Abstract: A recovery method for an ink jet printing apparatus is provided which makes it possible to use as much ink in the ink tank as possible and minimize the residual ink volume at time of a tank replacement. The recovery method for keeping an ejection performance of the print head in appropriate condition by performing a recovery operation of discharging ink from the print head, therefore, includes the steps of: detecting a residual ink volume in the ink tank; and controlling a discharge ink volume to be discharged by the recovery operation when the residual ink volume detected by the residual ink volume detection step is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus, is adapted to use a non-contact method for detecting the presence and the amount of liquid, in the form of ink droplets discharged from a printhead or ink tank, using electromagnetic waves in the form of infrared rays. The apparatus and method employ an infrared sensor to detect infrared radiation emitted by the ink in proportion to the amount of ink present. The apparatus and method further employ one of various shielding members to prevent the intrusion of infrared radiation noise into the infrared sensor field of detection, and, in some aspects, a fan to control air flow within the field of detection. The result is less noise in the detection signals of the infrared sensor, and therefore more sensitive and more reliable liquid detection method and liquid detection apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention is designed to make uniform frequencies with which individual recording elements of a multihead are used in a recording apparatus for performing gray scale recording by controlling a number of dots recorded in a unit area. A gray scale pattern used to display gray scale is a pattern in which a plurality of blocks each comprising a dot concentration type gray scale pattern having a size smaller than that of the gray scale pattern is dispersed. The maximum difference between numbers of times the recording elements in the range of the gray scale pattern are used can be restricted within twice, and individual nozzles can be used uniformly. Consequently, imbalance of changes in the recording elements with time, caused by the differences between the frequencies with which the recording elements are used, can be restricted, thus restricting irregularities on an image.

Abstract: The present invention allows the detection of ink in a printing head that can be widely applied to various printing systems by significantly simplifying its configuration. There are a heater for supplying an energy to eject ink, a driver for driving the heater, and a detection electrode capable of detecting a voltage variation that arises between the heater and the driver and that depends on the driving of the heater. Furthermore, an insulating film that covers the surface of the detection electrode protects the detection electrode from chemical or physical change. Furthermore, a reference element group or a reference unit that produces a signal as a reference of the detection signal avoids the influence of noise. Furthermore, an energy-generating element and another signal source improve the accuracy of ink detection. A drive pulse which is insufficient to eject ink may be supplied to the heater to improve the accuracy of ink detection.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method according to the present invention suppress a variation in the density of ink in a supply channel and a print head without the needs for useless recovery operations, thus always providing very reliable high-grade images. The ink jet printing apparatus carries out printing using a print head for ejecting ink. The apparatus includes scanning means for causing the print head to scan a printing medium, measuring means for measuring time from an end of a preceding printing operation till a start of a current printing operation, and determining means for determining whether or not a result of measurement executed by the measuring means exceeds a predetermined value. The scanning means causes the print head to carry out idle scan before the start of a printing operation depending on a result of determination made by the determining means.

Abstract: To enable an ink jet printing apparatus to produce high quality images at all times from the initial stage of use until the end of its service life, the present invention provides an ink jet printing method for printing an image on a print medium by using a print head, wherein the print head can eject ink supplied from an ink tank, the ink jet printing method comprising: an ink consumption detection step for detecting an amount of ink consumed in the ink tank; an ejection number detection step for detecting the number of ink ejections from the print head; an ink droplet volume calculation step for calculating an ink droplet volume based on the number of ink ejections from the print head and the ink consumption; and a control step for changing processing associated with a printing operation according to the ink droplet volume calculated by the calculation step.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus and suction recovery control method which can minimize reduction in throughput while maintaining a printhead in the most appropriate condition, and can reduce the amount of wasted ink. According to the suction recovery control method, a printing period of predetermined printing operation is timed, and the number of print dots formed by discharging ink from a printhead during the predetermined printing operation is counted. Based on the timed printing period and counted number of print dots, the number of print dots per unit time is calculated. Then based on the calculated number of print dots per unit time, timing of suction recovery operation is determined, and suction recovery operation of the printhead is performed according to the determined timing.

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: A data transfer circuit or a recording apparatus includes an address setting unit for setting a start address for a buffer memory, an offset setting unit for setting an offset for the buffer memory, and an address creating unit for creating a predetermined number of consecutive transfer addresses to be supplied for the buffer memory using a reference address. The circuit also includes an arithmetic logic unit that, after the address creating unit has created transfer addresses using the start address as a reference address, calculates a new reference address in accordance with the offset relative to the start address so as to provide the new reference address to the address creating unit.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus and suction recovery control method which can minimize reduction in throughput while maintaining a printhead in the most appropriate condition, and can reduce the amount of wasted ink. According to the suction recovery control method, a printing period of predetermined printing operation is timed, and the number of print dots formed by discharging ink from a printhead during the predetermined printing operation is counted. Based on the timed printing period and counted number of print dots, the number of print dots per unit time is calculated. Then based on the calculated number of print dots per unit time, timing of suction recovery operation is determined, and suction recovery operation of the printhead is performed according to the determined timing.

