Abstract: A printing apparatus receives, as serial data, a plurality of commands for driving a printhead including arrayed print elements to perform printing. Then, a first signal is internally generated in the apparatus, and a second signal is generated based on the position of a conveyed print medium. In addition, each command is extracted from the received serial data. While switching over the first and second signals based on each command, the printhead is driven to perform a preparation operation prior to image printing by the printhead based on the first signal and to print an image based on image data on the print medium based on the second signal. Upon switchover of the first signal to the second signal, switchover to the second signal is controlled after disabling the first signal for a predetermined period.

Abstract: A printing apparatus receives, as serial data, a plurality of commands for driving a printhead including arrayed print elements to perform printing. Then, a first signal is internally generated in the apparatus, and a second signal is generated based on the position of a conveyed print medium. In addition, each command is extracted from the received serial data. While switching over the first and second signals based on each command, the printhead is driven to perform a preparation operation prior to image printing by the printhead based on the first signal and to print an image based on image data on the print medium based on the second signal. Upon switchover of the first signal to the second signal, switchover to the second signal is controlled after disabling the first signal for a predetermined period.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to increase the transfer rate of image data from a host computer to a printing apparatus. To achieve this object, a printing apparatus which divides the printing area in the printhead scanning direction into a plurality of regions and prints in each divided region in order to print by scanning the printhead on the printing medium includes a conversion circuit which rearranges image data that is transmitted from the host computer and arranged in a direction perpendicular to the data arrangement of the printhead, into image data in the same horizontal direction as the data arrangement direction of the printhead.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to increase the transfer rate of image data from a host computer to a printing apparatus. To achieve this object, a printing apparatus which divides the printing area in the printhead scanning direction into a plurality of regions and prints in each divided region in order to print by scanning the printhead on the printing medium includes a conversion circuit which rearranges image data that is transmitted from the host computer and arranged in a direction perpendicular to the data arrangement of the printhead, into image data in the same horizontal direction as the data arrangement direction of the printhead.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to increase the transfer rate of image data from a host computer to a printing apparatus. To achieve this object, a printing apparatus which divides the printing area in the printhead scanning direction into a plurality of regions and prints in each divided region in order to print by scanning the printhead on the printing medium includes a conversion circuit which rearranges image data that is transmitted from the host computer and arranged in a direction perpendicular to the data arrangement of the printhead, into image data in the same horizontal direction as the data arrangement direction of the printhead.

Abstract: A printing apparatus prints on a printing medium by using a printhead which has a first nozzle array including a plurality of nozzles from which a first nozzle amount of the ink is discharged and a second nozzle array including a plurality of nozzles from which a second nozzle amount of the ink is discharged. This printing apparatus time-divisionally drives a plurality of blocks obtained by dividing each of the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array. The printing apparatus selects, from the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array, a block to be driven by the driving unit within a predetermined period. This printing apparatus controls the selection unit to alternately select a block from the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array and sequentially select a block from each nozzle array in a predetermined order.

Abstract: A recording method includes transferring recording data to a recording head having a nozzle array at a read timing for each of nozzle groups of the nozzle array according to information on misalignment of the nozzle array, and a driving the recording head for each of the groups for predetermined periods by inputting the transferred recording data. Each respective predetermined period includes a plurality of drive start timings for recording. One of the drive start timings is selected for each of the groups according to the information on the misalignment of the nozzle array.

Abstract: A printing apparatus uses a printhead, which has a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array, each having a plurality of nozzles with a first nozzle discharging a first amount of ink and a second nozzle away having a plurality of nozzles with a second nozzle discharging a second amount of the ink and including nozzles to be used for printing on a printing medium and nozzles not to be used for printing on the printing medium. The printing apparatus selects, from the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array, nozzles to be driven within a predetermined period. The printing apparatus controls preliminary discharge control to drive the nozzles to be used for printing and the nozzles not to be used for printing by alternatively selecting the first nozzles and the second nozzles.

Abstract: A CPU monitors the state of a printing apparatus, and controls transmission, to the host, of a control signal for controlling the data reception timing from the host.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus in which displacements of dots are reduced. In the inkjet recording apparatus, recording data is read out from a recording buffer at a period corresponding to a second resolution. The apparatus determines whether or not to delay the timing at which the readout is performed by an interval corresponding to one-half of the period corresponding to a first resolution. The apparatus also selects whether to drive an inkjet head in a front half or a last half of the period corresponding to the first resolution.

Abstract: A printing apparatus having a printhead for printing by discharging liquid on a printing medium performs a toggle preliminary discharge operation of alternately performing discharge from main nozzles and dummy nozzles in order to establish a good discharge state of the liquid from the main nozzles. The main nozzles and the dummy nozzles communicate with liquid chambers, which in turn communicate with a common liquid chamber. A control circuit for the printhead and a control method are also provided.

