JP2016002662A - Recording apparatus and correction method - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided a recording apparatus capable of realizing stability of discharge speed and suitable image quality. A recording apparatus includes a drive control unit, an image acquisition unit, and a voltage correction unit. The drive control unit controls driving of the ejection unit 410 that ejects droplets based on the drive voltage. The image acquisition unit includes a main droplet image corresponding to the main droplet and an accompanying droplet image corresponding to the accompanying droplet accompanying the main droplet from the surface of the recording medium on which the image is formed by discharging the droplet. Read image data including a droplet image composed of The voltage correction unit corrects the drive voltage based on the acquired read image data. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a correction method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a recording head used in a recording apparatus such as an ink jet method, there is a possibility that variations in ejection speed and ejection amount occur in each head or nozzle due to manufacturing errors or the like. For this reason, density unevenness may occur in the image recorded on the recording medium. Although the magnification correction of the voltage for driving the head is performed at the time of manufacturing in order to suppress the occurrence of density unevenness, it is difficult to completely correct because the base used in the product is different. Therefore, there is a technique for reading an image recorded on a recording medium and correcting the density.

  However, the above-described conventional technique has a problem that it is difficult to realize the stability of the discharge speed and the suitable image quality. Specifically, although the conventional technology performs correction to reduce density unevenness, it does not consider the discharge speed, so that even if the density becomes uniform, it is guaranteed that the discharge speed is a suitable speed. There is no. As a result, the prior art may cause ejection abnormalities such as nozzle down or bending during printing, and noise may increase. Cannot be realized.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to realize the stability of the ejection speed and the suitable image quality.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a drive control unit that controls driving of a discharge unit that discharges droplets based on a drive voltage, and an image by discharging the droplets. From the surface of the recording medium on which the liquid crystal is formed includes a droplet image composed of a main droplet image corresponding to the main droplet and an accompanying droplet image corresponding to the accompanying droplet accompanying the main droplet An image acquisition unit that acquires image data; and a voltage correction unit that corrects the drive voltage based on the acquired read image data.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to realize the stability of the discharge speed and the suitable image quality.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of an image forming apparatus having a recording apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of ejected droplets. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a test pattern printed on a recording medium. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a driving waveform for test pattern printing. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of correction processing according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the recording apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of correction processing according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example in which the drive waveform for driving the recording head is increased. FIG. 11 is a side view showing an example of a serial printer having a recording apparatus.

  Embodiments of a recording apparatus and a correction method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. It should be noted that the embodiments can be appropriately combined as long as the contents are not contradictory.

(Embodiment 1)
[Image forming apparatus]
An image forming apparatus having the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of an image forming apparatus having a recording apparatus according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a carry-in unit 10, a pre-processing unit 20, a drying unit 30, a recording device 40, a post-processing unit 50, and a carry-out unit 60. In addition, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a control unit 70 (not shown) that controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 100.

  Among these, the carry-in unit 10 includes a paper feed unit 11 and a plurality of conveyance rollers 12. For example, the carry-in unit 10 uses the conveyance roller 12 to carry in the roll paper Md that is wound around the paper feed roll of the paper feed unit 11 and conveys it to the preprocessing unit 20. The roll paper Md is an example of a recording medium.

  The preprocessing unit 20 processes the recording medium before the image is formed. For example, the preprocessing unit 20 preprocesses the surface of the roll paper Md carried in by the carry-in unit 10 (the surface on which an image is formed) with a pretreatment liquid. Such pretreatment refers to treatment for uniformly applying a pretreatment liquid having a function of aggregating ink onto the surface of the roll paper Md. The image forming apparatus 100 relates to quality problems such as bleeding, density, color tone, and show-through of the image formed, water resistance, weather resistance, and other image fastness by applying the pretreatment liquid to the roll paper Md. The occurrence of problems can be reduced.

  The drying unit 30 includes a pretreatment liquid drying unit 31 and a posttreatment liquid drying unit 32. For example, the pretreatment liquid drying unit 31 dries the roll paper Md pretreated by the pretreatment unit 20. For example, the post-processing liquid drying unit 32 dries the roll paper Md that has been post-processed by the post-processing unit 50. The drying of the recording medium by the drying unit 30 is performed by heating or the like.

