The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 16, 1997
Filed:
Oct. 08, 1996
Tatsuya Inagaki, Tokyo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A potential estimation apparatus estimates a potential of a photosensitive body of an image forming apparatus that carries out an electro-photography process using the photosensitive body. The potential estimation apparatus includes a sensor group for sensing and outputting data related to information which affects the electro-photography process, a storage unit for at least storing the data output from the sensor group and information related to charge of the photosensitive body, and an estimation circuit including a neural network for estimating a charged portion potential of the photosensitive body based on a charge retentivity of the photosensitive body learned by the neural network. The neural network in a learning mode receives at least one of the data output from the sensor group and time-sequentially sampled, and parameters which affect the charge retentivity of the photosensitive body as an input, and receives as a teaching value a charged portion potential which is obtained in advance with respect to at least an amount of charge and the charge retentivity of the photosensitive body.