Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11006016-B2
Application number	US-202016810860-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 7, 2019
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

An image forming apparatus is configured to form an image on a recording medium by scanning of the image forming apparatus by a user. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming device and processing circuitry. The image forming device includes a plurality of image forming arrays. Each of the image forming arrays includes an image forming portion configured to form the image. The processing circuitry is configured to set an image forming array to be used to form the image, according to a use mode of the image forming apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording medium by scanning of the image forming apparatus by a user, the image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming device including a plurality of image forming arrays, each of which includes an image forming portion configured to form the image, each of the image forming arrays being an image printing array which prints by forming the image on the recording medium, and
processing circuitry configured to set an image forming array to be used to form the image, according to a use mode of the image forming apparatus.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry sets a scanning mode for distinguishing a mode of scanning of the image forming apparatus by the user,
wherein the processing circuitry sets the image forming array to be used, according to the scanning mode set based on a scanning direction of the image forming apparatus by the user.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the image forming arrays are arranged in both sides with respect to a center of the image forming apparatus in the scanning direction, and
wherein the processing circuitry sets, as the image forming array to be used, one of the image forming arrays disposed on a front side in the scanning direction.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store a use state including a use frequency of each of the image forming arrays,
wherein the processing circuitry sets the image forming array to be used according to the use state.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry performs a maintenance-and-recovery operation on the image forming portion, and
wherein the processing circuitry switches an image pattern to be formed by the maintenance-and-recovery operation in accordance with a setting state of the image forming array to be used.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the image pattern includes identification information for recognizing the image forming array to be used.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the identification information is a character for identifying the image forming array to be used.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the identification information is a character for identifying a position of the image forming array to be used.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the image pattern is different between the image forming arrays.

10. A method for forming an image on a recording medium by scanning of an image forming apparatus by a user, the image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming arrays, each of which includes an image forming portion configured to form the image, the method comprising:
setting an image forming array to be used to form the image, among the plurality of image forming arrays, according to a use mode of the image forming apparatus; and
printing the image on the recording medium using the image forming array which has been set.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising setting a scanning mode for distinguishing a mode of scanning of the image forming apparatus by the user,
wherein the setting the image forming array to be used includes setting the image forming array to be used, according to the scanning mode set based on a scanning direction of the image forming apparatus by the user.

12. The method according to claim 11 ,
wherein the image forming arrays are arranged in both sides with respect to a center of the image forming apparatus in the scanning direction, and
wherein the setting the image forming array to be used includes setting, as the image forming array to be used, one of the image forming arrays disposed on a front side in the scanning direction.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising storing a use state including a use frequency of each of the image forming arrays in a memory,
wherein the setting the image forming array to be used includes setting the image forming array to be used according to the use state.

14. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising performing a maintenance-and-recovery operation on the image forming portion,
wherein the performing the maintenance-and-recovery operation includes switching an image pattern to be formed by the maintenance-and-recovery operation in accordance with a setting state of the image forming array to be used.

15. The method according to claim 14 ,
wherein the image pattern includes identification information for recognizing the image forming array to be used.

16. The method according to claim 15 ,
wherein the identification information is a character for identifying the image forming array to be used.

17. The method according to claim 15 ,
wherein the identification information is a character for identifying a position of the image forming array to be used.

18. The method according to claim 14 ,
wherein the image pattern is different between the image forming arrays.

19. A non-transitory recording medium storing computer readable code for causing an image forming apparatus to execute a process of forming an image on a recording medium by scanning of the image forming apparatus by a user, the image forming apparatus including a plurality of image forming arrays, each of which includes an image forming portion configured to form the image, the process comprising:
setting an image forming array to be used to form the image, among the plurality of image forming arrays, according to a use mode of the image forming apparatus; and
printing the image on the recording medium using the image forming array which has been set.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of image forming arrays include a plurality of image printing arrays each of which prints by depositing ink onto the recording medium using an inkjet recording head.

Assignees

• Tokumaru Ko
• Shiori Jun
• Murata Takuya
• Tanaka Yuji
• Koike Takahisa
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tokumaru Ko
• Shiori Jun
• Murata Takuya
• Tanaka Yuji
• Koike Takahisa

Classifications

• H04N1/0426 Primary

  using different sized scanning elements, e.g. reproducing different sized dots · CPC title

• H04N1/1918

  Combination of arrays · CPC title

• B41J3/36

  for portability {, i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers (B41J3/4075 takes precedence)} · CPC title