Image forming apparatus and optical sensor detecting target formed on image carrier or recording medium using effective light-receiving elements

An optical sensor comprising:

• a light-emitting unit configured to emit light toward a target that moves in a first direction;
• a first light-receiving unit that includes a plurality of first light-receiving elements arranged along the first direction, and is arranged so as to receive light emitted from the light-emitting unit and reflected off the target;
• a second light-receiving unit arranged at a different position from the first light-receiving unit in a second direction different from the first direction, and that includes a plurality of second light-receiving elements arranged along the first direction, and is arranged so as to receive light emitted from the light-emitting unit and reflected off the target;
• a selection unit configured to select whether or not each of the plurality of first light-receiving elements in the first light-receiving unit is a first effective light-receiving element and to select whether or not each of the plurality of second light-receiving elements in the second light-receiving unit is a second effective light-receiving element;
• a generation unit configured to generate a first detection signal from an output of the first effective light-receiving element selected by the selection unit, and to generate a second detection signal from an output of the second effective light-receiving element selected by the selection unit;
• and
• an output unit configured to output the first detection signal and the second detection signal.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a light-emitting unit configured to emit light toward an image carrier or a recording medium;
• a first light-receiving unit that includes a plurality of first light-receiving elements arranged along a first direction that is a movement direction of the image carrier or the recording medium, and is arranged so as to receive light emitted from the light-emitting unit and specularly reflected off the image carrier or the recording medium;
• a second light-receiving unit arranged at a different position from the first light-receiving unit in a second direction different from the first direction, and that includes a plurality of second light-receiving elements arranged along the first direction, the second light-receiving unit being arranged so as to receive light emitted from the light-emitting unit and reflected off the image carrier or the recording medium;
• a generation unit configured to generate a first detection signal from an output of a first effective light-receiving element that is set as being effective in the plurality of first light-receiving elements, and to generate a second detection signal from an output of a second effective light-receiving element that is set as being effective in the plurality of second light-receiving elements;
• and
• a detection unit configured to detect a target formed on the image carrier or the recording medium or to detect a surface of the image carrier or the recording medium based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal.

An optical sensor comprising:

• a light-emitting unit configured to emit light toward a target that moves in a first direction;
• a first light-receiving unit that includes a plurality of first light-receiving elements arranged along the first direction, and is arranged so as to receive light emitted from the light-emitting unit and reflected off the target;
• a second light-receiving unit arranged at a different position from the first light-receiving unit in a second direction different from the first direction, and that includes a plurality of second light-receiving elements arranged along the first direction, the second light-receiving unit being arranged so as to receive light emitted from the light-emitting unit and reflected off the target;
• a generation unit configured to generate a first detection signal from an output of a first effective light-receiving element that is set as being effective in the plurality of first light-receiving elements, and to generate a second detection signal from an output of a second effective light-receiving element that is set as being effective in the plurality of second light-receiving elements;
• and
• an output unit configured to output the first detection signal and the second detection signal.