Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12416888-B2
Application number	US-202418653078-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2024
Priority date	May 11, 2023
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image former, a detector, and circuitry. The image former forms a toner pattern with a first line screen; and forms a toner image based on image data, with a second line screen. The detector detects density unevenness of the toner pattern, formed by the image former, in a main scanning direction. The circuitry is configured to calculate a first correction amount from the density unevenness detected by the detector; create a gradation correction table that reduces the density unevenness based on the first correction amount; and correct the first correction amount by a second correction amount corresponding to the second line screen, in a case where the first line screen is different from the second line screen.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image former to:
form a toner pattern with a first line screen; and
form a toner image based on image data, with a second line screen;

a detector to detect density unevenness of the toner pattern, formed by the image former, in a main scanning direction; and
circuitry configured to:
calculate a first correction amount from the density unevenness detected by the detector;
create a gradation correction table that reduces the density unevenness based on the first correction amount; and
correct the first correction amount by a second correction amount corresponding to the second line screen, in a case where the first line screen is different from the second line screen.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
calculate the first correction amount for each of multiple areas at different positions in the main scanning direction;
correct the gradation correction table based on the first correction amount calculated for each of the multiple areas; and
correct the first correction amount based on the second correction amount corresponding to the second line screen for each of the multiple areas,
to cause the image former to form the toner image with the second line screen.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the detector:
detects an image density of each of the multiple areas; and
obtains a difference between the image density of each of the multiple areas and a reference density to obtain a density deviation for each of the multiple areas, as the density unevenness, and
the circuitry calculates the first correction amount for each of the multiple areas, from the density deviation for each of the multiple areas.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the circuitry calculates the first correction amount for each of the multiple areas based on both of:
the density deviation for each of the multiple areas; and
a gradation sensitivity for each of the multiple areas.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry selects the first correction amount corresponding to an input gradation obtained from the image data, from multiple first correction amounts corresponding to multiple input gradations different from each other.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detector detects the density unevenness based on image density for each of multiple areas at different positions in the main scanning direction in the toner pattern on a recording medium.

Assignees

• Sone Keita
• Takenaka Tomohide
• Tanaka Shinya
• Tachi Masashi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sone Keita
• Takenaka Tomohide
• Tanaka Shinya
• Tachi Masashi

Classifications

• G03G2215/0164

  Uniformity control of the toner density at separate colour transfers · CPC title

• G03G2215/00755

  of sheet toner density · CPC title

• G03G15/5062

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

• G03G15/5058

  using a test patch · CPC title

• G03G15/5041 Primary

  Detecting a toner image, e.g. density, toner coverage, using a test patch (G03G15/553 takes precedence) · CPC title