Patent ID: 7066568
Filing Date: 2006-06-27
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A determining method for determining whether or not ink was ejected from nozzles in a printing apparatus including a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink and a sensor for emitting light toward a print medium on which a print pattern has been printed by ejecting ink from said plurality of nozzles and receiving the light that is reflected, said method comprising: a step of printing a non-ejection print pattern that is made of print blocks that can be formed for each said nozzle and in which only a print block to be determined, which is an object of determination, included within a region of said print medium that is irradiated by said light is not printed; a step of emitting light from said sensor toward said print medium on which said non-ejection print pattern has been printed and obtaining an output value upon non-ejection that is output from said sensor; a step of printing an all-ejection print pattern in which the print blocks have been printed in the entire area within said region of said print medium that is irradiated by said light; a step of emitting light from said sensor toward said print medium on which said all-ejection print pattern has been printed and obtaining an output value upon ejection that is output from said sensor; a step of setting a threshold value between said output value upon non-ejection and said output value upon ejection; and a step of comparing said threshold value with an output value that is output from said sensor based on light that is emitted toward a print medium on which said print pattern has been printed by ejecting ink from said plurality of nozzles.