Image forming apparatus and method adjusting image forming positions on first and second sides of recording medium depending on adhesion amounts based on reading test charts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11178290-B2
Application number	US-202117179370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2021
Priority date	Feb 28, 2020
Publication date	Nov 16, 2021
Grant date	Nov 16, 2021

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to perform an image forming process of forming a plurality of test charts having different adhesion amounts of an image forming material on a recording medium. The image forming process includes a transfer process of transferring the image forming material to image forming positions on the recording medium. The image forming apparatus further includes an image reading unit, circuitry, and a storage unit. The image reading unit reads each of the plurality of test charts. The circuitry calculates adjustment values for adjusting images formed at the image forming positions on a first side and a second side of the recording medium depending on adhesion amounts of the image forming material on the first side and the second side based on a reading result of the plurality of test charts by the image reading unit. The storage unit stores the adjustment values.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit configured to perform an image forming process of forming a plurality of test charts having different adhesion amounts of an image forming material on a recording medium, the image forming process including a transfer process of transferring the image forming material to image forming positions on the recording medium;
an image reading unit configured to read each of the plurality of test charts;
circuitry configured to calculate adjustment values for adjusting images formed at the image forming positions on a first side and a second side of the recording medium depending on adhesion amounts of the image forming material on the first side and the second side based on a reading result of the plurality of test charts by the image reading unit; and
a storage unit configured to store the adjustment values.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of test charts includes a first test chart and a second test chart, and
wherein an adhesion amount of the image forming material in an image forming area on the recording medium is smaller in the first test chart than in the second test chart.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the image forming unit is configured to form the plurality of test charts corresponding to a plurality of combination patterns in which the first test chart and/or the second test chart are/is formed on the first side and/or the second side of one recording medium, and
wherein the circuitry is configured to calculate the adjustment values corresponding to each of the plurality of combination patterns.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to calculate the adjustment values which are applied when one print job includes various image forming processes having the different adhesion amounts, based on the adjustment values corresponding to each of the plurality of combination patterns.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the image forming unit performs the image forming process based on image data, the image forming unit is configured to apply the adjustment values corresponding to the adhesion amount of the image data stored in the storage unit to the image forming process.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the image forming unit performs the image forming process based on image data without the adjustment values corresponding to the image data in the storage unit, the circuitry is configured to calculate the adjustment values based on the image data, and the image forming unit is configured to apply the adjustment values calculated by the circuitry to the image forming process.

7. An image forming method comprising:
performing an image forming process of forming a plurality of test charts having different adhesion amounts of an image forming material on a recording medium, the performing including transferring the image forming material to image forming positions on the recording medium;
reading each of the plurality of test charts;
calculating adjustment values for adjusting images formed at the image forming positions on a first side and a second side of the recording medium depending on adhesion amounts of the image forming material on the first side and the second side based on a reading result of the plurality of test charts; and
storing the adjustment values.

Assignees

• Sekita Daiki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sekita Daiki

Classifications

• H04N1/00798

  Circuits or arrangements for the control thereof, e.g. using a programmed control device or according to a measured quantity · CPC title

• H04N1/00031 Primary

  Testing, i.e. determining the result of a trial (H04N1/00029 takes precedence; using test signals for transmission mode changing H04N2201/33371) · CPC title

• H04N1/2346

  according to a detected condition or state of the reproducing device, e.g. temperature or ink quantity · CPC title

• H04N1/0009

  Storage · CPC title

• H04N1/00082 Primary

  Adjusting or controlling (interrupting an operation H04N1/00915; inhibiting an operation H04N1/00925) · CPC title