Patent ID: 6354691
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printing apparatus using a print head for printing on a print medium, comprising:a head moving means for moving the print head; a head position information detection means for outputting a cyclic signal according to an amount of movement of the print head driven by the head moving means; a phase interval detection means for measuring a time interval between predetermined reference phases of the cyclic signal output from the head position information detection means; a division means for dividing each time interval detected by the phase interval detection means into n equal parts; a print timing generation means for generating n print timing signals, according to the time interval divided by the division means, by taking as references the predetermined reference phases associated with the time interval measurement made by the phase interval detection means; a time difference detection means for detecting a time difference between a print end time of a previous cycle and the predetermined reference phase of a current cycle on the basis of the cyclic signal outputted from the head position information detection means and the print timing signals generated by the print timing generation means; and a correction means for correcting timing of the n print timing signals of a current cycle generated by the print timing generation means by an amount of the detected time difference when the print end time of the previous cycle lags the predetermined reference phase of the current cycle.