# US 11,226,576 B1 · Image forming apparatus with misalignment correction capability > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,226,576 B1 - Document ID: US11226576B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/016,921 - Filed: 2020-09-10 - Granted: 2022-01-18 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-10 - Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Norio Kurosawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11226576B1 ## CPC - G03G 15/2042: {specially for the axial heat partition} - G03G 21/00: Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge - G03G 15/2039: {with means for controlling the fixing temperature} - G03G 15/205: {specially for the mode of operation, e.g. standby, warming-up, error (G03G15/2046 takes precedence)} - G03G 15/5062: {by measuring the characteristics of an image on the copy material} - G03G 2215/00569: Calibration, test runs, test prints - G03G 2215/00759: of sheet image, e.g. presence, type - G06K 15/129: {Colour printing} - G06K 15/408: {Handling exceptions, e.g. faults (computer driven error handling and recovery for a printer G06F3/1234)} - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract An image forming device includes an image forming unit, a fuser, a memory, and a control circuit. The image forming unit forms an image on a recording medium with a decolorable toner based on image data. The decolorable toner decolorizes at a first temperature and does not decolorize at a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature. The fuser has a plurality of regions extending in a direction orthogonal to a direction of conveyance of the recording medium. The fuser generates heat in each of the plurality of regions to fuse the image onto the recording medium. The memory stores a correspondence between the plurality of regions and positions of a plurality of areas positioned along a main scanning direction in the image data. The control circuit changes the correspondence based on a degree of color development or decolorization of the image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming device comprising: an image forming unit configured to form images on recording mediums with a decolorable toner based on image data, the decolorable toner configured to decolorize at a first temperature and not decolorize at a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature; a fuser having a plurality of regions extending in a direction orthogonal to a direction of conveyance of the recording mediums, the fuser configured to generate heat in each of the plurality of regions to fuse the images formed with the decolorable toner onto the recording mediums, wherein the fuser is capable of generating heat with different temperatures in the plurality of regions, the different temperatures including the first temperature and the second temperature; a memory configured to store a correspondence between the plurality of regions of the fuser and positions of a plurality of detection areas positioned along a main scanning direction in the image data, the main scanning direction corresponding with the direction orthogonal to the direction of conveyance; and a control circuit configured to: control the image forming unit and the fuser to form a fused first image onto a first recording medium based on first image data; change the correspondence and set the plurality of detection areas based on a degree of color development or decolorization of the fused first image formed with the decolorable toner on the first recording medium; detect a presence or an absence of a second image in each of the plurality of detection areas in second image data, wherein the second image data is different from the first image data; and cause the fuser to generate heat in one or more regions of the plurality of regions corresponding to one or more areas of the plurality of detection areas where the second image is detected in the second image data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming device of claim 1, wherein the fuser is configured to generate heat with the first temperature in a first region of the plurality of regions, and wherein the fuser is configured to generate heat with the second temperature in a second region of the plurality of regions next to the first region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to change the correspondence such that a first boundary between areas of the plurality of detection areas coincides with a position of a second boundary between regions of the plurality of regions of the fuser. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image forming device of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is configured to: acquire an amount of misalignment and a direction of misalignment between the first boundary between the areas of the plurality of detection areas and the second boundary between regions of the plurality of regions; and change the correspondence based on the amount of misalignment and the direction of misalignment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image forming device of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is configured to acquire the amount of misalignment and the direction of misalignment based on an input of information about a misalignment between the first boundary and the second boundary. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image forming device of claim 5, wherein the image forming unit is configured to form a first image with the decolorable toner on the first recording medium showing the first boundary between the areas of the plurality of detection areas. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The image forming device of claim 6, wherein the image forming unit is configured to form a first image including a guide with the decolorable toner on the first recording medium, the guide facilitates determining the misalignment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The image forming device of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is configured to acquire the amount of misalignment and the direction of misalignment based on (i) a reference point in the main scanning direction of the plurality of detection areas and (ii) detection of one or more boundaries between a color-developed part of the fused first image and a decolorized part of the fused first image on the first recording medium. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image forming device of claim 1, wherein the fuser includes a plurality of heating units, and wherein each of the plurality of heating units corresponds with a respective one of the plurality of regions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image forming device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of heating units have the same width. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The image forming device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of heating units includes a first heating unit and a second heating unit, and wherein the first heating unit has a first width and the second heating unit has a second width different than the first width. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image forming device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of heating units includes a third heating unit, wherein the second heating unit is positioned between the first heating unit and the third heating unit, and wherein the third heating unit has the first width. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The image forming device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to control the image forming unit to form the second image on a second recording medium in response to the fuser generating the heat in the one or more regions at a target temperature, and wherein the fuser fuses the second image onto the second recording medium to provide a fused second image. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The image forming device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine the degree of color development or decolorization of the fused first image formed with the decolorable toner on the first recording medium based on an acquired misalignment between the fused first image and the first image data.