An apparatus detects movement of a target object, estimates a control quantity for first feedback control for the target object at a first period, based on a detection signal, and estimates a first state quantity of the target object and a second state quantity obtained by time differentiation of the first state quantity in order to perform second feedback control for the target object at a second period shorter than the first period, based on the detection signal. The apparatus generates a first operation quantity for the first feedback control, based on the estimated control quantity, generates a second operation quantity for the second feedback control, based on the estimated first and second state quantities, and determines an output value, based on a result of comparing the second operation quantity with a maximum value of the first operation quantity.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an electric apparatus for controlling movement of a target object by performing first and second feedback controls, based on a detection signal obtained from detecting the movement of the target object, generates an operation quantity on the target object based on first and second operation quantities for the second feedback control if one of a predetermined target value and an estimated first state quantity of the target object is larger than a first threshold value, and generates the operation quantity on the target object using only the first operation quantity out of the first and the second operation quantities if one of the target value and the first state quantity of the target object is smaller than the first threshold value.

There is provided an ink-jet printer which includes a head, a carriage, an encoder having a scale and a sensor, a memory, and a controller. The controller executes judging whether or not a recording medium is positioned at an area that can face the carriage, and detecting an abnormal position, and printing an image on a recording medium, and comparing a velocity parameter value acquired and a first threshold value, when the carriage is at a position other than the abnormal position, and comparing the velocity parameter value acquired and a second threshold value corresponding to a velocity slower than the first threshold value, when the carriage is at the abnormal position.

A print bar for a for a multi-pass printer, the print bar comprising a static part configured to extend across a print area of a print target and a moveable part comprising a print bar beam and printer comprising such a print bar.

A printing apparatus that includes a printhead and a carriage can perform a detection operation for detecting a voltage to determine whether current leakage occurs. The printing apparatus includes a supply unit configured to supply, to the printhead, a voltage which is used to perform the print operation, a power line for connecting the printhead and the supply unit, a monitor unit configured to monitor a voltage appearing on the power line, and a control unit configured to perform a detection operation for detecting the voltage monitored by the monitor unit. The control unit performs the detection operation in a case that a movement of the carriage is reversed, in a case that a sensor detects that a jam has occurred, in case where the printhead is mounted to the carriage, or after and before a cleaning operation.

An inkjet printing apparatus includes a mounting unit where a recording medium is mountable, a head unit that ejects ink droplets to the recording medium, a planar direction driving unit that drives at least one of the head unit ejecting the ink droplets and the mounting unit to move in a planar direction and that changes a relative positions of the head unit and the mounting unit in the planar direction, and a height direction driving unit that changes a relative positions of the head unit and the mounting unit in a height direction perpendicular to the planar direction. The planar direction driving unit has a moving speed changing mechanism that changes a carriage speed between the head unit and the mounting unit in the planar direction. The height direction driving unit has a distance changing mechanism that changes a distance between the head unit and the mounting unit.

An image forming apparatus includes a recording head and processing circuitry. The recording head includes a plurality of nozzles. The processing circuitry prints a reference adjustment pattern on a recording medium using a reference nozzle, which is one of the nozzles. When the recording medium is conveyed from the reference nozzle in a sub-scanning direction by a predetermined conveyance amount, the processing circuitry prints an adjustment pattern on the recording medium using a designated nozzle, which is apart by a predetermined distance with respect to a nozzle apart from the reference nozzle in the sub scanning direction by the predetermined conveyance amount. The processing circuitry detects the reference adjustment pattern and the adjustment pattern, computes a distance between the reference adjustment pattern and the adjustment pattern in the sub-scanning direction, and determines whether a standard deviation of the distance computed is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

A movement control device configured to determine whether the moving unit moved by a driving unit is in a stopped state at a position before a predetermined target stop position, and whether a difference between the detection position and the target stop position is equal to or smaller than a threshold difference, based on a detection position of the moving unit, after the moving unit starts deceleration operation, and switch a control of the driving unit to a position control based on the difference between the detection position and the target stop position, from a speed control based on a designated speed associated with the detection position to the target stop position, if the moving unit is in the stopped state at a position before the predetermined target stop position, and the difference is equal to or smaller than the threshold difference.

A printing apparatus includes an apparatus body, a carriage, an encoder, a detection target member, a detector, and circuitry. The encoder detects an amount of movement of the carriage in a main scanning direction. The target member on the carriage has a cutout portion halfway in the main scanning direction. The detector on the body detects the target member. The circuitry controls a position setting operation for setting a home position of the carriage based on a detection result of detection or non-detection of the target member. The circuitry measures an output pulse of the encoder from when the detection result changes from detection to non-detection until when the detection result changes from non-detection to detection, and determines whether a measured value of the output pulse is equal to or greater than a predetermined value set based on a width of the cutout portion in the main scanning direction.

An image forming apparatus includes a carriage which is movably provided in a main scanning direction, a sub-carriage which is movably supported in a sub-scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction with respect to the carriage and performs recording on a recording medium from a held recording head, and a biasing member which is attached to a locking portion of the carriage and a locking portion of the sub-carriage and applies a force to the sub-carriage with respect to the carriage in three directions of the main scanning direction (first direction), the sub-scanning direction (second direction), and a vertical direction (third direction) substantially orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.