Patent ID: 7347523

Claim:
An image recording apparatus, comprising: a printing device which includes a full-line recording head having a plurality of image-recording elements arranged along a length corresponding to an entire width of a printing medium, the recording head recording an image on the printing medium by the plurality of image-recording elements; a conveying device which moves at least one of the recording head and the printing medium relative to each other in a conveyance direction different than a width direction of the printing medium; an image reading device which includes a plurality of sensors outputting actual sensor output data by reading the image recorded on the printing medium, the plurality of sensors being arranged along the length corresponding to the entire width of the printing medium; and a defective image-recording element determining device which determines a defective one of the plurality of image-recording elements by performing computation for each sensor of the plurality of sensors according to the actual sensor output data obtained from the each sensor, the actual sensor output data obtained from one of the plurality of sensors adjacent to the each sensor, and expected sensor output data expected from the image to be normally recorded, wherein a pattern of the actual sensor output data obtained from the each sensor and the plurality of sensors adjacent to the each sensor and a pattern of the expected sensor output data are compared, wherein the actual sensor output data obtained from one of the plurality of adjacent sensors represent adjacent areas on the printing medium and where such adjacent area data is used to determine the defect.