| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080218771 | Image-forming device - An image-forming device includes a conveying unit and a pattern data generating unit. The conveying unit conveys a target in a conveying direction, the target having a target light reflectance. The pattern data generating unit generates pattern data indicating a pattern in which a plurality of marks is arranged in the conveying direction. The plurality of marks includes a first mark having a first color and a first light reflectance and a plurality of second marks having a plurality of second colors and a plurality of second light reflectance. The plurality of second colors is equal to or different from one another. The plurality of second light reflectance is equal to or different from one another. A first difference between the target light reflectance and the first light reflectance is greater than a second difference between the target light reflectance and any of the plurality of second light reflectance. At least one of first distances between the first mark and the marks adjacent to the first mark is greater than a minimum distance between the adjacent second marks. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080225307 | Image-Forming Device - An image-forming device includes a pattern data generating unit, an image-forming unit and a detecting unit. The pattern data generating unit generates pattern data indicative of a pattern of a plurality of marks. The plurality of marks includes a first mark having a first color, a first light reflectance, a first width in a predetermined direction and a first dot density and a second mark having a second color, a second light reflectance, a second width in the predetermined direction and a second dot density. A difference between a target light reflectance and the first light reflectance is greater than a difference between a target light reflectance and the second light reflectance. At least one of the first mark width and the first dot density is smaller and lower than the second mark width and the second dot density. The image-forming unit forms the plurality of marks at positions on a target having the target light reflectance, based on the pattern data. The detecting unit detects the positions in the predetermined direction at which the plurality of marks is formed on the target, based on changes of light reflected from the target and the plurality of marks. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080226359 | Image-Forming Device - The pattern data generating unit generates pattern data indicative of a pattern of a plurality of marks including a plurality of first marks each having a first color and a plurality of second marks each having a second color so that a first target-total is equal to a second target-total. The first target-total is a total of deviations of first target-positions from a reference position in a predetermined direction. The second target-total is a total of deviations of second target-positions from the reference position in the predetermined direction. The controlling unit controls the image-forming unit to calibrate the second target-positions based on the offset of a second actual-total from a first actual-total. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080240752 | Image-Forming Device - An image-forming device includes an image bearing member, a data providing unit, an image-forming unit, a detecting unit, a first calculating unit, a determining unit, and a second calculating unit. The image bearing member has a surface moving at a surface speed. The data providing unit provides pattern data indicative of a target test pattern to be formed on a target position of the surface in response to a test instruction. The image-forming unit forms an actual test pattern on an actual position of the surface in accordance with the pattern data provided from the data providing unit, and configure to form an image in response to an image-forming instruction. The detecting unit detects the actual position. The first calculating unit calculates a deviation of the actual position from the target position. The determining unit performs a first determination of whether the surface speed when the data providing unit receives the test instruction is stable or unstable. The second calculating unit calculates a correction amount based on the deviation and the first determination. The image-forming unit forms, in response to the image-forming instruction, an image on a position of the surface. The position is corrected based on the correction amount. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080240797 | Image Forming Apparatus - During a first operation, at least one of a first pattern and a second pattern is formed on a first area of an image carrier, and at least the other pattern is formed on a second area of the image carrier. The first area corresponds to a half of the image carrier, while the second area corresponds to the remaining half of the image carrier. During a second operation, a second pattern is formed on an area of the image carrier where a first pattern is formed during the first operation, and a first pattern is formed on an area of the image carrier where a second pattern is formed during the first operation. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080240798 | Image-Forming Device - An image-forming device includes 1st to Mth photosensitive drums, a forming unit, an image-carrying member, a detecting unit, and a calibrating unit. The 1st to Mth photosensitive drums are arrayed in numeric order in a first direction. Each of the photosensitive drums is rotatable and has a circumferential length D. M is an integer no less than 1. The forming unit forms a registration mark on each of the photosensitive drums. Each of the registration marks formed on each of the photosensitive drums has a color different from one another. The image-carrying member extends in the first direction. The registration marks formed on the photosensitive drums are transferred onto the image-carrying member in the numeric order. The registration marks transferred onto the image-carrying member are arrayed in the first direction. Neighboring registration marks are spaced by a distance L in the first direction. The detecting unit detects positions of the registration marks transferred onto the image-carrying member. The calibrating unit calibrates positions of the photosensitive drums at which the forming unit forms the registration marks, based on the positions detected by the detecting unit. D=N×M×L+(M−1)×L, N being an integer no less than 0. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080291477 | Image Forming Apparatus - A matched ideal waveform is extracted from a plurality of ideal waveforms based on degree of coincidence with a light sensitive waveform obtained by a light receiving portion. The plurality of ideal waveforms differ from one another in phase. The displacement amount of an image to be formed of an adjustive color from an image to be formed of a reference color is determined based on the extracted matched ideal waveform. