Method for controlling toner concentration

Claim 1

A method of controlling the concentration of toner used in an electrophotographic recording apparatus having a member for receiving and retaining an electrostatic image, reproducing means for receiving information supplied in the form of an electric signal and for impressing an electrostatic image of said electric signal information on said member, and a developing means for developing an electrostatic image carried on said member, said method comprising the steps of: energizing the reproducing means to form a reference density region on said member, synchronizing the energization of said reproducing means with the signals supplied thereto so that the electrostatic image and the reference density region are sequentially formed on said member. developing the reference density region by the same means for developing the electrostatic image, sensing the toner density of the developed reference density region, producing signals representative of the sensed toner density, comparing said produced signals with signals representative of a desired toner density, producing a signal representative of the difference between the signal representative of said sensed toner density and the desired toner density, adding toner in accordance with said last-mentioned signal and varying at least one parameter of the reference density region in accordance with said last-mentioned signal.

Claim 2

A method of controlling the concentration of toner used in an electrophotographic recording apparatus having a member for receiving and retaining an electrostatic image, reproducing means for receiving information supplied in the form of an electric signal and for impressing an electrostatic image of said electric signal information on said member, and a developing means for developing an electrostatic image carried on said member, said method comprising the steps of: energizing the reproducing means to form a reference density region on said member, synchronizing the energization of said reproducing means with the signals supplied thereto so that the electrostatic image and the reference density region are sequentially formed on said member. developing the reference density region by the same means for developing the electrostatic image, sensing the toner density of the developed reference density region, producing signals representative of the sensed toner density, comparing said produced signals with signals representative of a desired toner density, producing a signal representative of the difference between the signal representative of said sensed toner density and the desired toner density, adding toner in accordance with said last-mentioned signal and varying at least one parameter of the reference density region in accordance with said last-mentioned signal.