Image forming apparatus, control method of the image forming apparatus, and printing medium conveyance apparatus

A control method of an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus including

• a conveyance part configured to convey a printing medium received in a printing medium receiving part along a conveyance path;
• a detecting part configured to detect arrival of a head end of the printing medium at a first position of the conveyance path;
• and
• a control part configured to print image data on the printing medium based on a detecting signal from the detecting part;
• the control method comprising the steps of:
• performing a masking process on the detecting signal generated by the detecting part between when the printing medium starts being conveyed from the printing medium receiving part and when the printing medium passes through a designated section;
• measuring a conveyance distance of the head end of the printing medium conveyed from a receiving position of the printing medium receiving part;
• determining whether the printing medium stops in a second position between the printing medium receiving part and the first position, said second position being not detected by the detecting part when the conveyance part stops while the printing medium is being conveyed by the conveyance part;
• and
• setting, in a case where it is determined by the determining part that the printing medium stops in the second position, a range of a masking process section and/or a range of a non-masking process section in a direction of the conveyance path based on a distance between the second position and the printing medium receiving part, the masking process section being where the masking process of the conveyance path is performed, the non-masking process section being where the masking process is not performed.

A printing medium conveyance apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyance part configured to convey a printing medium received in a printing medium receiving part along a conveyance path;
• a detecting part configured to detect arrival of a head end of the printing medium at a first position of the conveyance path;
• a masking part configured to perform a masking process on a detecting signal generated by the detecting part between when the printing medium starts being conveyed from the printing medium receiving part and when the printing medium passes through a designated section;
• a conveyance distance measuring part configured to measure a conveyance distance of the head end of the printing medium conveyed from a receiving position of the printing medium receiving part;
• a determining part configured to determine whether the printing medium stops in a second position between the printing medium receiving part and the first position, said second position being not detected by the detecting part when the conveyance part stops while the printing medium is being conveyed by the conveyance part;
• and
• a masking process section setting part configured to set, in a case where it is determined by the determining part that the printing medium stops in the second position, a range of a masking process section and/or a range of a non-masking process section in a direction of the conveyance path based on a distance between the second position and the printing medium receiving part, the masking process section being where the masking process of the conveyance path is performed, the non-masking process section being where the masking process is not performed.