Image Forming Apparatus Correction Timing Control

Solution Overview

Problem

The overlap of internal adjustment and user-initiated calibration processes in image forming apparatuses leads to unnecessary wait times and consumable product waste, as the in-apparatus density adjustment is not always performed with measurement results from actual sheet output, affecting image quality.

Innovation Solution

The image forming apparatus executes first correction processing to set image reproduction characteristics close to a target value and then performs second correction processing only after internal adjustment processing, ensuring that the second correction is based on actual output characteristics measured during on-paper density adjustment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the in-apparatus density adjustment is performed during internal adjustment processing, then the image quality can be stabilized, but the wait time increases and consumable products are wasted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage quality stabilizationVSAvoidwait time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary determination of whether to execute the in-apparatus density adjustment based on the execution state of the internal adjustment processing. By checking the execution state before initiating the density adjustment, the system avoids unnecessary processing during internal adjustment, thereby reducing wait time while maintaining image quality stabilization when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the execution of the in-apparatus density adjustment based on the real-time state of the internal adjustment processing. The control unit modifies the processing flow according to whether the internal adjustment is executing, has completed, or is suspended, enabling flexible adaptation to different operational states to eliminate redundant processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the in-apparatus density adjustment is performed during internal adjustment processing, then the image quality can be stabilized, but consumable products are consumed unnecessarily

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage quality stabilizationVSAvoidconsumable product consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary determination of whether to execute the in-apparatus density adjustment based on the execution state of the internal adjustment processing. By checking the execution state before initiating the density adjustment, the system avoids unnecessary processing during internal adjustment, thereby reducing wait time while maintaining image quality stabilization when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system discards the unnecessary in-apparatus density adjustment processing when the internal adjustment processing is executing, avoiding waste of consumable products. The control unit identifies when the density adjustment should be skipped based on the internal adjustment state, effectively discarding redundant processing steps that would consume toner and other consumables

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Productivity

If the second correction processing is executed before internal adjustment processing, then the correction can be applied, but the correction cannot be based on actual output characteristics

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecorrection processing speedVSAvoidoutput characteristic measurement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary determination of whether to execute the in-apparatus density adjustment based on the execution state of the internal adjustment processing. By checking the execution state before initiating the density adjustment, the system avoids unnecessary processing during internal adjustment, thereby reducing wait time while maintaining image quality stabilization when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the internal adjustment processing state to determine when to execute the in-apparatus density adjustment. The control unit monitors the execution state and uses this feedback information to decide whether to proceed with the density adjustment, ensuring that corrections are based on actual output characteristics when the internal adjustment has completed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10419624B2Image forming apparatus and image forming method

Publication Date: 2019.09.17 CANON KK

AI summary

An image forming apparatus includes a correction unit configured to execute first correction processing to be executed to bring reproduction characteristics of an image formed by an image forming unit close to a target value and second correction processing different from the first correction processing, and an adjustment unit configured to execute a plurality of adjustment processing including the second correction processing, wherein correction processing by the correction unit is set to be executed at a predetermined timing, and wherein in a case that correction processing by the correction unit is executed at the set timing after adjustment processing is executed by the adjustment unit, the image forming apparatus performs control not to execute the second correction processing included in the adjustment processing and to execute the second correction processing after executing the first correction processing by the correction unit.