  The recording device 40 controls driving of a recording head for forming an image on a recording medium. For example, the recording apparatus 40 forms an image on the surface of the roll paper Md by discharging droplets onto the roll paper Md dried by the drying unit 30 (pretreatment liquid drying unit 31). The recording device 40 is for driving the recording head based on read image data obtained by reading an image formed on the surface of the roll paper Md dried by the drying unit 30 (post-processing liquid drying unit 32). Correct the drive voltage. Reading of the image formed on the surface of the recording medium is performed by a reading sensor (not shown) or the like when it is carried out from the post-processing liquid drying unit 32. The processing by the recording device 40 will be described later.

  The post-processing unit 50 processes the recording medium after the image is formed. For example, the post-processing unit 50 post-processes the surface of the roll paper Md on which the image is formed by the recording device 40 with the post-processing liquid. Such post-processing refers to processing for discharging the post-processing liquid on the surface of the roll paper Md in the form of spots or stripes. Thereby, the recording medium on which the image is formed has improved scratch resistance, glossiness, storage stability (water resistance, weather resistance, gas resistance) and the like.

  The carry-out unit 60 includes a storage unit 61 and a plurality of conveyance rollers 62. For example, the carry-out unit 60 uses the transport roller 62 to wind and store the roll paper Md on which the image is formed on the storage roll of the storage unit 61. When the roll paper Md is wound around the storage roll of the storage unit 61, if the pressure acting on the roll paper Md increases, another image is transferred to the surface of the roll paper Md on which no image is formed. In order to prevent this, the roll paper Md may be further dried immediately before winding.

  The control unit 70 instructs an operation to each component of the image forming apparatus 100 and controls the operation. For example, the control unit 70 is a host device that performs RIP processing and the like, and is connected to the recording device 40 that performs image forming processing. Then, the control unit 70 outputs information related to the printing conditions to the recording device 40.

[Functional configuration according to Embodiment 1]
Next, the functional configuration of the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the recording apparatus according to the first embodiment.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the recording apparatus 40 includes a recording head 410, a drive control unit 420, a reading sensor 430, an image acquisition unit 440, and a voltage correction unit 450. Note that part or all of the drive control unit 420, the image acquisition unit 440, the voltage correction unit 450, and the like may be realized by software (program) or may be realized by a hardware circuit.

  The recording head 410 ejects droplets from the nozzles according to the drive voltage control by the drive control unit 420. There are a plurality of recording heads 410. The recording head 410 is an example of an ejection unit. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of ejected droplets. As shown in FIG. 3A, droplets are ejected in the ejection direction from the nozzle surface of the recording head 410 toward the paper surface as the recording medium. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, dot-like droplets are generated at a position closer to the paper surface, and the droplets on the nozzle surface and the dot-like droplets are connected by thin droplets. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3C, the droplets on the nozzle surface are separated from the dot-like droplets, and further, the fine droplets are separated from the dot-like droplets located closer to the paper surface. Small dot-shaped droplets are generated.

  Here, a dot-shaped liquid droplet having a larger diameter existing at a position closer to the paper surface is called a main liquid droplet, and a dot-shaped liquid droplet having a smaller diameter is called an accompanying liquid droplet. Such accompanying droplets are sometimes referred to as satellites. That is, the main liquid droplet is an original dot printed on the paper surface, and the accompanying liquid droplet is a dot generated accompanying the main liquid droplet when the liquid droplet printed on the paper surface is ejected. Note that any number of accompanying droplets is generated according to the magnification of the driving voltage. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3D, the droplets ejected from the nozzle surface are printed on the paper surface in the order of the main droplet and the accompanying droplet. At this time, the accompanying droplet can become noise on the paper surface on which the droplet is printed.

