Image forming system for forming a light corrected image based upon both a light emitting device and an image forming device, image forming method, and non-transitory recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10365579-B2
Application number	US-201715806732-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 17, 2017
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

An image forming system includes a light emitting device, a controller, an image forming device, an acquiring device, a calculator, and a storage device. The controller corrects an amount of light, which is outputted from the light emitting device, based on a first correction value stored in the storage device. The image forming device forms a test image with the amount of light corrected based on the first correction value. The acquiring device acquires density information indicating a characteristic of density of the test image. The calculator calculates a second correction value based on the density information and calculates a third correction value based on the first correction value and the second correction value. The controller corrects the amount of light based on the third correction value. The image forming device forms a target image with the amount of light corrected based on the third correction value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming system comprising:
a light emitting device configured to output light;
a controller configured to control an amount of light to be output from the light emitting device;
a first storage device configured to store a first correction value corresponding to a characteristic of the light emitting device;
a controller configured to control an amount of light to be output from the light emitting device and to correct the amount of light based on the first correction value;
an image forming device configured to form a first test image on a medium using the amount of light corrected based on the first correction value and output from the light emitting device;
an acquiring device configured to acquire first density information indicating a characteristic of density of the first test image;
a calculator configured to calculate a second correction value based on the first density information acquired and corresponding to a characteristic of the image forming device and configured to calculate a third correction value based on the first correction value corresponding to a characteristic of the light emitting device and the second correction value corresponding to a characteristic of the image forming device;
the controller being further configured to control and correct the amount of light to be output from the light emitting device based on the third correction value, the image forming device being further configured to form a first target image on a medium using the amount of light being corrected based on the third correction value and output from the light emitting device; and
a second storage device configured to store the third correction value,
wherein the image forming device is configured to form a second test image on a medium using the amount of light corrected based on the third correction value,
wherein the acquiring device is configured to acquire second density information indicating a characteristic of density of the second test image,
wherein the calculator is configured to calculate a fourth correction value based on the second density information acquired and calculate a fifth correction value based on the first correction value and the fourth correction value,
wherein the controller is further configured to control and correct the amount of light to be output from the light emitting device based on the fifth correction value, and
wherein the image forming device is further configured to form a second target image on a medium using the amount of light corrected based on the fifth correction value and output from the light emitting device.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first unit, the first unit including:
the light emitting device;
the controller;
the image forming device;
the first storage device;
the second storage device; and
the calculator; and

a second unit, the second unit including the acquiring device.

3. The image forming system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first unit is an image forming apparatus, and
wherein the second unit is an external device.

4. The image forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first unit, the first unit including:
the light emitting device;
the first storage device;
the controller; and
the image forming device; and

a second unit, the second unit including:
the acquiring device;
the second storage device; and
the calculator.

5. The image forming system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first unit is an image forming apparatus, and
wherein the second unit is an external device.

6. The image forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a rewriter configured to rewrite the first correction value stored in the first storage device to the correction value calculated by the calculator.

7. The image forming system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second correction value is a value set to suppress variations in the density of the image arising from a characteristic of the image forming device, and
wherein the third correction value is a value set to suppress variations in the density of the image arising from the characteristic of the light emitting device and the characteristic of the image forming device.

8. The image forming system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the image forming device includes a mechanism configured to form a latent image on a photoconductor using the light output from the light emitting device, to supply toner to the latent image, and to transfer the toner onto the medium.

9. The image forming system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second correction value is a value set to suppress variations in the density of the image arising from a characteristic of the image forming device, and
wherein the third correction value is a value set to suppress variations in the density of the image arising from the characteristic of the light emitting device and the characteristic of the image forming device.

10. A non-transitory recording medium storing program code which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method of forming an image, the method comprising:
correcting an amount of light to be output from a light emitting device based on a first correction value corresponding to a characteristic of a light emitting device;
forming a first test image on a medium, with an image forming device, using the amount of light corrected based on the first correction value and output from the light emitting device;
acquiring first density information indicating a characteristic of density of the first test image;
calculating a second correction value based on the first density information acquired and corresponding to a characteristic of the image forming device;
calculating a third correction value based on the first correction value corresponding to a characteristic of the light emitting device and the second correction value corresponding to a characteristic of the image forming device;
correcting the amount of light to be output from the light emitting device based on the third correction value;
forming a first target image on a medium, with an image forming device, using the amount of light corrected based on the third correction value and output from the light emitting device;
forming a second test image on a medium using the amount of light corrected based on the third correction value;
acquiring second density information indicating a characteristic of density of the second test image;
calculating a fourth correction value based on the second density information acquired;
calculating a fifth correction value based on the first correction value and the fourth correction value;
correcting the amount of light to be output from the light emitting device based on the fifth correction value; and
forming a second target image on a medium using the amount of light corrected based on the fifth correction value and output from the light emitting device.

11. The non-transitory recording medium of claim 10 , wherein the second correction value is a value set to suppress variations in the density of the image arising from a characteristic of the image forming device, and wherein the third correction value is a value set to suppress variations in the density of the image arising from the characteristic of the light emitting device and the characteristic of the image forming device.

12. The non-transitory recording medium of claim 10 , wherein the second correction value is a value set to suppress variations in the density of the image arising from a characteristic of the image forming device, and w

Assignees

• Suzuki Masashi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Masashi

Classifications

• G03G15/043 Primary

  with means for controlling illumination or exposure (G03G15/041 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G15/5062

  by measuring the characteristics of an image on the copy material · CPC title

• G03G15/55

  Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display · CPC title