Abstract: A recovery method for an ink jet printing apparatus is provided which makes it possible to use as much ink in the ink tank as possible and minimize the residual ink volume at time of a tank replacement. The recovery method for keeping an ejection performance of the print head in appropriate condition by performing a recovery operation of discharging ink from the print head, therefore, includes the steps of: detecting a residual ink volume in the ink tank; and controlling a discharge ink volume to be discharged by the recovery operation when the residual ink volume detected by the residual ink volume detection step is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

Abstract: A distribution management system in which a host server and portable terminals are arranged in such a manner as to be able to exchange information with each other. The host server has a section for receiving information relating to distribution from each of the portable terminals, and a section for transmitting, to each of the portable terminals, predetermined information such as information indicating a distribution state or history of a distribution article. This makes it possible to transmit, in real time, predetermined information such as information indicating a distribution state or history of a distribution article from the host server to a transmission source portable terminal.

Abstract: Disclosed is an inkjet printing apparatus for forming an image by repeatedly causing the scanning of a printhead that prints an image in a scan area using inks of a plurality of types. Residual duty, which is obtained by quantifying the mixed state of the inks used in printing the image in the scan area, is defined. The residual duty with regard to the next scan area is found from image data, the scanning direction for printing in the next scan area is decided based upon the residual duty, and the area is printed in the scanning direction that has been decided. Thus, back-and-forth scanning and unidirectional scanning are used jointly in appropriate fashion in accordance with the printed image. As a result, high-quality printing of an image becomes possible and a higher printing speed is achieved.

Abstract: Disclosed is a color ink jet recording method including the step of recording a desired color image on a recording medium on the basis of recording data using a black ink and a plurality of color inks each being different from the black ink in permeating characteristics against the recording medium. In this method, the surface tension is 40 dyn/cm or less for each of the inks; and the blotting factor against plain paper is 2.5 or less for the black ink, and it is in the range of from 2.5 to 3.5 for each of the color inks. Alternatively, the surface tension is 40 dyn/cm or less for each of the inks; and the permeating rate against plain paper is one second or more for the black ink, and it is less than one second for each of the color inks.

Abstract: A liquid jet recording method includes applying thermal energy to liquid in a liquid passage to produce film boiling of the liquid to produce a. bubble; permitting the bubble to communicate with ambience; wherein the liquid passage is not blocked in the communicating step.

Abstract: A recording control method and a recording apparatus in which high accuracy in the position of a discharged liquid droplet is obtained irrespective of changes in the temperature of a recording head are provided. In a liquid discharging method in which a bubble is generated by supplying ink (a liquid) with thermal energy, and the generated bubble is caused to communicate with the atmospheric air, by controlling a driving signal so that a discharging state in which a part of the ink to be discharged falls even if the temperature of the recording head changes, the direction of ink discharge can be stabilized.

Abstract: Disclosed are an ink-jet recording method in which scanning is performed with a recording device having a plurality of recording element groups in correspondence with inks of different hues relatively in a direction crossing the direction in which the recording medium is fed to perform recording, the method including the steps of determining the scanning direction according to the duty of the image data in the scanning for recording, and performing recording by performing scanning in the determined scanning direction, and an ink-jet recording apparatus in which scanning is performed with a recording device having a plurality of recording element groups in correspondence with inks of different hues relatively in a direction crossing the direction in which the recording medium is fed to perform recording, including a device for determining the scanning direction according to the duty of the image data in the scanning for recording, and a device for performing recording by performing scanning in the determined s

Abstract: Disclosed is an inkjet printing apparatus for forming an image by repeatedly causing the scanning of a printhead that prints an image in a scan area using inks of a plurality of types. Residual duty, which is obtained by quantifying the mixed state of the inks used in printing the image in the scan area, is defined. The residual duty with regard to the next scan area is found from image data, the scanning direction for printing in the next scan area is decided based upon the residual duty, and the area is printed in the scanning direction that has been decided. Thus, back-and-forth scanning and unidirectional scanning are used jointly in appropriate fashion in accordance with the printed image. As a result, high-quality printing of an image becomes possible and a higher printing speed is achieved.

Abstract: A liquid jet recording method using thermal energy to eject liquid from a liquid passage through an ejection outlet, the liquid passage being provided with a heat generating resistor, wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: 0.1≦H/L≦0.9 R/L≧0.5 &phgr;/Wn≦1.0 S/Sh≦3.0 where L is a distance between the heat generating resistor and the ejection outlet, H is a height of the liquid passage, R is a maximum diameter of the ejection outlet, &phgr; is a converted diameter of the ejection outlet, Wn is a passage width of a portion where the heat generating resistor is disposed, S is an area of the ejection outlet, and Sh is an area of the. heat generating resistor; wherein a bubble created by heat generating resistor communicates with ambience.

Abstract: A recording method includes the steps of ejecting ink onto a recording material on the basis of image data; and ejecting record quality improving liquid to improve a record quality of the ink ejected onto the recording material; wherein one of the ink ejecting step and the liquid ejecting step is carried out after the other; the liquid ejecting step ejects the liquid to a part of an ink-ejection-area on the recording material to provide liquid-ejection-area and non-liquid-ejection-area.