Patent ID: 7364272

Claim:
A method for outputting information from a printing head, comprising the steps of: providing a printing head which has a memory for storing information of the printing head, a converter which converts an analog signal into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal, a driver which drives a plurality of printing elements in accordance with an input print signal, a first shift register to which the print signal is inputted by using a clock signal, a latch circuit which holds the print signal inputted to the first shift register, and a second shift register which is connected to the memory; printing by utilizing the printing head in accordance with the print signal which is held by the latch circuit and a heat signal; serially outputting the information from the second shift register connected to the memory to the outside of the printing head by utilizing the clock signal used for inputting the print signal to the first shift register; and outputting the digital signal from the converter by using the clock signal.