# US 7,466,472 B2 · Image forming apparatus, image forming method, program and computer readable information recording medium

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- Number: US 7,466,472 B2
- Document ID: US7466472B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/335,621
- Filed: 2006-01-20
- Published: 2006-08-17
- Granted: 2008-12-16
- Earliest claimed: 2005-01-24
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Yoshiaki Kawai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7466472B2

## CPC

- G02B 26/127: {Adaptive control of the scanning light beam, e.g. using the feedback from one or more detectors (G02B27/0031 takes precedence)}
- H04N 1/0473: {in subscanning direction, e.g. picture start or line-to-line synchronisation}
- H04N 1/1135: {for the main-scan only}
- H04N 2201/0471: using dedicated detectors
- H04N 2201/04722: on a photoconductive drum or belt
- H04N 2201/04729: in the main-scan direction
- H04N 2201/04732: Detecting at infrequent intervals, e.g. once or twice per line for main-scan control
- H04N 2201/04749: Detecting position relative to a gradient, e.g. using triangular-shaped masks, marks or gratings
- H04N 2201/04772: using a phase-locked loop
- H04N 2201/04789: in the main-scan direction
- H04N 2201/04793: using stored control or compensation data, e.g. previously measured data
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

Upon predetermined mark image measurement, the timing signal is adjusted to obtain a required correction amount for a scan magnification of the modulated light in a measurement range of the predetermined mark image measurement, while, upon regular image forming operation, the timing signal is adjusted to obtain the required correction amount for the scan magnification of the modulated light in the entire scanning range of the modulated light for regular image forming operation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus for obtaining an image by scanning with modulated light modulated in timing of a predetermined timing signal base on input image information, comprising:
a part of adjusting, upon predetermined mark image measurement, the timing signal, for obtaining a required correction amount for a scan magnification of the modulated light, in particular in a measurement range of the predetermined mark image measurement;
a part of adjusting, upon regular image forming operation, the timing signal, for obtaining the required correction amount for the scan magnification of the modulated light, in particular in the entire scanning range of the modulated light for regular image forming operation;
a first adjusting part measuring the scan magnification of the modulated light, obtaining the required correction amount of the scan magnification of the modulated light by comparing the measured value with a reference value, and adjusting the timing signal with the required correction amount of the scan magnification of the modulated light, in prior to actual image forming operation; and
a second adjusting part forming a predetermined mark image with the use of the predetermined timing signal having undergone the adjustment by said first adjusting part and measuring the predetermined mark image, correcting the required correction amount for the scan magnification of the modulated light, by comparing the measured value with a reference value; and further adjusting the timing signal, wherein:
upon the predetermined mark image forming operation, the timing signal is adjusted in such a manner that the required correction amount for the scan magnification of the modulated light may be obtained in particular in the measurement range of the predetermined mark measurement; and
upon the regular image forming operation, the timing signal is adjusted in such a manner that the required correction amount for the scan magnification of the modulated light may be obtained in particular in the predetermined scanning range of the modulated light for the regular image forming operation.

### Claim 2

An image forming apparatus for obtaining an image by scanning with modulated light modulated in timing of a predetermined timing signal base on input image information, comprising:
a part of adjusting, upon predetermined mark image measurement, the timing signal, for obtaining a required correction amount for a scan magnification of the modulated light, in particular in a measurement range of the predetermined mark image measurement;
a part of adjusting, upon regular image forming operation, the timing signal, for obtaining the required correction amount for the scan magnification of the modulated light, in particular in the entire scanning range of the modulated light for regular image forming operation, wherein:
the adjustment of the timing signal is made by changing, in a predetermined manner, a pulse width of each of predetermined clock pulses from among clock pulses corresponding to the predetermined modulated light scanning range; and said predetermined clock pulses are determined from a total number of clock pulses for which the pulse width should be adjusted and a frequency of the clock pulses for which the pulse width is adjusted.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:
the predetermined manner for changing the pulse width of each of the predetermined clock pulses comprises a manner such that the pulse width is increased or decreased by a predetermined amount.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:
the predetermined clock pulses are assigned at the frequency in sequence in a predetermined direction along the predetermined modulated light scanning range.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein:
in order to obtain the required correction amount for the scan magnification of the modulated light in particular in the mark image measurement range, the total number of clock pulses, for each of which the pulse width is adjusted, for obtaining the correction amount for the scan magnification of the modulated light upon the regular image forming apparatus, is multiplied with a ratio of the mark image measurement range with respect to the predetermined scanning range for the regular image forming operation, and the thus-obtained value is applied as the number of clock pulses, for each of which the pulse width is adjusted.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the measurement of the scan magnification of the modulated light is made by measurement of scanning timing of the modulated light by photosensors set in the modulated light scanning range.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the predetermined mark image comprises a first mark image extending in a main scan direction which is a direction in which the modulated light scans and a second mark image extending in a direction inclined from the main scan direction by a predetermined angle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
a plurality of optical systems are applied to scan with the modulated light to form a plurality of color component images, respectively, and a multi-color image is obtained from overlaying the plurality of color component images.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein:
the plurality of color component images are formed on respective image carriers, and are transferred to an intermediate transfer member in sequence in an overlaying manner, and thus, the multi-color image is obtained.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein:
a common PLL is applied to grenade respective timing signals for the modulated light for forming the respective ones of the plurality of color component images.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
clock pulses of the timing signal for the modulated light correspond to pixels of the image obtained from scanning with the modulated light.