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US 8,942,576 B2Granted
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYoichi Takikawa, Hideki Kubo
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AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYoichi Takikawa, Hideki Kubo
Estimating the term…
An image forming apparatus for forming an image based on an electrophotographic process applied to image data that represents the image includes a device configured to perform a periodic movement for image formation, a storage unit configured to store a table for correcting density variation caused by the device, the table initially generated when a physical property of the device is in a reference state, a prediction unit configured to predict an amplitude of the variation caused when the physical property is in a state different from the reference state, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust the table based on the amplitude predicted by the prediction unit.
An image forming apparatus for forming an image based on an electrophotographic process applied to image data that represents the image, the image forming apparatus comprising:
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for use in an operating environment that includes a computer, a device, and a storage unit, the device configured to perform a periodic movement for forming an image based on an electrophotographic process, the electrophotographic process applied to image data that represents the image, wherein the computer program is configured to cause the computer to perform a method of correcting the image data, the method comprising:
A method of correcting image data that represents an image, the method for use with forming the image based on an electrophotographic process applied to image data, the method for use in an operating environment that includes a device and a storage unit, the device configured to perform a periodic movement for forming the image based on the electrophotographic process, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Picture signal circuits: compensating positionally unequal response of the pick-up or reproducing head
By measuring the characteristics of an intermediate image carrying member or the characteristics of an image on an intermediate image carrying…:…
Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern: self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
Compensating positionally unequal response of the pick-up or reproducing head: of the reproducing head
About 6 years 1 month of term left · ends 20 Nov 2032 (estimated)
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method for forming an image based on the electrophotographic process.
2. Description of the Related Art
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically illustrate a deviation of a rotational axis of a developing roller.
Various exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment includes an engine 10 and a controller 11. The engine 10 includes image forming units 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d for cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) colors, respectively, a density sensor 120, a secondary transfer unit 102, and an intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 104, which are arranged along the intermediate transfer belt 101 in the rotational direction R1 of an intermediate transfer belt 101. A fixing unit 103 is provided on the downstream side of the secondary transfer unit 102. Each of the image forming units 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d for cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) colors performs similar processing. The image forming unit 100a includes a photosensitive drum 1001a, a charging unit 1002a, an exposure unit 1003a, a developing unit 1004a, a primary transfer unit 1005a, a cleaning unit 1006a, and a rotation phase acquisition unit 121a. The image forming units 100b, 100c, and 100d have a similar configuration.
Operations of the image forming apparatus will be described in detail below. First of all, image formation processing performed by the image forming apparatus will be described below. The image forming units 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d form toner images on respective photosensitive drums by using toner of respective colors, and primarily transfer the respective toner images in sequence onto the intermediate transfer belt 101. Generally, the image forming apparatus uses toner of four (C, M, Y, and K) colors. In the present exemplary embodiment, the image forming units 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d use C, M, Y, and K toner, respectively. The number of image forming units and the number of colors to be used are not limited to four. For example, light ink and clear ink may be used. The order of arrangements of the image forming units for respective colors is not be limited to the order in the present exemplary embodiment, and may be any order. The image forming units 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d perform toner image formation in parallel in this order at different timings at fixed intervals. The photosensitive drum 1001a of the image forming unit 100a is provided with a negatively-charged organic photosensitive layer on the circumferential surface, and rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow R3.