Tone Correction for Image Density Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining accurate tone correction while reducing toner consumption and preventing productivity drops, due to limitations in obtaining sufficient color information for density correction and inefficiencies in the tone correction process.
Innovation Solution
An image forming system that includes a density detecting section and a hardware processor to perform tone correction based on input-output characteristics data, determining missing tone components and complementing data to enhance correction accuracy without increasing toner consumption or interrupting jobs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional tone correction methods are used to maintain density reproducibility, then accurate tone correction is achieved, but toner consumption increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by creating only the necessary number of correction patches based on detected tone deficiencies. Instead of creating all possible correction patches, the system creates only those patches corresponding to missing tone components, thereby reducing toner consumption and processing time while maintaining adequate correction capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis by detecting missing tone components in the created patches and automatically determines which additional patches are needed. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for comprehensive pre-testing and allows the system to adaptively create only the necessary correction data.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive correction patches are created for all tone components, then complete color information is obtained, but toner consumption increases and correction time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary color information by detecting which tone components are missing in the created patches. Instead of creating all possible correction patches, the system identifies and creates only those patches corresponding to missing tone components, thereby obtaining sufficient color information with reduced toner consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial action by creating correction patches only for detected missing tone components rather than creating comprehensive patches for all possible tones. This approach obtains adequate color information for effective tone correction while minimizing toner usage.
3Measurement precision
If multiple correction patches are created to cover all tone ranges, then accurate tone correction is achieved, but correction process time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by creating correction patches only for the specific tone ranges that are detected as missing, rather than creating patches for all possible tone ranges. This reduces the correction process time while maintaining adequate tone correction accuracy for the necessary ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the correction process by detecting missing tone components in real-time and creating patches only for those specific ranges. This dynamic approach optimizes the balance between correction accuracy and processing time by adapting to the actual correction needs.
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 system achieves high-accuracy tone correction while minimizing toner consumption and preventing productivity decreases by efficiently determining and addressing missing tone components, thereby stabilizing image density across varying environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a density detecting section configured to detect a density of the toner image formed on the image bearing member by the image forming section
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming system includes: a density detecting section that detects the density of a toner image formed on an image bearing member by an image forming section, the density being detected as an output image density; a hardware processor which performs; tone correction in accordance with input-output characteristics data indicating the relationship between an input image density and an output image density, the input image density being the image density of a tone component included in the input image data, the output image density being detected by the density detecting section in accordance with the tone component; determining whether there is a missing tone component in the input image data; and complementing the input-output characteristics data corresponding to a missing tone component, when it is determined that there is the missing tone component.