Image forming apparatus for controlling image density using logarithm compressing means

Claim 2

An image forming apparatus, comprising: means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image corresponding to image data to be formed with a developing agent under a predetermined image forming condition; means for detecting the amount of said developing agent attached to the image carrier, said detecting means comprising: a) means for directing a light beam toward a surface of the image carrier; b) means for converting the light reflected from the surface of the image carrier into an electric signal; c) means for logarithm-compressing the electric signal produced by said converting means; and d) means for calculating the amount of said developing agent in accordance with a logarithm-compressed output signal from said logarithm-compressing means, means for setting said image forming condition in accordance with the amount of the developing agent detected by said detecting means, so as to stabilize image density changes of the image formed on said image carrier; and means for compensating for the temperature characteristics of said logarithm-compressing means, said compensating means having a temperature sensitive element electrically responsive to the ambient temperature, said compensating means further including a temperature compensating section to compensate for the temperature characteristics of said logarithm-compressing means in accordance with the output signal generated by said temperature sensitive element, said temperature sensitive element not being connected to said logarithm-compressing means.

Claim 3

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said temperature sensitive element is electrically connected to said logarithm-compressing means so as to cancel the temperature characteristics of said logarithm-compressing means.

Claim 4

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calculating means includes means for calculating a difference between a first output signal generated by said logarithm-compressing means during non-deposition of a developing agent to said image carrier and a second output signal generated by said logarithm-compressing means during deposition of a developing agent to said image carrier.

Claim 5

The image forming apparatus according claim 3, wherein said calculating means includes: A/D converting means for converting said first and second output signals generated by said logarithm-compressing means into first and second digital signals; holding means for holding said first and second digital signals converted by said A/D converting means; and calculating means for calculating a difference between said first and second digital signals held by said holding means.

Claim 6

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said logarithm-compressing means includes a logarithm characteristic element having a temperature dependency.

Claim 7

The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said temperature sensitive element has a temperature dependency opposite to that of said logarithm characteristic element.

Claim 8

The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said temperature sensitive element is thermally coupled with said logarithm characteristic element.

Claim 9

An image forming apparatus, comprising: means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image corresponding to image data to be formed with a developing agent under a predetermined image forming condition; means for detecting the amount of said developing agent attached to the image carrier, said detecting means comprising: a) means for directing a light beam toward a surface of the image carrier; b) means for converting the light reflected from the surface of the image carrier into an electric signal; c) means for logarithm-compressing the electric signal produced by said converting means, and d) calculating means for determining the amount of said developing agent by calculating a difference between a first output signal generated by said logarithm-compressing means when said developing agent is not deposited on said image carrier and a second output signal generated by said logarithm-compressing means when the developing agent is deposited on the image carrier; means for setting said image forming condition in accordance with the amount of the developing agent detected by said detecting means so as to stabilize image density changes of the image formed on said image carrier and means for compensating for the temperature characteristics of said logarithm-compressing means; wherein said compensating means includes a temperature sensitive element having an electrical property responsive to the ambient temperature, said compensating means further including a temperature compensating section serving to compensate for the temperature characteristics of said logarithm-compressing means in accordance with an output signal generated by said temperature sensitive element, said temperature sensitive element not being electrically connected to said logarithm-compressing means.

Claim 10

An image forming apparatus, comprising: means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image corresponding to image data to be formed with a developing agent under a predetermined image forming condition; means for detecting the amount of said developing agent attached to the image carrier, said detecting means comprising: a) means for directing a light beam toward a surface of the image carrier; b) means for converting the light reflected from the surface of the image carrier into an electric signal; c) means for logarithm-compressing the electric signal produced by said converting means, and d) calculating means for determining the amount of said developing agent by calculating a difference between a first output signal generated by said logarithm-compressing means when said developing agent is not deposited on said image carrier and a second output signal generated by said logarithm-compressing means when the developing agent is deposited on the image carrier; means for setting said image forming condition in accordance with the amount of the developing agent detected by said detecting means so as to stabilize image density changes of the image formed on said image carrier and means for compensating for the temperature characteristics of said logarithm-compressing means; wherein said compensating means includes a temperature sensitive element having an electrical property responsive to the ambient temperature, said compensating means further including a temperature compensating section serving to compensate for the temperature characteristics of said logarithm-compressing means in accordance with an output signal generated by said temperature sensitive element, said temperature sensitive element not being electrically connected to said logarithm-compressing means.

