Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus including: a print unit having a polarity of ejection outlet arrays, for ejecting ink,; a scan unit for scanningly moving the print unit relative to the print medium in a main scan direction; and a feed unit for feeding the print medium relative to the print unit in a direction which is different from the main scan direction, wherein an image is formed on the print medium while repeating a scanning operation of the scanning unit and a feeding operation by the feeding unit. The apparatus also includes an information obtaining unit for obtaining image information; and a selecting unit for selecting at least one of the ejection outlet arrays to effect printing for the image data in a predetermined area, on the basis of the information obtained by the information obtain unit about image formations.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus for ejecting ink droplets having two sizes, a large size and a small size. The ink-jet recording apparatus records data with a pattern assigned to quantized data. This arrangement reduces density non-uniformity and streaks depending on the landing accuracy of ink droplets, the accuracy of sheet conveyance in the recording apparatus, and the accuracy of carriage scanning are reduced. Recording is performed with large and small dot-matrix patterns assigned to quantized data on independent planes. When the large dot and the small dot in a pattern are provided to one pixel at the same time, the large dot and the small dot are placed in positions not overlapping in the one pixel.

Abstract: A controller generates printing data to be printed by the printing nozzles of at least first and second adjacent printing nozzle arrays out of a plurality of printing nozzle arrays on the basis of tone information of image data to be printed. In particular, the controller generates printing data to be printed by each of the first and second printing nozzle arrays in the range in which the influence of an air flow generated along with ink discharge from the first and second printing nozzle arrays is admissible. Printing by the first and second printing nozzle arrays of the printhead is controlled on the basis of the generated printing data.

Abstract: In a recording apparatus for effecting recording with a recording head on a recording medium, a temperature detector provided on a control circuit board of the recording apparatus detects a temperature at the board, and a timer measures a first activation time of electric power supply to the control circuit board for a control not involving a recording operation. The timing of reading the temperature detected by the temperature detector, as well as a correction value for the thus read value, are determined according to the first activation time measured by the timer.

Abstract: A light guide includes: an optical medium; and light-scattering particles each having a scattering cross section &PHgr; and being contained in the optical medium with a density Np so that light which enters the light guide from a first end face can propagate to a second end face while being scattered by the light-scattering particles. In the light guide, the product of the scattering cross section &PHgr;, the density Np, the length LG of the optical medium in the light propagation direction, and a correction coefficient KC is less than or equal to 0.9. Preferably, the product is less than or equal to 0.4 combining a plurality of optical mediums.

Abstract: A printing apparatus and a preliminary discharge control method capable of efficient preliminary discharge control even in a case where a time interval to assure normal printing is equal or nearly equal to the period of one print scanning of an inkjet printhead. In the method, in an inkjet printhead which performs printing by discharging ink from plural print elements while reciprocate-scanned by a carriage, the number of ink dischargings from each of the plural print elements is counted during print scanning by reciprocate scanning. It is determined whether or not the counted number of ink dischargings from each of the plural print elements is equal to or greater than a predetermined number at predetermined intervals. In accordance with the result of determination, a printable period is updated, and the updated printable period is compared with time necessary for the next print scanning upon completion of one print scanning by reciprocate scanning.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus suppresses defective ejection while reducing a consumed ink amount. In the apparatus, a cap-open period, during which a cap member does not cap ejection ports of a recording head of the apparatus, is measured, and a recovery operation executed by a recovery unit is controlled based on a cumulated cap-open period. With the above arrangement, there can be solved a problem that the ink ejecting state of the recording head is deteriorated depending on a recording operation because a cap-open state, in which the cap member does not cap the ejection ports of the recording head, continues while the inkjet recording apparatus executes the recording operation, thereby the reliability of the inkjet recording apparatus can be improved.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus that can inexpensively print desired colors without causing ink color mixture. In a print head, a plurality of nozzle rows for respective ink colors are arranged in parallel with one another. Arrangements and driving control are provided so that few mists resulting from an ink ejecting operation move so as not to reach the print head or fall.

