Lexmark International, Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Cary Patterson Ravitz

Gary Allen Denton

Alan Stirling Campbell

Brian Wesley Damon

Stanley Coy Tungate, Jr

Albert Mann Carter, Jr

David Anthony Schneider

Albert Munn Carter, Jr

Thomas George Twardeck

Gary Scott Overall

John Parker Richey

Franklin Joseph Palumbo

Daniel Paul Cahill

Mark Andrew Omelchenko

Shaun Timothy Love

Steven L Applegate

Tao Yu

Raymond Edward Clark

John Melvin Olson

Trent Duane Peter

Craig Eric Hadady

David Keith Lane

Philip David Jones

Carl J Voss

Joseph Edward Johnson

John C Bartlett

Adam Daniel Cahill

David W Holcomb

Violin shoulder rest

A method and system for carrying out an image-to-paper printer registration setup includes: using a printer undergoing registration setup, printing a test pattern on a sheet having reference targets within a printable region of the sheet; using a scanner, scanning the printed sheet to generate an image bitmap of the test pattern-bearing sheet larger than the sheet itself so that the image bitmap contains the sheet edges and measuring in numbers of pixels the distances between the reference targets and/or sheet edges using multiple swaths of the image bitmap itself as the measuring tool; and, using a processor and based on the measured distances, calculating error-associated adjustment values in millimeters to use to correct errors in the registration setup of the image-to-paper in the printer and transferring the error-associated adjustment values to the printer to perform adjustment of its setup actuators.

Method, system and test sheet image bitmap for carrying out a scanner-and-processor based image-to-paper registration setup

A toner formulation is disclosed comprising a binder and an IR absorbing black pigment at a concentration of 0.25-2.0% by weight, including one or more infrared transmissive pigments, wherein the infrared transmissive pigments are configured to provide a black color. Such toner formulation may provide a response to a toner patch sensor to indicate a mass per unit area of 0.1-1.5 mg/cmor a reflectance relative to a substrate to define a reflectance ratio that varies relative to L* values for the toner over the range L*=0-50 or a bulk reflectivity of greater than 6.0% for a portion of the wavelength range of 850-2000 nanometers.

Black toners containing infrared transmissive and reflecting colorants

A toner formulation is disclosed comprising a binder, an IR absorbing colorant, and one or more infrared transmissive colorants, wherein the colorants are configured to provide a low reflectivity in the visible region of the spectrum and an intermediate reflectivity in the near infrared region of the spectrum when the toner is printed and fused onto paper.

Black toners containing infrared transmissive

The present disclosure relates to a method, system and apparatus for calibrating an image forming device using a toner patch sensor which emits and detects light in at a given wavelength. A plurality of toner patches may be deposited onto a control surface, wherein the toner patches include a first toner patch including a first toner, a second toner patch including the first toner deposited over a second toner, and a third toner patch including the second toner. Signals indicative of the reflectivity of the plurality of toner patches and the control surface may be measured by emitting light of a given wavelength in the infrared spectrum and detecting the amount of incident light reflected from said plurality of toner patches and said control surface. The signals indicative of reflectivity may then be used to adjust operating parameters of the image forming device which may then control toner mass density.

Toner calibration measurement

A method for reducing the occurrence of print artifacts in an imaging machine includes the steps of applying an electronic printhead skew correction to image data corresponding to at least one of a plurality of image planes, e.g., of a cyan image plane, a magenta image plane, a yellow image plane and a black image plane, to generate skew corrected image data. Thereafter the associated halftone screens are modified to eliminated halftone noise introduced by the electronic printhead skew correction. If text characters are present, block boundaries are effectively shifted to reside in the spaces between adjacent text characters.

Method of compensating for electronic printhead skew and bow correction in an imaging machine to reduce print artifacts

A toner patch sensor for use in an image forming device may be operated in different modes according to the color of the patch being sensed. The toner patch sensor may include a detector and a source adapted to transmit light that is reflected off a toner patch and towards the detector. The detected light may be specular and/or diffuse. A controller may selectively change the amount of one or both of the specular and diffuse light received by the detector. The source may include separate emitters for the specular and diffuse light, with the controller selectably turning off one of the emitters or selectably adjusting a ratio of illumination power between the emitters. Alternatively, the source may include a single emitter and an optical element to split light between specular light and diffuse light. Diffuse light may be blocked when sensing black toner patches.

