Patent ID: 8515328

Claim:
A medium conveying apparatus comprising: a conveying mechanism that conveys a recording medium that extends continuously in one direction, a conveying direction of the recording medium being the same as the one direction; a detecting unit that detects a detection subject mark formed on the recording medium, wherein the detection subject mark is a rectangle having its longitudinal sides bifurcated by an oblique line; a moving mechanism that moves the detecting unit in a main scanning direction that crosses the conveying direction, and a control section that outputs information relating to a mark width change of the detection subject mark, wherein a plurality of detection subject marks are formed on the recording medium in such a manner that their longitudinal sides are arranged in the one direction in which the recording medium extends continuously, and that the mark width of the rectangular-shaped detection subject marks, as measured in the main scanning direction, changes in subsequent detection subject marks on the recording medium as the recording medium conveys in the one direction.