  The drive control unit 420 controls the drive of the recording head 410 that discharges droplets based on the drive voltage. The drive control unit 420 can drive the recording head 410 with an arbitrary drive voltage in addition to the drive voltage for normal printing. As a result, the drive control unit 420 drives the recording head 410 with different driving voltages, and prints an image as a test pattern on the recording medium.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a test pattern printed on a recording medium. FIG. 4 shows an example of an image (test pattern) printed on the paper surface when a recording head 410 different from the recording head A and the recording head B is driven with the same driving voltage. Further, in FIG. 4, when the drive magnification for driving the recording head 410 is set to 0%, the predetermined drive magnification is set to a point of −5% with respect to the predetermined drive magnification. An example in which a point of + 5% with respect to a predetermined drive magnification is also shown.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the test patterns corresponding to the recording head A are different in the number of associated droplet images corresponding to the associated droplets at the drive magnification of −5%, the drive magnification of 0%, and the drive magnification of + 5%. . For example, the number of droplet images associated with the test pattern corresponding to the recording head A is 0 when the drive magnification is −5%, 1 when the drive magnification is 0%, and 2 when the drive magnification is + 5%. Similarly, in the test pattern corresponding to the recording head B, the number of accompanying droplet images is different for each of the drive magnification of −5%, the drive magnification of 0%, and the drive magnification of + 5%. For example, the accompanying droplet images of the test pattern corresponding to the recording head B are one at a driving magnification of −5%, two at a driving magnification of 0%, and three at a driving magnification of + 5%. That is, the test patterns corresponding to each of the recording head A and the recording head B result in different numbers of accompanying droplet images even when the drive magnification is the same. This occurs because there is a manufacturing error between the recording head A and the recording head B.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a driving waveform for test pattern printing. Note that P1, P2, and P3 shown in FIG. 5 correspond to P1, P2, and P3 shown in FIG. 4, respectively. As shown in FIG. 5, the drive control unit 420 includes a drive waveform (P1) corresponding to a drive magnification of −5%, a drive waveform (P2) corresponding to a drive magnification of 0%, and a drive waveform corresponding to a drive magnification of + 5% ( P3) The recording head 410 (for example, recording head A, recording head B) is driven using each pulse. Thereby, the printing result shown in FIG. 4 is obtained.

  The reading sensor 430 reads the surface of the recording medium on which an image is formed by discharging droplets from the recording head 410. For example, the reading sensor 430 includes an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, and a test pattern formed on a recording medium (for example, roll paper Md) (see FIG. 4). ) To generate read image data.

  The image acquisition unit 440 acquires the read image data generated by the reading sensor 430. Such read image data is composed of a main droplet image and an accompanying droplet image. Hereinafter, the main droplet image and the accompanying droplet image may be collectively referred to as a droplet image.

  The voltage correction unit 450 corrects the drive voltage based on the read image data. For example, the voltage correction unit 450, based on the droplet image included in the read image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 440, the length of the droplet image in the direction from the main droplet image to the accompanying droplet image, The difference between the droplet image length and the ideal value is obtained. Then, based on the obtained difference, the voltage correction unit 450 corrects the drive voltage that is controlled by the drive control unit 420 so that the difference becomes smaller. Further, in the correction of the drive voltage, for example, if a predetermined correction value (correction point) of the drive voltage according to the difference is known, the drive voltage may be corrected to the corresponding drive voltage. Thus, the drive control unit 420 controls the drive of the corresponding recording head 410 by the drive voltage corrected by the voltage correction unit 450.

  Here, the correction of the drive voltage will be described with reference to FIG. 4 described above. For example, it is assumed that the test pattern when the recording head A shown in FIG. 4 is driven at a driving magnification of 0% is an ideal state. When the test pattern when the recording head A is driven at a driving magnification of 0% is set to an ideal state, the driving magnification of the recording head A is not corrected and the driving magnification of the recording head B is set higher than the current set value. Correction may be made at a point of -5%. By correcting the drive magnification of the recording head B, the printing result of the recording head B approaches the ideal state. That is, the voltage correction unit 450 compares the length of the droplet image of the recording head B with a driving magnification of 0% and an ideal value, and corrects the driving magnification of the recording head B to a point of −5% from these differences. .

