Image density control method for an image recorder
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsKazuo Murai, Shinji Kato, Hisao Murayama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image density control method applicable to an electrophotographic copier or similar image recorder for controlling the toner concentration of a two-component developer, i.e., a mixture of toner and carrier to maintain the density of a toner image produced by the developer constant. Predetermined calculations are performed on the basis of the output of a photosensor which is responsive to the toner images representative of reference patterns formed on a photoconductive element.
Claims12
An image density control method for controlling a density of a toner image formed on a photoconductive element by a developing unit, said method comprising the steps of:
- totally estimating a developing ability of said developing unit in response to a plurality of data including an operation time of said developing unit, a toner concentration, an amount of toner consumption, an amount of toner supply, a remaining amount of toner to be supplied, a reflection density ratio of a toner image of a reference pattern sensed by a photosensor, a temperature and a humidity around said developing unit, and at least one of history data thereof;
- and
- selectively controlling at least one of a latent image forming condition, a toner supply condition, a member for charging a developer, and a bias condition for development.
An image density control method for controlling a density of a toner image formed on a photoconductive element, said method comprising the steps of:
- estimating an amount of toner supply required to maintain a desired image density in response to a reflection density ratio of a toner image of a reference pattern sensed by a photosensor, and history data thereof;
- and
- controlling an amount of toner supply, via fuzzy inference and control, on the basis of a result of the estimation.
An image density control method for controlling a density of a toner image formed on a photoconductive element by a developing unit, said method comprising the steps of:
- estimating an amount of toner supply required to maintain a desired image density in response to a toner concentration, a difference between said toner concentration and a target toner concentration, and history data thereof;
- and
- controlling an amount of toner supply, via fuzzy inference and control, on the basis of a result of the estimation.
An image density control method for controlling a density of a toner image formed on a photoconductive element by a developing unit, said method comprising the steps of:
- estimating an amount of toner supply required to maintain a desired image density in response to a toner concentration, a difference between said toner concentration and a target toner concentration, and history data thereof;
- and
- controlling an amount of toner supply on the basis of a result of the estimation, wherein said target toner concentration is totally estimated on the basis of a temperature and a humidity around said developing unit, a drive time of said developing unit, and history data thereof, and is then set or changed.
An image density control method for controlling a density of a toner image formed on a photoconductive element, said method comprising the steps of:
- adding up signals representing an amount of toner to be supplied in response to an image forming signal, while producing a count;
- supplying the toner in an amount corresponding to said count;
- estimating at least a bias condition for development and an image forming condition on the basis of a total count of said signals;
- and
- selectively controlling a plurality of objects on the basis of a result of the estimation.
An image density control method for controlling a density of a toner image formed on a photoconductive element, comprising the steps of:
- estimating an amount of toner supply required to maintain a desired image density in response to a toner concentration, a difference between said toner concentration and a target toner concentration, and history data thereof;
- controlling toner supply, via fuzzy inference and control, on the basis of a result of the estimation;
- and
- estimating a desired toner concentration from a reflection density ratio of a toner image of a reference pattern sensed by a photosensor, and history data thereof per unit image forming signal.
An image density control method for controlling a density of a toner image formed on a photoconductive element by a developing unit, said method comprising the steps of:
- estimating a developing ability of said developing unit in terms of a combination of membership functions associated with causes which affect said developing ability including a stress acting on a developer, environmental conditions, and a change in toner concentration;
- and
- selectively controlling either of a toner supply condition and a bias condition for development on the basis of a result of the estimation, wherein said toner supply condition and said bias condition are each controlled at a particular period of time.
An image density control method for controlling a density of a toner image formed on a photoconductive element by a developing unit, said method comprising the steps of:
- estimating a developing ability of said developing unit in terms of a combination of membership functions associated with causes which affect said developing ability including a stress acting on a developer, environmental conditions, and a change in toner concentration;
- and
- selectively controlling either of a toner supply condition and a bias condition for development on the basis of a result of the estimation, wherein a scale of said membership functions is changed on the basis of a result of detection of a toner image of a reference pattern by said photoconductive element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.