Patent ID: 9421761
Filing Date: 2016-08-23
CPC Classification: B41J

Claim Text:
1. An image processing apparatus for processing image data corresponding to an image to be recorded on a recording medium to record an image on the recording medium by ejecting ink onto the recording medium in accordance with recording data while causing a recording head and the recording medium to move with respect to each other in a cross direction crossing a predetermined direction, the recording head including N ejection opening arrays each having, arranged in the predetermined direction, a plurality of ejection openings at least including a designated ejection opening, each of the plurality of ejection openings being configured to eject ink of a predetermined color, the N ejection opening arrays being arranged side by side in the cross direction so that N designated ejection openings respectively included in the N ejection opening arrays are capable of ejecting ink onto identical positions on the recording medium in the predetermined direction, the recording data defining ejection or non-ejection of ink onto each pixel area corresponding to a plurality of pixels on the recording medium for each of the N ejection opening arrays, the image processing apparatus comprising: a first obtaining unit configured to obtain dot recording data that defines dots to be recorded on the recording medium in accordance with the image data; a distribution unit configured to distribute the dot recording data obtained by the first obtaining unit to a first ejection opening array group including M ejection opening arrays among the N ejection opening arrays, where M<N, to generate distribution data; a second obtaining unit configured to obtain information indicating whether or not each of the plurality of ejection openings arranged in each of the N ejection opening arrays has a failure to eject ink; a selection unit configured to select, in a case where the information obtained by the second obtaining unit indicates that K designated ejection openings in a first ejection opening group including M designated ejection openings arranged in the first ejection opening array group among the N designated ejection openings have a failure to eject ink, where K≦M, K substitute designated ejection openings from among (N−M) designated ejection openings other than the M designated ejection openings in the first ejection opening group; a complementary assignment unit configured to complementarily assign the distribution data distributed to the K designated ejection openings in the first ejection opening group to the K substitute designated ejection openings selected by the selection unit to generate complementary data; and a generation unit configured to generate the recording data in accordance with the distribution data distributed by the distribution unit and the complementary data complementarily assigned by the complementary assignment unit, wherein the selection unit selects the K substitute designated ejection openings from among the (N−M) ejection openings so that a distance between designated ejection openings at opposite ends of a second ejection opening group in the cross direction is shortest, the second ejection opening group including (M−K) designated ejection openings, which are determined not to have a failure to eject ink by the information obtained by the second obtaining unit, and the K substitute designated ejection openings selected by the selection unit.