Image forming control method, electronic device, and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide an image forming control method, an electronic device and a storage medium, the method comprising: acquiring an electric potential value of a surface of an image carrier; delaying an exposure time point of the image carrier when the electric potential value of the surface of the image carrier is greater than a preset electric potential threshold; and performing conveying control on a recording medium of the image forming device according to the delayed exposure time point of the image carrier. Thus, embodiments of the present application can avoid image contamination and ensure image forming quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of image forming technology, and more specifically to an image forming control method, electronic device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, before exposure begins, the image forming apparatus first lights up the lamps to enable the laser scanning unit (LSU) to achieve line synchronization. By detecting the line synchronization cycle, it determines whether the line synchronization is stable, which in turn determines whether the speed of the multifaceted mirror motor is stable. Only after the line synchronization is stable does the image forming operation begin. We refer to the imaging sequence before the image forming operation begins as the pre-printing processing sequence.

[0003] In existing technology, to prevent smudges on the image during pre-printing processing, the developing high pressure is adjusted to match the OPC (Organic Photoconductor) photosensitive drum high pressure after the lamp is turned on. This minimizes the pressure difference between the OPC and the developing roller, making it difficult for toner particles to adhere to the OPC and thus preventing horizontal lines during line synchronization. However, this control method relies entirely on calculating the relative control time after lamp turning on. If the multifaceted mirror motor speed is unstable or the developing high pressure rise time is too long, different shades of toner can adhere to the OPC, causing the OPC to absorb toner and contaminate the transfer belt.

[0004] Meanwhile, because the secondary transfer roller opens the positive pressure in advance during the paper feeding process, the dirt that is close to the image on the transfer belt is transferred to the secondary transfer roller with the paper feeding voltage, resulting in a dirty image. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, this application provides an image forming control method, an electronic device, and a storage medium to solve the problem of smudges on the image during the pre-printing processing sequence.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an image forming control method, applied to an image forming apparatus, the method comprising:

[0007] Obtain the potential value of the surface of the image carrier;

[0008] When the potential value of the surface of the image carrier is greater than a preset potential threshold, the exposure time of the image carrier is delayed;

[0009] The recording medium of the image forming apparatus is controlled to be transmitted based on the delayed exposure time of the image carrier.

[0010] In one possible implementation, obtaining the potential value of the surface of the image carrier includes:

[0011] Acquire the potential detection signal of the surface of the image carrier within a first preset time period;

[0012] Determine at least one signal value in the potential detection signal;

[0013] The potential value of the surface of the image carrier is determined based on the at least one signal value.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the starting point of the first preset time period is the time point at which the image forming apparatus begins line synchronization detection.

[0015] In one possible implementation, delaying the exposure time of the image carrier includes:

[0016] The first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the image carrier to the secondary transfer position is determined, wherein the secondary transfer position is the position where the image is transferred from the transfer belt to the recording medium, and the image is the image generated at the exposure position of the image carrier when the image forming apparatus starts performing line synchronization detection;

[0017] The delay time is determined based on the first time, the first preset time period, and the second preset time period. Wherein, if the first time remains unchanged, the longer the first preset time period, the shorter the delay time; and the longer the second preset time period, the longer the delay time.

[0018] The exposure time of the image carrier is delayed according to the delay time.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0020] During the delay period, the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller is controlled to perform a cleaning operation on the transfer belt.

[0021] In one possible implementation, controlling the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller during the delay period to perform a cleaning operation on the transfer belt includes:

[0022] Determine the number of times the transfer belt can be cleaned within the delay period;

[0023] The transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller is controlled according to the number of cleaning cycles.

[0024] In one possible implementation, determining the number of cleaning operations that can be performed on the transfer belt within the delay time period includes:

[0025] The number of times the transfer belt can be cleaned within the delay period is determined based on the delay time, the cleaning preparation time of the secondary transfer roller before the secondary transfer, the time from the power-on start point of the secondary transfer roller to the time the image moves to the primary transfer position, and the time required for one cleaning operation. The primary transfer position is the position where the image is transferred from the image carrier to the transfer belt.

[0026] In one possible implementation, determining the first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the image carrier to the secondary transfer position includes:

[0027] When the potential value of the surface of at least two of the image carriers is greater than a preset potential threshold, a first target image carrier among the at least two image carriers is determined. The first target image carrier is the image carrier that first generates an exposed image at the exposure position among the at least two image carriers during the image formation process performed by the image forming apparatus.

[0028] Determine the first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the first target image carrier to the secondary transfer position.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the transmission control of the recording medium of the image forming apparatus based on the delayed exposure time point of the image carrier includes:

[0030] When the image forming apparatus performs color printing, a second target image carrier is determined. The second target image carrier is the image carrier that first generates an exposed image at the exposure position during the image forming process performed by the image forming apparatus.

[0031] Determine the first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the second target image carrier to the secondary transfer position;

[0032] Timing begins after the second target image carrier is exposed according to the delayed exposure time of the image carrier, and the timing time is equal to the difference between the first time and the first preset time period;

[0033] After the timing is completed, the recording medium of the image forming apparatus is transmitted under control.

[0034] In one possible implementation, delaying the exposure time of the image carrier includes:

[0035] When the image forming apparatus performs black and white printing, an image carrier with a surface potential value greater than a preset potential threshold is used as an image carrier to be confirmed, and the positional relationship between the image carrier to be confirmed and the black image carrier is confirmed.

