KR20070077950A - Method and apparatus for regulating a registration sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of controlling a registration sensor and an apparatus thereof are provided to improve the quality of an imaging forming device by improving the accuracy of a correction result of a color registration. A method of controlling a registration sensor includes the steps of printing a density measuring pattern(10), sensing a density level of the printed density measuring pattern(12), checking whether the density level of the density measuring pattern is higher than a reference level(14), controlling a position where the density measuring pattern is printed and a position where the registration sensor is installed and restarting the step(10) if the density level of the density measuring pattern is less than the reference level, and finishing a process if the density level of the density measuring pattern is more than the reference level.

Description

Method and apparatus for regulating registration sensor {Method and apparatus for regulating a registration sensor}

1 is a flowchart of an embodiment for explaining a registration sensor adjusting method according to the present invention.

2 is a view for comparing the density measurement pattern for each color with a reference level.

3 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the density measurement pattern for each color is moved by a predetermined distance.

Figure 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment for explaining the registration sensor adjustment apparatus according to the present invention.

<Brief description of the major symbols in the drawings>

100: printing unit 120: registration sensor

140: concentration level inspection unit 160: position adjustment control unit

The present invention provides a noise signal for detecting a density measurement pattern by varying the position of the registration sensor and simultaneously changing the position of the density measurement pattern and the registration sensor so that the density measurement pattern is printed, such as a transfer belt or a tear of the paper feeder. The present invention relates to a registration sensor adjusting method and apparatus for preventing color registration from being corrected.

Conventionally, the concentration measurement pattern and the position of the registration sensor are fixed to determine whether registration can be performed normally.

In order to perform ACR (Auto Color Registration), a process for determining developer concentration is necessary. For this concentration measurement, a density measurement pattern is printed and a registration sensor is used to detect the concentration of the density measurement pattern printed on the belt.

If the measured density value is higher than the reference level, the registration pattern is printed on the belt, and then the registration pattern is detected using a registration sensor, and color image alignment is performed using the detected result.

 By the way, when the measured density value is below the reference level, color image alignment cannot be performed. For example, if any of the density measurement patterns of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black do not exceed the reference level, the density measurement pattern indicates that the printed belt is damaged, making it impossible to perform color registration. There is a problem.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to move the density measurement pattern and the registration sensor until the normal concentration is detected when the concentration of the density measurement pattern printed on the belt is not normally detected due to tearing or scratching of the belt. To provide a registration sensor adjusting method and apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, the registration sensor adjustment method according to the present invention comprises the steps of (a) printing the density measurement pattern, (b) using the registration sensor, detecting the concentration level of the printed density measurement pattern, (c A) checking whether the density level of the density measurement pattern is greater than or equal to the reference level; and (d) if the density level of the density measurement pattern is less than the reference level, adjusting the mounting position of the registration sensor and the position to be printed of the density measurement pattern, It characterized in that it comprises the step of proceeding to the step (a).

In order to achieve the above another object, the registration sensor adjusting apparatus according to the present invention is a printing unit for printing the density measurement pattern, the registration sensor for detecting the density level of the printed density measurement pattern, the density level of the density measurement pattern is more than the reference level If the density level inspection unit for checking the application and the density level of the density measurement pattern is less than the reference level, it is characterized in that it comprises a position adjustment control unit for controlling the adjustment of the position to be mounted of the registration sensor and the position to be printed of the density measurement pattern.

Hereinafter, a registration sensor adjusting method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a flowchart of an embodiment for explaining a registration sensor adjusting method according to the present invention.

The registration sensor adjustment method according to the present invention starts from the premise that the toner concentration stored in the developer satisfies the condition that it is equal to or more than an appropriate concentration.

First, the concentration measurement pattern is printed (step 10).

Density measurement patterns are printed for each color of cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

After the tenth step, the density sensor of the printed density measurement pattern is sensed using the registration sensor (step 12).

After the twelfth step, it is checked whether the concentration level of the concentration measurement pattern is equal to or higher than the reference level (step 14). It is checked whether the density measurement patterns printed for each color of cyan, magenta, yellow and black correspond to or above the reference level.

The reference level is predetermined, and the value can be adjusted.

In step 14, if the density level of any of the density measurement patterns printed for each color of cyan, magenta, yellow and black is less than the reference level, the position where the registration sensor is to be mounted and the position where the density measurement pattern is to be printed are determined. Adjust to step 10 (step 16).

If the density level is less than the reference level in any of the density measurement patterns printed for each color of cyan, mazeta, yellow and black, it means that the corresponding position of the belt on which the density measurement pattern is printed is damaged.

2 is a view for comparing the density measurement pattern for each color with a reference level. As shown in Fig. 2, since the density measurement pattern of black is less than the reference level, this density measurement pattern indicates that there is damage in the position of the printed belt. Therefore, even if the density measurement pattern is printed on the belt at the position where the density measurement pattern is printed, the same result is inevitably obtained.

At this time, it is necessary to adjust the position where the density measurement pattern is printed.

