公开(公告)号：US20240359459A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-31

申请号：US18641291

申请日：2024-04-19

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Naoko Kawashima ,  Hiroomi Nakatsuji ,  Jun Nakano ,  Masato Usui

IPC: B41J2/12 ,  B41J2/045 ,  B41J29/393

CPC classification number: B41J2/12 ,  B41J2/04508 ,  B41J2/0451 ,  B41J2029/3935

Abstract: An ejection malfunction nozzle detecting unit prints plural test patterns on a print sheet using a recording head, and detects ejection malfunction nozzles on the basis of scanned images of the plural test patterns. The plural test patterns are line-shaped or band-shaped images for which a correction process has been performed at plural nozzle positions with a predetermined period. The nozzle positions of the plural test patterns are specified with offset positions different from each other. Further, the ejection malfunction nozzle detecting unit (a) determines a test pattern that densities at periodical ejection malfunction positions have been corrected among the plural test patterns on the basis of density distributions of scanned image of the test patterns, and (b) stores as ejection malfunction nozzle data an offset position of the determined test pattern into a storage device.

公开(公告)号：US20240311599A1

公开(公告)日：2024-09-19

申请号：US18590883

申请日：2024-02-28

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Hiroomi Nakatsuji ,  Jun Nakano ,  Masato Usui ,  Naoko Kawashima

IPC: G06K15/02 ,  B41J2/21

CPC classification number: G06K15/1878 ,  B41J2/2132 ,  G06K15/1822 ,  G06K2215/101

Abstract: A black-generation-and-UCR processing unit generates image data of a black ink color from image data of chromatic ink colors of the image and adjusts values of the image data of the chromatic ink colors correspondingly to generation of the image data of the black ink color. An image outputting unit causes a printing device to perform printing based on the image data. A print condition adjustment unit derives an ink coverage of the image on a print sheet, determines a black generation ratio corresponding to the ink coverage, and causes the black-generation-and-UCR processing unit to perform generation of the image data of the black ink color with the determined black generation ratio. The ink coverage indicates a ratio of ink usage amounts of the chromatic ink colors and the black ink color to a predetermined maximum value, for a pixel for which ink is ejected in the image.

公开(公告)号：US20240294016A1

公开(公告)日：2024-09-05

申请号：US18585621

申请日：2024-02-23

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Hiroomi Nakatsuji ,  Jun Nakano ,  Masato Usui ,  Naoko Kawashima

IPC: B41J2/21

CPC classification number: B41J2/2142 ,  B41J2/2135 ,  B41J2/2139

Abstract: An ejection malfunction nozzle detecting unit prints a test pattern and detects ejection malfunction nozzles on the basis of a scanned image of the test pattern. The ejection malfunction nozzle detecting unit classifies the ejection malfunction nozzles into periodical nozzles that periodically appear with a specific period in a primary scanning direction and non-periodical nozzles other than the periodical nozzles; for the periodical nozzles, stores the specific period and an offset as the ejection malfunction nozzle data into a storage device, and for the non-periodical nozzles, stores the ejection malfunction nozzle data that individually indicates positions of the non-periodical nozzles into the storage device. A correction processing unit performs the correction process for the periodical nozzles on the basis of the specific period and the offset, and the correction process for the non-periodical nozzles on the basis of the positions of the non-periodical nozzles.

公开(公告)号：US20230098337A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-30

申请号：US17949827

申请日：2022-09-21

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Jun Nakano

IPC: B41J2/045 ,  B41J29/393

Abstract: In image forming apparatus, a control unit determines nozzles corresponding to the image to be printed, correspondingly to a position of a print sheet, and causes a recording head to eject ink from the nozzles. A correction processing unit performs a correction process corresponding to each of plural ink ejection malfunction positions in the image. If the number of the ink ejection malfunction positions detected with a predetermined ink droplet size exceeds a predetermined upperlimit value, the correction processing unit prints a test pattern using the control unit with an ink droplet size larger than the predetermined ink droplet size, determines as a preferential ink ejection malfunction position an ink ejection malfunction position that ink ejection malfunction is also detected in the test pattern on the basis of a scanned image of the test pattern, and preferentially performs the correction process for the preferential ink ejection malfunction position.

公开(公告)号：US11554587B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-17

申请号：US17206253

申请日：2021-03-19

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Hiroyuki Ueda ,  Chikara Ishihara ,  Takashi Somete ,  Issei Nakano ,  Jun Nakano ,  Hiroomi Nakatsuji ,  Aiichiro Otana ,  Takuma Araki ,  Noriaki Furukawa ,  Yasutaka Inui

IPC: B41J2/165 ,  B41J11/00

Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus includes a conveyance belt, a conveyance plate, a suction unit, an inkjet head, and a cleaning unit. The conveyance belt has a plurality of through holes. The suction unit causes the conveyance belt to suck the sheet. The conveyance plate includes a plurality of through holes formed in bottom portions of the plurality of recessed portions. The inkjet head includes a head main body and a head end portion adjacent to the head main body, and faces an upper surface of the conveyance plate via the conveyance belt. The cleaning unit removes ink adhering to a lower surface of the head main body. A ratio of the recessed portions per unit area in a facing region of the conveyance plate facing the head end portion is smaller than a ratio of the recessed portions per unit area in a region other than the facing region.

