Patent ID: 7165902

Claim:
A printer comprising: a paper storage housing for storing paper; a paper transportation path formed between a paper entrance and a paper exit for conveying the paper; a paper feed roller for feeding paper from the paper storage housing onto said paper transportation path; a transportation roller disposed along the paper transportation path for conveying said paper along said paper transportation path in a first direction and in a second direction that is opposite the first direction; a print head disposed along the paper transportation path; a first paper detector disposed along the paper transportation path for detecting if paper is present; a second paper detector disposed along the paper transportation path on the downstream side in the first direction of the print head and the first paper detector for detecting if paper is present; and a control unit for controlling the direction of travel of the paper such that the paper travels in the first direction until the paper is discharged from the paper storage housing, and then travels in the second direction to the print head; wherein the control unit reverses the direction of travel of the paper from the first direction to the second direction based on change in the first paper detector from a paper-present to a paper-not-present state during transportation of the paper in the first direction, and positions the paper to the print head based on change in the second paper detector from the paper-present to the paper-not-present state during transportation of the paper in the second direction.