Abstract: When a splice of a continuous sheet is detected, a printing apparatus defines an unprintable area including the splice on the continuous sheet and continues printing by changing the order in which unit images and maintenance patterns are printed so that the unprintable area is not used for the print operation and a maintenance pattern is printed in an area subsequent to the unprintable area.

Abstract: When a splice of a continuous sheet is detected, a printing apparatus defines an unprintable area including the splice on the continuous sheet and continues printing by changing the order in which unit images and maintenance patterns are printed so that the unprintable area is not used for the print operation and a maintenance pattern is printed in an area subsequent to the unprintable area.

Abstract: A recording apparatus causes a recording head to scan a recording medium to perform recording on an area within the recording medium and on an overflow area adjacent to and outside the area within the recording medium, and includes a feed control unit for controlling feed of the recording medium in a feed direction different from a scanning direction of the recording head, such that the recording medium is fed during a period between a previous scan to perform recording and a next scan to perform recording, and controlling at least one of starting and stopping of the feed of the recording medium during a period in which the recording head scans the overflow area.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus prints by scanning an inkjet printhead for discharging ink and a printing medium relative to each other. The printhead includes a first nozzle group used to print a dot having a first density, and a second nozzle group used to print a dot having a second density. The inkjet printing apparatus has a first printing mode in which only one of the first and second nozzle groups is used during one printing scan, and a second printing mode in which the first and second nozzle groups are driven at different timings during one printing scan. In this inkjet printing apparatus, a pattern for adjusting the relative printing positions of the nozzle rows in the first printing mode is printed. From this pattern, set values of relative printing positions in the first printing mode are specified. On the basis of the specified set values, set values of the relative printing positions of the nozzle rows in the second printing mode are determined.

Abstract: In an ink-jet printer in which a carrier is servo-controlled using an encoder, speed information at the start of movement is estimated to perform stable servo control without any influence of an incorrect speed owing to vibrations or the like at the start of movement. For this purpose, in servo-controlling the carrier by using a DC motor on the basis of position information obtained from the encoder, not a detected speed obtained from the encoder, but an ideal speed or an estimated speed calculated by multiplying an ideal speed by a predetermined ratio is used as speed information for servo control of the carrier until the carrier moves in an arbitrary speed estimation region after the start of movement.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus that is capable of realizing a favorable print layout where bottom orientations of image data are made uniform easily and at low cost. Rotation information of image data is obtained. A print layout type or pattern in accordance with the rotation information is selected. In accordance with the selected print layout type or pattern, print data for printing a print medium on which the image data is laid out is generated.

Abstract: A recording apparatus causes a recording head to scan a recording medium to perform recording on an area within the recording medium and on an overflow area adjacent to and outside the area within the recording medium, and includes a feed control unit for controlling feed of the recording medium in a feed direction different from a scanning direction of the recording head, such that the recording medium is fed during a period between a previous scan to perform recording and a next scan to perform recording, and controlling at least one of starting and stopping of the feed of the recording medium during a period in which the recording head scans the overflow area.

Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus prints by scanning an inkjet printhead for discharging ink and a printing medium relative to each other. The printhead includes a first nozzle group used to print a dot having a first density, and a second nozzle group used to print a dot having a second density. The inkjet printing apparatus has a first printing mode in which only one of the first and second nozzle groups is used during one printing scan, and a second printing mode in which the first and second nozzle groups are driven at different timings during one printing scan. In this inkjet printing apparatus, a pattern for adjusting the relative printing positions of the nozzle rows in the first printing mode is printed. From this pattern, set values of relative printing positions in the first printing mode are specified. On the basis of the specified set values, set values of the relative printing positions of the nozzle rows in the second printing mode are determined.

Abstract: In an ink-jet printer in which a carrier is servo-controlled using an encoder, speed information at the start of movement is estimated to perform stable servo control without any influence of an incorrect speed owing to vibrations or the like at the start of movement. For this purpose, in servo-controlling the carrier by using a DC motor on the basis of position information obtained from the encoder, not a detected speed obtained from the encoder, but an ideal speed or an estimated speed calculated by multiplying an ideal speed by a predetermined ratio is used as speed information for servo control of the carrier until the carrier moves in an arbitrary speed estimation region after the start of movement.

