# US 2014/0153063 A1 · Signal processing apparatus and image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 2014/0153063 A1
- Document ID: US20140153063A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/084,357
- Filed: 2013-11-19
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: Konica Minolta, Inc.
- Applicants: Konica Minolta, Inc.
- Inventors: Mitsuo AZUMAI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153063A1

## CPC

- H04N 1/40: Picture signal circuits (H04N1/387 takes precedence)
- H04N 1/4056: {the pattern varying in one dimension only, e.g. dash length, pulse width modulation [PWM]}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A signal processing apparatus includes a pulse signal producing section configured to produce image creating signals for image formation in response to image data by using an image processing clock corresponding to each pixel of the image data; a measuring section configured to measure a difference between an actual value and an ideal value of a signal width of the image creating signal at the time of measurement; and a processing section configured to correct the image data so as to cancel the difference at the time of an actual action.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A signal processing apparatus configured to produce image creating signals for image formation in response to image data by using an image processing clock corresponding to each pixel of the image data, comprising:
a measuring section configured to measure a difference between an actual value and an ideal value of a signal width of the image creating signal at the time of measurement; and
a processing section configured to correct the image data so as to cancel the difference at the time of an actual action.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The signal processing apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the processing section corrects either a target pixel or a peripheral pixel around the target pixel at the time of the actual action, so as to cancel the difference of the target pixel measured at the time of the measurement.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The signal processing apparatus described in claim 2, wherein the processing section performs correction such that a pixel corrected so as to cancel the difference does not isolate from pixels being before the correction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The signal processing apparatus described in claim 1, wherein when the image data are binary image data including an ON state and an OFF state, the processing section corrects an ON state to an OFF state, or an OFF state to an ON state at a ratio of one pixel for multiple pixels of the image data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The signal processing apparatus described in claim 4, wherein when the processing section performs correction at a ratio of one pixel for multiple pixels of the image data in accordance with the difference, if the number of pixels being in an ON state in a group of pixels is smaller than the number of the multiple pixels, the processing section does not perform correction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The signal processing apparatus described in claim 4, wherein the processing section performs correction by using a predetermined correction table in accordance with an intended use or kind of the image data.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The signal processing apparatus described in claim 1, wherein when the processing section performs image processing so as to express gradation with multiple pixels serving as an expression unit, the processing section performs correction so as to cancel the difference before the image processing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The signal processing apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the measuring section prepares measurement clocks asynchronous with the image processing clocks, compares the measurement clocks with the signal width of the image creating signal corresponding to the predetermined image data for a prescribed time period, and measures the difference from a ratio of conformity to non-conformity in the comparison.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The signal processing apparatus described in claim 8, wherein when the frequency of the image processing clocks is f1, the frequency f2 of the measurement clocks is set to 0.5 f1<f2<f1.

### Claim 10

An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a signal processing apparatus configured to produce image creating signals for image formation in response to image data by using an image processing clock pulse corresponding to each pixel of the image data; and
an image forming section configured to form images based on the image creating signals produced by the signal processing apparatus,
wherein signal processing apparatus includes:
a measuring section configured to measure a difference between an actual value and an ideal value of a signal width of the image creating signal at the time of measurement; and
a processing section configured to correct the image data so as to cancel the difference at the time of an actual action.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The image forming apparatus described in claim 10, wherein the processing section corrects either a target pixel or a peripheral pixel around the target pixel at the time of the actual action, so as to cancel the difference of the target pixel measured at the time of the measurement.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The image forming apparatus described in claim 11, wherein the processing section performs correction such that a pixel corrected so as to cancel the difference does not isolate from pixels before the correction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The image forming apparatus described in claim 10, wherein when the image data are binary image data including an ON state and an OFF state, the processing section corrects an ON state to an OFF state, or an OFF state to an ON state at a ratio of one pixel for multiple pixels of the image data.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The image forming apparatus described in claim 13, wherein when the processing section performs correction at a ratio of one pixel for multiple pixels of the image data in accordance with the difference, if the number of pixels being in an ON state in a group of pixels is smaller than the number of the multiple pixels, the processing section does not perform correction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The image forming apparatus described in claim 13, wherein the processing section performs correction by using a predetermined correction table in accordance with an intended use or kind of the image data.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The image forming apparatus described in claim 10, wherein when the processing section performs image processing so as to express gradation with multiple pixels serving as an expression unit, the processing section performs correction so as to cancel the difference before the image processing.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The image forming apparatus described in claim 10, wherein the measuring section prepares measurement clocks asynchronous with the image processing clocks, compares the measurement clocks with the signal width of the image creating signal corresponding to the predetermined image data for a prescribed time period, and measures the difference from a ratio of conformity to non-conformity in the comparison.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The image forming apparatus described in claim 17, wherein when the frequency of the image processing clocks is f1, the frequency f2 of the measurement clocks is set to 0.5f1<f2<f1.