Image recording apparatus

Claim 2

An image recording apparatus for electrostatically forming a latent image on a photoconductive element by scanning said photoconductive element by a laser beam emitted by a semiconductor laser driven by image data, and developing said latent image to produce a visible image, said apparatus comprising: first driving means for driving the laser by modulating a pulse width by multiple levels which are based on the image data; second driving means for driving, before the visible image is formed, said first driving means by generating laser drive data having a plurality of tones; potential sensing means for sensing a surface potential of a latent image electrostatically formed on the image carrier by said second driving means; and table generating means for generating, in response to a potential sensed by said potential sensing means, a table for correcting image data such that a set relation holds between continuous tone data and latent image potential, the table generating means including an interpolation data calculating unit which produces interpolation data on the basis of (1) an output of a counter within the table generating means and (2) the image data.

Claim 3

An image recording for electrostatically forming a latent image on a photoconductive element by scanning said photoconductive element by a laser beam emitted by a semiconductor laser driven by image data, and developing said latent image to produce a visible image, said apparatus comprising: first driving means for driving the laser by modulating a drive current for driving said laser by multiple levels which are based on the image data; second driving means for driving, before the visible image is formed, said first driving means by generating laser drive data having a plurality of tones; potential sensing means for sensing a surface potential of a latent image electrostatically formed on the image carrier by said second means; and table generating means for generating, in response to a potential sensed by said potential sensing means, a table for correcting image data such that a set relation holds between continuous tone data and latent image potential, the table generating means including an interpolation data calculating unit which produces interpolation data on the basis of (1) an output of a counter within the table generating means and (2) the image data.

Claim 4

An image recording for electrostatically forming a latent image on a photoconductive element by scanning said photoconductive element by a laser beam emitted by a semiconductor laser driven by image data, and developing said latent image to produce a visible image, said apparatus comprising: first driving means for driving the laser by modulating a drive current for driving said laser by multiple levels which are based on the image data; second driving means for driving, before the visible image is formed, said first driving means by generating laser drive data having a plurality of tones; potential sensing means for sensing a surface potential of a latent image electrostatically formed on the image carrier by said second means; and table generating means for generating, in response to a potential sensed by said potential sensing means, a table for correcting image data such that a set relation holds between continuous tone data and latent image potential, the table generating means including an interpolation data calculating unit which produces interpolation data on the basis of (1) an output of a counter within the table generating means and (2) the image data.

Claim 5

An image recording apparatus for modulating a drive current or an emission time in multiple levels in response to image data to drive a semiconductor laser, scanning a photoconductive image carrier by a laser beam issuing from said laser to electrostatically form a latent image on said image carrier, and developing said latent image to produce a visible image, said apparatus comprising: latent image forming means for electrostatically forming a latent image in an image forming area of the image carrier in response to the image data, and electrostatically forming a latent image having a plurality of tones for tone correction in a non-image forming area of said image carrier; potential sensing means for sensing a potential of said latent image formed in the non-image forming area by said latent image forming means; and table generating means for generating, in response to a potential sensed by said potential sensing means, a table for correcting image data such that a set relation holds between continuous tone data to drive said laser and latent image potential, the table generating means including an interpolation data calculating unit which produces interpolation data on the basis of (1) an output of a counter within the table generating means and (2) the image data.

Claim 6

An image recording apparatus for modulating a drive current or an emission time in multiple levels in response to image data to drive a semiconductor laser, scanning a photoconductive image carrier by a laser beam issuing from said laser to electrostatically form a latent image on said image carrier, and developing said latent image to produce a visible image, said apparatus comprising: latent image forming means for electrostatically forming a latent image in an image forming area of the image carrier in response to the image data, and electrostatically forming a latent image having a plurality of tones for tone correction in a non-image forming area of said image carrier; potential sensing means for sensing a potential of said latent image formed in the non-image forming area by said latent image forming means; and table generating means for generating, in response to a potential sensed by said potential sensing means, a table for correcting image data such that a set relation holds between continuous tone data to drive said laser and latent image potential, the table generating means including an interpolation data calculating unit which produces interpolation data on the basis of (1) an output of a counter within the table generating means and (2) the image data.

