Image forming system, image forming method, and non-transitory recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018239271-A1
Application number	US-201715806732-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 17, 2017
Publication date	Aug 23, 2018
Grant date	—

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 that is outputted from the light emitting device; an image forming device configured to form an image on a medium with the light; an acquiring device configured to acquire density information indicating a characteristic of density of the image; a calculator configured to calculate a correction value; and a first storage device configured to store a first correction value corresponding to a characteristic of the light emitting device, the controller configured to correct the amount of light based on the first correction value, the image forming device configured to form a first test image with the amount of light corrected based on the first correction value, the acquiring device configured to acquire first density information indicating a characteristic of density of the first test image, the calculator configured to calculate a second correction value based on the first density information and calculate a third correction value based on the first correction value and the second correction value, the controller configured to correct the amount of light based on the third correction value, and the image forming device configured to form a first target image with the amount of light corrected based on the third correction value.

2 . The image forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a second storage device configured to store the third correction value,
wherein the image forming device is configured to form a second test image with 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 and calculate a fifth correction value based on the first correction value and the fourth correction value, wherein the controller is configured to correct the amount of light based on the fifth correction value, and wherein the image forming device is configured to form a second target image with the amount of light corrected based on the fifth correction value.

3 . The image forming system according to claim 2 , 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.

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

5 . The image forming system according to claim 2 , 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.

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

7 . 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.

8 . 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.

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

10 . A method of forming an image, the method comprising:
correcting an amount of light based on a first correction value corresponding to a characteristic of a light emitting device; forming a first test image on a medium with the amount of light corrected based on the first correction value; 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; calculating a third correction value based on the first correction value and the second correction value; correcting the amount of light based on the third correction value; and forming a first target image with the amount of light corrected based on the third correction value.

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

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