[0036] If the image carrier to be confirmed generates an exposed image at the exposure position before the black image carrier during the image forming process performed by the image forming apparatus, then the second time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the image carrier to be confirmed to the exposure position of the black image carrier is obtained.

[0037] The exposure time of the black image carrier is delayed according to the second time delay.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the step of identifying image carriers with surface potential values ​​greater than a preset potential threshold as image carriers to be confirmed includes:

[0039] If the potential value of the surface is greater than a preset potential threshold and there are at least two image carriers, then the image carrier that first generates an exposed image at the exposure position among the at least two image carriers will be selected as the image carrier to be confirmed during the image formation process performed by the image forming apparatus.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the step of delaying the exposure time of the black image carrier according to the second time delay includes...

[0041] The second time is used as the delay time;

[0042] The exposure time of the image carrier is delayed according to the delay time.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the transmission control of the recording medium of the image forming apparatus based on the delayed exposure time point of the image carrier includes:

[0044] Confirm the first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the black image carrier to the secondary transfer position;

[0045] Timing begins after the black image carrier is exposed according to the delayed exposure time of the image carrier, and the timing time is equal to the difference between the first time and the first preset time period.

[0046] After the timing is completed, the recording medium of the image forming apparatus is transmitted under control.

[0047] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including:

[0048] processor;

[0049] Memory;

[0050] The memory stores a computer program that, when executed, causes the electronic device to perform the method described in any of the first aspects.

[0051] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium including a stored program, wherein, when the program is executed, it controls the device where the computer-readable storage medium is located to perform the method described in any of the first aspects.

[0052] This application embodiment detects the potential value of the surface of the image carrier and determines whether the image carrier has absorbed toner based on whether the potential value of the surface of the image carrier is greater than a preset potential threshold. When the image carrier absorbs toner, the exposure time of the image carrier is delayed, and the recording medium of the image forming device is transmitted and controlled according to the delayed exposure time, thereby avoiding image smudges and ensuring image forming quality. Attached Figure Description

[0053] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0054] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a voltage control timing provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart of an image forming control method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the installation position of a voltage sensor provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another image forming apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another voltage control timing provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of another voltage control timing provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0063] To better understand the technical solution of this application, the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0064] It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments in this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0065] The terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in the embodiments of this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0066] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0067] To facilitate understanding, the specific structure and working principle of the image forming apparatus will be explained by example below.

[0068] See Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application. The image forming apparatus 100 is used to perform image forming operations, such as generating, printing, receiving and sending image data, and examples of the image forming apparatus 100 include printers, scanners, copiers, fax machines, and multi-functional peripheral devices (MFPs) that perform the above functions in a single device.

[0069] As an example of an image forming apparatus 100, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an image carrier 101Y-K, a charging roller 102Y-K, a developing roller 103Y-K, a toner hopper 104Y-K, a transfer belt 105, a secondary transfer roller 106, a paper feed tray 107, a manual paper feed tray 108, a paper feed roller 109, a transfer roller 110, a paper detection sensor 120, a laser scanning unit (LSU) 111, a heating roller 112, a pressure roller 113, an ejector roller 114, and an ejector tray 115, etc. Generally, the processing cartridge CM includes the image carrier 101Y-K, the charging roller 102Y-K, the developing roller 103Y-K, and a toner hopper 104Y-K for holding toner.

[0070] LSU 111 is a single LSU comprising four optical paths. Four charging rollers 102Y-K charge the surfaces of the four image carriers 101Y-K respectively, maintaining the potential difference between their surfaces. The four optical paths of LSU 111 emit laser beams to form electrostatic latent images on the surfaces of the image carriers 101Y-K, thus exposing the surfaces to form an exposed image. Four developing rollers 103Y-K attach toner to the surfaces of the image carriers 101Y-K, converting the electrostatic latent images into a colored toner image. The image forming apparatus 100 employs a two-stage transfer method, whereby the four image carriers 101Y-K sequentially transfer the toner image onto the transfer belt 105, and then the colored toner image formed on the transfer belt 105 is transferred a second time onto paper via a secondary transfer roller 106. The paper feed box 107 is used to store paper, and the paper feed roller 109 is used to transport the stored paper to the transport path, i.e., the paper path channel. The transfer roller 110 is used to transport the paper to the secondary transfer roller 106.

[0071] The secondary transfer roller 106 transports the imaged paper to the clamping area of ​​the hot roller 112 and the pressure roller 113. The hot roller 112 and the pressure roller 113 are used to fix the toner image on the paper. The hot roller 112 can be heated by ceramic heating. The hot roller 112 and the pressure roller 113 transport the fixed paper to the discharge roller 114. The discharge roller 114 discharges the paper into the discharge tray 115 and stacks it up.

[0072] The laser scanning unit 111 acquires an optical analog image signal of the original / source document through exposure of the light printhead. The paper detection sensor 120 is used to detect whether there is paper in the paper path at its location.

[0073] The paper feed cassette 107 is provided with a paper outlet. The paper feed roller 109 is specifically used to feed the paper contained in the paper feed cassette 107 from the paper outlet into the paper path for transfer requirements. The image forming apparatus 100 also includes a drive mechanism (not shown) for driving the paper feed roller 109. The drive mechanism is a drive motor used to drive the paper feed roller 109 to move, thereby realizing the paper feeding operation. The drive mechanism 181 is electrically connected to the controller (not shown) of the image forming apparatus to realize the controller's operation control of the drive mechanism. The controller is electrically connected to the paper detection sensor 120, which sends the detection result information of whether there is paper in the paper path to the controller.

