Heat developing apparatus and its control method

A heat developing apparatus for developing a heat-processable photo-sensitive material comprising:

• a supply unit having a loading section for loading the heat-processable photo-sensitive material;
• an exposure unit for forming a latent image on the heat-processable photo-sensitive material fed by the supply unit based on an image signal or on a predetermined signal for density measurement;
• a developing unit for heat development of heat-processable photo-sensitive material containing the latent image;
• a device for gaining density information of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material developed by the developing unit;
• and
• a controller for conducting a correction for a density of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material based on a desired density and the density information, by controlling at least one of the exposure unit and the developing unit;
• wherein, the controller conducts the correction according to the density information gained by forming and developing a latent image based on the predetermined signal for density measurement when a predetermined time elapsed since a new package incorporating the heat-processable photo-sensitive material has been loaded on the loading section,
• wherein exposure unit comprises at least one of the acousto-optic modulation driver and high frequency superposing device, and the predetermined time is set based on at least one of the temperature characteristics of the acousto-optic modulation driver and the temperature characteristics of the high frequency superposing device.

A heat developing apparatus for developing a heat-processable photo-sensitive material comprising:

• a supply unit having a loading section for loading the heat-processable photo-sensitive material;
• an exposure unit for forming a latent image on the heat-processable photo-sensitive material fed by the supply unit based on an image signal or on a predetermined signal for density measurement;
• a developing unit for heat development of heat-processable photo-sensitive material containing the latent image;
• a device for gaining density information of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material developed by the developing unit;
• and
• a controller for conducting a correction for a density of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material based on a desired density and the density information, by controlling at least one of the exposure unit and the developing unit;
• wherein, the controller conducts the correction according to the density information gained by forming and developing a latent image based on the predetermined signal for density measurement when the developing unit has reached a predetermined temperature history after a new package incorporating the heat-processable photo-sensitive material has been loaded on the loading section.

A control method of a heat developing apparatus, which is structured to transport a heat-processable photo-sensitive material, to form a latent image in the heat-processable photo-sensitive material by exposing based on an image signal, and to develop the heat-processable photo-sensitive material with the latent image formed therein, the control method comprising,

• loading a package incorporating the heat-processable photo-sensitive material into the heat developing apparatus;
• determining if a correction is to be conducted or not for a density of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material in the package;
• forming a latent image on the heat-processable photo-sensitive material by exposing according to a predetermined signal for density measurement when the correction is to be conducted;
• developing the heat-processable photo-sensitive material carrying the latent image to form an image for density measurement;
• obtaining density information of the image for density measurement;
• and
• conducting the correction for the density of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material based on a desired density and the density information,
• wherein in the determining step, the correction is determined to be conducted,
• (i) when a print request is received, if a print request has not been received at the time when a new package incorporating the heat-processable photo-sensitive material is loaded, and
• (ii) when the new package is loaded, if a print request has been already received at the time when the new package is loaded on the loading section.

A control method of a heat developing apparatus, which is structured to transport a heat-processable photo-sensitive material, to form a latent image in the heat-processable photo-sensitive material by exposing based on an image signal, and to develop the heat-processable photo-sensitive material with the latent image formed therein, the control method comprising,

• loading a package incorporating the heat-processable photo-sensitive material into the heat developing apparatus;
• determining if a correction is to be conducted or not for a density of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material in the package;
• forming a latent image on the heat-processable photo-sensitive material by exposing according to a predetermined signal for density measurement when the correction is to be conducted;
• developing the heat-processable photo-sensitive material carrying the latent image to form an image for density measurement;
• obtaining density information of the image for density measurement;
• and
• conducting the correction for the density of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material based on a desired density and the density information,
• wherein in the determining step, the correction is determined to be conducted, when a predetermined time elapsed since the heat developing apparatus has become ready state, the predetermined time being set based on at least one of the temperature characteristics of an acousto-optic modulation driver and the temperature characteristics of a high frequency superposing device, and the acousto-optic modulation driver and the high frequency superposing device being provided in the heat developing apparatus.

A control method of a heat developing apparatus, which is structured to transport a heat-processable photo-sensitive material, to form a latent image in the heat-processable photo-sensitive material by exposing based on an image signal, and to develop the heat-processable photo-sensitive material with the latent image formed therein, the control method comprising,

• loading a package incorporating the heat-processable photo-sensitive material into the heat developing apparatus;
• determining if a correction is to be conducted or not for a density of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material in the package;
• forming a latent image on the heat-processable photo-sensitive material by exposing according to a predetermined signal for density measurement when the correction is to be conducted;
• developing the heat-processable photo-sensitive material carrying the latent image to form an image for density measurement;
• obtaining density information of the image for density measurement;
• and
• conducting the correction for the density of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material based on a desired density and the density information,
• wherein in the determining step, the correction is determined to be conducted, when temperature inside the heat developing apparatus has reached a predetermined temperature history.