Patent ID: 8690286
Filing Date: 2014-04-08
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An inkjet printing apparatus, comprising: a supplying unit that supplies ink to a print head via a tube by pressurizing ink in a plurality of ink tanks where ink is respectively stored; a moving mechanism that causes the print head to move; a controller that controls the print head, the supplying unit, and the moving mechanism so as to cause an image to be printed; a remaining ink detector that detects the amount of remaining ink in each ink tank while in a state where the ink in the plurality of ink tanks is pressurized; a first processing unit that divides the plurality of ink tanks into a plurality of groups and detects for each group if there exists an ink tank whose remaining ink is less than a given amount from the detection results of the remaining ink detector; a second processing unit that determines for each in the plurality of ink tanks if the remaining ink is less than a given amount from the detection results of the remaining ink detector; and memory that stores the detection results of the first processing unit, wherein the controller periodically activates the first processing unit while executing printing operations, and in the case where the information stored in the memory indicates that there exists a group having an ink tank whose remaining ink is less than a given amount, suspends the first processing unit, activates the second processing unit, and determines the ink tank whose remaining ink is less than a given amount.