[0074] The image forming apparatus 100 also includes an operation panel (not shown), which includes an operation section consisting of various keys (not shown) and a touchpad-type display section (not shown).

[0075] It is understood that the image forming apparatus 100 listed above is only an example, and the component configuration and component arrangement of the image forming apparatus 100 can be adjusted according to the actual situation without affecting the improvement idea of ​​the embodiments of this application.

[0076] It should be noted that in some possible implementations, the image carrier is also called the photoconductor drum (OPC).

[0077] Currently, before exposure begins, the image forming apparatus first lights up the lamps to enable line synchronization of the LSU (Light Filter Unit). By detecting the line synchronization cycle, it determines whether the line synchronization is stable, which in turn determines whether the speed of the multifaceted mirror motor is stable. Only after the line synchronization is stable does the image forming operation begin. We refer to the imaging sequence before the image forming operation begins as the pre-printing processing sequence.

[0078] In existing technology, to prevent smudges on the image during the pre-printing process, after the lamp is turned on, the developing high voltage is adjusted to match the high voltage of the OPC (Organic Photoconductor) photosensitive drum, such as... Figure 2 As shown, this design minimizes the pressure difference between the OPC and the developing roller, making it difficult for toner particles to adhere to the OPC and thus preventing horizontal lines from forming during line synchronization. However, this control method relies entirely on calculating the relative control time after the lamp is turned on. If the multi-mirror motor speed is unstable or the high-pressure rise time during developing is too long, different shades of toner can adhere to the OPC, causing the OPC to absorb toner and contaminating the transfer belt.

[0079] Meanwhile, during the image formation process, the paper feed voltage is activated with a certain amount of paper margin before the secondary transfer roller starts feeding. This causes some dirt on the transfer belt that is close to the image to be transferred to the secondary transfer roller with the paper feed voltage, contaminating the secondary transfer roller and thus the image on the back. In black and white printing mode, the color OPC absorbs toner, which will contaminate the image on the front.

[0080] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides an image forming control method, an electronic device, and a storage medium. This application detects the surface potential value of an image carrier and determines whether the image carrier has absorbed toner based on whether the surface potential value exceeds a preset potential threshold. When the image carrier absorbs toner, the exposure time of the image carrier is delayed, and the recording medium of the image forming apparatus is controlled according to the delayed exposure time, thereby avoiding image contamination and ensuring image forming quality.

[0081] The following is a detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0082] See Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating an image forming control method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method can be applied to... Figure 1 In the image forming apparatus shown, such as Figure 3 As shown, the specific steps include:

[0083] S301: Obtain the potential value of the surface of the image carrier.

[0084] During the synchronous detection process, the LSU emits a beam of light to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier. If there is a potential difference between the surface of this image carrier and the surface of the developing roller, the image carrier will generate a toner-attracting action. That is, the developing roller will cause toner to adhere to the surface of the image carrier, thereby converting the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier into a toner image. After the toner image is transferred to the transfer belt, it will be transferred to the paper due to the early opening of the positive pressure of the secondary transfer roller, resulting in a muddy image.

[0085] Therefore, in this embodiment of the application, the potential value of the surface of the image carrier can be obtained, and the potential value of the surface of the image carrier can be used to confirm whether there is a potential difference between the image carrier and the surface of the developing roller, thereby determining whether the image carrier has generated a powder suction action during the synchronous detection process.

[0086] In practice, a voltage sensor can be used to detect the surface potential of the image carrier, such as... Figure 4As shown, the voltage sensor is positioned between contact points d4 and d3. Contact point d4 is the contact point between the developing roller and the image carrier, and contact point d3 is the contact point between the transfer belt and the image carrier, also known as the primary transfer point or primary transfer position. The distance between the voltage sensor's detection position d2 at the end of the image carrier and the exposure position d1 of the image carrier is 'a' millimeters, and the distance between the exposure position d1 and the primary transfer position d3 is specifically 'b' millimeters.

[0087] In specific implementation, the specific circuit structure and operating principle of the voltage sensor can be referred to the relevant technical descriptions. For the sake of brevity, the embodiments of this application will not be described in detail here.

[0088] In one possible implementation, obtaining the potential value of the surface of the image carrier specifically includes: acquiring potential detection signals of the surface of the image carrier within a first preset time period; determining at least one signal value among the potential detection signals; and determining the potential value of the surface of the image carrier based on the at least one signal value. The starting point of the first preset time period is the time point at which the image forming apparatus begins line synchronization detection. In this embodiment, the at least one signal value can be a signal peak value, an average of multiple potential detection signal values, or a more accurate potential detection value obtained after processing by other algorithms.

[0089] In specific implementation, after the lights are turned on, that is, after the line synchronization detection begins, the image forming apparatus starts to acquire the potential detection signal of the surface of the image carrier through the voltage sensor. After the image carrier has rotated through a first preset time period, the acquired potential detection signal is processed. The first preset time period is the time required for the image carrier to rotate a distance of (a + (ba) / 2) millimeters. Specifically, since the acquired potential detection signal is a continuous electrical signal and includes multiple signal peaks, the potential difference between the image carrier and the developing roller surface is greatest at the signal peak. To avoid background noise, the potential value of the image carrier surface needs to be acquired based on the signal peaks. Specifically, the first n signal peaks in the acquired potential detection signal are determined, and the average value of the first n signal peaks is calculated. This average value is the potential value of the image carrier surface. Selecting n signal peaks for averaging ensures the accuracy of the potential value calculation for the image carrier surface. n can be set according to the actual situation of the voltage sensor and user requirements, n = 1, 2, 3..., and this embodiment does not specify this requirement.