  Here, in the comparison between the droplet image and the ideal value, it is preferable to use a plurality of droplet images when the recording head 410 is controlled based on the same drive voltage. For example, the voltage correction unit 450 obtains an average of the lengths of a plurality of droplet images with a driving magnification of 0% of the recording head B, compares the obtained average value with an ideal value, and calculates the difference of the recording head B from these differences. The drive magnification is corrected to a point of -5%. As a result, the drive magnification can be corrected with higher accuracy, and the stability of the discharge speed is improved. The voltage correction unit 450 performs such correction processing on all the recording heads 410.

  In other words, the voltage correction unit 450 corrects the driving magnification based on the test pattern and adjusts the ejection speed of each recording head 410 to thereby obtain a droplet image similar to the ideal state (a liquid with reduced density unevenness). Droplet image) can be formed on a recording medium. As a result, the present embodiment can realize the stability of the ejection speed and the suitable image quality.

[Hardware configuration of recording device]
Next, the hardware configuration of the recording apparatus 40 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the recording apparatus 40 according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the recording apparatus 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 42, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 43, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 44, and an external I / F connected to a bus 41. (Interface) 45.

  The CPU 42 comprehensively controls the operation of the recording device 40. The CPU 42 controls the overall operation of the recording apparatus 40 by executing a program stored in the ROM 44 or the like using the RAM 43 as a work area (work area). The external I / F 45 transmits / receives various information to / from a host device such as the control unit 70.

[Correction Processing Flow According to Embodiment 1]
Next, the flow of the correction process according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of correction processing according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the drive control unit 420 controls the recording head 410 with a predetermined drive voltage to print a test pattern on the paper (step S101). The reading sensor 430 reads the test pattern printed on the paper and generates read image data, and the image acquisition unit 440 acquires the read image data generated by the reading sensor 430 (step S102).

  Based on the read image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 440, the voltage correction unit 450 compares the length of the droplet image corresponding to the droplet ejected by each recording head 410 with the ideal value (step). S103). Then, the voltage correction unit 450 corrects the drive voltage (drive waveform) to be controlled by the drive control unit 420 from the difference between the length of the droplet image and the ideal value (step S104).

[Effects of Embodiment 1]
The recording device 40 reads the test pattern printed on the recording medium by the ejection of each recording head 410, obtains the difference between the length of the droplet image and the ideal value based on the read image data, and according to the obtained difference. Thus, the driving voltage for driving the recording head 410 is corrected. As a result, the recording apparatus 40 can realize the stability of the ejection speed and the suitable image quality.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the case has been described in which the length of the droplet image included in the read image data is compared with the ideal value, and the drive voltage is corrected based on these differences. Such a drive voltage can be corrected so as to approach the ideal state by comparing the distribution of the droplet image with the ideal state of the distribution. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a case will be described in which the droplet image distribution is compared with the ideal state of the distribution, and the drive voltage is corrected so as to approach the ideal state.

[Functional configuration according to Embodiment 2]
The functional configuration of the recording apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the recording apparatus according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 8, the same components as those of the recording apparatus 40 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description of the same components may be omitted. Specifically, the configuration, functions, and processes other than the voltage correction unit 450a described below are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the recording apparatus 40a includes a recording head 410, a drive control unit 420, a reading sensor 430, an image acquisition unit 440, and a voltage correction unit 450a. Note that the drive control unit 420, the image acquisition unit 440, the voltage correction unit 450a, and the like may be realized by software (programs) or a hardware circuit.

  The voltage correction unit 450a compares the droplet image distribution (pixel distribution) with the ideal state of the droplet image distribution, and corrects the drive voltage so that the distribution of the droplet image approaches the ideal state. For example, the voltage correction unit 450a compares the droplet image distribution with the ideal state of the droplet image distribution based on the droplet image included in the read image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 440. . Then, the voltage correction unit 450a corrects the drive voltage to be controlled by the drive control unit 420 so that the distribution of the droplet images approaches the ideal state. Thus, the drive control unit 420 controls the drive of the corresponding recording head 410 by the drive voltage corrected by the voltage correction unit 450a. Here, as the distribution of the droplet images used for comparison with the ideal state, it is preferable to use statistics of the distribution of a plurality of droplet images when the recording head 410 is controlled based on the same drive voltage. . That is, after integrating the distribution of a plurality of droplet images ejected from one recording head 410, the drive voltage is corrected so as to approach the ideal state as compared with the distribution in the ideal state.