Abstract: A resolution transformation apparatus which has longitudinal and lateral change ratio input means 101 for inputting the longitudinal and lateral change ratios of an image, low-frequency orthogonal transformation block extraction means 103 for extracting only low-frequency areas of N orthogonal transformation blocks required for resolution transformation from before-transformation orthogonal transformation image memory 102 for storing orthogonal transformation images before undergoing resolution transformation, resolution transformation means 104 for executing resolution transformation and generating M orthogonal transformation blocks from the N low-frequency orthogonal transformation blocks, and orthogonal transformation block storage means 105 for storing the Morthogonal transformation blocks after resolution transformation in after-transformation orthogonal transformation image memory 106.

Abstract: A print apparatus that, without significantly reducing an overall printing speed, allows a reduction in uneven densities due to the discharge time difference between black ink and color inks, which occur particularly at both ends in a scanning range and which are caused by the printing by bidirectional scanning of print heads, and enables high image-quality printing to be realized. In this print apparatus, one band is divided into plural areas in a main scanning direction, the dot numbers of black ink and color ink imparted to respective areas are counted. If there are any areas where the dot numbers of both black and color exceed respective threshold values, the area number is counted, and if the number exceeds a predetermined number, the print mode is switched from bidirectional printing to a unidirectional one, upon determining that there is a high probability of occurrence of the above-described uneven densities.

Abstract: The evaluation reference tape includes at least one recess formed on a magnetic recording layer of a magnetic tape by processing the magnetic recording layer. In the method and apparatus for manufacturing the magnetic recording layer, at least one recess is formed on the magnetic recording layer of the magnetic tape by a laser beam or laser beams in a visible region, an ultraviolet region or both which is incident on the magnetic recording layer of the magnetic tape while the magnetic tape is transported in the longitudinal direction. The evaluation reference tape can perform sensitivity correction of a dropout testing apparatus in accordance with a depth or size of a defect of the magnetic tape and evaluation of the recording/replaying system of the magnetic tape without destroying the evaluation reference tape itself. The method and apparatus can efficiently manufacture the evaluation reference tape.

Abstract: A first data sequence generated by a first moving picture coding system having an intra-frame coding mode and an inter-frame coding mode is transformed to a second data sequence generated by a second moving picture coding system having an intra-frame coding mode and an inter-frame coding mode. The method includes prereading a coding mode of a successive frame succeeding a present frame from the first data sequence, judging whether or not a preread coding mode of the successive frame is the intra-frame coding mode and determining whether or not to code the present frame by the second moving picture coding system corresponding to a generated code amount of the second data sequence when the coding mode of the successive frame is the intra-frame coding mode. Data coded by the intra-frame coding mode existing in the first data sequence is transformed to the second data sequence.

Abstract: Two print heads combined for each ink color are arranged symmetric to each other with respect to the scan direction and are used for a bidirectional printing. In producing secondary colors, image data is spread-processed by using a “diagonal arrangement” spread pattern to differentiate the ink application order at one of dots arranged in the raster direction from those of the other dots and thereby reduce color variations in the scan direction. Further, when image data has a half-tone, a “horizontal arrangement” spread pattern, different from the previous one, is used to perform image processing on the image data to alleviate an undesired texture. To prevent a driving load from concentrating on only one of the paired print heads, the number of times that each nozzle is driven is counted and an adjustment is made to spread the frequency of use among the two paired print heads.

