IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS

• US 20200137258A1
• Filed: 10/20/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Oki Data Corporation (OKI Electric Industry Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Oki Data Corporation (OKI Electric Industry Company Limited)
• Inventors: IIOKA, Yuzuru
• Application Number:
  US16/658,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20200137258A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00029 Diagnosis, i.e. identifying a problem by comparison with a normal state
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/034 using ink, e.g. ink-jet heads H04N1/0323 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/053 in main scanning direction, e.g. synchronisation of line start or picture elements in a line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0471 using dedicated detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04744 by detecting the scanned beam or a reference beam

Abstract

An image formation apparatus according to an embodiment may include: a sensor unit provided at a movable part being movable in a main scanning direction; a driver configured to move a medium in a sub-scanning direction; a controller that controls the sensor unit, the movable part, and the driver, wherein the controller controls the sensor unit to detect the medium while controlling the movable part to move in the main scanning direction without driving the driver, and controls the sensor unit to detect the medium while controlling the movable part to move in the main scanning direction with controlling the driver to move the medium in the sub-scanning direction.

Claims

1. An image formation apparatus comprising:

a sensor unit provided at a movable part being movable in a main scanning direction;

a driver configured to move a medium in a sub-scanning direction;

a controller that controls the sensor unit, the movable part, and the driver, wherein the controller controls the sensor unit to detect the medium while controlling the movable part to move in the main scanning direction without driving the driver, and controls the sensor unit to detect the medium while controlling the movable part to move in the main scanning direction with controlling the driver to move the medium in the sub-scanning direction.

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

the controller comprises a medium processor that identifies a type of the medium based on a detection result of the sensor unit.

3. The image formation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the medium processor comprises a medium identifying part that execute a first identification process that controls the sensor unit to detect the medium while controlling the movable part to move in the main scanning direction without driving the driver, and a second identification process that controls the sensor unit to detect the medium while controlling the movable part to move in the main scanning direction with controlling the driver to move the medium in the sub-scanning direction.

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

the medium processor comprises a medium detection condition changing part that changes, when the medium identifying part cannot identify the type of the medium in the first identification process, a setting of the first identification process.

5. The image formation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the medium identifying part executes the second identification process to identify the type of the medium, when the medium identifying part cannot identify the type of the medium in the first identification process.

6. The image formation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the medium processor compares the detection result of the sensor unit with stored information of sample media, to identify the type of the medium.

7. The image formation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor unit comprises a light emitter to emit light to the medium and a light receiver to receive light reflected from the medium.

8. The image formation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the controller generates, based on a detection result of the light receiver, one or more peak waveforms which indicate characteristics of the detection result.

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

the controller calculates, based on the one or more peak waveforms, a peak frequency and a peak amplitude of each of the one or more peak waveforms.

10. The image formation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the controller identifies a type of the medium based on the peak frequency and the peak amplitude.

11. The image formation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an image formation part configured to form an image on the medium.

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

the image formation part comprises an inkjet head.

13. The image formation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller identifies, based on a detection result of the sensor unit, whether the medium is a retroreflective medium or not.