Patent ID: 8005321

Claim:
A pixel clock generator configured to generate a pixel clock to regulate a drive timing of a light source that generates an optical beam to scan a medium to be scanned, comprising: a phase data generating unit configured to generate phase data according to a phase data pattern to correct an uneven scanning speed and fluctuation of scanning widths; a high-frequency clock generating unit configured to generate a high-frequency clock; and a pixel clock generating unit configured to generate, based on the high-frequency clock, the pixel clock of which a cycle is longer than a cycle of the high-frequency clock and to perform a phase shift for the pixel clock based on the phase data, wherein the phase data pattern defines a plurality of phase data each designating an amount of phase shift for a different pixel clock pulse belonging to one line in a main scanning direction and is set such that each difference in the amount of the phase shift between adjacent phase data does not exceed a basic phase shift amount of the pixel clock generating unit, the basic phase shift amount being one or one-half of the cycle of the high-frequency clock.