Abstract: A photo-direct printer apparatus which prints an image on the basis of image data from a digital camera, memory card, or PC serving as an image data source receives a control command from the image data source, interprets the control command, and receives image data from the image data source on the basis of the command. The printer apparatus decodes and processes the received image data, and generates and prints print data and print an image based on the print data.

Abstract: Multi-resolution halftoning to process image data by determining whether the image data corresponds to black image data or color image data, performing a halftoning process of a first resolution on the black image data, performing a halftoning process of a second resolution on the color image data, and performing a smoothing process on the black image data. The first resolution may be a low resolution and the second resolution may be a high resolution and the black image data may be expanded into high resolution data. Image data subjected to multi-resolution halftoning may be printed by a print head with black nozzles having a faster printing speed than color nozzles.

Abstract: A host computer acquires information about an amount of remaining ink of a printer. In response to the acquired information about the amount of remaining ink, the host computer displays a message on a display screen so that a user can select whether an ink cartridge is to be replaced with a new one or the process is to return to a previous routine without replacing the ink cartridge.

Abstract: Control of an ink ejection frequency to compensate for recording medium unevenness in printing by inducing a predetermined unevenness pattern into a recording medium, adjusting an ink ejection frequency of a print head based on the induced unevenness pattern, and controlling ink ejection based on the adjusted frequency. A plurality of print heads may be employed that may correspond to different color inks and may be controlled by a same control signal or individually. Control may also be varied for bi-directional printing based on a printing direction.

Abstract: A host computer acquires information about an amount of remaining ink of a printer. In response to the acquired information about the amount of remaining ink, the host computer displays a message on a display screen so that a user can select whether an ink cartridge is to be replaced with a new one or the process is to return to a previous routine without replacing the ink cartridge.

Abstract: An air intake and blowing device, comprising a blowing fan (11) such as a turbo fan capable of blowing air in all directions which is installed inside a main casing (2) provided with an air intake port (5) and an air blowing port (9) enclosing the air intake port (5), the air blowing port (9) being provided with a vortex flow creating member which creates a spiral blowing vortex air flow to form a spirally swirl-blowing air flow, and air surrounded by the blowing air flow being formed in a stable tornado flow and sucked strongly into the air intake port (5).

Abstract: A print apparatus which receives image data from a digital camera, PC card, or PC to print an image on a storage medium outputs print data based on image data from the PC to a printer engine via a USB hub, and prints an image. The apparatus has a DSP which receives compressed image data from the digital camera or PC card, decodes the received data, and parallelly executes, for the decoded image data, at least color space conversion processing, size change processing, and color conversion processing. The apparatus generates print data on the basis of the image data processed by the DSP, outputs the generated print data to the printer engine, and prints an image.

Abstract: A bus arbiter capable of avoiding needless increase in circuit scale is provided. The bus arbiter controls a bus shared by a CPU (central processing unit) and a plurality of apparatuses for generating addresses. The bus arbiter includes a determination unit for determining if a request of an address is a request of an address where no corresponding device is present, and a processor for passing the request by transmitting an ACK signal without performing a writing operation for a request of a writing operation, and transmitting dummy data and an ACK signal without performing a reading operation for a request of a reading operation, when the determination unit has determined that the request is a request of an address where no corresponding device is present.

Abstract: A frame (4a) is provided around the perimeter of the air outlet (2a) of the fan (6). The frame (4a) includes a plurality of board-shaped ribs (41, 41 . . . ) extending radially outward from the vicinity of the center of the frame (4a) in the direction of the radius of the fan (6). The frame (4a) also includes a plurality of cylindrical ribs (42, 42 . . . ) integrated with the plurality of board-shaped ribs (41, 41 . . . ), and arranged concentrically around the rotation axis (O-O′) of the fan (6) at predetermined intervals in the direction of the radius of the fan (6). The board-shaped ribs (41) are curved outward in the direction of rotation of the fan (6) and inclined in the direction of air flowing from the fan (6).

Abstract: A color printer driver binarizes continuous tone color print data stored in raster form and stores the binarized data directly into column form, without the intermediary of storage in horizontal raster form, for printout by a print engine having vertically-arranged print elements.

