US 12,202,290 B2
Printing apparatus and print control method
Akitoshi Yamada, Kanagawa (JP); Yumi Yanai, Kanagawa (JP); Fumitaka Goto, Tokyo (JP); and Tomokazu Ishikawa, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/864,740.
Application 17/864,740 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2021/003071, filed on Jan. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-013877 (JP), filed on Jan. 30, 2020; and application No. 2020-214165 (JP), filed on Dec. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0355603 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. B41J 2/355 (2006.01); B41J 2/325 (2006.01); B41J 2/35 (2006.01); B41M 5/34 (2006.01)
CPC B41M 5/34 (2013.01) [B41J 2/325 (2013.01); B41J 2/35 (2013.01); B41J 2/355 (2013.01); B41J 2/3556 (2013.01); B41M 2205/42 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A printing apparatus configured to heat a sheet-shaped print medium in which a plurality of color development layers that develop colors in accordance with heating are stacked in correspondence with a plurality of colors so as to form an image on the print medium by causing a desired color development layer in the plurality of color development layers to independently develop the color, the apparatus comprising:
an input unit configured to receive image data from a host apparatus;
a printhead including a plurality of heating elements;
a drive unit configured to drive each of the plurality of heating elements of the printhead using a first pulse for preheating a predetermined color development layer, and a second pulse applied after the first pulse to cause the predetermined color development layer to develop the color; and
a pulse control unit configured to, when developing a specific color, perform a control in which a pulse width of the first pulse is increased and/or a control in which the number of times of application of the second pulse is increased such that another color development layer that is not used to reproduce the specific color does not develop the color,
wherein in the print medium, a first color development layer configured to develop yellow (Y), a second color development layer configured to develop magenta (M), and a third color development layer configured to develop cyan (C) are formed sequentially from a side where the plurality of heating elements of the printhead contact,
the drive unit drives the printhead based on the image data received by the input unit to cause the first color development layer, the second color development layer, and the third color development layer to develop the colors in this order, thereby forming the image on the print medium, and
the specific color is a color formed by color development of only the second color development layer, color development of only the third color development layer, and color development by the second color development layer and the third color development layer.