[0090] S302: When the potential value of the surface of the image carrier is greater than the preset potential threshold, delay the exposure time of the image carrier.

[0091] In this embodiment, a preset potential threshold Vq is stored in the image forming apparatus. The preset potential threshold Vq is determined based on the potential detection signal detected by the voltage sensor when there is no obvious background gray on the image carrier, i.e., no obvious toner particles on the surface of the image carrier. When the potential value of the surface of the image carrier is obtained, the potential value of the surface of the image carrier is compared with the preset potential threshold Vq. If the potential value of the surface of the image carrier is greater than the preset potential threshold Vq, it is considered that the image carrier has undergone toner absorption during the line synchronization detection stage (pre-printing processing stage), i.e., toner has been attached to the image carrier by the developing roller, which means that a toner image will be transferred to the transfer belt. Therefore, the exposure time of the image carrier needs to be delayed to avoid the image formed during the line synchronization detection stage being transferred to the paper, resulting in a dirty image. If the potential value of the surface of the image carrier is less than or equal to the preset potential threshold Vq, it is considered that there is no toner absorption during the line synchronization detection stage, the image is clean, and the image forming apparatus can prepare to perform the image forming operation, i.e., exposure imaging can begin on the image carrier.

[0092] In one possible implementation, delaying the exposure time of the image carrier specifically includes: determining a first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the image carrier to the secondary transfer position, wherein the secondary transfer position is the position where the image is transferred from the transfer belt to the recording medium, and the image is the image generated at the exposure position of the image carrier when the image forming apparatus starts performing line synchronization detection; determining a delay time based on the first time, a first preset time period, and a second preset time period, wherein, with the first time remaining unchanged, the longer the first preset time period, the shorter the delay time, and the longer the second preset time period, the longer the delay time; and delaying the exposure time of the image carrier based on the delay time.

[0093] In specific implementation, such as Figure 5 As shown, the secondary transfer position is point E on the diagram. When the potential value of the surface of the image carrier, such as image carrier 101Y, is greater than the preset potential threshold, the first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position Y of image carrier 101Y to the secondary transfer position E is determined. After obtaining the first time, the delay time can be determined according to formula (1), where formula (1) is:

[0094] X = T1 - S1 + S2 (1)

[0095] In the formula, T1 is the first time, S1 is the first preset time period, S2 is the second preset time period, and X is the delay time.

[0096] In practice, the first time corresponding to the distance from point Y to point E can be obtained from the time required for the image generated during the line synchronization detection process to move from the exposure position Y of the image carrier 101Y to the secondary transfer position E (the movement direction is Y→Y1→M1→C1→K1→E). Similarly, in the following text, the time corresponding to each distance can be obtained from the time required for the image generated during the line synchronization detection process to move to the corresponding distance. For the sake of brevity, this will not be elaborated further in the following text.

[0097] In another possible implementation, when the potential value of the image carrier's surface is greater than a preset potential threshold, the delay time can be determined according to the formula X = t + t2 + S2, where t is the time corresponding to a distance of (ba) / 2 mm, and T2 is the time corresponding to the distance from the first transfer position to the second transfer position of the image carrier. For example, as... Figure 5 As shown, if the potential value of the surface of the image carrier 101Y is greater than the preset potential threshold, then T2 is the time corresponding to the distance from the first transfer position Y1 to the second transfer position E of the image carrier 101Y (the movement direction is Y1→M1→C1→K1→E).

[0098] In one possible implementation, the second preset time period can be determined based on the time corresponding to the distance from point E to point A in the image forming apparatus. The purpose is to ensure that the toner image generated on the image carrier during the horizontal synchronous detection process is scraped into the waste toner bin by the cleaning blade 116 after passing the secondary transfer position, so that the transfer belt is clean and no smudges are generated on the image when the image forming apparatus performs subsequent image forming operations. Specifically, the second preset time period can be set to be greater than or equal to the time corresponding to the distance from point E to point A. Preferably, to reduce the delay in the image forming operation, the second preset time period can be set to be equal to the time corresponding to the distance from point E to point A.

[0099] In one possible implementation, after determining the delay time, the image forming apparatus starts timing according to the delay time, and after the timing ends, it notifies the LSU to start exposure and perform the formal printing operation. Even if an electrostatic shallow image is formed on the OPC during the line synchronization detection stage, and there is instability in the speed of the multifaceted mirror motor, or a long high-pressure rise time in the developing chamber, the toner in the developing chamber has been adsorbed onto the OPC surface and transferred to the transfer belt. However, due to the delayed LSU exposure time of this application, the contaminated image with accidentally adsorbed toner on the transfer belt can be scraped into the waste toner container by the cleaning blade 116. Therefore, this application can prevent the contaminated image from being transferred to the paper.

[0100] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the exposure time point of the delayed image carrier refers to the exposure time point of the delayed image carrier during the image forming operation performed by the image forming apparatus.

[0101] It should be noted that the recording medium involved in the embodiments of this application refers to a carrier used to carry image forming content, such as paper. Of course, in addition to paper, the recording medium can also be a carrier of other materials, and the embodiments of this application do not impose specific limitations on this.