Multipath toner patch sensor for use in an image forming device

Control circuitry associated with an electrophotographic imaging device is adapted to operate in conjunction with a sensor to adjust a difference in electrical bias between a photoconductive surface and an associated roller. The sensor detects a reflectance or luminosity of a developed image and the control circuitry uses this detected information and information related to reflectance or luminosity of the underlying surface and the developing toner to determine whether the developed image is produced as desired. The control circuitry adjusts the difference in electrical bias between the photoconductive surface and an associated roller in response to a comparison between the detected and desired images. In one embodiment, a predetermined test pattern is developed over a range of electrical bias differences and an optimum operating point is determined from the iterations.

White vector feedback adjustment

Control circuitry associated with an electrophotographic imaging device is adapted to manage bias levels of components in an image forming unit. A photoconductive surface is charged to a first bias level, a developer member is charged to a second bias level, and an imaging unit selectively discharges image feature locations on the photoconductive surface to a third bias level. In certain regions having a predetermined image feature density, the imaging unit may discharge an area in the vicinity of the image features to a fourth bias level that is between the first and third bias levels. The amount by which the imaging unit discharges the area in the vicinity of the image features changes as image feature density changes and as the difference between the first and third bias levels change.

Background energy density control in an electrophotographic device

Control circuitry associated with an electrophotographic imaging device is adapted to operate in conjunction with a sensor to adjust operating parameters, including an imaging power. The sensor detects a reflectivity of a developed image and the control circuitry uses this detected information and information related to reflectivity of the underlying surface and the developing toner to determine whether the developed image is produced as desired. The control circuitry adjusts imaging power in response to a comparison between the detected reflectivity and a target reflectivity. In one embodiment, a predetermined halftone pattern is developed over a range of imaging powers and an optimum operating point is determined from the iterations. A predictive model may be generated based on many data points to select imaging power based on optimized surface potentials.

Optimization of operating parameters, including imaging power, in an electrophotographic device

Methods and systems for estimating single or multi-colored toner coverage on a printed page. One method includes generating color plane bitmaps corresponding to each color in a contone bitmap and calculating pixel coverage values for each of the color plane contone bitmaps. Another method includes receiving image data to be printed, generating color separations for the image data corresponding to available toner colors, printing each color separation on a printed page, scanning each printed page comprising the color separation and calculating toner coverage on each of the scanned printed pages.

Methods and systems for estimating single or multi-color toner coverage on a printer page

Methods and devices for setting an operating point within an image forming device. The operating point for one or more image forming stations may be determined without performing a toner patch sensing procedure. The operating points are determined based on other information, such as the operating points of one or more other image forming stations, information about the device, and information about the image forming stations themselves. The different factors may be weighted to more accurately determine the operating parameter(s).

Method and device for determining one or more operating points in an image forming device

An electrophotographic device comprises a printhead having at least one laser associated with a corresponding photoconductive surface. Where multiple laser beams are associated with the same photoconductive surface, the laser beams are spaced a predetermined distance from one another in a process direction, which is orthogonal to a scan direction in which the laser beams are swept. The electrophotographic device operates at one of at least two image transfer rates. A controller in the electrophotographic device selectively directs image data to the printhead based, at least in part, upon the selected image transfer rate, the facet resolution, and/or the desired output image resolution. The print speed can thus be adjusted over a relatively wide range.

Multiple speed modes for an electrophotographic device

Artificial toner consumption is triggered to minimize the incidence of &ldquo;conditioned&rdquo; toner when a comparison of the rate of toner consumption to the mechanical activity of the electrophotographic printing device indicates that the toner consumption rate is too low. The artificial toner consumption operation may be achieved through a dummy print operation where an intentionally un-printed image is formed on a photoconductive drum, but the corresponding toner is routed to appropriate waste toner reservoir(s) and the image is not printed on the recording medium. The dummy print toner may be cleaned from the photoconductive drum without being transferred to an intermediate transfer medium and/or may be cleaned from the intermediate transfer medium, both without transferring the toner to the recording medium. The dummy print operation may correspond to a next normally occurring interdocument gap or a dedicated dummy print period inserted between print jobs.

Method of compensating for low toner consumption

A method of determining misalignment of color planes within an image forming apparatus. A first pattern is formed with a first color and comprises first and second sections. A second pattern is formed with a second color and positioned within the first and second sections of the first pattern. The alignment of the two color planes is determined by the difference in the amount of color within the first and second sections. The amount of misalignment may further be determined by the ratio of the difference in the amount of color within the sections and the sum of the amount of color within the sections. Perfect alignment of the two color planes results in equal color amounts in each section.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Cary Patterson Ravitz