Patent ID: 6882357

Claim:
A method of generating a pixel clock to correct a graphical accuracy distortion of an image recorded on a recording sheet in an image recording apparatus which has image recording means for scanning a recording sheet mounted on a mechanical component in a main scanning direction to record an image on the recording sheet per pulse of the pixel clock, said image recording means being movable in an auxiliary scanning direction substantially perpendicular to the main scanning direction to record a two-dimensional image on the recording sheet, said method comprising the steps of: determining a thickness of said recording sheet and a temperature of said image recording apparatus; recording an image corresponding to a reference test chart on said recording sheet; determining said graphical accuracy distortion of said image corresponding to said reference test chart recorded on said recording sheet; determining a relative positional relationship between said mechanical component and said image recording means based on said graphical accuracy distortion, said thickness of said recording sheet on which said image corresponding to said reference test chart is recorded and said temperature of said image recording apparatus when said image corresponding to said reference test chart is recorded on said recording sheet; generating mechanical component correcting data based on said relative positional relationship between said mechanical component and said image recording means; and controlling a time to generate the pixel clock to energize said image recording means based on said mechanical component correcting data and proportional component correcting data corresponding to recording conditions for said image recording means to record the image on said recording sheet, when the image is recorded on said recording sheet by said image recording means, wherein said step of controlling the time to generate the pixel clock comprises: generating an original clock based on said recording position information in said main scanning direction; calculating a preset count from said mechanical component correcting data and said proportional component correcting data corresponding to recording conditions for said image recording means to record the image on said recording sheet, when the image is recorded on said recording sheet by said image recording means; counting pulses of said original clock and decimating a pulse from said original clock each time said preset count is reached; and frequency-dividing a decimated clock at a fixed frequency-dividing ratio and outputting the frequency-divided clock as a pixel clock for recording the image.