3 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the density measurement pattern for each color is moved by a predetermined distance. As shown in Fig. 3, if the density level of the density measurement pattern printed at the position ① is less than the reference level, the printing position of the density measurement pattern is moved to the position ②. At this time, the new printing position of the density measurement pattern is moved by a predetermined distance, and this moving distance can be changed by the user.

On the other hand, while the position to be printed on the density measurement pattern is moved by a predetermined distance, the position of the registration sensor is also moved by the same distance. The reason for moving the registration sensor is to detect the moved concentration measurement pattern.

The position to be moved of the registration sensor is characterized in that it is adjusted automatically or manually. In the case of manual adjustment, the user may adjust.

After adjusting the printing position of the density measurement pattern and the mounting position of the registration sensor, returning to the tenth step and repeating the tenth to sixteenth steps described above, when the density level of all the density measurement patterns becomes the reference level or more. Until then, the position to be printed of the density measurement pattern and the mounting position of the registration sensor are adjusted.

Meanwhile, the above-described method invention of the present invention may be implemented by computer readable codes / instructions / programs, and the codes / instructions may be implemented using a medium, for example, a computer readable recording medium. / Can be implemented in a general-purpose digital computer for operating the program.

The computer-readable recording medium may be a magnetic storage medium (eg, ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, etc.), optical reading medium (eg, CD-ROM, DVD, etc.) and carrier wave (eg Storage media, such as through the Internet). In addition, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a medium (s) containing computer readable code, such that a plurality of computer systems connected through a network may be distributed and processed.

Functional programs, codes and code segments for realizing the present invention can be easily inferred by programmers in the art to which the present invention belongs.

Hereinafter, a registration sensor adjusting apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment for explaining a registration sensor adjusting apparatus according to the present invention, and includes a printing unit 100, a registration sensor 120, a concentration level inspecting unit 140, and a position adjusting control unit 160. .

The printing unit 100 prints the density measurement pattern.

The registration sensor 120 detects the density level of the printed density measurement pattern, and outputs the detected result to the density level inspecting unit 140. Two or more registration sensors 120 may be provided.

The concentration level inspecting unit 140 checks whether the concentration level of the concentration measuring pattern is equal to or greater than the reference level, and outputs the result of the inspection to the position adjustment control unit 160. The density level inspecting unit 140 checks whether all of the density measurement patterns printed for each color of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black correspond to or exceed a reference level.

The position adjustment controller 160 controls the adjustment of the position where the registration sensor is to be mounted and the position where the density measurement pattern is to be printed in response to the inspection result of the density level inspecting unit 140 that the concentration level of the concentration measurement pattern is less than the reference level. .

As shown in FIG. 3, if the density level of the density measurement pattern printed at the position of ① is less than the reference level, the positioning controller 160 moves the position to be printed of the density measurement pattern to the position of ②.

On the other hand, the position adjustment control unit 160 moves the position of the registration sensor by the movement distance of the position to be printed of the density measurement pattern.

In particular, the position adjustment control unit 160 is characterized in that for outputting a control signal that can automatically adjust the mounting position of the registration sensor through the output terminal OUT1. In order to automatically move the registration sensor, the position adjustment controller 160 outputs a signal for controlling a mechanical structure such as a warm gear, a cam shape, a solenoid or a clutch.

Such a registration sensor adjustment method and apparatus of the present invention have been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings for clarity, but these are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can various modifications and equivalents therefrom. It will be appreciated that embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the appended claims.

The method and apparatus for adjusting the registration sensor according to the present invention moves the density measurement pattern and the registration sensor until the normal concentration is detected when the density of the density measurement pattern printed on the belt is not normally detected due to the tearing or scratching of the belt. By doing so, color registration can be performed smoothly.

In addition, the registration sensor adjustment method and apparatus according to the present invention has an effect of improving the accuracy of the result of the color registration, thereby improving the quality of the image forming apparatus.

Claims (5)

(a) printing a concentration measurement pattern; (b) detecting a concentration level of the printed density measurement pattern using a registration sensor; (c) checking whether the concentration level of the concentration measurement pattern is equal to or greater than a reference level; And (d) if the density level of the density measurement pattern is less than the reference level, adjusting the mounting position of the registration sensor and the position to be printed of the density measurement pattern, and proceeding to step (a). A registration sensor adjustment method characterized by the above-mentioned. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) And adjusting the mounting position of the registration sensor automatically or manually. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of claim 1. A printing unit for printing the density measurement pattern; A registration sensor for sensing a density level of the printed density measurement pattern; A concentration level inspecting unit checking whether a concentration level of the concentration measuring pattern is equal to or greater than a reference level; And And a position adjustment control section for controlling adjustment of the position at which the registration sensor is to be mounted and the position at which the concentration measurement pattern is to be printed if the concentration level of the concentration measurement pattern is less than the reference level. The method of claim 4, wherein the position adjustment control unit And a control signal for automatically adjusting a mounting position of the registration sensor.

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