[Correction Processing Flow According to Second Embodiment]
Next, the flow of the correction process according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of correction processing according to the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the drive control unit 420 controls the recording head 410 with a predetermined drive voltage to print a test pattern on the paper (step S201). The reading sensor 430 reads the test pattern printed on the paper surface to generate read image data, and the image acquisition unit 440 acquires the read image data generated by the reading sensor 430 (step S202).

  Based on the read image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 440, the voltage correction unit 450a is an ideal state of the distribution of droplet images corresponding to the droplets ejected by each recording head 410 and the distribution of droplet images. Are compared (step S203). Then, the voltage correction unit 450a corrects the drive voltage (drive waveform) that is controlled by the drive control unit 420 so that the distribution of the droplet images approaches the ideal state (step S204).

[Effects of Embodiment 2]
The recording device 40a reads the test pattern printed on the recording medium by the ejection of each recording head 410, compares the distribution of the droplet image with the ideal state based on the read image data, and the droplet image is in the ideal state. The driving voltage for driving the recording head 410 is corrected so as to approach As a result, the recording apparatus 40a can realize the stability of the ejection speed and the suitable image quality.

(Embodiment 3)
Although the embodiments of the recording apparatus according to the present invention have been described so far, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms other than the above-described embodiments. Therefore, different embodiments of (1) drive waveform interval, (2) configuration, and (3) program will be described.

(1) Drive Waveform Interval In the above embodiment, the case where a plurality of test patterns are printed on a recording medium by controlling at a predetermined drive voltage interval has been described. Strictly speaking, the recording heads 410 have different voltage sensitivities (head lot variations), so there is a possibility that a desired ejection state cannot be obtained from the test pattern printing result. For this, the number of drive waveforms corresponding to a predetermined drive voltage at the time of printing the test pattern may be increased.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example in which the drive waveform for driving the recording head 410 is increased. The satellite length shown in FIG. 10 represents the length of the accompanying droplet image corresponding to the accompanying droplet that is a satellite. As shown in FIG. 10, the difference in satellite length appears more clearly between the recording head A and the recording head B as the drive magnification increases. Therefore, when the test pattern is printed, the drive magnification can be corrected with higher accuracy by increasing the drive waveform to be used and taking measures to finely divide the drive magnification.

(2) Configuration In addition, information including processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, various data, parameters, and the like shown in the documents and drawings can be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified. Each component of the illustrated apparatus is functionally conceptual and does not necessarily need to be physically configured as illustrated. That is, the specific form of the distribution or integration of the devices is not limited to the illustrated one, and all or a part of the distribution or integration is functionally or physically distributed or arbitrarily in any unit according to various burdens or usage conditions. Can be integrated.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the recording device 40 is applied to the line head continuous form (continuous form) system has been described. Such a recording apparatus 40 is not only applicable to the line head continuous book system, but can also be applied to other image forming apparatuses such as a serial printer.

  FIG. 11 is a side view showing an example of a serial printer having the recording device 40. As shown in FIG. 11, the image forming apparatus 1000 reciprocates in the main scanning direction (the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 11) and intermittently conveys in the sub-scanning direction (the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 11). A carriage 1005 for forming an image on the recording medium 1011 to be recorded. The carriage 1005 is supported by a main guide rod 1003 extending along the main scanning direction. The carriage 1005 is provided with a connecting piece 1005a. The connecting piece 1005a engages with a sub guide member 1004 provided in parallel with the main guide rod 1003, and stabilizes the posture of the carriage 1005.

  A plurality of recording heads for discharging various inks of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (B) are mounted on the carriage 1005. The recording head is mounted on the carriage 1005 so that the nozzle surface faces the recording medium 1011 side. A cartridge 1006, which is an ink supply body for supplying ink to the recording head, is not mounted on the carriage 1005 but is disposed at a predetermined position in the image forming apparatus 1000. The cartridge 1006 and the recording head are connected by a pipe or the like, and ink is supplied from the cartridge 1006 to the recording head via the pipe.