Abstract: A printer controller in a printer having at least one detachable print device sends data to a host processor that is representative of the characteristics of a presently attached detachable print device and receives commands from the host processor. In response to the received commands, the printer controller controls a printer function according to the characteristics of the attached print device. The received commands include print head driving parameters corresponding to the characteristics of the attached print device. The print head driving parameters may include parameters that modify values of pre-stored print head driving parameters loaded into the printer at the time of manufacture, or the print head driving parameters may include actual parameter values that are registered for use by the printer during actual printout.

Abstract: A recording apparatus records at a higher density than the density of arranged recording elements of a recording head by interlace recording. A scanning section makes the recording head sub-scan in order to enable the recording head to interlace record between lines of dots recorded in main scannings. A read-out section reads out the same recording data from a memory two or more times. With every reading of the recording data, a selector complementarily selects recording data from the recording data read out from the memory and supplies the selected recording data to the recording head.

Abstract: A bus arbiter capable of avoiding needless increase in circuit scale is provided. The bus arbiter controls a bus shared by a CPU (central processing unit) and a plurality of apparatuses for generating addresses. The bus arbiter includes a determination unit for determining if a request of an address is a request of an address where no corresponding device is present, and a processor for passing the request by transmitting an ACK signal without performing a writing operation for a request of a writing operation, and transmitting dummy data and an ACK signal without performing a reading operation for a request of a reading operation, when the determination unit has determined that the request is a request of an address where no corresponding device is present.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by discharging ink to the surface of the recording medium, wherein ink is reserved in an ink tank including a negative pressure generating member, such as an absorber and a foaming member, and a function of accurately detecting the residual quantity such that depletion to a predetermined level can be detected is realized. Light emitted by a photointerrupter is allowed to pass through a portion of a wall surface of the ink tank made of transparent plastic or the like which is transmissible with respect to detection light emitted by the photointerrupter to detect change in the light reflectance in the boundary portion between the wall surface and the ink absorber. In accordance with reflectance obtained in a case where no ink exists in the detected portion and that obtained in a case where ink exists, the residual quantity of ink can be detected.

Abstract: When a position deviation of more than 1/2 pitch of ejection port pitch is generated by a difference in thermal expansion between ejection ports of a low temperature line head and ejection ports of high temperature line head, a dummy data is inserted in part of ejection data arrangement, so that ejection data inherent in the arrangement is shifted by one ejection port unit to be assigned to other ejection ports This reduces position deviation between dots formed by individual heads according to the data to less than 1/2 pitch.

Abstract: An air discharge unit (100) for underfloor air conditioning employs a centripetal fan (2) to realize low pressure loss, low noise and energy saving while reducing the heightwise thickness of the whole unit. The centripetal fan (2) is installed in an underfloor chamber (104) formed between a floor panel (103) and a floor slab to face an outlet (1) provided in the floor panel 103, and is driven by a motor (4). The centripetal fan (2) has a hub (200) and a plurality of blades (20) formed on an outer surface of the hub (200), and sucks therein an air in the underfloor chamber (104) from radially outward direction to make the air spirally flow toward the outlet (1) generally in an axial direction.

Abstract: Data processing method and apparatus for converting data such as character data or image data of a resolution X into data of a resolution Y which are effective for use in, particularly, a recording apparatus such as an ink jet printer or the like.

Abstract: Data is converted by a prediction function. The converted data is run length compressed and the resultant compressed font data is stored into an ROM. When outputting, the compressive data is sent to a run length expander. The run length expander produces bits of fonts and sequentially stores the produced bits in a RAM. The stored data is sent to a reverse prediction function processor and a font pattern is formed.

Abstract: A serial printer for recording with a recording head while synchronizing with a movement of a carriage reciprocated on an apparatus body and on which the recording head is mounted. A position of a linear encoder is detected by a detecting portion. A detecting signal from this detecting portion is compared with a reference voltage, and a pulse output as a synchronous signal is generated. A duty of this pulse output is adjusted to obtain a well-recorded result.