[0102] In one possible implementation, when the potential values ​​of the surfaces of at least two image carriers are greater than a preset potential threshold Vq, it is necessary to determine a first target image carrier among the at least two image carriers. The first target image carrier is the image carrier that first generates an exposed image at the exposure position among the at least two image carriers during the image forming process performed by the image forming apparatus. The time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the first target image carrier to the secondary transfer position is determined as the first time.

[0103] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, during the image forming process performed by the image forming apparatus, the exposure time of image carrier 102Y precedes that of image carrier 102M, the exposure time of image carrier 102M precedes that of image carrier 102C, and the exposure time of image carrier 102C precedes that of image carrier 102K. Therefore, if it is found during the potential value detection process that the potential values ​​of the surfaces of image carriers 102C and 102M are both greater than the preset potential threshold Vq, then image carrier 102M is identified as the first target image carrier, and the time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position M of image carrier 102M to the secondary transfer position E is obtained and identified as the first time for subsequent delay time calculation.

[0104] In this application, when the potential value of the surface of at least two image carriers is higher than the preset potential threshold, the image carrier that first generates an exposure image at the exposure position is taken as the first target image carrier. The delay time is calculated to ensure that the toner images generated on the image carrier during the horizontal synchronous detection process are all scraped to the waste toner bin by the cleaning scraper before the image forming operation is performed, thus ensuring the quality of the output image.

[0105] In practice, because the secondary transfer roller applies positive pressure prematurely during the image formation operation, the toner image on the image carrier, after being transferred to the transfer belt, may be adsorbed by the secondary transfer roller, causing contamination of the secondary transfer roller and consequently polluting the image during the image formation process. Therefore, this embodiment of the application also controls the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller during the delay period to clean the transfer belt and prevent contamination of the secondary transfer roller.

[0106] In one possible implementation, the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller is controlled to perform a cleaning operation on the transfer belt, specifically including: determining the number of cleaning operations that can be performed on the transfer belt within a delay time period, and controlling the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller according to the number of cleaning operations.

[0107] In one possible implementation, the number of cleaning operations that can be performed on the transfer belt within the delay period can be determined based on the delay time, the cleaning preparation time of the secondary transfer roller before the secondary transfer, the time from the power-on start point of the secondary transfer roller to the image moving to the primary transfer position, and the time required for one cleaning operation. The delay time and the time from the power-on start point of the secondary transfer roller to the image moving to the primary transfer position are directly proportional to the number of cleaning operations that can be performed on the transfer belt within the delay period, while the cleaning preparation time of the secondary transfer roller before the secondary transfer and the time required for one cleaning operation are inversely proportional to the number of cleaning operations that can be performed on the transfer belt within the delay period.

[0108] See Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a voltage control timing provided in an embodiment of this application, where g is the time from the power-on start point of the secondary transfer roller to the image moving to the primary transfer position, f is the cleaning preparation time of the secondary transfer roller before the secondary transfer, and c is the time required for the primary cleaning operation. In the embodiments of this application, as... Figure 6 As shown, the cleaning operation of the transfer belt needs to be performed after the cleaning preparation time f. Therefore, the intersection of the delay time X and the cleaning preparation time f needs to be removed. Then, in the remaining delay time, the number of cleaning operations that can be performed on the transfer belt is calculated. Specifically, the number of cleaning operations N that can be performed on the transfer belt within the delay time period can be determined according to formula (2), where formula (2) is:

[0109] N=[(X-(fg)) / c] (2)

[0110] In practice, the difference between f and g is actually greater than the intersection of X and f, but in order to ensure that the subsequent calculation results have a certain margin, the difference between f and g is used as the intersection value of X and f.

[0111] It should be noted that in formula (2), [] means rounding down, that is, N only takes the integer part of the calculated result, and the decimal part is discarded.

[0112] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 6As shown, the time *c* required for one cleaning operation includes the duration *c1* of the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller at the first voltage and the duration *c2* of the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller at the second voltage. The first voltage can be a high voltage (positive), and the second voltage can be a low voltage (negative), or the first voltage can be a low voltage (negative), and the second voltage can be a high voltage (positive). Therefore, controlling the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller according to the number of cleaning cycles means controlling the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller to switch between the first and second voltages according to the number of cleaning cycles.

[0113] In this embodiment, the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller continuously switches between high and low voltage during the cleaning operation, which prevents the secondary transfer roller from being contaminated by powder on the transfer belt, thereby ensuring the quality of the output image.

[0114] In one possible implementation, if the potential value of the surface of the image carrier is less than or equal to a preset potential threshold Vq, that is, the image carrier does not absorb powder, then the LSU can be notified to perform an exposure operation after the exposure point of the image carrier has passed the transfer point once. This can reduce the output time of the first page image.

[0115] In practical applications, a color image forming apparatus equipped with multiple toner cartridges of different colors can perform both color and black-and-white image printing. Color image printing requires the use of multiple toner cartridges of different colors, such as... Figure 1 The printer contains black toner cartridge 104K, cyan toner cartridge 104C, magenta toner cartridge 104M, and yellow toner cartridge 104Y. When printing black and white portraits, only black toner cartridge 104K is needed. Therefore, the delay time can be calculated in a different way for different portrait printing tasks.

[0116] In one possible implementation, when the low-cost color image forming apparatus performs color printing, the black toner cartridge shares a control port with other color toner cartridges to save costs. If toner is sucked up on another color image carrier, a delay time can be determined based on a third preset time period. This third preset time period is a time period set by the user according to their needs. The setting only requires ensuring that the exposure time point during color printing and the exposure time point during line synchronization detection have a certain time interval. Image contamination can then be avoided by controlling the transfer operation of the recording medium (described in detail below).

