Image Forming Device Lateral Shift Correction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming devices fail to effectively correct positional shifts in the lateral direction between light emitting members and optical members, leading to uneven light distribution and deteriorated image quality due to insufficient lens correction values and limited number of LEDs in the lateral direction.
Innovation Solution
An image forming device with a hardware processor that selects light emitting elements, acquires exposure amounts, calculates distribution, and detects positional shifts in the lateral direction by comparing calculated positions with reference positions, allowing for precise correction of light emission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If lens correction values are decimated from the lens correction values for the respective LEDs in accordance with the environmental temperature, then the light amount correction can be simplified, but the correction precision for lateral positional shift deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the correction approach into two distinct segments: longitudinal correction using decimated lens correction values, and lateral correction using a separately generated correction map. This segmentation allows each correction dimension to be optimized independently, resolving the contradiction between simplification and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a correction map as an intermediary data structure that stores pre-calculated lateral correction values. This correction map acts as a mediator between the environmental temperature data and the final lateral correction application, enabling precise correction without complex real-time calculations.
2Device complexity
If only one or two lens correction values are used for lateral direction correction, then the data processing is simplified, but the correction accuracy insufficiently reflects the actual positional shift amount
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from using a limited number of discrete correction values to a continuous two-dimensional correction map with multiple correction values across the lateral direction. This dimensional expansion provides sufficient correction granularity to accurately reflect actual positional shifts while maintaining manageable data structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The correction map is generated in advance through simulation or measurement, storing pre-calculated correction values for various lateral positions and environmental temperatures. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex real-time calculations during operation, simplifying data processing while ensuring correction accuracy.
3Device complexity
If the number of LEDs arranged in the lateral direction is small, then the device structure is simplified, but the number of available lens correction values is insufficient for effective correction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a virtual expansion of correction values by generating a correction map that contains multiple correction values for each lateral position. This copying approach effectively multiplies the available correction data without requiring additional physical LEDs, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and correction data sufficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables accurate detection and correction of lateral positional shifts, improving image quality by ensuring uniform light distribution across the photoreceptor.
Implementation Method 1
a longitudinal light emitting member that is constituted from light emitting element rows that are arranged in a lateral direction, the light emitting element rows each being constituted from light emitting elements that are arranged in a longitudinal direction
Implementation Method 2
an optical member that is longitudinal in the longitudinal direction, is disposed so as to condense light emitted from the light emitting elements onto the photoreceptor
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming device includes: a photoreceptor; a longitudinal light emitting member constituted from light emitting element rows that are arranged in a lateral direction and are each constituted from light emitting elements arranged in a longitudinal direction; an optical member that is longitudinal and is disposed to condense light emitted from the light emitting elements onto the photoreceptor; and a hardware processor that: selects and causes one or more light emitting elements for each light emitting element row to emit light; acquires an exposure amount for each light emitting element row; calculates a distribution of the exposure amounts acquired for the light emitting element rows, and calculates a position in the lateral direction corresponding to a predetermined exposure amount in the distribution; and judges whether a difference between the calculated position and a reference position in the lateral direction at a reference time is less than a threshold value.