IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD

• US 20170343920A1
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyadera, Tatsuya, Iwata, Muneaki, Fujita, Hayato
• Granted Patent: US 10,012,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/04045 for exposing image information provided otherwise than by directly projecting the original image onto the photoconductive recording material, e.g. digital copiers G03G15/041, G03G15/043 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/043 with means for controlling illumination or exposure G03G15/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/12 by photographic printing , e.g. by laser printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1873 Increasing spatial resolution; Anti-aliasing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40056 Circuits for driving or energising particular reading heads or original illumination means H04N1/401, H04N1/407 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40068 Modification of image resolution, i.e. determining the values of picture elements at new relative positions H04N1/3935 takes precedence

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a light source, and circuitry that receives: first image data including first pixels each indicating image density or one of turning on and off the light source; and tag data indicating an attribute of each first pixels. The circuitry sets specific data to identify a first target pixel subjected to change out of the first pixels, converts the first image data into second image data having a higher resolution than that of the first image data, and controls the light source according to the second image data to form an image. In conversion, the circuitry identifies a second target pixel corresponding to the first target pixel out of second pixels of the second image data according to the specific data and the tag data, and changes the second target pixel into a pixel to turn on the light source.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

at least one photoconductor;

a light source to expose the at least one photoconductor; and

circuitry to;

receive first image data and tag data, the first image data including first pixels each indicating density of an image to be formed or one of turning on the light source and turning off the light source, the tag data indicating an attribute of each of the first pixels;

set specific data to identify a first target pixel subjected to change out of the first pixels;

convert the first image data into second image data including second pixels, the second image data having a higher resolution than a resolution of the first image data; and

control the light source according to the second image data to form the image,

in conversion of the first image data into the second image data, the circuitry identifying a second target pixel corresponding to the first target pixel out of the second pixels of the second image data according to the specific data and the tag data, and changing the second target pixel into a pixel to turn on the light source, so as to generate the second image data.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry performs a high voltage control by use of exposure energy equal to or less than a predetermined value.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a surface potential of the at least one photoconductor converges when the exposure energy exceeds the predetermined value.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the resolution of the second image data is two or more times higher than the resolution of the first image data.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry identifies the first target pixel by pattern matching.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the specific data indicates a plurality of patterns in the pattern matching, and

wherein the plurality of patterns is organized in order of priority.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first target pixel is adjacent to an edge of one of a text and a line of the image.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tag data is 1 bit data indicating whether each of the first pixels is one of a text and a line of the image.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry adds one or more pixels to turn on the light source, so as to thicken one of a text and a line of the image.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the circuitry adds the one or more pixels to turn on the light source in the resolution of the second image data.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pixels and the second pixels are 1 bit data indicating the one of turning on the light source and turning off the light source.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pixels and the second pixels are multi-bit data indicating the density.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if the first image data includes a pixel defining a difference, the circuitry performs a smoothing processing to eliminate the difference, and

wherein the circuitry changes the pixel defining the difference into the pixel to turn on the light source, so as to generate the second image data.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising:

at least one photoconductor;

a light source to expose the at least one photoconductor;

means for receiving first image data and tag data, the first image data including first pixels each indicating density of an image to be formed or one of turning on the light source and turning off the light source, the tag data indicating an attribute of each of the first pixels;

means for setting specific data to identify a first target pixel subjected to change out of the first pixels;

means for converting the first image data into second image data including second pixels, the second image data having a higher resolution than a resolution of the first image data,

the means for converting identifying a second target pixel corresponding to the first target pixel out of the second pixels of the second image data according to the specific data and the tag data,

the means for converting changing the second target pixel into a pixel to turn on the light source, so as to generate the second image data; and

means for controlling the light source according to the second image data to form the image.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the means for controlling performs a high voltage control by use of exposure energy equal to or less than a predetermined value.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the means for converting identifies the first target pixel by pattern matching.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the means for converting adds one or more pixels to turn on the light source, so as to thicken one of a text and a line of the image.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the means for converting adds the one or more pixels to turn on the light source in the resolution of the second image data.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, if the first image data includes a pixel defining a difference, the means for converting performs a smoothing processing to eliminate the difference, and

wherein the means for converting changes the pixel defining the difference into the pixel to turn on the light source, so as to generate the second image data.

20. A method for forming an image by an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus including at least one photoconductor and a light source, the method comprising:

receiving first image data and tag data, the first image data including first pixels each indicating density of an image to be formed or one of turning on the light source and turning off the light source, the tag data indicating an attribute of each of the first pixels;

setting specific data to identify a first target pixel subjected to change out of the first pixels;

converting the first image data into second image data including second pixels, the second image data having a higher resolution than a resolution of the first image data,

the converting including;

identifying a second target pixel corresponding to the first target pixel out of the second pixels of the second image data according to the specific data and the tag data; and

changing the second target pixel into a pixel to turn on the light source so as to generate the second image data; and

controlling the light source according to the second image data to form the image.