[0117] In one possible implementation, when the image forming apparatus performs black and white printing, if an image carrier experiences a toner suction operation, the image carrier with a surface potential value greater than a preset potential threshold (the image carrier that experienced the toner suction operation) is designated as the image carrier to be confirmed. The positional relationship between the image carrier to be confirmed and the black image carrier is confirmed. If the image carrier to be confirmed generates an exposed image at the exposure position before the black image carrier during the image forming process, a second time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the image carrier to the exposure position of the black image carrier is obtained. The exposure time point of the black image carrier is delayed according to the second time. The delay of the exposure time point of the black image carrier according to the second time is to ensure that the toner image on the image carrier to be confirmed passes through the first transfer point of the black image carrier, so as not to affect the toner image generated by the black image carrier during black and white printing, so as to avoid image contamination by controlling the transfer operation of the recording medium (described in detail below).

[0118] In specific implementation, delaying the exposure time of the black image carrier according to the second time includes: using the second time as the delay time, and delaying the exposure time of the black image carrier according to the delay time.

[0119] If the image carrier to be confirmed generates an exposed image at the exposure position after the black image carrier during the image forming process of the image forming apparatus, then black and white printing can be performed according to the normal setting time; if the image carrier to be confirmed is the black image carrier, then the delay time is set according to the above-mentioned color printing method.

[0120] In one possible implementation, if at least two image carriers experience toner suction during black and white printing by the image forming apparatus, the image carrier that first generates an exposed image at the exposure position during the image forming process is designated as the image to be confirmed.

[0121] For example, such as Figure 5As shown, the black image carrier 101K is positioned closest to the secondary transfer position E. When an image carrier with a powder-absorbing action is detected, such as when image carriers 101M and 101C are detected with powder-absorbing action, image carrier 101M is identified as the image to be identified based on the order in which the image carriers generate exposed images during the image forming operation. Since image carrier 101M generates an exposed image at the exposure position before black image carrier 101K during the image forming process, the second time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position M of image carrier 101M to the exposure position K of black image carrier 101K is obtained. The difference between the second time and the first preset time period is identified as the delay time, and the exposure time of black image carrier 101K is delayed based on the delay time.

[0122] The embodiments of this application can calculate the delay time in different ways according to the printing scenario. While ensuring the printing quality of the portrait in different printing scenarios, the output time of the first page of the portrait is reduced as much as possible, thereby reducing the overall printing time.

[0123] S303: Control the transmission of the recording medium of the image forming apparatus according to the exposure time of the delayed image carrier.

[0124] In this embodiment of the application, if the image forming apparatus calculates the delay time based on the printing scenario, it is necessary to control the transmission of the recording medium of the image forming apparatus according to the exposure time point of the delayed image carrier.

[0125] Specifically, when the image forming apparatus performs color printing, a second target image carrier is determined. The second target image carrier is the image carrier that first generates an exposed image at the exposure position during the image forming process of the image forming apparatus. A first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the second target image carrier to the secondary transfer position is determined. After the second target image carrier is exposed according to the exposure time point of the delayed image carrier, a timing begins, and the timing time is equal to the difference between the first time and the first preset time period. After the timing ends, the recording medium of the image forming apparatus is transferred.

[0126] In this embodiment of the application, the first preset time period is subtracted from the first time period because the detection of the toner-absorbing action on the image carrier is after the first preset time period. Subtracting the first preset time period can reduce the output time of the first page image during color printing.

[0127] In this embodiment of the application, controlling the transmission of the recording medium of the image forming apparatus refers to controlling the conveying roller to transport the recording medium to the secondary transfer roller and controlling the paper feed voltage of the secondary transfer roller so that the image on the secondary transfer roller is aligned with the recording medium, thereby accurately printing the image on the recording medium.

[0128] In one possible implementation, before controlling the transfer of the recording medium of the image forming apparatus, it is necessary to determine whether there is a recording medium in the paper path. If there is a recording medium, the transfer of the recording medium is controlled; if there is no recording medium, a recording medium upward movement fault is reported.

[0129] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, when the image forming apparatus performs color printing, since the image carrier 101Y is the first image carrier to generate an exposed image at the exposure position during the image forming process, the image carrier 101Y is determined as the second target image carrier. The first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position Y of the image carrier 101Y to the secondary transfer position E is obtained. The timing time is obtained based on the difference between the first time and a first preset time period. Timing begins after the image carrier 101Y is exposed at the delayed exposure time point. After timing ends, it is determined whether there is a recording medium in the paper path, i.e., whether there is paper at point H. If there is paper, it indicates that the image forming apparatus has started feeding the paper upwards. The transfer roller 110 is controlled to transport the paper to the secondary transfer roller 106, i.e., the leading edge of the paper reaches point E. The paper feeding voltage of the secondary transfer roller 106 is controlled, and image printing begins. Through the above process, this embodiment of the application can accurately control the paper feeding voltage and synchronize it with the image head.

[0130] In this embodiment, the voltage control timing for the secondary transfer roller is specifically as follows: Figure 7 As shown. After the timing ends, the paper feeding voltage of the secondary transfer roller is turned on for paper feeding control. After the voltage sensor resets, the paper feeding voltage is turned off after a certain distance of time. This extended distance is the distance between the voltage sensor and the transfer roller plus a margin, to ensure that the paper feeding voltage is turned off only after the paper tail has completely left the secondary transfer roller.