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080292370 | Image Forming Apparatus - A light receiving portion is configured to receive a light that varies with time while a mark formed on an object moves across a detection area. The position of the mark on the object is determined based on comparison of a time-varying level of said light with at least one threshold during movement of said mark on said object across said detection area. The determined position of the mark is corrected by a correction value into a corrected mark position. The correction value is set to a higher value, if the time-varying light level exceeds the threshold or falls below the threshold with a smaller slope while the mark moves across the detection area. An image forming position is adjusted based on the corrected mark position. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20090162110 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A controlling section controls an image forming section to form a calibration pattern on an object. The calibration pattern includes a plurality of marks in first and second groups. The marks in the second group are formed at a different position in the second direction from the marks in the first group. The marks in each of the first and second groups are arranged in the first direction over a predetermined range on the object. Each mark has shape and color. The detecting section detects the calibration pattern formed on the object, thereby obtaining detection results. The correcting section corrects, based on the detection results, an image forming position at which the image forming section forms an image. The marks belonging to different groups and having a same color are formed at different positions with respect to the first direction in at least part of the predetermined range. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090162111 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, a controlling section, a detecting section, and a correcting section. The image forming section forms an image on an object. The controlling section controls the image forming section to form a calibration pattern on the object. The calibration pattern includes a plurality of marks in a first group and a plurality of marks in a second group. The plurality of marks in each of the first group and the second group is arranged in a first direction over a predetermined range. The plurality of marks in each of the first group and the second group includes first marks and second marks. The first mark in the first group corresponds to the second mark in the second group in a second direction different from the first direction in at least part of the predetermined range. The first mark in the second group corresponds to the second mark in the first group in the second direction in at least part of the predetermined range. The detecting section detects the first mark and the second mark formed on the object. The correcting section corrects, based on the detected first mark, a deviation in the first direction of an image forming position at which the image forming section forms an image, and corrects, based on the detected second mark, a deviation in the second direction of the image forming position. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090162112 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A controlling section controls an image forming section to form a calibration pattern on an object. The calibration pattern includes a plurality of first patterns and a plurality of second patterns. Each of the first patterns includes at least one pair of marks. Each of the at least one pair of marks has different colors and overlaps with each other in a first direction. The first patterns have different degrees of overlapping from each other. Each of the second patterns is formed between one of the first patterns and another one of the first patterns in the moving direction. The detecting section detects the first and second patterns formed on the object. The correcting section corrects the image forming position in the first direction based on detection results of the first patterns, and corrects the image forming position in a second direction based on detection results of the second patterns. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090220263 | IMAGE-FORMING DEVICE - A patch mark-forming unit forms a first patch mark at a first density on a surface. A light emitting unit emits an incident light onto the surface moving. The incident light reflected by the surface is divided into a mirror-reflected light and a diffusion-reflected light on the surface. A first detecting unit detects an amount of the diffusion-reflected light. The patch mark forming unit reforms a second patch mark at a second density weaker than the first density it the amount detected by the first detecting unit is larger than a threshold. A second detecting unit detects an amount of the mirror-reflected light reflected by the surface on which the second patch mark has been reformed. A position calculating unit calculates, based on the amount detected by the second detecting unit, a position on the surface at which an image should be formed. An image-forming unit forms an image at the position. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20100053638 | Image-Forming Device - An image-forming device includes an image-forming unit, a sensor, a screening unit, an excluding unit, and a determining unit. The image-forming unit forms a plurality of marks on an object. The sensor detects a light reflected on the object, the reflected light including a plurality of waveforms. The screening unit screens the plurality of waveforms into a plurality of mark waveforms corresponding to the plurality of marks respectively and a plurality of noise waveforms other than the plurality of mark waveforms. The excluding unit excludes a mark waveform adjacent to the noise waveform from the plurality of mark waveforms. The determining unit determines a position of each mark based on the plurality of mark waveforms from which the mark waveform adjacent to the noise waveform is excluded. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100053649 | Image-Forming Device - An image-forming device includes an image-forming unit, a sensor, a calculating unit, and an extracting unit. The image-forming unit forms a plurality of marks on an object. The sensor detects a light reflected on the object, the reflected light including a plurality of waveforms. The calculating unit calculates a first value of each waveform in a predetermined evaluation index, a second value of a basic waveform corresponding to an ideal mark in the predetermined evaluation index, and a matching rate of each waveform with the basic waveform based on both each first value and the second value. The extracting unit extracts, from the plurality of waveforms, waveforms whose matching rates satisfy a predetermined condition. