Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11635720-B2
Application number	US-202117492675-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2021
Priority date	Oct 14, 2020
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes image forming units having unit identification data, unit attachment portions having attachment portion identification data, an acquisition unit, a calculator, a storage unit, a controller, and a notification unit. The acquisition unit acquires data set of the two types of data. The calculator calculates data that are correction data for correcting image forming conditions or data on corrected image forming conditions. The storage unit stores the data set and the calculation data corresponding to the data set. The controller executes a data reuse control of controlling the image forming units using the calculation data that are stored in the storage unit and correspond to the data set after the data set is changed. The notification unit notifies execution-related information on execution of the data reuse control before the data reuse control.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a plurality of image formers having unit identification data;
a plurality of unit attachment structures having attachment structure identification data, the plurality of unit attachment structures to which the plurality of image formers are detachably attached;
an acquirer to acquire a data set of the unit identification data of the plurality of image formers and the attachment structure identification data of the plurality of unit attachment structures;
a calculator to calculate calculation data that include at least one of correction data for correcting image forming conditions of the plurality of image formers or data on corrected image forming conditions;
a storage to store the data set and the calculation data corresponding to the data set so as to be related to each other;
a controller configured to execute a data reuse control of controlling the plurality of image formers using the calculation data that are stored in the storage and correspond to the data set acquired by the acquirer after the data set is changed; and
a notifier to notify execution-related information on execution of the data reuse control before the controller executes the data reuse control.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
an input receiver to receive an instruction input regarding the data reuse control,
wherein the notifier notifies selection information as the execution-related information on whether to execute the data reuse control, and
wherein the controller is configured to execute the data reuse control when the input receiver receives an instruction for executing the data reuse control and not to execute the data reuse control when the input receiver receives an instruction for not executing the data reuse control.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the storage stores useful determination information that is useful for determination regarding whether to execute the data reuse control so as to relate the data set and the calculation data to the useful determination information, and
wherein the notifier notifies the useful determination information as the execution-related information.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the notifier includes a display.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the notifier notifies non-existence information when the storage does not store the calculation data corresponding to the data set acquired by the acquirer after the data set is changed.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising
an input receiver to receive an instruction input,
wherein the notifier notifies selection information as the non-existence information to select whether to calculate the calculation data, and
wherein the calculator calculates the calculation data when the input receiver receives an instruction for calculating the calculation data and not to calculate the calculation data when the input receiver receives an instruction for not calculating the calculation data.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the calculator calculates the calculation data without receiving an instruction input when the storage does not store the calculation data corresponding to the data set acquired by the acquirer after the data set is changed.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the storage includes a non-volatile storage medium.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of image formers includes at least a part of the storage.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a detector to detect an image formed by at least one of the plurality of image formers,
wherein the calculator calculates the calculation data of the at least one of the plurality of image formers based on detection data detected by the detector.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the calculator calculates the calculation data to correct an image density difference of the image in a conveyance direction of a recording medium.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the calculator calculates the calculation data to correct an image density difference of the image in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a recording medium.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the calculator calculates the calculation data to correct gradations of the image formed by the at least one of the image formers.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the calculator calculates the calculation data to perform an image displacement correction of the image formed by the at least one of the image formers.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of unit attachment structures are five or more unit attachment structures, and
the plurality of image formers include four image formers using black toner, cyan toner, magenta toner, and yellow toner, respectively, and one or more image formers using toner different from the black toner, the cyan toner, the magenta toner, and the yellow toner.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein two or more of the plurality of image formers are exchangeable between two or more of the plurality of unit attachment structures.

17. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a plurality of image formers having unit identification data;
a plurality of unit attachment structures having attachment structure identification data, the plurality of unit attachment structures to which the plurality of image formers are detachably attached;
an acquirer to acquire a data set of the unit identification data of the plurality of image formers and the attachment structure identification data of the plurality of unit attachment structures;
a calculator to calculate calculation data that include at least one of correction data for correcting image forming conditions of the plurality of image formers or data on corrected image forming conditions;
a storage to store the data set and the calculation data corresponding to the data set so as to be related to each other; and
a controller configured to control the plurality of image formers using the calculation data,
wherein the calculator calculates the calculation data without receiving an instruction input when the storage does not store the calculation data corresponding to the data set acquired by the acquirer after the data set is changed.

18. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus including:
a plurality of image formers having unit identification data; and
a plurality of unit attachment structures having attachment structure identification data, the plurality of unit attachment structures to which the plurality of image formers are detachably attached;

an acquirer to acquire a data set of the unit identification data of the plurality of image formers and the attachment structure identification data of the plurality of unit attachment structures;
a calculator to calculate calculation data that include at least one of correction data for correcting image forming conditions of the plurality of image formers or data on corrected image forming conditions;
a storage to store the data set and the calculation data corresponding to the data set so as to be related to each other;
a controller configured to execu

Assignees

• Yamamura Hiroki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamamura Hiroki

Classifications

• G03G21/1875

  provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. lifetime of the cartridge · CPC title

• G03G21/1889

  for auto-setting of process parameters, lifetime, usage · CPC title

• G03G15/5062

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

• G03G15/5054

  by measuring the characteristics of an intermediate image carrying member or the characteristics of an image on an intermediate image carrying member, e.g. intermediate transfer belt or drum, conveyor belt · CPC title

• G03G15/5025 Primary

  by measuring the original characteristics, e.g. contrast, density · CPC title