Image forming apparatus, control apparatus, and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9291933-B2
Application number	US-201414313077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2014
Priority date	Jun 24, 2013
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

An image forming apparatus including: an acquisition unit for independently acquiring image correction information on every page, the image correction information being independently preset for every page on which an image is to be formed; and a control unit for correcting an image forming condition for every page based on the image correction information acquired by the acquisition unit and controlling the image forming apparatus to form the image on a sheet based on the corrected image forming condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an acquisition unit for independently acquiring image correction information on every page, the image correction information being independently preset for every page on which an image is to be formed and being stored in a storage unit;
a control unit for correcting an image forming condition for every page based on the image correction information acquired by the acquisition unit and controlling the image forming apparatus to form the image on a sheet based on the corrected image forming condition,
a quiescent period measuring unit for measuring a period during which the image forming apparatus is in a quiescent state; and
a determination unit for determining an execution condition for a job according to the period measured by the quiescent period measuring unit,
wherein when image correction information corresponding to the execution condition for the job determined by the determination unit is not stored in the storage unit, the control unit creates new image correction information corresponding to the execution condition for the job and stores the created new image correction information in the storage unit.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a quiescent state determining unit, wherein the quiescent state determining unit determines whether the image forming apparatus is in a quiescent state before formation of the image on the sheet, and wherein
the control unit corrects the image forming condition based on the image correction information only when the quiescent state determining unit determines that the image forming apparatus is in the quiescent state.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a steady state determining unit for determining whether the image forming apparatus reaches a steady state where a difference in image forming result between pages is equal to or less than a predetermined value, wherein
the control unit corrects the image forming condition based on the image correction information before the steady state determining unit determines that the image forming apparatus reaches the steady state.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit corrects the image forming condition based on different information from the image correction information after the steady state determining unit determines that the image forming apparatus reaches the steady state.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit corrects the image forming condition based on the image correction information according to the period measured by the quiescent period measuring unit.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines the execution condition for the job according to job information in addition to the measured period.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit corrects a pixel value included in image data in order to correct the image forming condition based on the image correction information.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a colorimetric section for performing colorimetry for the image formed on the sheet, wherein
the control unit creates the image correction information based on a colorimetric result from the colorimetric section; and
the acquisition unit acquires the image correction information created by the control unit.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a colorimetric section for performing colorimetry for the image formed on the sheet, wherein
the control unit updates the image correction information based on a colorimetric result from the colorimetry section.

10. An image forming system comprising:
the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
a colorimeter for performing colorimetry for the image formed on the sheet ejected from the image forming apparatus, the colorimeter being connected to the image forming apparatus, wherein
the control unit creates the image correction information based on a colorimetric result from the colorimeter; and
the acquisition unit acquires the image correction information created by the control unit.

11. The image forming system according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit updates the image correction information based on the colorimetric result from the colorimeter.

12. A control apparatus for controlling an operation of an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, comprising:
an acquisition unit for independently acquiring image correction information on every page, the image correction information being independently preset for every page on which the image is to be formed and being stored in a storage unit;
a control unit for correcting an image forming condition for every page based on the image correction information acquired by the acquisition unit and controlling the image forming apparatus to form the image on the sheet based on the corrected image forming condition;
a quiescent period measuring unit for measuring a period during which the image forming apparatus is in a quiescent state; and
a determination unit for determining an execution condition for a job according to the period measured by the quiescent period measuring unit,
wherein when image correction information corresponding to the execution condition for the job determined by the determination unit is not stored in the storage unit, the control unit creates new image correction information corresponding to the execution condition for the job and stores the created new image correction information in the storage unit.

13. An image forming system comprising:
the control apparatus according to claim 12 ; and
an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus being controlled by the control apparatus.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Hirano Sachiko

Classifications

• G03G2215/0164

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

• G06K15/02

  using printers · CPC title

• G03G15/5062

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

• H04N1/00031

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

• G03G15/0142 Primary

  Structure of complete machines · CPC title