a main scanning direction, a region over which the printing head scans, and a correction unit for correcting the image data included in the plurality of areas on the basis of the number of ink ejections in each of the plurality of areas. In addition, a printing unit prints by driving the printing head on the basis of the corrected image data.

Abstract: The apparatus includes an AC adapter input, a battery charger coupled to the input to charge a battery, a temperature sensor, and system logic to execute code stored on storage devices. The battery charger provides a charging current that is a function of temperature sensed by the temperature sensor. The charging current may also be a function of sensed barometric pressure, battery age, external temperature, a full charge capacity, and system power demand.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing apparatus which can prevent possible stripe-like density unevenness in a joint in a print head constructed by joining a plurality of chips together even if the print head is inclined to the regular position of the print head. The present invention uses a print head having the nozzle arrays being shifted in a direction in which the nozzles are arranged, so as to have overlapping portions in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle arranging direction. The present invention controls an ink ejecting operation of the nozzles in the overlapping portions between the plurality of nozzle arrays on the basis of an angle between the nozzle array arranging direction and a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the print head moves relative to the print medium.

Abstract: A apparatus includes an AC adapter input, a main battery charger coupled to the input to charge a main battery, system logic to execute code stored on storage devices, and an expansion battery connector coupled to the input to provide sufficient current to enable charging of an expansion battery at a rate higher than a maximum charge rate of the main battery charger.

Abstract: In order to vary a threshold value for performing an error diffusion process depending on a pixel position, a threshold value matrix configured to have pluralities of rows and columns is prepared. In this case, pieces of data in the threshold value matrix are arrayed such that average values in the respective rows and average values in the respective columns are almost the same value. If such a threshold value matrix is used to perform the error diffusion process, the dot sparseness and denseness do not occur with a period of the matrix, and therefore the pattern or sweeping phenomenon specific to the error diffusion can be suppressed.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing apparatus which can prevent possible stripe-like density unevenness in a joint in a print head constructed by joining a plurality of chips together even if the print head is inclined to the regular position of the print head. The present invention uses a print head having the nozzle arrays being shifted in a direction in which the nozzles are arranged, so as to have overlapping portions in a direction orthogonal to the nozzle arranging direction. The present invention controls an ink ejecting operation of the nozzles in the overlapping portions between the plurality of nozzle arrays on the basis of an angle between the nozzle array arranging direction and a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the print head moves relative to the print medium.

Abstract: When a feeding amount for multi-pass printing is changed, the purpose related to an image quality using a binary data generation pattern can still be attained by, for example, a density pattern method. Specifically, a multi-pass printing mode is identified, and a density pattern selection matrix associated with a cycle of binary data generation is selected in accordance with the selected printing mode. That is, a density pattern selection matrix employed for binary data generation using a density pattern is changed to a size corresponding to the feeding amount designated by the selected printing mode. Thereby, a phenomenon that a unit used for image processing to gain a predetermined purpose related to an image quality does not match a unit area used for a printing operation is avoided, and an image printing purpose using a binary data generation pattern can be appropriately attained.

Abstract: A printing apparatus that includes nozzle arrays, formed of nozzles for ejecting ink of the first to fourth ink color groups, and that scans a print medium while moving the nozzle arrays to perform printing. For printing a unit area of a print medium, where printing is to be completed by performing a plurality of scans, the printing apparatus performs a plurality of scans, and conveys, between movements, a print medium a predetermined amount, which is equivalent to the width of the unit area. Then, to perform a plurality of scans using the nozzle arrays for the first to fourth ink color groups, print data are generated, so that for the nozzle arrays that belong to two ink color groups, the nozzle array for the first ink color group is employed to eject ink into the unit area prior to the nozzle array for the second ink color group.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus that prints each raster in a multi-pass printing mode by causing a printhead having a plurality of nozzles forming a nozzle array to scan in a direction intersecting with the nozzle array is provided, in which the nozzles are divided into groups, each including adjacent nozzles, one nozzle selected from each group is united into one block, drive of nozzles is controlled such that drive timings of nozzles differ among a plurality of blocks in each group, and a sequence in which nozzles are driven is determined for each scan in the multi-pass printing mode such that printed dots are most equally printed in the raster.

