Optical scanning device, image forming apparatus, and control method for proper initialization of laser driver

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a light emitter that emits a laser beam;
• a driver that operates, depending on a signal inputted thereto, in a master state in which the driver performs an initialization by reading data from a storage device or in a slave state in which the driver drives the light emitter according to an operation mode corresponding to the signal;
• a signal outputter that outputs the signal to the driver;
• an image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image formed as a result of the image carrier being irradiated with the laser beam;
• and
• a fixer that fixes, onto a recording paper, an image based on the electrostatic latent image, wherein
• for the initialization of the driver, the signal outputter outputs a signal for setting the driver to the slave state and setting the operation mode to a specific operation mode,
• the driver performs the initialization based on a beam intensity of the laser beam emitted from the light emitter driven according to the operation mode based on the signal outputted from the signal outputter,
• when the driver is in the slave state, the signal outputter alternately and repeatedly outputs, to the driver, a signal corresponding to a first operation mode in which the driver drives the light emitter so that the beam intensity is a first beam intensity, and a signal corresponding to a second operation mode in which the driver drives the light emitter so that the beam intensity is a second beam intensity that is smaller than the first beam intensity, and
• the driver performs the initialization based on the first beam intensity and the second beam intensity.

A control method for a driver device that operates, depending on a signal inputted thereto, in a master state in which the driver device performs an initialization by reading data from a storage device or in a slave state in which the driver device drives a light emitter, which emits a laser beam, according to an operation mode corresponding to the signal, the control method comprising:

• outputting, for the initialization of the driver device, a signal for setting the driver device to the slave state and setting the operation mode to a specific operation mode;
• causing the driver device to perform the initialization based on a beam intensity of the laser beam emitted from the light emitter driven according to the operation mode based on the signal outputted;
• when the driver device is in the slave state, alternately and repeatedly outputting, to the driver device, a signal corresponding to a first operation mode in which the driver device drives the light emitter so that the beam intensity is a first beam intensity, and a signal corresponding to a second operation mode in which the driver device drives the light emitter so that the beam intensity is a second beam intensity that is smaller than the first beam intensity;
• and
• causing the driver device to perform the initialization based on the first beam intensity and the second beam intensity.