[0131] Specifically, when the image forming apparatus performs black and white printing, it determines the first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the black image carrier to the secondary transfer position; after the black image carrier is exposed according to the delayed exposure time of the image carrier, timing begins, and the timing time is equal to the difference between the first time and the first preset time period; after the timing ends, the recording medium of the image forming apparatus is transferred.

[0132] In this embodiment of the application, subtracting the first preset time period from the first time can reduce the output time of the first page image during black and white printing.

[0133] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, when the image forming apparatus performs black and white printing, it determines the first time corresponding to the distance E from the exposure position K of the black image carrier 101K to the secondary transfer position. The timing time is obtained based on the difference between the first time and the first preset time period. Timing starts after the black image carrier 101K is exposed according to the delayed exposure time point. After the timing ends, it is determined whether there is a recording medium in the paper path, that is, whether there is paper at point H. If there is paper, it means that the image forming apparatus has started to feed the paper upward. The conveying roller 110 is controlled to transport the paper to the secondary transfer roller 106, that is, the front end of the paper reaches point E. Then, the paper feeding voltage is controlled on the secondary transfer roller 106, and the image printing begins.

[0134] In this embodiment, timing begins after the image carrier is exposed according to the delayed exposure point. During the timing process, the transfer belt transports the toner image generated during the line synchronization detection process to the secondary transfer roller. At the end of the timing, the toner image reaches the secondary transfer roller. At the same time, when the timing ends, the recording medium of the image forming device is controlled to ensure that the toner image has left the secondary transfer roller when the recording medium reaches it. This prevents the toner image generated during the line synchronization detection process from contaminating the image and ensures the output quality of the image.

[0135] This application embodiment, by accurately calculating the exposure time of the image carrier and the transmission timing of the recording medium, can minimize the delay in printing time while ensuring image quality.

[0136] In practical applications, printers using two-component toners, after being powered on, pre-stir the toner to generate an electrical charge through friction between the toner and the carrier. This pre-stirring process typically takes about 30 seconds, during which the toner's charge slowly increases. Current technologies use a fixed pre-stirring time, which may result in insufficient or excessive charge on the toner.

[0137] During pre-stirring, the magnetic roller and the image carrier also rotate and apply developing high voltage and charging high voltage to suppress toner from adhering to the surface of the image carrier and producing background gray. However, due to the low charge of the toner in the early stage of pre-stirring, there is a lot of background gray in the early stage. Then, as the charge of the toner increases, the background gray gradually decreases.

[0138] The CTD sensor is used to detect the amount of toner during color correction. The ADC (Anti-to-Digital Converter) value acquired by its diffuse channel is related to the toner density on the ITB. When there is no toner, the ADC value is close to 0. The higher the toner density, the higher the ADC value of the diffuse channel.

[0139] Therefore, in this embodiment of the application, a CTD sensor can be used to detect the charge on the toner during the pre-stirring process, as follows:

[0140] After 3 seconds of pre-stirring, start collecting ADC values ​​from the diffuse reflection channels of both CTD Sensors. Collect 50 values ​​every 50ms, remove the 10 highest and 10 lowest values, and average the remaining 30 values. Stop pre-stirring when the collected ADC value drops below 50. If the collected ADC value is below 50, it indicates that the background gray condition is good and printing can resume. If it is above 50, continue stirring for 10 seconds.

[0141] The maximum pre-stirring time is set to 40 seconds. If the ADC value has not dropped below 50 after 40 seconds of pre-stirring, stop pre-stirring.

[0142] The embodiments of this application can precisely control the pre-stirring time, and end the pre-stirring after the toner charge reaches the target value, reducing the user's waiting time, while avoiding the toner charge being too high or too low.

[0143] Corresponding to the above embodiments, this application also provides a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming apparatus.

[0144] See Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 As shown, the image forming apparatus 800 includes: an acquisition unit 801 for acquiring the potential value of the surface of an image carrier; a delay unit 802 for delaying the exposure time of the image carrier when the potential value of the surface of the image carrier is greater than a preset potential threshold; and a transfer control unit 803 for controlling the transfer of the recording medium of the image forming apparatus according to the delayed exposure time of the image carrier.

[0145] For details regarding the embodiments of this application, please refer to the description of the method embodiments above. For the sake of brevity, these details will not be repeated here.

[0146] Corresponding to the above embodiments, this application also provides a mobile electronic device.

[0147] See Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. The electronic device 900 may include a processor 910, a memory 920, and a communication unit 930. These components communicate through one or more buses. Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure of the electronic device shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation on the embodiment of this application. It may be a bus-shaped structure or a star-shaped structure, and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0148] The communication unit 930 is used to establish a communication channel, enabling the electronic device to communicate with other devices. It receives user data from other devices or sends user data to other devices.

[0149] The processor 910 serves as the control center of the electronic device, connecting various parts of the device via various interfaces and lines. It executes software programs, instructions, and / or modules stored in the memory 920, and calls data stored in the memory to perform various functions and / or process data. The processor may be composed of integrated circuits (ICs), such as a single packaged IC or multiple packaged ICs with the same or different functions connected together. For example, the processor 910 may consist only of a central processing unit (CPU). In this embodiment, the CPU may have a single processing core or include multiple processing cores.

[0150] The memory 920 is used to store the execution instructions of the processor 910. The memory 920 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0151] When the execution instructions in the memory 920 are executed by the processor 910, the electronic device 900 is able to perform operations. Figure 3 Some or all of the steps in the illustrated embodiments.

