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:
Oct. 22, 2013
Filed:
Sep. 23, 2011
Naotoshi Kawai, Toyokawa, JP;
Tomohiro Kato, Okazaki, JP;
Eri Kusano, Toyokawa, JP;
Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc., Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus selects a screen from a plurality of screens corresponding respectively to a plurality of gradation values and each including a pattern in which a first region to which toner is to adhere and a second region to which toner is not to adhere are defined, and forms a toner image on media. The apparatus includes a storage device for storing a minimum formable distance between first regions or second regions adjacent to each other, and a controller calculating a distance between the first regions or second regions adjacent to each other in the screen and, when the distance of the region of a screen that corresponds to a gradation value of an input image and has a first pattern is smaller than the minimum formable distance, selecting a screen corresponding to the gradation value of the input image and having a second pattern.