Image forming apparatus and image forming method

• US 10,539,907 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2018
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shimomura, Masaki, Kudo, Yoshiki, Kita, Hiroshi, Funatani, Kazuhiro, Sato, Keita
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Joseph S
• Application Number:
  US16/194,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20190155188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0808 characterised by the developer supplying means, e.g. structure of developer supply roller
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/105 Detection or control means for the toner concentration
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/1615 relating to the driving mechanism for the intermediate support, e.g. gears, couplings, belt tensioning
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5008 Driving control for rotary photosensitive medium, e.g. speed control, stop position control
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5054 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 Class Codes: G03G 15/5058 using a test patch
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5062 by measuring the characteristics of an image on the copy material
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5087 for receiving image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00029 Image density detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00037 Toner image detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00042 Optical detection
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00059 on intermediate image carrying member, e.g. transfer belt
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00067 on recording medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6033 using test pattern analysis H04N1/6055 takes precedence

Abstract

A downtime relating to formation and detection of a detection image is reduced. An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to calculate a first conversion unit to convert a gradation of input image data so that density output for the input image data becomes a first density output characteristic based on a first detection result of the detection image detected by a density sensor in a first mode. The controller generates a second conversion unit to convert the gradation of the input image data so that the density output for the input image data becomes a second density output characteristic in a second mode based on the detection result in the first mode and correction information, and further updates the correction information based on a second detection result of the detection image detected by the density sensor in the second mode and the first detection result.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a photosensitive drum;

a developing roller configured to develop an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum with a toner to form a toner image;

a belt onto which the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is to be transferred or on which a recording material, onto which the toner image is to be transferred, is borne;

a detector configured to detect a density of a detection image formed on the belt, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to perform an image formation in a first mode in which a circumferential speed difference of a circumferential speed of the developing roller with respect to a circumferential speed of the photosensitive drum is a first circumferential speed difference and in a second mode in which the circumferential speed difference is greater than the first circumferential speed difference;

a controller configured to calculate a first conversion unit configured to convert a gradation of input image data so that a density output for the input image data becomes a first density output characteristic based on a first detection result of the detection image detected by the detector in the first mode; and

a storage,

wherein the controller is configured to generate a second conversion unit configured to convert the gradation of the input image data so that the density output for the input image data becomes a second density output characteristic in the second mode based on the detection result in the first mode and correction information, and

wherein the controller is configured to further update the correction information based on a second detection result of the detection image detected by the detector in the second mode and the first detection result.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to update the correction information based on a difference between the first detection result and the second detection result.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate the second conversion unit based on the correction information and the first conversion unit obtained based on the first detection result.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to update the correction information based on the first conversion unit obtained based on the first detection result and a conversion unit obtained based on the second detection result.

22. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second mode comprises a mode for causing a rotation speed of the developing roller to become higher than a rotation speed of the developing roller in the first mode.

5. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a photosensitive drum;

a developing roller configured to develop an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum with a toner to form a toner image;

a belt onto which the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is to be transferred or on which a recording material, onto which the toner image is to be transferred, is borne;

a detector configured to detect a density of a detection image formed on the belt;

a controller configured to perform a first detection image actual measurement for obtaining a first characteristic indicating a relationship between input image data in a first mode and a density corresponding to the input image data based on a result of detecting the density of the detection image by the detector in the first mode; and

a storage,

wherein the controller is configured to perform a predicted density correction for predicting, based on the first characteristic, a characteristic indicating a relationship between input image data in a second mode in which an image formation is performed with a color gamut different from a color gamut in the first mode and the density corresponding to the input image data, and perform an image formation in the second mode by using a predicted characteristic,

wherein the controller is configured to perform a second detection image actual measurement for obtaining a second characteristic indicating a relationship between the input image data in the second mode and the density corresponding to the input image data based on a result of detecting the density of the detection image by the detector in the second mode, obtain a correction value based on the second characteristic and the predicted characteristic, and correct the predicted characteristic by using an obtained correction value while storing the obtained correction value in the storage, and

wherein the controller is configured to further correct the predicted characteristic by using the obtained correction value stored in the storage without performing the second detection image actual measurement.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the correction value comprises a difference between the second characteristic and the predicted characteristic.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a designation unit configured to designate whether the second detection image actual measurement is to be performed,

wherein in a case in which the designation unit designates to perform the second detection image actual measurement, the controller is configured to perform the second detection image actual measurement irrespective of whether the obtained correction value is stored in the storage.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein in a case in which the obtained correction value is not stored in the storage and the designation unit designates not to perform the second detection image actual measurement, the controller is configured to use the predicted characteristic for the image formation in the second mode without correcting the predicted characteristic.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein in a case in which the obtained correction value is not stored in the storage and the designation unit designates to perform the second detection image actual measurement, the controller is configured to perform the second detection image actual measurement to obtain the second characteristic, calculate the correction value based on an obtained second characteristic, correct the predicted characteristic based on a calculated correction value, and use a corrected predicted characteristic for the image formation in the second mode.

10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the storage stores a first image forming apparatus state exhibited when the second detection image actual measurement is performed and a second image forming apparatus state exhibited before the correction value is obtained,

wherein the controller is configured to identify, from among a plurality of second characteristics stored in the storage, an image forming apparatus state closest to an image forming apparatus state exhibited when the predicted characteristic is obtained, and

wherein in a case in which the image forming apparatus state identified as closest is the first image forming apparatus state, the controller is configured to update the correction value based on the second characteristic, correct the predicted characteristic based on an updated correction value, and use a corrected predicted characteristic for the image formation in the second mode.