Abstract: A method for transforming a first data sequence, generated by a first moving picture coding system that switches an intra-frame coding mode and an inter-frame coding mode on a block unit basis to a second data sequence, generated by a second moving picture coding system that switches an intra-frame coding mode and in inter-frame coding mode on the block unit basis. The method includes increasing the number of blocks to be coded by the intra-frame coding mode in the second moving picture coding system when a generated code amount of the second data sequence is less than a target value.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head according to the present invention includes a single liquid supplying port to which a liquid is supplied, a plurality of liquid supplying passages having one end in communication with the liquid supplying port, a plurality of common liquid chambers that are in communication with the other ends of the liquid supplying passages, respectively, and a plurality of ejection port groups which are in communication with the common liquid chambers via liquid channels and from which liquid droplets are ejected. A cross sectional area or length of the liquid supplying passage in communication with the ejection port group having a larger sum of opening areas of the ejection ports is set smaller than that of the liquid supplying passage that is in communication with the ejection port group having a smaller sum of opening areas of the ejection ports.

Abstract: It is an object of this invention to provide a ternary or higher-order quantization method which avoids close gathering of pixels at a first output level. First and second threshold values Lth1 and Lth2 for ternarization and output values 0 (blank), 1, and 2 as converted output values are set to have a relationship of output value of 0 (blank)<first threshold value Lth1<second threshold value Lth2<output value of 1<output value of 2. This prevents a quantization error from becoming 0 when an input pixel value is an intermediate value, and prevents continuous outputting of only pixels having the output value of 1. When this image is printed, small ink dots corresponding to the output value of 1 are not easily continuously printed. This improves the image quality.

Abstract: Disclosed are an image processing apparatus and method for the purpose of preventing overlapping of dots between two colors in low-density areas in color pseudo-grayscale processing, thereby obtaining excellent placement of the dots of each color. When a color image is binarized, an error is added to a respective one of color components (I0,I1), after which output decision means (2) decides an output value in accordance with the value of the sum in such a manner that the sum of pixel values after conversion will be rendered constant. Error calculation means (3-0, 3-1) calculate differences between pixel values before and after binarization as errors, and error diffusion means (9-0, 9-1) calculate values to be diffused to a neighboring pixel. Weighting coefficients used at such time are decided in accordance with combinations of values of the color components (I0,I1) of pixel values in the original image. The output value decided by the output decision means (2) is printed out by a printer or the like.

Abstract: The evaluation reference tape includes at least one recess formed on a magnetic recording layer of a magnetic tape by processing the magnetic recording layer. In the method and apparatus for manufacturing the magnetic recording layer, at least one recess is formed on the magnetic recording layer of the magnetic tape by a laser beam or laser beams in a visible region, an ultraviolet region or both which is incident on the magnetic recording layer of the magnetic tape while the magnetic tape is transported in the longitudinal direction. The evaluation reference tape can perform sensitivity correction of a dropout testing apparatus in accordance with a depth or size of a defect of the magnetic tape and evaluation of the recording/replaying system of the magnetic tape without destroying the evaluation reference tape itself. The method and apparatus can efficiently manufacture the evaluation reference tape.

Abstract: The evaluation reference tape includes at least one recess formed on a magnetic recording layer of a magnetic tape by processing the magnetic recording layer. In the method and apparatus for manufacturing the magnetic recording layer, at least one recess is formed on the magnetic recording layer of the magnetic tape by a laser beam or laser beams in a visible region, an ultraviolet region or both which is incident on the magnetic recording layer of the magnetic tape while the magnetic tape is transported in the longitudinal direction. The evaluation reference tape can perform sensitivity correction of a dropout testing apparatus in accordance with a depth or size of a defect of the magnetic tape and evaluation of the recording/replaying system of the magnetic tape without destroying the evaluation reference tape itself. The method and apparatus can efficiently manufacture the evaluation reference tape.

Abstract: An image coding system converting apparatus is arranged by employing input means 102 for sequentially reading an input bit stream, a decoder unit 103 for decoding inputted data, a data buffer 104 for saving either non-compression image data or image data being decoded in a half way, an added information buffer 105 for saving either added information related to image data or added information related to a coding system, an encoder unit 106 for encoding the image data read out from the data buffer 104 with reference to the added information read out from the added information buffer 105, and output means 107 for outputting the image data encoded by the encoder unit 106.