Patentable/Patents/US-9270864
US-9270864

Color mixing inspection method, color mixing inspection apparatus and print apparatus

PublishedFebruary 23, 2016
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

To provide a color mixing inspection method, a color mixing inspection apparatus and a print apparatus capable of carrying out a color mixing inspection at low cost for the inspection with high detection ability. To that end, an evaluation pattern is irradiated with light having a color complementary to color mixed into the evaluation pattern to emphasize the color mixing and measure lightness, thereby determining the presence of color mixing.

Patent Claims
7 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A color mixing inspection method for inspecting an evaluation pattern printed by a first color as a reference for the presence of color mixing of a second color other than said first color, comprising: a providing step for providing a print head having a first ejection port array which ejects ink of the first color and a second ejection port array which is adjacent to the first ejection port array and which ejects ink of the second color; a forming step for forming an evaluation pattern by ejecting the ink of the first color from the first ejection port array; an irradiation step for irradiating said evaluation pattern with light having a third color complementary to said second color in which color mixing is supposed to be generated; a lightness measurement step for measuring lightness of said evaluation pattern which is irradiated with said light, wherein: it is provided with a determination step for determining the presence of color mixing by comparing the lightness measured at the lightness measurement step with a predetermined threshold value; a second evaluation pattern forming step for forming a second evaluation pattern by ejecting the ink of the second color from the second ejection port array; and a second irradiation step for irradiating said second evaluation pattern with light having a fourth color complementary to said first color in which color mixing is supposed to be generated.

2

2. The color mixing inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein said evaluation pattern is printed by a print head capable of ejecting at least first ink of said first color and second ink of said second color.

3

3. The color mixing inspection method according to claim 2 , wherein said first ink and said second ink are supplied through a first ink supplying path and a second ink supplying path adjacent to each other, the ink supplying paths provided in said print head.

4

4. The color mixing inspection method according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement of lightness in said lightness measurement step is carried out using a picked-up image of said evaluation pattern so as to count the number of pixels in said image determined to be below said threshold value.

5

5. A color mixing inspection apparatus, wherein the color mixing inspection method according to claim 1 is used.

6

6. A print apparatus, wherein the color mixing inspection method according to claim 1 is used.

7

7. A color mixing inspection method comprising: a providing step for providing a print head having a first ejection port array which ejects ink of a first color and a second ejection port array which is adjacent to the first ejection port array and which ejects ink of a second color, a forming step for forming an evaluation pattern by ejecting the ink of the first color from the first ejection port array, a selecting step for selecting light of a third color with which the evaluation pattern is to be irradiated, the third color being complementary to the second color, a measuring step for measuring lightness of said evaluation pattern by irradiating the evaluation pattern with said light of the third color; a forming step for forming a second evaluation pattern by ejecting the ink of the second color from the second ejection port array; a selecting step for selecting light of a fourth color complementary to the first color; and a measuring step for measuring lightness of said second evaluation pattern by irradiating the second evaluation pattern with said light of the fourth color.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

August 29, 2014

Publication Date

February 23, 2016

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Cite as: Patentable. “Color mixing inspection method, color mixing inspection apparatus and print apparatus” (US-9270864). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9270864

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