Inkjet recording apparatus and method for recording an image

Abstract

A method and recording apparatus including discharging ink to record an image, storing a parameter relating to a cumulative recording amount of the recording apparatus, setting a detection interval based on the parameter relating to the cumulative recording amount, and detecting a discharge state of the ink discharged from the recording head based on the set interval.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A recording apparatus, comprising:
 a recording head configured to discharge ink to record an image; 
 a detection unit including a light-emitting element that emits light and a light-receiving element that receives the light emitted by the light-emitting element, wherein the detection unit is configured to detect a discharge state of the ink of the recording head by detecting whether the ink discharged from the recording head blocks the light emitted by the light-emitting element at the light-receiving element; 
 a counting unit configured to count a discharge number of ink discharged from the recording head after the detection unit performs a previous detection operation; and 
 a control unit configured to, in a case where it is determined that a discharge number counted by the counting unit is larger than a threshold dot count value, cause the detection unit to perform a next detection operation, and change the threshold dot count value according to a total number of ink discharges from the recording head. 
 
     
     
       2. The recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the recording head includes at least one nozzle array, and the control unit causes the detection unit to detect the discharge state of the ink for each nozzle array and determines the threshold dot count value from the previous detection operation to the next detection operation based on the total number of ink discharges of each nozzle array. 
     
     
       3. The recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets a smaller threshold dot count value to detect the discharge state of the ink when the total number of ink discharges increases. 
     
     
       4. The recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the detection unit, based on the discharge state of the ink, detects that a discharge port on the recording head is defective, the recording apparatus further comprising: a recording control unit configured to perform a recording operation without using a defective discharge port detected by the detection unit. 
     
     
       5. The recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: a recovery unit configured to maintain a discharge state of the recording head, wherein the control unit controls the recovery unit to execute a recovery operation for the recording head before the detection unit detects the discharge state of ink. 
     
     
       6. The recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets a threshold dot count value to detect the discharge state of the ink based on a result detected by the detection unit and the total number of ink discharges. 
     
     
       7. The recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the detection unit detects a number of defective nozzles and, after the number of detected defective nozzles exceeds a predetermined number, the counting unit starts to count the total number of ink discharges from the recording head. 
     
     
       8. A recording apparatus comprising:
 a recording head configured to discharge ink;   a counting unit configured to count a cumulative recording amount;   a detection unit configured to perform a detecting operation of detecting a discharge state of the ink discharged from the recording head; and   a control unit configured to cause the detection unit to perform the detecting operation, wherein, based on the cumulative recording amount, the control unit changes a frequency of causing the detection unit to perform the detecting operation of detecting the discharge state of the ink discharged from the recording head.   
     
     
       9. The recording apparatus according to claim 8,
 wherein, in a case where the cumulative recording amount is smaller than a predetermined amount, the control unit causes the detection unit to perform the detecting operation at a frequency lower than that in a case where the cumulative recording amount is equal to or larger than the predetermined amount.   
     
     
       10. The recording apparatus according to claim 8,
 wherein the control unit causes the detection unit to perform a next detecting operation based on a number of discharges performed by the recording head after a previous detecting operation.   
     
     
       11. The recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein,
 in a case where the cumulative recording amount is smaller than a predetermined amount, the control unit causes the detection unit to perform the next detecting operation when the number of the discharges performed by the recording head after the previous detecting operation becomes equal to or larger than a first threshold value and,   in a case where the cumulative recording amount is equal to or larger than the predetermined amount, the control unit causes the detection unit to perform the next detecting operation when the number of the discharges performed by the recording head after the previous detecting operation becomes equal to or larger than a second threshold value which is smaller than the first threshold value.   
     
     
       12. The recording apparatus according to claim 8,
 wherein the cumulative recording amount is a cumulative discharge number of discharges performed by the recording head.   
     
     
       13. The recording apparatus according to claim 12,
 wherein the counting unit counts the cumulative discharge number based on a number of ink droplets discharged from the recording head.   
     
     
       14. The recording apparatus according to claim 12,
 wherein the counting unit counts the cumulative discharge number based on an amount of ink discharged from the recording head.   
     
     
       15. The recording apparatus according to claim 12,
 wherein the counting unit counts the cumulative discharge number based on a recording information signal used for causing the recording head to discharge ink.   
     
     
       16. The recording apparatus according to claim 12,
 wherein the recording head includes a plurality of discharging port arrays, and   wherein the counting unit counts the cumulative discharge number for each of the plurality of discharge port arrays.   
     
     
       17. The recording apparatus according to claim 16,
 wherein the control unit causes the detection unit to perform the detecting operation based on each of the cumulative discharge numbers counted for a different one of the discharge port arrays.   
     
     
       18. The recording apparatus according to claim 8,
 wherein the cumulative recording amount is a cumulative number of recording sheets on which the recording has been performed by the recording head.   
     
     
       19. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a recovery unit configured to recover the recording head,
 wherein, in a case where any defective discharge port has been detected by the detection unit, the recording apparatus causes the recovery unit to perform a recovery operation of recovering the recording head.   
     
     
       20. The recording apparatus according to claim 8,
 wherein, in a case where any defective discharge port has been detected by the detection unit, the recording apparatus performs a recording operation using a normal discharge port instead of the detected defective discharge port.   
     
     
       21. The recording apparatus according to claim 8,
 wherein the detection unit includes a light-emitting element that emits light and a light-receiving element that receives the light emitted by the light-emitting element.   
     