[0152] In a specific implementation, this application also provides a computer storage medium, wherein the computer storage medium may store a program, which, when executed, may include some or all of the steps of the image forming control method provided in the embodiments of this application. The storage medium may be a magnetic disk, optical disk, read-only memory (ROM), or random access memory (RAM), etc.

[0153] In a specific implementation, this application also provides a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes executable instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform some or all of the steps in various embodiments of the image forming control method provided in this application.

[0154] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that the techniques in the embodiments of this application can be implemented using software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application or some parts of the embodiments.

[0155] The same or similar parts between the various embodiments in this specification can be referred to mutually. In particular, the device embodiments and electronic device embodiments are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the description in the method embodiments.

Claims

1. An image forming control method, characterized in that, The method, applied to an image forming apparatus, includes: In the line synchronization detection stage, the potential value of the surface of the image carrier is acquired. The line synchronization detection stage is the stage before the image forming apparatus starts exposure. When the potential value of the surface of the image carrier is greater than a preset potential threshold, the exposure time of the image carrier is delayed; The recording medium of the image forming apparatus is controlled to be transmitted based on the delayed exposure time of the image carrier.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The process of acquiring the potential value of the surface of the image carrier includes: Acquire the potential detection signal of the surface of the image carrier within a first preset time period; Determine at least one signal value in the potential detection signal; The potential value of the surface of the image carrier is determined based on the at least one signal value.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The starting point of the first preset time period is the time point at which the image forming device begins to perform line synchronization detection.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The delay in the exposure time of the image carrier includes: The first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the image carrier to the secondary transfer position is determined, wherein the secondary transfer position is the position where the image is transferred from the transfer belt to the recording medium, and the image is the image generated at the exposure position of the image carrier when the image forming apparatus starts performing line synchronization detection; The delay time is determined based on the first time, the first preset time period, and the second preset time period. Wherein, if the first time remains unchanged, the longer the first preset time period, the shorter the delay time; and the longer the second preset time period, the longer the delay time. The exposure time of the image carrier is delayed according to the delay time.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: During the delay period, the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller is controlled to perform a cleaning operation on the transfer belt.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of controlling the transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller during the delay period to perform a cleaning operation on the transfer belt includes: Determine the number of times the transfer belt can be cleaned within the delay period; The transfer voltage of the secondary transfer roller is controlled according to the number of cleaning cycles.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The determination of the number of cleaning operations that can be performed on the transfer belt within the delay time period includes: The number of times the transfer belt can be cleaned within the delay period is determined based on the delay time, the cleaning preparation time of the secondary transfer roller before the secondary transfer, the time from the power-on start point of the secondary transfer roller to the time the image moves to the primary transfer position, and the time required for one cleaning operation. The primary transfer position is the position where the image is transferred from the image carrier to the transfer belt.

8. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Determining the first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the image carrier to the secondary transfer position includes: When the potential value of the surface of at least two of the image carriers is greater than a preset potential threshold, a first target image carrier among the at least two image carriers is determined. The first target image carrier is the image carrier that first generates an exposed image at the exposure position among the at least two image carriers during the image formation process performed by the image forming apparatus. Determine the first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the first target image carrier to the secondary transfer position.

9. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The transmission control of the recording medium of the image forming apparatus based on the delayed exposure time point of the image carrier includes: When the image forming apparatus performs color printing, a second target image carrier is determined. The second target image carrier is the image carrier that first generates an exposed image at the exposure position during the image forming process performed by the image forming apparatus. Determine the first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the second target image carrier to the secondary transfer position; Timing begins after the second target image carrier is exposed according to the delayed exposure time of the image carrier, and the timing time is equal to the difference between the first time and the first preset time period; After the timing is completed, the recording medium of the image forming apparatus is transmitted under control.

10. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The delay in the exposure time of the image carrier includes: When the image forming apparatus performs black and white printing, an image carrier with a surface potential value greater than a preset potential threshold is used as an image carrier to be confirmed, and the positional relationship between the image carrier to be confirmed and the black image carrier is confirmed. If the image carrier to be confirmed generates an exposed image at the exposure position before the black image carrier during the image forming process performed by the image forming apparatus, then the second time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the image carrier to be confirmed to the exposure position of the black image carrier is obtained. The exposure time of the black image carrier is delayed according to the second time delay.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The step of identifying image carriers with surface potential values ​​greater than a preset potential threshold as image carriers to be confirmed includes: If the potential value of the surface is greater than a preset potential threshold and there are at least two image carriers, then the image carrier that first generates an exposed image at the exposure position among the at least two image carriers will be selected as the image carrier to be confirmed during the image formation process performed by the image forming apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The step of delaying the exposure time of the black image carrier according to the second time delay includes The second time is used as the delay time; The exposure time of the black image carrier is delayed according to the delay time.

13. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The transmission control of the recording medium of the image forming apparatus based on the delayed exposure time point of the image carrier includes: Confirm the first time corresponding to the distance from the exposure position of the black image carrier to the secondary transfer position; Timing begins after the black image carrier is exposed according to the delayed exposure time of the image carrier, and the timing time is equal to the difference between the first time and the first preset time period. After the timing is completed, the recording medium of the image forming apparatus is transmitted under control.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: processor; Memory; The memory stores a computer program that, when executed, causes the electronic device to perform the method described in any one of claims 1-13.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a stored program, wherein, when the program is executed, it controls the device on which the computer-readable storage medium is located to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-13.

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