Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Toshihiro Ohta

Yasutaka Maeda

Katsuhiro Nagayama

Takashi Kitagawa

Makoto Uehara

Daisaku Imaizumi

Kaori Dakeshita

Shouji Tomita

An object of the present invention is to obtain, in an accurate and stable manner, an image density at a tone rise point in a low-density region in order to form a stable image. At the time of execution of an image density correction in an image forming apparatus which employs an electrophotographic process, a toner pattern of a plurality of toner patches is formed on the basis of a reference density correction table which specifies an image density output value used for correction of an image density input value, the density of the toner patches is detected by a density detecting sensor, points corresponding to a plurality of image densities in a low-density region, detected above a predetermined level of sensitivity of the sensor, are plotted thereby to find a linear interpolation formula, an image density in the low-density region below the predetermined level of sensitivity of the density detecting sensor is interpolated with the linear interpolation formula, a comparison between the reference density correction table and a result of the interpolation is made so as to correct the image density output value, and a correction table as a post-modification correction table is prepared. An actual image is prepared using the correction table.

Image forming apparatus

A high density detecting toner pattern is formed on a photosensitive body and a high density correction is effected by comparing a value detected by a reflection sensor with a high density reference value so as to maintain an image density at a specific level. An image density correcting section adopts a result of the preceding high density correction as the high density reference value, and compares the same with a result of a current high density correction. The image density correcting section effects the half-tone density correction only when a difference reaches or exceeds a preset difference reference value by forming a half-tone density detecting toner pattern on the photosensitive body and comparing a value detected by the reflection sensor with a half-tone reference value. Consequently, it has become possible to provide an image forming apparatus which can maintain a density output of an entire image at a specific level for any kind of images including solid, line, and half-tone, etc. while shortening a time required for the density correction and reducing a quantity of toner consumed for the density correction.

Image forming apparatus with half-tone density control

A test patch image is formed and the density thereof is detected to maintain the image quality at a constant level. One of the image forming conditions, for example, the developing bias voltage of the developing unit inside the image forming apparatus that serves as a density controller, and is controlled in accordance with the detection result. Here, a humidity sensor for detecting the environmental change, that is, the humidity, is provided inside the apparatus, and the reference value of the toner mixing ratio is changed and corrected while the developing unit is operating when the humidity sensor detects a change in humidity. However, the toner mixing ratio is maintained and neither changed nor corrected when the density of the test patch image remains at the same level, so that the developing bias voltage is not corrected. Consequently, the correction of the toner mixing ratio is neither changed nor corrected in response to the change in humidity alone, thereby making it possible to maintain a stable image quality state.

Image forming apparatus including image quality compensation means

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Toshihiro Ohta