Method for measuring amount of toner, method for image formation, toner amount measuring apparatus, and image forming apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTomohisa Itagaki, Ryo Hanashi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for measuring an amount of toner on a recording medium that can accurately measure the toner amount. Information on the recording medium to which the toner is fixed is acquired. The toner fixed to the recording medium is irradiated with laser light. A light intensity distribution of reflected light of the laser light is detected. The amount of the toner on the recording medium is calculated on the basis of the acquired recording medium information and the detected light intensity distribution.
Claims26
A method for measuring the amount of toner on a recording medium, the method comprising:
- a recording medium information acquiring step of acquiring information on said recording medium to which said toner is fixed;
- a light irradiating step of irradiating said toner fixed to said recording medium with laser light;
- a light intensity distribution detecting step of detecting a light intensity distribution of reflected light of said laser light with which said toner is irradiated;
- and
- a toner amount calculating step of calculating the amount of said toner on said recording medium on the basis of said acquired recording medium information and said detected light intensity distribution.
A method for measuring the amount of toner on a recording medium, the method comprising:
- a light irradiating step of irradiating said recording medium and said toner fixed to said recording medium with laser light;
- a light intensity distribution detecting step of detecting a light intensity distribution of reflected light of said laser light with which said recording medium and said toner are irradiated;
- a light intensity distribution comparing step of comparing a light intensity distribution of reflected light from said recording medium with a light intensity distribution of reflected light from said toner, both light intensity distributions being included in said detected light intensity distribution;
- and
- a toner amount calculating step of calculating the amount of said toner on the basis of the comparison result of said light intensity distribution comparing step.
A toner amount measuring apparatus configured to measure the amount of toner on a recording medium, the apparatus comprising:
- a recording medium information storing unit configured to store information on said recording medium to which said toner is fixed;
- a light irradiating unit configured to irradiate said toner fixed to said recording medium with laser light;
- a light intensity distribution detecting unit configured to detect a light intensity distribution of reflected light of said laser light with which said toner is irradiated;
- and
- a toner amount calculating unit configured to calculate the amount of said toner on said recording medium on the basis of said stored recording medium information and said detected light intensity distribution.
A toner amount measuring apparatus configured to measure the amount of toner on a recording medium, the apparatus comprising:
- a light irradiating unit configured to irradiate said recording medium and said toner fixed to said recording medium with laser light;
- a light intensity distribution detecting unit configured to detect a light intensity distribution of reflected light of said laser light with which said recording medium and said toner are irradiated;
- a light intensity distribution comparing unit configured to compare a light intensity distribution of reflected light from said recording medium with a light intensity distribution of reflected light from said toner, both light intensity distributions being included in said detected light intensity distribution;
- and
- a toner amount calculating unit configured to calculate the amount of said toner on the basis of the comparison result provided by said light intensity distribution comparing unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.