Image forming apparatus which sets parameters for the formation of paper

• US 6,577,826 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kitagawara, Atsushi, Misaizu, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, HOAN H
• Application Number:
  US09/721,619
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 399/38, 399/39, 399/42, 399/44, 399/45, 399/47, 399/48, 399/49, 399/50, 399/51, 399/53, 399/55, 399/66, 399/67, 399/69, 399/23, 399/11, 358/518, 358/519, 358/521, 358/523, 358/529, 358/530, 428/404.4
• US Class Current: 399/45
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/00 Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern G03G16/00, G03G17/00 take precedence ; xerographic printers for data processors per se G06K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5029 by measuring the copy material characteristics, e.g. weight, thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6591 characterised by the recording material, e.g. plastic material, OHP, ceramics, tiles, textiles details transferring the toner pattern onto particular materials G03G15/1625
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00476 Non-standard property
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0119 Linear arrangement adjacent plural transfer points
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/407 Control or modification of tonal gradation or of extreme levels, e.g. background level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6022 Generating a fourth subtractive colour signal, e.g. under colour removal, black masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6097 depending on the characteristics of the output medium, e.g. glossy paper, matt paper, transparency or fabrics

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus, in accordance with formation of paper, there are controlled parameters; that is, a color conversion parameter pertaining to a color conversion section 23 of a drawing section 22; a parameter pertaining to a correction curve of an TRC·γ correction section 24 or a parameter pertaining to the number of screens or a growth pattern of a screen processing section 25 provided in a printer engine control section 12; parameters for use in adjusting electrification, exposure, and a voltage to be used during a developing operation, which are employed in a printer engine 13; a parameter for adjusting a voltage or current during a transfer operation; and a parameter for adjusting a fixing temperature or pressure. Parameters are controlled so as to reduce inconsistencies, which would otherwise arise in paper of poor formation. Thus, picture quality of an image is improved while inconsistencies are made less noticeable.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image formation section adapted to enable setting of various parameters and forming an image in accordance with the parameters; and

a controller adapted to form an image on paper by means of setting the parameters in said image formation section to reduce inconsistencies appearing on the image due to formation of the paper.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image formation section includes a color correction section adapted to correct a color according to a color correction parameter, and said controller sets the color correction parameter in accordance with the formation of the paper.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said image formation section forms an image through use of a plurality of coloring materials including a black coloring material and has the function of adjusting the amount of black coloring material according to a black coloring parameter, and said controller adjusts the black coloring parameter for adjusting the amount of the black coloring material according to the formation of the paper.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image formation section includes a spatial filtering section adapted to subject an image to spatial filtering operation in accordance with a spatial filtering parameter, and said controller sets the spatial filtering parameter for the spatial filtering operation in accordance with the formation of paper.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image formation section includes a correction section adapted to subject an image to γ

correction in accordance with a 7 correction operation parameter, and said controller sets the γ

correction operation parameter for the γ

correction in accordance with the formation of paper.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image formation section includes a screen section adapted to perform a screen operation in accordance with the number of screens corresponding to a screen processing parameter, and said controller sets the screen processing parameter for instructing the number of screens in accordance with the formation of paper.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image formation section includes a screen section adapted to perform a screen operation in accordance with a growth pattern corresponding to a growth pattern parameter, and said controller sets the growth pattern parameter for instructing the growth pattern in accordance with the formation of paper.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image formation section is constructed so as to adjust a voltage to be used for electrification in accordance with an electrification parameter and includes an image formation engine which electrifies a photosensitive member, forms a latent image by exposing the photosensitive member in accordance with an image to be formed, and develops the latent image;

and

wherein said controller sets the electrification parameter for adjusting the voltage for electrification in accordance with the formation of paper.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image formation section is constructed so as to adjust a voltage to be used for exposure in accordance with an exposure parameter and includes an image formation engine which electrifies a photosensitive member, forms a latent image by exposing the photosensitive member in accordance with an image to be formed, and develops the latent image;

and said controller sets the exposure parameter for adjusting the voltage for exposure in accordance with the formation of paper.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image formation section is constructed so as to adjust a voltage to be used for development in accordance with a development parameter and includes an image formation engine which electrifies a photosensitive member, forms a latent image by means for exposing the photosensitive member in accordance with an image to be formed, and develops the latent image;

and said controller sets the development parameter for adjusting the voltage for development in accordance with the formation of paper.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image formation section has an image formation engine for transferring an image formed on an image carrier onto paper and is constructed so as to adjust a voltage or current for transfer in accordance with a transfer parameter;

wherein said controller sets the transfer parameter for adjusting the voltage or current for transfer in accordance with the formation of paper.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image formation section has an image formation engine for fixing an image formed on an image carrier onto paper and is constructed so as to adjust a fixing temperature in accordance with a fixing temperature parameter;

and

wherein said controller sets the fixing temperature parameter for adjusting the fixing temperature in accordance with the formation of paper.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image formation section has an image formation engine for fixing an image formed on an image carrier onto paper and is constructed so as to adjust a fixing pressure in accordance with a fixing pressure parameter;

and wherein said controller sets the fixing pressure parameter for adjusting the fixing pressure in accordance with the formation of paper.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation section adapted to enable a user to effect settings pertaining to formation of paper;

and wherein said controller sets a parameter on said image formation section in accordance with the settings pertaining to formation of paper effected by said operation section.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an external interface section adapted to exchange information with the outside;

and wherein said controller sets a parameter on said image formation section in accordance with the settings pertaining to formation of paper received by way of the external interface section.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor adapted to detect information about formation of paper, and wherein said controller sets a parameter on the image formation section in accordance with the settings pertaining to the formation of paper detected by said sensor.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the formation of the paper is represented by formation index (FI);

and wherein the FI is defined by the following expression

18. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image formation section adapted to enable setting of various parameters and forming an image on paper;

a setting section adapted to set formation information of the paper indicating formation of the paper in several stages; and

a controller adapted to set the parameters on the image formation section on the basis of the formation information of the paper set by said setting section to reduce inconsistencies appearing on the image due to formation of the paper.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the formation information of the paper includes formation information of plain paper.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the formation information of the paper which is set by said setting section is a predetermined, fixed value.

21. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said controller has a storage section adapted to store the formation information set by said setting section and parameters of said controller so as to correspond to each other.

22. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said image formation section has an image formation engine constructed so as to adjust a fixing temperature according to a fixing temperature adjustment parameter, and said controller sets the fixing temperature lower as the formation of the paper becomes poorer.

23. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image formation section adapted to enable setting of various parameters and forming an image in accordance with the parameters, wherein the image formation section includes (a) a correction section adapted to subject the image to γ

correction, and (b) a screen section adapted to subject the image to screen processing in accordance with a number of screens and a growth pattern; and

a controller adapted to set the parameters for the γ

correction in the correction section and for the number of screens and the growth pattern in the screen section in accordance with formation of the paper.

24. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image formation section adapted to enable setting of various parameters and forming an image on paper, wherein the image formation section includes (a) a correction section adapted to subject an image to γ

correction, and (b) a screen section adapted to subject an image to screen processing in accordance with a number of screens and a growth pattern;

a setting section adapted to set formation information of the paper indicating the formation of the paper in several stages; and

a controller adapted to set the parameters for the γ

correction in the correction section and for the number of screens and the growth pattern in the screen section on the basis of the formation information of paper set by said setting section.