11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to identify the image forming apparatus state closest to the image forming apparatus state exhibited when the predicted characteristic is obtained, by an index determined based on a factor that changes with a passage of time.

12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the factor includes at least one of a number of sheets on which images have been formed, an absolute moisture content in an environment in which the image forming apparatus is installed, and a change in temperature of the photosensitive drum.

13. An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein in a case in which the obtained correction value is stored in the storage and the designation unit designates not to perform the second detection image actual measurement, the controller is configured to correct the predicted characteristic based on the obtained correction value stored in the storage, and use a corrected predicted characteristic for the image formation in the second mode.

14. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to obtain the predicted characteristic by the predicted density correction based on a result of detecting the detection image by the detector in the first mode and a parameter for controlling a supply amount of the toner to be supplied from the developing roller to the photosensitive drum.

15. An image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the parameter comprises a rotation time of the developing roller or a circumferential speed difference which is a difference between a rotation speed of the developing roller with respect to a rotation speed of the photosensitive drum.

16. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to obtain image data for a current photosensitive drum and a current developing roller and a density ratio between a density obtained in the first mode and a density obtained in the second mode based on data on the density obtained in each of the first mode and the second mode under a predetermined condition, a current use amount of toner, and a degree of use of the current photosensitive drum, and to obtain the predicted characteristic based on a detection result detected by the detector in the first mode and the density ratio.

17. An image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the data on the density obtained in each of the first mode and the second mode under the predetermined condition includes:

a first density ratio between a density in the first mode and a density in the second mode that have been obtained by use of a new photosensitive drum and a new developing roller;

a second density ratio between a density in the first mode and a density in the second mode that have been obtained by use of the new photosensitive drum and a developing roller subjected to the image formation on a predetermined number of recording materials;

a third density ratio between a density in the first mode and a density in the second mode that have been obtained by use of a photosensitive drum exhibiting a high degree of use and the new developing roller; and

a fourth density ratio between a density in the first mode and a density in the second mode that have been obtained by use of the photosensitive drum exhibiting the high degree of use and the developing roller subjected to the image formation on the predetermined number of recording materials.

18. An image forming apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a cartridge including the photosensitive drum, the developing roller, and a nonvolatile memory,

wherein the nonvolatile memory is configured to store data on the current use amount of the toner and data on the degree of use of the current photosensitive drum.

19. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the density becomes higher as the circumferential speed difference becomes greater.

20. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the density becomes lower as a degree of use of the photosensitive drum becomes higher.

21. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the density becomes higher as a degree of use of the developing roller becomes higher until the degree of use of the developing roller reaches a predetermined use amount, and the density maintains a constant level after the degree of use of the developing roller reaches the predetermined use amount.

23. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second mode comprises a mode for causing a rotation speed of the developing roller to become higher than a rotation speed of the developing roller in the first mode.

24. An image forming method to be performed by an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising a photosensitive drum, a developing roller configured to develop an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum with a toner to form a toner image, a belt onto which the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is to be transferred or on which a recording material, onto which the toner image is to be transferred, is borne, a detector configured to detect a density of a detection image formed on the belt, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to perform an image formation in a first mode in which a circumferential speed difference of a circumferential speed of the developing roller with respect to a circumferential speed of the photosensitive drum is a first circumferential speed difference and in a second mode in which the circumferential speed difference is greater than the first circumferential speed difference, a controller configured to calculate a first conversion unit configured to convert a gradation of input image data so that a density output for the input image data becomes a first density output characteristic based on a first detection result of the detection image detected by the detector in the first mode, and a storage, the image forming method comprising:

generating, by the controller, a second conversion unit configured to convert the gradation of the input image data so that the density output for the input image data becomes a second density output characteristic in the second mode based on the detection result in the first mode and correction information; and

further updating, by the controller, the correction information based on a second detection result of the detection image detected by the detector in the second mode and the first detection result.

25. An image forming method to be performed by an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising a photosensitive drum, a developing roller configured to develop an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum with a toner to form a toner image, a belt onto which the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is to be transferred or on which a recording material, onto which the toner image is to be transferred, is borne, a detector configured to detect a density of a detection image formed on the belt, a controller configured to perform a first detection image actual measurement for obtaining a first characteristic indicating a relationship between input image data in a first mode and a density corresponding to the input image data based on a result of detecting the density of the detection image by the detector in the first mode, and a storage, the image forming method comprising:

performing, by the controller, a predicted density correction for predicting, based on the first characteristic, a characteristic indicating a relationship between input image data in a second mode in which an image formation is performed with a color gamut different from a color gamut in the first mode and the density corresponding to the input image data, and performing an image formation in the second mode by using a predicted characteristic;

performing, by the controller, a second detection image actual measurement for obtaining a second characteristic indicating a relationship between the input image data in the second mode and the density corresponding to the input image data based on a result of detecting the density of the detection image by the detector in the second mode, obtaining a correction value based on the second characteristic and the predicted characteristic, correcting the predicted characteristic by using an obtained correction value while storing the obtained correction value in the storage; and

further correcting, by the controller, the predicted characteristic by using the obtained correction value stored in the storage without performing the second detection image actual measurement.