Claim 11

The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said temperature sensitive element is electrically connected to said logarithm-compressing means so as to cancel the temperature characteristics of said logarithm-compressing means.

Claim 12

The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said calculating means includes: A/D converting means for converting said first and second output signals generated by said logarithm-compressing means into first and second digital signals; holding means for holding said first and second digital signals converted by said A/D converting means; and calculating means for calculating a difference between said first and second digital signals held by said holding means.

Claim 13

The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said logarithm-compressing means includes a logarithm characteristic element having a temperature dependency.

Claim 14

The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said temperature sensitive element has a temperature dependency opposite to that of said logarithm characteristic element.

Claim 15

The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said temperature sensitive element is thermally coupled with said logarithm characteristic element.

Claim 16

An image forming apparatus, comprising: means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image corresponding to image data formed with a developing agent under a predetermined image forming condition; means for detecting the amount of said developing agent attached to the image carrier, said detecting means comprising: a) means for directing a light beam toward a surface of the image carrier; b) means for converting the light reflected from the surface of the image carrier into electric signals, said converting means performing conversion to meet the relationship V=kP, where V indicates a voltage, k denotes a coefficient and P represents the reflected light and, thus, the voltage V is proportional to the amount P of the reflected light; c) means for logarithm-compressing the electric signals produced by said converting means; and d) means for calculating a developing agent deposition amount in accordance with a difference between an output obtained by logarithm conversion of the voltage proportional to the reflected light, said conversion being carried out by said logarithm converting means when said developing agent is deposited on said image carrier, and another output obtained by logarithm conversion of the voltage proportional to the reflected light, said conversion being carried out by said logarithm converting means when said developing agent is not deposited on said image carrier; means for compensating for the temperature characteristics of said logarithm-compressing means; and means for setting said image forming condition in accordance with the amount of the developing agent detected by said detecting means, so as to stabilize image density changes of the image formed on said image carrier.

Claim 17

An image forming apparatus, comprising: means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image corresponding to image data formed with a developing agent under a predetermined image forming condition; means for detecting the amount of said developing agent attached to the image carrier, said detecting means comprising: a) means for directing a light beam toward a surface of the image carrier; b) means for converting the light reflected from the surface of the image carrier into electric signals, said converting means performing conversion to meet the relationship V=kP, where V indicates a voltage, k denotes a coefficient and P represents the reflected light and, thus, the voltage V is proportional to the amount P of the reflected light; c) means for logarithm-compressing the electric signals produced by said converting means; and d) means for calculating a developing agent deposition amount in accordance with a difference between an output obtained by logarithm conversion of the voltage proportional to the reflected light, said conversion being carried out by said logarithm converting means when said developing agent is deposited on said image carrier, and another output obtained by logarithm conversion of the voltage proportional to the reflected light, said conversion being carried out by said logarithm converting means when said developing agent is not deposited on said image carrier; means for compensating for the temperature characteristics of said logarithm-compressing means; and means for setting said image forming condition in accordance with the amount of the developing agent detected by said detecting means, so as to stabilize image density changes of the image formed on said image carrier.

Claim 18

An image forming apparatus, comprising: means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image carrier corresponding to image data formed with a developing agent under a predetermined image forming condition; means for directing a light beam toward a surface of the image carrier; photoelectric converting means for converting the light reflected from the surface of the image carrier into an electric signal; A/D converting means for converting said electric signal to a digital signal; means for logarithm-compressing the digital signal converted by said A/D converting means; means for calculating the amount of said developing agent attached to the image carrier by said forming means in accordance with a logarithm-compressing output signal output by said logarithm-compressing means; and means for setting said image forming condition of said forming means in accordance with the amount of the developing agent calculated by said calculating means so as to stabilize image density changes of the image formed on said image carrier.

Claim 19

An image forming apparatus, comprising: means for forming an image on an image carrier, said image carrier corresponding to image data formed with a developing agent under a predetermined image forming condition; means for directing a light beam toward a surface of the image carrier; photoelectric converting means for converting the light reflected from the surface of the image carrier into an electric signal; A/D converting means for converting said electric signal to a digital signal; means for logarithm-compressing the digital signal converted by said A/D converting means; means for calculating the amount of said developing agent attached to the image carrier by said forming means in accordance with a logarithm-compressing output signal output by said logarithm-compressing means; and means for setting said image forming condition of said forming means in accordance with the amount of the developing agent calculated by said calculating means so as to stabilize image density changes of the image formed on said image carrier.