Patent ID: 6872017
Filing Date: 2005-03-29
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An image-forming device comprising: a recording medium conveying unit that conveys a recording medium in a conveying direction, the recording medium having a first medium edge and a second medium edge in a widthwise direction orthogonal to the conveying direction; a carriage having a print head that prints on the recording medium; a detecting unit that performs a detecting operation; a driving unit driving the carriage and the detecting unit to move in the widthwise direction while maintaining fixed a distance between the detecting unit and the carriage in the widthwise direction; a carriage position detecting unit that detects a position of the carriage in the widthwise direction; a mark printing unit that controls the print head to print on the recording medium a calibrating mark, the calibrating mark having a first mark edge and a second mark edge in the widthwise direction, the print head printing the first mark edge when the carriage is located on a first-mark-edge printing carriage position and printing the second mark edge when the carriage is located on a second-mark-edge printing carriage position, the first mark edge corresponding to the first medium edge and the second mark edge corresponding to the second medium edge; a mark-edge-detection control unit that controls the driving unit to move the carriage and the detecting unit in the widthwise direction and controls the detecting unit to detect the first mark edge and the second mark edge, the mark-edge-detection control unit controlling the carriage position detecting unit to detect a position of the carriage when the detecting unit detects the first mark edge and when the detecting unit detects the second mark edge; an offset setting unit that sets a first edge distance offset based on a first difference between the first-mark-edge printing carriage position and a position of the carriage that is detected when the detecting unit detects the first mark edge, and that sets a second edge distance offset based on a second difference between the second-mark-edge printing carriage position and a position of the carriage that is detected when the detecting unit detects the second mark edge; a medium-edge-detection control unit that controls the driving unit to move the carriage and the detecting unit in the widthwise direction and controls the detecting unit to detect the first medium edge and the second medium edge, the medium-edge-detection control unit controlling the carriage position detecting unit to detect a position of the carriage when the detecting unit detects the first medium edge and when the detecting unit detects the second medium edge; an edge position determining unit that determines a first medium edge carriage position based on a position of the carriage detected when the detecting unit detects the first medium edge and the first edge distance offset, and that determines a second medium edge carriage position based on a position of the carriage detected when the detecting unit detects the second medium edge and the second edge distance offset; and a print controlling unit that controls the print head to perform printing operations on the recording medium within a printable area that is defined between the first medium edge carriage position and the second medium edge carriage position, the carriage being located at the first medium edge when the carriage position detecting unit detects that the carriage is located at the first medium edge carriage position, the carriage being located at the second medium edge when the carriage position detecting unit detects that the carriage is located at the second medium edge carriage position.