IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20080075476A1
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamane, Jun, Shimizu, Hitoshi, Hirai, Shuji, Satoh, Osamu, Ue, Kohji, Yamashita, Masahide, Nakazato, Yasushi, Oku, Takenori
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/15
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0161 Generation of registration marks

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of types of operation control information of the image forming apparatus; an index value calculating unit that calculates an index value indicating a state of the image forming apparatus based on the acquired operation control information; an abnormality judging unit that judges whether the image forming apparatus abnormality has occurred and predicts an occurrence of a failure based on the index value; and a detection pattern position detecting unit that detects a position of a detection pattern on an image carrier carrying a toner image. The detection pattern is formed on the image carrier carrying the toner image. The detection pattern position detecting unit detects the position of the detection pattern formed on the image carrier. The index value calculating unit uses information based on position detection data as the operation control information of the image forming apparatus.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of types of operation control information of the image forming apparatus;

an index value calculating unit that calculates an index value indicating a state of the image forming apparatus based on the acquired operation control information;

an abnormality judging unit that judges whether the image forming apparatus abnormality has occurred and predicts an occurrence of a failure based on the index value; and

a detection pattern position detecting unit that detects a position of a detection pattern on an image carrier carrying a toner image,

wherein the detection pattern is formed on the image carrier carrying the toner image,

the detection pattern position detecting unit detects the position of the detection pattern formed on the image carrier, and

the index value calculating unit uses information based on position detection data as the operation control information of the image forming apparatus.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of pieces of position detection data are acquired;

information consistency based on each piece of position detection data is calculated; and

the index value calculating unit uses the calculated information consistency as the operation control information of the image forming apparatus.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image forming unit that forms a toner image in a plurality of colors on the image carrier; and

a color shifting correction controlling unit that forms a detection pattern in each color on the image carrier, uses the detection pattern position detecting unit to detect a position of the detection pattern in each color formed on the image carrier, calculates an amount of color shifting based on position detection data of the detection pattern in each color, and performs color shifting correction based on the amount of color shifting, wherein

the index value calculating unit uses information that is obtained based on the position detection data of the detection pattern and that is acquired during a control of the color shifting correction, as the operation control information of the image forming apparatus.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the color shifting correction controlling unit repeats a process of forming the detection pattern in each color, using the detection pattern position detecting unit to detect the position of the detection pattern in each color formed on the image carrier, and calculating the amount of color shifting based on the position detection data of the detection pattern in each color, after performing the color shifting correction based on the calculated amount of color shifting, and

information based on the position detection data of the detection position acquired after the color shifting correction is performed is used to calculate the information consistency based on the position detection data.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the color shifting correction controlling unit repeats a process of detecting the position of the detection pattern and calculating the amount of color shifting and performs the color shifting correction, when the calculated amount of color shifting is equal to or more than a predetermined amount of shifting or when an error in the calculation of the amount of color shifting occurs;

and

the index value calculating unit uses information indicating that the color shifting correction process has been repeated as the operation control information of the image forming apparatus.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the detection pattern image is a line image having a line width not less than 0.1 millimeter and not more than 1 millimeter.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the index value calculating unit uses, as the operation control information of the image forming apparatus, a number of peaks in the position detection data when the detection pattern position detecting unit detects the detection pattern.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the detection pattern image is a solid image having a line width equal to or more than 1 millimeter.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the index value calculating unit uses, as the operation control information of the image forming apparatus, a number of peaks in the position detection data when the detection pattern position detecting unit detects the detection pattern.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of types of operation control information of the image forming apparatus, an index value calculating unit that calculates an index value indicating a state of the image forming apparatus based on the acquired operation control information;

an abnormality judging unit that judges whether the image forming apparatus abnormality has occurred and predicts an occurrence of a failure based on the index value; and

a surface state detecting unit that includes a light-emitting element that emits light toward a predetermined position on an image carrier surface carrying a toner image, and a light-receiving unit that receives light emitted from the light-emitting unit and reflected by the image carrier surface,

wherein the index value calculating unit uses detection data from the light-receiving unit as the operation control information of the image forming apparatus.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising

a homogeneousness judging unit that consecutively detects light reflected by a rotating image carrier surface for a predetermined period using the light-receiving unit and judges homogeneousness of detection data based on a group of consecutively acquired detection data,

wherein the index value calculating unit uses a judgment result from the homogeneousness judging unit as the operation control information of the image forming apparatus.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

a plurality of light-receiving units are disposed in differing positions in an axial direction of the image carrier,

the homogeneousness judging unit judges the homogeneousness of the detection data from each light-receiving unit, and

the index value calculating unit uses information on whether all results of the homogeneous judgment of the detection data from the light-receiving unit judged by the homogeneousness judging unit are homogeneous as the operation control information of the image forming apparatus.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising

a storing unit that stores the detection data from the light-receiving unit,

wherein the index value calculating unit compares first detection data with second detection data, the first detection data being acquired after an elapse of a predetermined period from when the detection data stored in the storing unit is acquired, the second detection data being stored in the storing unit, and uses a result of the comparison as the operation control information of the image forming apparatus.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the light-receiving unit receives diffused reflection light diffused and reflected by the image carrier surface.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

an erase lamp that discharges a surface of the image carrier is used as the light-emitting unit.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

a latent image forming unit that irradiates light onto the image carrier surface and forms a latent image is used as the light-emitting unit.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

a toner density detecting unit that optically detects toner density of the toner image on the image carrier is used as the surface state detecting unit.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

a detection pattern position detecting unit that detects the position of the detection pattern on the image carrier is used as the surface state detecting unit.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the index value calculating unit decides a calculation equation used to calculate the index value based on a pattern recognition algorithm.