Electrophotographic printer comprising an exposure energy correcting means for the optical character generator

• US 4,780,731 A
• Filed: 05/26/1987
• Issued: 10/25/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oce Printing Systems GmbH (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Maier, Manfred, Creutzmann, Edmund
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldberg, E. A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REINHART, MARK J
• Application Number:
  US07/055,893
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 346/108, 346/107 R, 346/76 L, 346/160, 346/154, 358/296, 358/300, 358/302, 372/29, 372/30, 372/31, 372/33
• US Class Current: 347/237
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/45 using light-emitting diode [LED] or laser arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1247 using an array of light sources, e.g. a linear array

Abstract

An electrophotographic printer having an optical character generator and an exposure energy correcting means formed of a light-emitting diode strip for the optical character generator. Upon call-in of a balancing routing, an automatic balancing of the light-emitting elements occurs by use of a photoelement which acquires a radiant intensity transmitted onto the recording medium by every light-emitting element under prescribed normal operating conditions, and which supplies corresponding signals to a control means coupled to the light-emitting element. The control means then assigns every light-emitting element an individual actuation time and stores this in a switching time memory. Upon actuation, every light-emitting element thus supplies the same radiant energy to the recording medium.

Claims

1. A non-mechanical printer means, comprising:

image generating means for generating an image formed of individual points on a recording medium by use of a plurality of light-emitting elements of an optical character generator;

a correction means for automatically balancing the light-emitting elements by controlling a turn-on time of the light-emitting elements by calling in an individually correctable actuation time from a switching time memory means;

said correction means including photoelement means positioned for acquiring radiant intensity transmitted onto the recording medium by every light-emitting element given prescribed normal operation conditions and for supplying corresponding signals for each light-emitting element to a control means connected to control the light-emitting elements through said switching time memory means;

said control means allocating an individual activation time to each and every light-emitting element and storing the activation time in said switching time memory means for individually controlling each connected light-emitting element so that a same radiant energy is directed towards the recording medium by all light-emitting elements; and

a compensation means connected to all light-emitting elements for acquiring operating parameters of the image generating means and uniformly defining a common electrical opeating parameter for all light-emitting elements based upon said operating parameters.

2. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 1 wherein said photoelement means is coupled to an electromotive means which moves said photoelement means into a radiation path of the light-emitting elements as needed.

3. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 1 wherein said photoelement means has a relatively small-area as compared to an area covered by all light-emitting elements and is moved successively through a radiation path of all of the light-emitting elements via an electromotive means.

4. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 1 wherein said photoelement means has an area sufficiently large to acquire radiation from all light-emitting elements simultaneously.

5. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 4 wherein means are provided for mounting said photoelement means such that it is swivelable into and out of position for receiving radiation.

6. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 1 wherein said operating parameters acquired by the compensation means are speed of the recording medium and operating temperature of the light-emitting elements.

7. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 1 wherein said operating parameters acquired by the compensation means include at least one of the parameters speed of the recording medium and operating temperature of the light-emitting elements.

8. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 7 wherein the optical character generator has a temperature sensing means coupled thereto, an output of the tempeature sensing means being connected to said compensation means.

9. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 1 wherein said correction means comprises a photoelement arranged behind a focusing optics and means for moving the photoelement through a region of radiation of the light emitting elements;

said control means comprising an allocated memory means for storing said acquired radiant intensities of the light-emitting elements, said control means assigning an actuation time to each radiant intensity of each of the light-emitting elements and for depositing this actuation time in said switching time memory means;

driver means for driving the light-emitting elements connected to the switching time memory means; and

said compensation means acquiring at least one of the operating parameters operating temperature of the printer means and speed of the recording medium.

10. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 1 wherein said printer means comprises an electrophotographic printer means.

11. A non-mechanical printer means, comprising:

a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged to form characters by radiating light onto a photoconductive surface;

each light-emitting element being connected to a switching time memory means for storing a switching time determining an amount of time by which each of the light-emitting elements is individually activated;

printer control means connected to each of the switching time memory means for activating the various light-emitting elements to create characters;

photoconductive means for sensing a light intensity from at least some of the light-emitting elements and for outputting corresponding signals;

said corresponding signals being connected to a control means for assigning individual actuation times to each of said corresponding signals corresponding to light radiating from said at least some light-emitting elements and for depositing the individual actuation times in each respective switching time memory means; and

a compensation means connected in common to the light-emitting elements for acquiring operating parameters of the image generating means and uniformly defining a common electrical operating parameter for the light-emitting elements based upon said operating parameters.

12. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 11 wherein said control means includes means for storing said corresponding signals in sequence of sampling.

13. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 11 wherein said photoconductive means comprises a photoelement which is mechanically moved so as to scan all radiant intensities from all light-emitting diodes of the non-mechanical printer means.

14. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 11 wherein said photoconductive means has an area sufficient to receive radiant intensity from all light-emitting elements simultaneously.

15. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 11 wherein said photoconductive means receives light radiation from all light-emitting elements.

16. A non-mechanical printer means, comprising:

means for generating an image formed of individual points on a recording medium by use of a plurality of light-emitting elements of an optical character generator;

a correction means for automatically balancing the light-emitting elements by controlling a turn-on time of the light-emitting elements and calling in an individually correctable actuation time from a switching time memory means;

additional monitoring light-emitting elements being provided which are not employed for character formation;

photoelement means positioned for acquiring radiant intensity transmitted from said monitoring light-emitting elements given prescribed normal operating conditions and for supplying corresponding signals to a control means connected to control the light-emitting elements through said switching time memory means;

said control means allocating an individual activation time to every light-emitting element and storing the activation time in said switching time memory means for controlling a connected light-emitter element so that a same radiant energy is directed towards the recording medium; and

said monitoring light-emitting elements being connected in parallel to at least some of said light-emitting elements employed for forming characters such that they are driven in common by a printer control means.

17. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 16 wherein said printer control means statistically actuates the monitoring light-emitting elements in a same pattern as the light-emitting elements for character generation.

18. A non-mechanical printer means according to claim 16 wherein said monitoring light-emitting elements are arranged on a common carrier element together with the light-emitting elements for character generation.

19. A non-mechanical printer means, comprising:

a plurality of character generating light-emitting elements;

a plurality of monitoring light-emitting elements;

the character and monitoring light-emitting elements each connecting to respective switching time memory means for storing an actuation time;

all of the switching time memory means associated with the character generating light-emitting elements connecting to a printer control means for actuating the character-generator light-emitting elements for character generation;

the monitoring light-emitting elements being commonly connected to respective ones of said character generating switching time memories at said printer control means;

a photoconductive drum arranged to receive radiant light from said character generating light-emitting elements;

a photoconductive element arranged to receive radiant light from said monitoring light-emitting elements; and

a control means connected to said photoelement for storing signals corresponding to the amount of radiant light received from the monitoring light-emitting elements and for assigning actuation times to said signals, and for forwarding said actuation times to said switching time memory means associated with said monitoring light-emitting elements and said character generating light-emitting elements.