Patent ID: 7239334
Filing Date: 2007-07-03
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A photo printer adapted to print on a roll paper, comprising: a conveyance unit that is adapted to convey the roll paper along a conveyance path; a printing unit having a thermal head that is adapted to print in a main scanning direction on the roll paper, the main scanning direction being perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the roll paper; a line sensor unit having a plurality of light emitting elements and a plurality of light receiving elements disposed so as to span a side edge of the conveyance path; and a control unit operatively coupled to the conveyance unit, the printing unit, and the line sensor unit, the line sensor unit being adapted to detect the roll paper on the conveyance path based on an amount of light received by the plurality of light receiving elements, the control unit being also adapted to detect a side edge of the roll paper based on the amount of light received by the plurality of light receiving elements, the control unit being further configured to determine that a distal end of the roll paper is detected based on the amount of light received by the plurality of light receiving elements.