  The carriage 1005 is connected to a timing belt 1010 that is stretched between a driving pulley 1008 and a driven pulley 1009. The driving pulley 1008 is rotated by driving the main scanning motor 1007. The driven pulley 1009 rotates by driving the main scanning motor 1007. The driven pulley 1009 has a mechanism for adjusting the distance between the driven pulley 1008 and has a role of applying a predetermined tension to the timing belt 1010. The carriage 1005 reciprocates in the main scanning direction when the timing belt 1010 is fed by driving the main scanning motor 1007. The movement of the carriage 1005 in the main scanning direction is controlled based on an encoder value obtained by an encoder sensor provided on the carriage 1005 detecting a mark on the encoder sheet.

  In addition, the image forming apparatus 1000 includes a maintenance mechanism 1012 for maintaining the reliability of the recording head. The maintenance mechanism 1012 cleans and capping the ejection surface (nozzle surface) of the recording head, discharges unnecessary ink from the recording head, and the like. As described above, in the image forming apparatus 1000, the above-described components are disposed inside the exterior body 1001. The exterior body 1001 is provided with a cover member 1002 that can be opened and closed. When maintenance of the image forming apparatus 1000 or a jam occurs, the operation can be performed on each component provided in the exterior body 1001 by opening the cover member 1002.

  As described above, the recording head is mounted on the carriage 1005, and the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment is also mounted on the carriage 1005. The functional configuration of such a recording apparatus is the same as in the first and second embodiments.

(3) Program The correction program executed by the recording device 40 is, as one form, a file in an installable format or an executable format, such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, a DVD ( And recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a digital versatile disk. Further, the correction program executed by the recording device 40 may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Further, the correction program executed by the recording device 40 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. The correction program executed by the recording device 40 may be provided by being incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like.

  The correction program executed by the recording device 40 has a module configuration including the above-described units (drive control unit 420, image acquisition unit 440, voltage correction unit 450), and CPU (processor) is used as actual hardware. By reading and executing the correction program from the storage medium, the above-described units are loaded on the main storage device, and the drive control unit 420, the image acquisition unit 440, and the voltage correction unit 450 are generated on the main storage device. ing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40 Recording apparatus 410 Recording head 420 Drive control part 430 Reading sensor 440 Image acquisition part 450 Voltage correction part

JP 2012-076411 A JP 2006-240127 A JP 2011-042145 A JP 2011-224874 A JP 2002-211011 A

Claims (6)

A drive control unit that controls driving of a discharge unit that discharges droplets based on a drive voltage;
From the surface of the recording medium on which an image is formed by the ejection of the droplets, it is composed of a main droplet image corresponding to the main droplet and an accompanying droplet image corresponding to the accompanying droplet accompanying the main droplet. An image acquisition unit for acquiring read image data including a droplet image;
A recording apparatus comprising: a voltage correction unit that corrects the drive voltage based on the acquired read image data.   The voltage correction unit, based on the difference between the length of the droplet image in the direction from the main droplet image to the accompanying droplet image and the ideal value of the length of the droplet image, The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is corrected.   The voltage correction unit, based on the difference between the average value of the plurality of droplet images when the ejection unit is controlled based on the same drive voltage, and the ideal value, The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the driving voltage is corrected.   The voltage correction unit compares the distribution of the droplet image with an ideal state of the distribution of the droplet image, and corrects the driving voltage so that the distribution of the droplet image approaches the ideal state. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording apparatus.   The voltage correction unit compares statistics of the distribution of the plurality of droplet images when the ejection unit is controlled based on the same driving voltage and the ideal state, and compares the plurality of droplets with the ideal state. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the drive voltage is corrected so that statistics of image distribution approach the ideal state. Controlling the driving of the discharge unit for discharging the droplets based on the drive voltage;
From the surface of the recording medium on which an image is formed by the ejection of the droplets, it is composed of a main droplet image corresponding to the main droplet and an accompanying droplet image corresponding to the accompanying droplet accompanying the main droplet. Obtaining read image data including a droplet image;
And correcting the drive voltage based on the acquired read image data.

Images