公开(公告)号：US20240359482A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-31

申请号：US18641301

申请日：2024-04-19

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Masato Usui ,  Hiroomi Nakatsuji ,  Naoko Kawashima ,  Jun Nakano

IPC: B41J2/21 ,  B41J2/045

CPC classification number: B41J2/2139 ,  B41J2/0451 ,  B41J2/04586 ,  B41J2/2142

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a control unit, and a correction processing unit. The recording head is configured to eject ink corresponding to an image to be printed, using arranged nozzles. The control unit is configured to determine nozzles corresponding to the image to be printed, correspondingly to a position of a print sheet, and cause the recording head to eject ink from the nozzles. The correction processing unit is configured to detect an ejection malfunction nozzle and perform a correction process corresponding to the ejection malfunction nozzles. Further, if the number of the detected ejection malfunction nozzles exceeds a predetermined upperlimit value, the correction processing unit preferentially sets as a target of the correction process an ejection malfunction nozzle that ejects an ink droplet earlier than nozzles corresponding to two adjacent dots of a dot corresponding to the ejection malfunction nozzle.

公开(公告)号：US12043026B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-23

申请号：US17949827

申请日：2022-09-21

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Jun Nakano

IPC: B41J29/393 ,  B41J2/045 ,  B41J2/21

CPC classification number: B41J2/04505 ,  B41J2/04535 ,  B41J2/0456 ,  B41J2/2139 ,  B41J2/2142 ,  B41J29/393

Abstract: In image forming apparatus, a control unit determines nozzles corresponding to the image to be printed, correspondingly to a position of a print sheet, and causes a recording head to eject ink from the nozzles. A correction processing unit performs a correction process corresponding to each of plural ink ejection malfunction positions in the image. If the number of the ink ejection malfunction positions detected with a predetermined ink droplet size exceeds a predetermined upperlimit value, the correction processing unit prints a test pattern using the control unit with an ink droplet size larger than the predetermined ink droplet size, determines as a preferential ink ejection malfunction position an ink ejection malfunction position that ink ejection malfunction is also detected in the test pattern on the basis of a scanned image of the test pattern, and preferentially performs the correction process for the preferential ink ejection malfunction position.

公开(公告)号：US11554588B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-17

申请号：US17206262

申请日：2021-03-19

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Hiroyuki Ueda ,  Chikara Ishihara ,  Takashi Somete ,  Issei Nakano ,  Jun Nakano ,  Hiroomi Nakatsuji ,  Aiichiro Otana ,  Takuma Araki ,  Noriaki Furukawa ,  Yasutaka Inui

IPC: B41J2/165 ,  B41J11/00

Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus includes a conveyance belt, a conveyance plate, a suction unit, an inkjet head, and a cleaning unit. The conveyance belt has a plurality of through holes. The conveyance plate includes a plurality of through holes formed in bottom portions of the plurality of recessed portions. The suction unit is configured to suck the sheet to the conveyance belt. The inkjet head includes a head main body and a head end portion adjacent to the head main body, and faces an upper surface of the conveyance plate via the conveyance belt. The cleaning unit removes ink adhering to a lower surface of the head main body. A depth of the recessed portion in a facing region facing the head end portion of the conveyance plate is shallower than a depth of the recessed portion in a region other than the facing region.

公开(公告)号：US11539859B2

公开(公告)日：2022-12-27

申请号：US17591909

申请日：2022-02-03

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Hiroomi Nakatsuji ,  Hiroki Sakane ,  Naoko Kawashima ,  Jun Nakano ,  Masato Usui

IPC: H04N1/405

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a halftone processing unit and a multi-level gradation processing unit. The halftone processing unit is configured to perform a halftone process for a target image and generate a binary image corresponding to the target image. The multi-level gradation processing unit is configured to (a) set a target pixel as a dot pixel in the binary image, (b) determine whether a dot exists on plural first periphery pixels with a predetermined first distance from the target pixel and plural second periphery pixels with a predetermined second distance from the target pixel or not, (c) derive a gradation level of the target pixel among predetermined three or more gradation levels on the basis of a number of dots on the plural first periphery pixels and a number of dots on the plural second periphery pixels and thereby generate a multi-level gradation image.

公开(公告)号：US11161345B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-02

申请号：US16885117

申请日：2020-05-27

Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

Inventor： Noriaki Furukawa ,  Takashi Somete ,  Chikara Ishihara ,  Hiroyuki Ueda ,  Hiroomi Nakatsuji ,  Issei Nakano ,  Aiichiro Otana ,  Jun Nakano ,  Yasutaka Inui ,  Takuma Araki

IPC: B41J2/165

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, a wiper member, a cleaning liquid supply device, a cleaning liquid flow path, and a controller. The cleaning liquid flow path includes a vertical tubular member connected to the cleaning liquid supply device and extending upward, and a horizontal tubular member connected to an upper end of the vertical tubular member and extending in a horizontal direction. The controller extrudes a cleaning liquid in at least a part of the cleaning liquid flow path from a cleaning liquid supply port before control of a cleaning operation for wiping an ink ejection surface of the recording head, thereby performing control of an air bubble release operation of the cleaning liquid flow path.