Abstract: Disclosed are an image forming system including an image reader, a printer, and a processor and a control method therefore. In this image forming system, the image reader reads an image from an original, and the printer prints the read image onto a print medium. If a “no print medium” error occurs during the printing operation by the printer, the read operation by the image reader is terminated.

Abstract: In a printer control method, image-data processing which has previously been performed in a printer (printer unit) is performed by a host computer (host unit), so that the cost of the printer is reduced. More specifically, the printer unit includes a holding unit for holding control commands from the host unit, and an execution unit for executing the control commands. The host unit includes an analysis unit for analyzing printer commands, control-command forming unit for forming control commands from the printer commands, and a transmission unit for transmitting the control commands to the printer unit. The printer unit is controlled by converting printer commands into control commands in accordance with printing instructions provided from host-unit application software and transmitting the obtained control commands to the printer unit.

Abstract: In the event that a host device does not have a transmitting FIFO and receiving FIFO independently, but shares one FIFO for both transmission and reception, and an error occurs at the destination of transmission, the host cannot receive error information unless the FIFO is emptied. Accordingly, the printer according to the present invention secures a stand-by area in the reception buffer that is the same capacity as the FIFO at the host. In the event that an error occurs, transmission of data from the host is stopped, and if there is no available area except for the stand-by area within the reception buffer, the stand-by area is released to empty the FIFO.

Abstract: A printing method and apparatus according to the present invention is capable of instructing whether or not a printing portion is used in a case where data is received from a host so as to be printed, and the initializing control required to perform printing can be skipped at the time of power supply if the printing portion is not used, or arranged to store a fact whether or not initialization has been performed so that whether or not the initialization is performed is controlled at the time of the power supply or when a printing opportunity has been issued.

Abstract: In a data transfer method, virtual handshake busy data is transferred to an I/O register when data is transferred through a parallel interface between data processing and printer units connected to the I/O register through a bus and a transfer storage area in the printer unit has an empty area having a predetermined amount or more.

Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting device for supporting a sheet; an auxiliary roller for feeding a sheet supported on the sheet supporting device; a separating device, having a separation roller and a friction separation device, for feeding one-by-one the sheet; a feeder for feeding the sheet separated by the separating means; auxiliary roller moving device for moving the auxiliary roller between an operative position where the auxiliary roller is in contact with the sheet and an inoperative position where it is away therefrom; a separation roller moving device for moving the separation roller between an operative position where the separation roller is in contact with the friction separating device and an inoperative position where the separation roller is away therefrom; wherein the auxiliary roller moving device and the separation roller moving device move the auxiliary roller and the separation roller from their operative positions to inoperative positions after the feeder s

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing data, with the data processing side performing main control and the print control side including control for saving power. The print control side performs transition of a plurality of power saving states to obtain an optimal power saving state on the basis of transfer of data from the main control side, and the data processing side performs various control operations independently of the transition of the plurality of power saving states.

Abstract: A sheet material feeding device includes a first conveying path for feeding sheet material, a second conveying path for feeding the sheet material and which joins the first conveying path, an anchoring unit for anchoring and bending the leading end of the sheet material fed through the first conveying path or the second conveying path, and a guide member provided at the joining point of the first conveying path and the second conveying path for allowing the sheet material fed from an upstream side through the first conveying path to pass the joining point and for preventing the sheet material fed from a downstream side through the first conveying path from entering an upstream side from the joining point. The guide member presses a curved portion of the sheet material formed by the leading end of the sheet material fed through the first conveying path anchored by the anchoring unit in a direction to flatten that portion.

Abstract: A ribbon adaptor attachable to a recording apparatus comprises a ribbon loader for loading an ink ribbon, a ribbon feeder for feeding the ribbon loaded by the ribbon loader, a support frame member for supporting the ribbon loader and ribbon feeder, and an adaptor stopper provided on the frame member.