Abstract: A printing apparatus prints on a printing medium by using a printhead which has a first nozzle array including a plurality of nozzles from which a first nozzle amount of the ink is discharged and a second nozzle array including a plurality of nozzles from which a second nozzle amount of the ink is discharged. This printing apparatus time-divisionally drives a plurality of blocks obtained by dividing each of the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array. The printing apparatus selects, from the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array, a block to be driven by the driving unit within a predetermined period. This printing apparatus controls the selection unit to alternately select a block from the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array and sequentially select a block from each nozzle array in a predetermined order.

Abstract: A printing apparatus for printing by using a printhead is disclosed, which has a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array, each having a plurality of nozzles with a first nozzle from which a first amount of the ink is discharged and a second nozzle array having a plurality of nozzles with a second nozzle from which a second amount of the ink is discharged and including nozzles to be used for printing on a printing medium and nozzles not to be used for printing on the printing medium. The priding apparatus drives the nozzles of the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array. The printing apparatus selects, from the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array, nozzles to be driven within a predetermined period. The printing apparatus controls preliminary discharge control to drive the nozzles to be used for printing and the nozzles not to be used for printing by alternatively selecting the first nozzles and the second nozzles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printing apparatus in which printing elements used in the printing of each raster can be set at will. The printing apparatus has a carriage equipped with a printhead having a plurality of printing elements arranged in a predetermined direction, and the carriage is made to scan across a printing medium in a direction that intersects the direction in which the printing elements are arranged, thereby performing printing on the medium. The printing elements are divided into a plurality of blocks each consisting of a predetermined number of successive printing elements, print data that has been transmitted in raster form is stored in a receive buffer, and data that has been stored in the receive buffer is divided and stored in a print buffer having a plurality of areas corresponding to the blocks of printing elements.

Abstract: A recording method includes transferring recording data to a recording head having a nozzle array at a read timing for each of nozzle groups of the nozzle array according to information on misalignment of the nozzle array, and a driving the recording head for each of the groups for predetermined periods by inputting the transferred recording data. Each respective predetermined period includes a plurality of drive start timings for recording. One of the drive start timings is selected for each of the groups according to the information on the misalignment of the nozzle array.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording with use of a recording head having two nozzle arrays arranged side-by-side includes first, second, and third direct memory access (DMA) units, a data converter unit for converting first image data stored in a work buffer into second image data, a record buffer unit for storing the second image data, a latch unit for storing the second image data in a transfer buffer, a buffer reading control table unit, and a DMA control unit for causing transfer processing to be executed by the first, second, and third DMA units based on a flag in the buffer reading control table unit when the image data stored in the work buffer is transferred to the transfer buffer.

Abstract: A CPU that has transferred to a stop mode in order to reduce power consumption can be restarted from a control section of a printer, but cannot be restarted by an instruction from a host computer. The printer according to the present invention includes an interface control section for communicating with the host computer; a CPU having a mode in which the CPU is on standby in a low power consumption state; and a clock control section supplying a clock signal. The clock control section supplies a clock signal only to the interface control section when the CPU transfers to the stop mode.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus in which displacements of dots are reduced. In the inkjet recording apparatus, recording data is read out from a recording buffer at a period corresponding to a second resolution. The apparatus determines whether or not to delay the timing at which the readout is performed by an interval corresponding to one-half of the period corresponding to a first resolution. The apparatus also selects whether to drive an inkjet head in a front half or a last half of the period corresponding to the first resolution.

Abstract: A printhead has a common liquid chamber which receives a liquid, a plurality of main nozzles which align at a predetermined interval on the two sides of the common liquid chamber along the longitudinal direction of the common liquid chamber and used for printing, a plurality of dummy nozzles which align on the two sides of the main nozzles along their array direction and are not used for printing, and a plurality of liquid chambers which communicate with the common liquid chamber while the main and dummy nozzles are open in the liquid chambers. A printing apparatus which drives and controls the printhead for discharging a liquid from the main nozzles and printing on a printing medium includes a toggle preliminary discharge data generation block (77) which alternately switches between the main nozzles and the dummy nozzles every column serving as the driving cycle of all nozzles for the main nozzles and the dummy nozzles.

Abstract: A DMA controller arbitrates and selects a DMA control information signal received from at least one of a plurality of DMA request blocks and accesses an SDRAM on the basis of the selected DMA control information signal. In the DMA controller, an SDRAM controller detects using a detector the number of possible sequential accesses on the basis of a DMA start address signal, compares using a comparator this number of possible sequential accesses with the burst DMA request number designated by a BSTNUM signal, selects not larger one of the two numbers, and sets the number of sequential DMAs to be actually executed to the selected number. Accordingly, with a simple configuration, sequential access is made possible starting from an arbitrary address.