     
       22. A recording apparatus comprising:
 a recording head configured to discharge ink;   a counting unit configured to count a cumulative recording amount;   a detection unit configured to detect a discharge state of the ink discharged from the recording head; and   a setting unit configured to set, based on the cumulative recording amount, a detection interval at which the detection unit detects the discharge state of the ink discharged from the recording head.   
     
     
       23. The recording apparatus according to claim 22,
 wherein, in a case where the cumulative recording amount is smaller than a predetermined amount, the setting unit sets the detection interval in a manner such that the detection interval is longer than the detection interval in a case where the cumulative recording amount is equal to or larger than the predetermined amount.   
     
     
       24. The recording apparatus according to claim 22,
 wherein the detection unit performs a next detecting operation based on a number of discharges performed by the recording head after a previous detecting operation.   
     
     
       25. The recording apparatus according to claim 24, wherein,
 in a case where the cumulative recording amount is smaller than a predetermined amount, the detection unit performs the next detecting operation when the number of the discharges performed by the recording head after the previous detecting operation becomes equal to or larger than a first threshold value and,   in a case where the cumulative recording amount is equal to or larger than the predetermined amount, the detection unit performs the next detecting operation when the number of the discharges performed by the recording head after the previous detecting operation becomes equal to or larger than a second threshold value which is smaller than the first threshold value.   
     
     
       26. The recording apparatus according to claim 22,
 wherein the cumulative recording amount is a cumulative discharge number of discharges performed by the recording head.   
     
     
       27. The recording apparatus according to claim 26,
 wherein the counting unit counts the cumulative discharge number based on a number of ink droplets discharged from the recording head.   
     
     
       28. The recording apparatus according to claim 26,
 wherein the counting unit counts the cumulative discharge number based on an amount of ink discharged from the recording head.   
     
     
       29. The recording apparatus according to claim 26,
 wherein the counting unit counts the cumulative discharge number based on a recording information signal used for causing the recording head to discharge ink.   
     
     
       30. The recording apparatus according to claim 26,
 wherein the recording head includes a plurality of discharging port arrays, and   wherein the counting unit counts the cumulative discharge number for each of the plurality of discharge port arrays.   
     
     
       31. The recording apparatus according to claim 30,
 wherein the control unit causes the detection unit to perform a detecting operation based on each of the cumulative discharge numbers counted for a different one of the discharge port arrays.   
     
     
       32. The recording apparatus according to claim 22,
 wherein the cumulative recording amount is a cumulative number of recording sheets on which the recording has been performed by the recording head.   
     
     
       33. The recording apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a recovery unit configured to recover the recording head,
 wherein the recording apparatus causes the recovery unit to perform a recovery operation of recovering the recording head in a case where any defective discharge port has been detected by the detection unit.   
     
     
       34. The recording apparatus according to claim 22,
 wherein, in a case where any defective discharge port has been detected by the detection unit, the recording apparatus performs a recording operation using a normal discharge port instead of the detected defective discharge port.   
     
     
       35. The recording apparatus according to claim 22,
 wherein the detection unit includes a light-emitting element that emits light and a light-receiving element that receives the light emitted by the light-emitting element.   
     
     
       36. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the cumulative recording amount is based on one of a cumulative number of discharges of the recording apparatus, a cumulative recording area, a cumulative recording sheet number, a cumulative scanning number, a cumulative discharge amount of the recording apparatus, a cumulative operation time of the recording apparatus, and an operation time of the recording head. 
     
     
       37. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the cumulative recording amount represents recording of images. 
     
     
       38. The recording apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the cumulative recording amount is based on one of a cumulative number of discharges of the recording apparatus, a cumulative recording area, a cumulative recording sheet number, a cumulative scanning number, a cumulative discharge amount of the recording apparatus, a cumulative operation time of the recording apparatus, and an operation time of the recording head. 
     
     
       39. The recording apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the cumulative recording amount represents recording of images. 
     
     
       40. A method for a recording apparatus, the method comprising:
 discharging ink from a recording head;   counting a cumulative recording amount;   performing, via a detection unit, a detecting operation of detecting a discharge state of the ink discharged from the recording head; and   causing the detection unit to perform the detecting operation, wherein, based on the cumulative recording amount, causing includes changing a frequency of causing the detection unit to perform the detecting operation.   
     
     
       41. A method for a recording apparatus, the method comprising:
 discharging ink from a recording head;   counting a cumulative recording amount;   detecting, via a detection unit, a discharge state of the ink discharged from the recording head; and   setting, based on the cumulative recording amount, a detection interval at which the detection unit detects the discharge state.   
     
     
       42. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program to cause a recording apparatus to perform a method, the method comprising:
 discharging ink from a recording head;   counting a cumulative recording amount;   performing, via a detection unit, a detecting operation of detecting a discharge state of the ink discharged from the recording head; and   causing the detection unit to perform the detecting operation, wherein, based on the cumulative recording amount, causing includes changing a frequency of causing the detection unit to perform the detecting operation.   
     
     
       43. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program to cause a recording apparatus to perform a method, the method comprising:
 discharging ink from a recording head;   counting a cumulative recording amount;   detecting, via a detection unit, a discharge state of the ink discharged from the recording head; and   setting, based on the cumulative recording amount, a detection interval at which the detection unit detects the discharge state.