Claim 7

An image recording apparatus for modulating a drive current or an emission time in multiple levels in response to image data to drive a semiconductor laser, scanning a photoconductive image carrier by a laser beam issuing from said laser to electrostatically form a latent image on said image carrier, and developing said latent image to produce a visible image, said apparatus comprising: latent image forming means for electrostatically forming a latent image in an image forming area of the image carrier in response to the image data, and electrostatically forming a latent image having a plurality of tones for latent image tone correction in a non-image forming area of said image carrier; potential sensing means for sensing a potential of said latent image formed in the non-image forming area by said latent image forming means; first condition setting means for generating, in response to a potential sensed by said potential sensing means, a table for correcting image data such that a set relation holds between continuous tone data to drive said laser and latent image potential, the table generating means including an interpolation data calculating unit which produces interpolation data on the basis of (1) an output of a counter within the first condition setting means and (2) the image data; reflection density sensing means for sensing a reflection density of toner development applied to said latent image formed by said latent image forming means; and second condition setting means for setting the tone relation between said potential of said latent image sensed by said potential sensing means and said reflection density of toner development sensed by said reflection density sensing means.

Claim 8

An image recording apparatus for modulating a drive current or an emission time in multiple levels in response to image data to drive a semiconductor laser, scanning a photoconductive image carrier by a laser beam issuing from said laser to electrostatically form a latent image on said image carrier, and developing said latent image to produce a visible image, said apparatus comprising: latent image forming means for electrostatically forming a latent image in an image forming area of the image carrier in response to the image data, and electrostatically forming a latent image having a plurality of tones for latent image tone correction in a non-image forming area of said image carrier; potential sensing means for sensing a potential of said latent image formed in the non-image forming area by said latent image forming means; first condition setting means for generating, in response to a potential sensed by said potential sensing means, a table for correcting image data such that a set relation holds between continuous tone data to drive said laser and latent image potential, the table generating means including an interpolation data calculating unit which produces interpolation data on the basis of (1) an output of a counter within the first condition setting means and (2) the image data; reflection density sensing means for sensing a reflection density of toner development applied to said latent image formed by said latent image forming means; and second condition setting means for setting the tone relation between said potential of said latent image sensed by said potential sensing means and said reflection density of toner development sensed by said reflection density sensing means.

Claim 9

An image recording apparatus having data store means for storing a plurality of continuous tone data and control data associated with said continuous tone data, and drive means for controlling the drive of a semiconductor laser in response to control data output from said data store means, and performing a sequence of steps of outputting control data from said data store means on the basis of said output control data for thereby illuminating a photoconductive image carrier by a laser beam from said semiconductor laser to electrostatically form a latent image, and depositing a toner to said latent image to produce a toner image, said apparatus comprising: a) data generating means for generating, before the formation of a toner image, correction control data corresponding to part of the plurality of continuous tone data; b) potential sensing means for sensing the surface potential of a latent image formed on said image carrier; and c) correcting means for: (1) driving said drive means on the basis of said correction control data, causing said potential sensing means to sense the surface potential of an electrostatic latent image formed by the drive of said drive means; and (2) correcting, on the basis of the sensed surface potential, said control data of said data store means such that said continuous tone data and the potential of said latent image are held in a predetermined relation.

Claim 10

An image recording apparatus having data store means for storing a plurality of continuous tone data and control data associated with said continuous tone data, and drive means for controlling the drive of a semiconductor laser in response to control data output from said data store means, and performing a sequence of steps of outputting control data from said data store means on the basis of said output control data for thereby illuminating a photoconductive image carrier by a laser beam from said semiconductor laser to electrostatically form a latent image, and depositing a toner to said latent image to produce a toner image, said apparatus comprising: a) data generating means for generating, before the formation of a toner image, correction control data corresponding to part of the plurality of continuous tone data; b) potential sensing means for sensing the surface potential of a latent image formed on said image carrier; and c) correcting means for: (1) driving said drive means on the basis of said correction control data, causing said potential sensing means to sense the surface potential of an electrostatic latent image formed by the drive of said drive means; and (2) correcting, on the basis of the sensed surface potential, said control data of said data store means such that said continuous tone data and the potential of said latent image are held in a predetermined relation.

Claim 11

An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein: said drive means drives said semiconductor laser by modulating a pulse width.

Claim 12

An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein: said drive means drives said semiconductor laser by modulating a drive current.

Claim 13

An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein: said image is electrostatically formed in a non-image area by said correction control data output by said data generating means.

Claim 14

An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising: density sensing means for sensing the density of a toner image formed on said image carrier, said correcting means correcting said control data of said data store means in response to the density sensed by said density sensing means.