JP2002059587A - Image forming device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain good image quality suited to each image by separating image information into character image information and photographic image information and others even if character image information, photographic image information and others are mixed in image information and modulating separate laser emission means by each of the image information in an image forming device equipped with a plurality of laser emission means modulated on the basis of image information. SOLUTION: Character image information 2 and photographic image information 3 are separately inputted from an image input section 1, character image processing 4 or photographic image processing 5, suited to each, is executed, and after that separate laser drivers 6 and 7 are modulated. Images are written on a photosensitive body by laser light from laser light emission means driven by the laser drivers 6 and 7. The laser light emission means are arranged so that beam spots 8 and 9 may be formed in different positions on the photosensitive body and any positional deviation is corrected by an appropriate means. As described above, an images are formed by carrying out processing suited to the character image information 2 and the photographic image information 3 respectively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and method, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus and method using a plurality of laser beams as image forming means, such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a view for explaining an example of a conventional image forming apparatus (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-43752: image forming apparatus). Data correction means for correcting the input data 11,
Reference numerals 13 and 14 denote a laser transmission unit which receives the input data 11 which has been corrected and divided by the data correction means 12 and turns on / off the output of the semiconductor laser light based on the received data. Reference numeral 15 denotes a laser beam size. A polarizing lens for adjustment, 16 is a rotary polygon mirror for scanning laser light in the main scanning direction, 17 is an f-θ lens for correcting surface tilt, 18 is a photoconductor, 19 is a photosensitive drum, and 20 is paper. The laser transmitting units 13 and 14 are arranged such that the laser light on the photoreceptor 18 from one laser transmitting unit 13 is shifted by half a dot from the laser light from the other laser transmitting unit 14.

First, when input data 11 for forming an image is received from a higher-level device, a data correction means 12 stores the data and calculates a portion that needs to be added by half a dot. Next, the data correction unit 12
Is transmitted to each of the laser transmission units 14. The on / off of the laser beam is performed by turning on / off the laser transmitting units 13 and 14 independently. The polarizing lens 15 adjusts the size of the laser beam corresponding to this data, and performs a rotating polygon mirror 16 having several surfaces of one line length.
Incident on. The laser transmitting unit 13 and the laser transmitting unit 14 output laser beams to different positions on the rotary polygon mirror 16. The laser light incident on the rotating polygon mirror 16 is scanned (scanned) by the rotation of the rotating polygon mirror 16 and corrected through the f-θ lens 17. The laser beams from the laser transmitters 13 and 14 form data at positions shifted by half a dot on the surface of the photoconductor 18.

According to the above-described image forming apparatus, a latent image is formed on the photoreceptor 18 and the image developed on the paper 20 by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 19 is formed at a position shifted by half a dot. The resolution can be improved without delicate jaggedness during image formation of the set.

[0005]

In an image forming apparatus for writing image information on a photoreceptor by using a laser beam, a character image and a photographic image are identified, and image processing suitable for each is performed to improve the image quality. May be performed. However, for example, when a character image and a photographic image overlap, performing image processing suitable for one of them causes a problem that the image quality of the other deteriorates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of obtaining a high quality image suitable for each image even if a character image and a photographic image are mixed. It was made for the purpose.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image at high speed with a high quality even when a character image and a photographic image are mixed.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including a plurality of laser light generating units which are modulated based on image information.
It is characterized in that the laser light generating means is divided into photographic image information and the like and modulated by each image information.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, there are provided a plurality of laser light generating means modulated by the respective image information.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming method for forming an image by a plurality of laser light generating means modulated based on the image information, wherein the image information includes character image information;
It is characterized in that the laser light generating means is divided into photographic image information and the like and modulated by each image information.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming method according to the third aspect, wherein a plurality of laser light generating means are modulated by the respective image information.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining an embodiment of the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of a beam spot on a photoconductor by the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, 1 is an image input unit, 2 is character image information, 3 is photographic image information, 4 is character image processing, 5 is photographic image processing, and 6 and 7 are laser drivers. Is a beam spot.
The character image information 2 and the photographic image information 3 are separately input from the image input unit 1, and the character image processing 4 and the photographic image processing 5 suitable for each are performed, and then the modulation of the separate laser drivers 6 and 7 is performed. I have. An image is written on a photoreceptor by laser light emitted from laser light generating means driven by the laser drivers 6 and 7. On the photoreceptor, as shown in FIG.
The laser beam generating means is arranged so that the beam spots 8 and 9 are formed at different positions, and the positional deviation is corrected by an appropriate means. As described above, an image is formed by performing processing suitable for the character image information 2 and the photographic image information 3. Of course, by adding a laser driver, laser light emitting means, etc., the image information is not two types,
It can be further divided.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining another embodiment of the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a view showing a state of a beam spot on a photosensitive member by the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. In FIG. 3, 6a, 6b; 7a,
7b is a laser driver, 8a, 8b; 9 in FIG.
Reference numerals “a” and “9b” denote beam spots, and other portions that operate in the same manner as in FIG. 1 are given the same numbers as in FIG. As in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the character image information 2 and the photographic image information 3 are separately input from the image input unit 1, and the character image processing 4 and the photographic image processing 5 suitable for each are performed. Thereafter, two laser drivers 6a, 6b; 7a,
7b is driven to simultaneously write data for two lines. Beam spots 8a, 8b; 9 as shown in FIG.
The laser beam generating means is arranged so that a and 9b are formed, and the positional deviation is corrected by an appropriate means. As described above, the character image information 2 and the photographic image information 3 are processed optimally to form an image, and the image can be formed at high speed. Of course, three or more laser drivers that are driven simultaneously may be used to simultaneously write three or more lines.

[0014]

In an image forming apparatus provided with a plurality of laser light generating means modulated based on image information, the image information is divided into character image information, photographic image information, and the like. Since the laser light generating means is modulated, good image quality can be obtained even when character images, photographic images and the like are mixed.

In an image forming apparatus provided with a plurality of laser light generating means modulated based on image information, the image information is divided into character image information, photographic image information, and the like. Modulate the generating means,
In addition, since a plurality of laser light generating means are modulated by the respective image information, a high quality image can be obtained even if a character image and a photographic image are mixed, and the image can be formed at a high speed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state of a beam spot on a photoconductor by the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state of a beam spot on a photoconductor by the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional image forming apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image information input part, 2 ... Character image information, 3 ... Photo image information, 4 ... Character image processing, 5 ... Photo image processing, 6, 6
a, 6b, 7, 7a, 7b ... Laser driver, 8, 8
a, 8b, 9, 9a, 9b: beam spot, 11: input data, 12: data correction means, 13, 14: laser transmitting section, 15: polarizing lens, 16: rotating polygon mirror, 17:
f-θ lens, 18 photoconductor, 19 photoconductor drum, 20
… Paper.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 1/23 103

Claims (4)

[Claims] In an image forming apparatus provided with a plurality of laser light generating means modulated based on image information, image information is divided into character image information, photographic image information, and the like. An image forming apparatus, wherein a laser light generating unit is modulated. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
An image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of laser light generating means are modulated by the respective image information. 3. An image forming method for forming an image by a plurality of laser light generating means modulated based on image information, wherein the image information is divided into character image information, photographic image information, and the like, and each image information is An image forming method comprising modulating different laser light generating means. 4. The image forming method according to claim 3, wherein
An image forming method, wherein a plurality of laser light generating units are modulated by the respective image information.