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100061740 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of forming devices, a measuring device and a correcting device. In execution of a steady-deviation detection, the correcting device controls the forming devices to form a first pattern and detects a steady deviation amount of the image forming position on a basis of a measurement result of the first pattern. In execution of a varying-deviation detection, the correcting device controls at least one of the forming devices to form a second pattern and detects a varying deviation amount of the image forming position having a cycle on a basis of a measurement result of the second pattern. The correcting device determines necessity of executing the other one of the steady-deviation detection and the varying-deviation detection on the basis of the measurement result in the one of the steady-deviation detection and the varying-deviation detection. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100074638 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus including an image carrier, a plurality of forming devices, a detecting device configured to perform a steady-deviation detection for detecting steady positional deviation and a varying-deviation detection for detecting varying positional deviation having a cycle, and a correcting device configured to perform a steady-deviation correction for correcting the steady positional deviation and a varying-deviation correction for correcting the varying positional deviation. The detecting device forms, during the steady-deviation detection, a steady-deviation detection pattern in a state where the varying deviation correction is selectively disabled. The steady-deviation detection pattern has a plurality of measuring points arranged in a longitudinal direction. The detecting device, during the steady-deviation detection, measures positional deviation amount at each measuring point, and detects the steady positional deviation based on the measurement result. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100079824 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: a forming unit configured to form a mark on a carrier; a light emitting unit configured to emit light toward a surface of the carrier; a light receiving unit configured to receive reflected light from the surface of the carrier and from the mark and configured to output a light reception signal corresponding to a amount of the received reflected light; a detecting unit configured to detect a position of the mark on the carrier on a basis of a signal wave contained in the light reception signal; and a modification unit configured to modify the detected position of the mark by a modification amount corresponding to a difference in a waveform of the signal wave corresponding to the mark so as to reduce an error between the detected position and an actual position. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100080577 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: a carrier; a forming device configured to form a mark on the carrier; a sensor including a light emitting device and a light receiving device, the light emitting device being configured to emit light toward the carrier, and the light receiving device being configured to receive light reflected from at least one of the carrier and the mark and output a light reception signal corresponding to a quantity of the received light; a determiner configured to determine a position of the mark on a basis of the light reception signal; a changer configured to change a sensor sensitivity of the sensor by changing at least one of a quantity of light emitted by the light emitting device and a sensitivity of the light receiving device; an evaluator configured to obtain the light reception signal a plurality of times and configured to evaluate a degree of closeness between an average level of the light reception signal obtained a plurality of times and a target level; and a controller configured to control the changer to change the sensor sensitivity of the sensor according to a result of the evaluation of the evaluator. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100080601 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: a carrier; an image forming unit configured to form an image on the carrier using colorant, the image including a pattern; a pattern sensor configured to detect the pattern formed on the carrier; a cleaner configured to perform cleaning of the carrier; and a residue sensor configured to perform detection of residual colorant remaining on the carrier after the cleaner performs the cleaning of the carrier. A detection condition for the residue sensor to perform the detection of the residual colorant is more suitable for detecting colorant than the detection condition for the pattern sensor to detect the pattern. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100189451 | Image-Forming Device - In an image-forming device includes an image-forming unit, a first conveying unit, a first changing unit, and a second changing unit. The image-forming unit includes a rotatable mirror, a light-emitting unit, a photosensitive drum, a developing unit, a transferring unit. An electrostatic latent image composed of a plurality of line electrostatic latent images extending in a main scanning direction over a first length is formed on the photosensitive drum. The first conveying unit conveys a recording medium to the transferring position in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. The first changing unit changes a rotating speed of the rotatable mirror to change the first length. The second changing unit proportionally changes a conveying speed of the first conveying unit in accordance with the change of the rotating speed of the rotatable mirror. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100245865 | Image Forming Apparatus Having a Function for Adjustment of Image Forming Conditions - An image forming apparatus includes a forming portion, an adjusting portion and a control portion. The forming portion is configured to form an image, while the adjusting portion is configured to execute an adjustment for correcting a pre-selected adjustable image forming condition based on a measurement of an image formed by the forming portion. The control portion is configured to control execution of the adjustment achieved by the adjusting portion. Specifically, the control portion obtains a plurality of kinds of variation values, which individually indicate a different state variation capable of involving a state change in the pre-selected adjustable image forming condition. The control portion calculates a complex evaluation of the current state of the pre-selected adjustable image forming condition based on the plurality of kinds of variation values, and determines a starting time for execution of the adjustment based on the complex evaluation. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100245945 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an apparatus body; an image carrier unit that includes: a support member; and an image carrier that is rotatably supported by the support member and directly or indirectly carries images; a positioning part that is provided at the apparatus body and positions the image carrier unit by being abutted against the support member; a plurality of rotating bodies which are provided in the apparatus body; and a control unit that controls driving states of the plurality of rotating bodies, wherein the control unit controls the rotating bodies so that a resultant force of forces applied to the image carrier unit from the plurality of rotating bodies is always applied in a normal direction where the support member is abutted against the positioning part, in a period where the plurality of rotating bodies moves to a normal rotation state from a stopped state. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100272462 | Image Forming Apparatus Having an Optical Sensor - An image forming apparatus includes a sensor having a light emitting section for irradiating a detection area and a light receiving section for outputting a light sensitive signal indicative of the amount of the light received from the detection area. A sensor adjustment section adjusts the sensitivity of the sensor by varying the set value of an adjustable characteristic value associated with the sensitivity, based on explorative measurement of the adjustable characteristic value corresponding to a predetermined reference level of the light sensitive signal. If an estimation section estimates that the amount of a leakage current generated on the light receiving section is larger than a reference amount, a mitigation section mitigates the influence of the leakage current on the explorative measurement, by at least one of adjustment of the light receiving section for reduction of the leakage current and modification of the predetermined reference level. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20110026044 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a first determination section which determines at least one of a position and a density of a mark; a correction section which corrects at least one of an image forming position and an image formation density of a formation section; a second determination section which determines whether a related element which affects the determination result by the first determination section satisfies a set condition; and a control section which controls the formation section to form a mark based on a mark element including at least one of: a width in the moving direction of the object; a width in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction; a density; a distance with an adjacent mark in a pattern; and a number of marks in the pattern, which is increased when the second determination section determine that the related element satisfies the set condition. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110026979 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a moving body which moves in a moving direction; a plurality of formation units which are provided to oppose the moving body, respectively, and align in an alignment direction, and which sequentially form images directly on the moving body or an image forming medium transported on the moving body; a detection section which outputs a detection signal corresponding to a position of a mark which is formed directly on the moving body or the image forming medium by each of the formation units; and a measurement section which specifies a positional relationship between marks formed by at least two formation units based on the detection signal from the detection section, and which measures a deviation angle between the moving direction of the moving body and the alignment direction of the formation units based on the specified positional relationship. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110026982 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an exposure section configured to form an electrostatic latent image, a developing section configured to supply developer to the electrostatic latent image to form a developer image, a first carrier configured to rotate while carrying thereon the developer image formed by the developing section, a second carrier configured to interpose a recording medium with the first carrier and configured to indirectly carry the developer image transferred from the first carrier to the recording medium, and a correction section configured to correct a formation position of the electrostatic latent image with using a correction value which is based on a use level of developer corresponding to at least one of an amount of developer and a coverage of developer in the developer image. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110075213 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus including a wireless tag reader is described. The wireless tag reader is configured to be located in a first position to read wireless tags associated with consumables when the consumables are inserted into, stationary in, or removed from the image forming apparatus, and in a second position to read wireless tags outside of the image forming apparatus. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110075214 | Image Forming Apparatus - A system and method for tracking consumables associated with an image forming device is described. An RFID reader is positioned to read RFID tags associated with the consumables when the consumables are inserted into, stationary in, or removed from the image forming device. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110076051 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a belt unit having a driving roller, a driven roller, a driving roller gear; and a belt which is looped around the driving roller and the driven roller; a belt driving gear which is engaged with the driving roller gear; a photosensitive drum which contacts the belt; and a positioning section which contacts a portion of the belt unit to position the belt unit with respect to a moving direction of the belt. The positioning section contacts the portion of the belt unit in a direction of receiving a force with which the photosensitive drum is pressing the belt unit. The belt driving gear is engaged with the driving roller gear such that a force pressing the belt unit from the belt driving gear via the driving roller gear presses the belt unit against the positioning section. | 03-31-2011 |
