Recording apparatus for performing uniform density image recording utilizing plural types of recording heads

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a recording head having a plurality of recording elements for forming an image on a recording medium in accordance with image signals, said plurality of recording elements comprising an array;
• test pattern forming control means for causing said recording head to form plural types of test patterns having different densities;
• density reading means for reading the densities of said plural types of test patterns;
• and
• data forming means for forming correction data on the basis of the plural types of test patterns read by said density reading means, said correction data being for making image formation densities uniform regarding a respective different density;
• and
• image density correction means for correcting image signal corresponding to said plurality of recording elements on the basis of the correction data.

An image recording apparatus for performing image formation on a recording medium in accordance with image signals by using a plurality of recording heads of different colors, each head having a plurality of recording elements comprising an array, said image forming apparatus comprising:

• test pattern formation control means for forming plural types of test patterns, having different densities, by using a plurality of recording heads;
• density reading means for reading densities of the plural types of test patterns formed by said plurality of recording heads under the control of said test pattern formation control means;
• and
• generating means for generating correction data for making uniform image formation densities regarding a respective different density on the basis of densities of the plural types of test patterns formed by said plurality of recording heads, said generating means changing correction data generating conditions in accordance with colors associated with said recording heads;
• and
• correcting means for correcting image signals corresponding to a plurality of recording elements of said plurality of recording heads on the basis of the correction data.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a recording head having a plurality of recording elements for forming an image on a recording medium, said plurality of recording elements comprising an array;
• means for causing relative movement between said recording head and the recording medium, for giving different image signals to said plurality of recording elements upon relative movement between said recording head and the recording medium, and for forming test patterns having areas of different densities in a direction of the relative movement;
• reading means for reading densities of the test patterns in different density areas;
• and
• uneven image density correcting means for correcting image signals corresponding to said plurality of recording elements at the time of image formation so as to make image formation densities uniform regarding a respective different density on the basis of densities read by said reading means.

An image recording apparatus for performing image formation on a recording medium by using a plurality of recording heads of different colors each having a plurality of recording elements comprising an array, said image forming apparatus comprising:

• test pattern forming means for causing relative movement between a plurality of recording heads and a recording medium, for giving different image signals to a plurality of recording elements upon relative movement between said plurality of recording heads and the recording medium, and for forming test patterns having areas of different densities in a direction of the relative movement by use of said plurality of recording heads;
• reading means for reading densities of the test patterns in different density areas corresponding to said plurality of recording heads;
• and
• uneven image density correcting means for correcting image signals corresponding to said plurality of recording elements of said plurality of recording heads so as to make image formation densities uniform regarding a respective different density on the basis of densities read by said reading means, said correcting means changing correction conditions in accordance with colors associated with said recording heads.

An image recording apparatus for performing recording on a recording medium by using a recording head having a plurality of recording elements comprising an array, said image forming apparatus comprising:

• reading means for reading an image and outputting color signals corresponding to the image;
• color correction processing means for performing color correction processing of the color signals output from said reading means;
• test pattern forming means for forming predetermined test patterns by using a recording head;
• correcting means for causing said reading means to read the predetermined test patterns formed by said test pattern forming means, for obtaining correction data from the color signals color-corrected by said color correction processing means, and for correcting image signals corresponding to a plurality of recording elements on the basis of the correction data;
• and
• color correction control means for causing said color correction processing means to perform different color correction processing operations when in a test pattern reading mode as compared to a normal original image reading mode.

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium in accordance with image signals on the basis of color signals corresponding to an original image obtained by reading an original image, by using a recording head having a plurality of recording elements comprising an array, said image forming apparatus comprising:

• color correction processing means for performing color correction processing of color signals;
• correcting means for obtaining correction data from the color-corrected color signals upon reading of predetermined test patterns, and for correcting image signals corresponding to a plurality of recording elements at the time of image formation on the basis of the correction data;
• and
• color correction control means for causing said color correction processing means to perform different color correction processing operations for color signals corresponding to the test patterns and color signals supplied for normal image formation.

An image forming apparatus for performing image recording, in accordance with image signals, using a plurality of recording elements comprising an array, said image forming apparatus comprising:

• test pattern forming means for forming a plurality of test patterns on a recording medium by using a recording head;
• reading means for optically reading densities of the plurality of test patterns recording on the recording medium by said test pattern forming means in accordance with predetermined reading conditions;
• means for calculating correction data on the basis of the densities read by said reading means;
• image signal correcting means for correcting image signals corresponding to recording elements on the basis of the correction data calculated by said calculating means;
• and
• control means for variably setting a formation condition of said test pattern forming means, a reading condition of said reading means, or a method of calculating the correction data by said calculating means.