Image Forming Apparatus Character Thickness Correction

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image forming apparatuses struggle to maintain character legibility, often resulting in printed matter where characters are not easily recognizable due to inconsistent thickness adjustments, leading to illegibility or erasure of characters.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus includes a receiver for print information, extractors to identify character codes, a match determiner to compare original and output character codes, and a corrected image generator to adjust character thickness based on quality operation information, ensuring legible character output.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the thickness of all characters printed on the sheet is increased, then character visibility is improved, but some characters may become illegible

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharacter visibilityVSAvoidcharacter legibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by adjusting character thickness selectively rather than uniformly. The controller identifies specific characters that need thickness adjustment based on comparison between input image character data and actual printed character recognition, then applies thickness correction only to those specific characters. This resolves the contradiction by improving visibility for problematic characters without making all characters illegible through uniform thickening.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the thickness parameter of characters dynamically based on individual character characteristics and printing conditions. The controller modifies the thickness parameter selectively for characters that fail recognition or have poor visibility, rather than applying a fixed parameter change to all characters. This resolves the contradiction by adapting the thickness parameter to specific needs while maintaining overall character legibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If the thickness of all characters printed on the sheet is reduced, then character density is improved, but some characters may be erased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharacter densityVSAvoidcharacter existence

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by reducing character thickness selectively rather than uniformly across all characters. The controller identifies specific characters that can tolerate thickness reduction while maintaining legibility, and applies thinning only to those characters. This resolves the contradiction by increasing overall character density through selective thinning without erasing characters that would become illegible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent dynamically adjusts the thickness parameter for individual characters based on their specific characteristics and the desired output density. The controller reduces the thickness parameter selectively for characters where it will not compromise legibility, thereby achieving higher character density without character erasure. This resolves the contradiction by optimizing the thickness parameter distribution across different characters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If character thickness is adjusted uniformly, then printing process is simplified, but character recognition accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinting process simplicityVSAvoidcharacter recognition accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by enabling the printing system to automatically detect and correct character thickness issues without manual intervention. The controller compares input character data with actual printed character recognition results, identifies problematic characters, and automatically adjusts their thickness. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining printing process simplicity through automation while achieving high character recognition accuracy through adaptive correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs feedback by using character recognition results from the printed output to inform subsequent thickness adjustment decisions. The controller receives feedback on which characters were successfully recognized and which were not, then uses this information to adjust thickness parameters for future printing. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining simple printing operations while continuously improving character recognition accuracy through feedback-driven adaptive correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11231887B2Image forming apparatus, information processing method, and non-transitory storage medium storing information processing program

Publication Date: 2022.01.25 SHARP KK

AI summary

An image forming apparatus includes a CPU, and receives print information transmitted from an information processing device via a network. The image forming apparatus generates an output image according to the print information, and if a non-matching character which a user recognizes with difficulty is included in the output image, generates a corrected image in which all or a part of the non-matching character is corrected.