Abstract: When a feeding amount for multi-pass printing is changed, the purpose related to an image quality using a binary data generation pattern can still be attained by, for example, a density pattern method. Specifically, a multi-pass printing mode is identified, and a density pattern selection matrix associated with a cycle of binary data generation is selected in accordance with the selected printing mode. That is, a density pattern selection matrix employed for binary data generation using a density pattern is changed to a size corresponding to the feeding amount designated by the selected printing mode. Thereby, a phenomenon that a unit used for image processing to gain a predetermined purpose related to an image quality does not match a unit area used for a printing operation is avoided, and an image printing purpose using a binary data generation pattern can be appropriately attained.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by scanning the recording medium with a recording head for discharging ink includes a thinning unit configured to thin data for discharging ink by the recording head on a plurality of areas formed by dividing scanning regions including at least a first scanning region and a second scanning region to be recorded each by one scan of the recording head in the scan direction, and a recording head drive unit configured to discharge ink by driving the recording head based on data which has been thinned by the thinning unit, wherein a boundary between the areas in the first scanning region is located in a different position from that of a boundary between areas in the second scanning region, which is adjacent to the first scanning region, in the scan direction.

Abstract: When a feeding amount for multi-pass printing is changed, the purpose related to an image quality using a binary data generation pattern can still be attained by, for example, a density pattern method. Specifically, a multi-pass printing mode is identified, and a density pattern selection matrix associated with a cycle of binary data generation is selected in accordance with the selected printing mode. That is, a density pattern selection matrix employed for binary data generation using a density pattern is changed to a size corresponding to the feeding amount designated by the selected printing mode. Thereby, a phenomenon that a unit used for image processing to gain a predetermined purpose related to an image quality does not match a unit area used for a printing operation is avoided, and an image printing purpose using a binary data generation pattern can be appropriately attained.

Abstract: When a number of passes of multi-pass recording has been changed, a repetitive cycle of a drive pattern is changed, depending on change of feeding amount caused by change of the number of passes. Accordingly, the drive pattern is set to a size corresponding to the changed feeding amount.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet printing apparatus and an inkjet printing method for printing a high-definition image while improving glossiness of the image surface without causing complication and enlargement of the apparatus. A plurality of inks are ejected from first and second printing heads so that a weighted average of a printing rate for each scan regarding an ink having the highest lightness becomes the largest among the plurality of inks and so that a maximum value regarding the printing rate of the ink having the highest lightness becomes larger than those of other inks.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing system and method which allows high-quality images to be printed while improving the gloss of an image surface, as well as a relevant storage medium. According to the present invention, an image is printed using a print head including multiple nozzle arrays provided for ink in respective multiple colors and in each of which multiple nozzles configured to eject ink are arranged; the print head ejects the ink in the multiple colors onto the same print area on a print medium during multiple scans. The multiple types of ink are ejected from the print head so that the connectivity of ink dots formed on the front outermost surface of a print area is higher than that of other ink dots formed in the print area.

Abstract: In a configuration in which a printhead including a plurality of first printing elements for discharging ink droplets and a plurality of second printing elements for discharging ink droplets larger than ink droplets discharged by the first printing elements is used, the first and second plurality of printing elements are divided into multiple blocks in such a manner that the first printing elements belong to one block and the second printing elements belong to another block. The blocks are individually driven in a time-divisional manner. In the time-divisional driving, the block consisting of the plurality of first printing elements is driven first and then the block consisting of the second printing elements is driven.

Abstract: A battery pack that can avoid an abnormal condition caused by heat generation associated with water adhesion to a connector part and a function stopping method of the battery pack are provided. A battery controller determines an abnormality and executes an operation of interrupting a charge/discharge path for a battery set formed by a charge/discharge circuit, when a detected temperature of a connector is equal to or more than a first threshold, and also a discharge current is equal to or more than a second threshold and/or a difference between the detected temperature of the connector and a detected temperature of another part (a discharge protection switch, a charge protection switch, and the battery set) is equal to or more than a third threshold.