Patent ID: 6659584
Filing Date: 2003-12-09
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printing apparatus which performs printing by discharging ink onto a print medium by using a printhead having a plurality of printing elements arrayed in one line, said apparatus comprising:scan means for reciprocate-scanning said printhead in a predetermined direction; a photosensor, including a light emission device for emitting a light beam and a light reception device for receiving the light beam, provided in one end of a scanning path of said printhead, and arranged such that a light axis of the light beam between the light emission device and the light reception device intersects an arrayed direction of the plurality of printing elements of said printhead with a predetermined angle, for outputting a signal in accordance with interception status of the light beam; test discharge means for controlling operation of said printhead to perform test ink discharge at a position where said photosensor is provided, while said scan means reciprocate-scans said printhead; and analysis means for analyzing existence or absence of ink discharge from each of said plurality of printing elements of said printhead, based on the signal outputted from said photosensor obtained at each of plural positions in the predetermined direction of said printhead when test-discharging ink by said test discharge means, wherein each of the plural positions is a position determined from correspondence of a position along the light axis of the light beam between the light emission device and the light reception device to a position of a printing element to be analyzed, wherein said analysis means includes specification means for specifying a printing element in discharge failure status among said plurality of printing elements of said printhead, based on the results of analysis by said analysis means.