US5465111A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for correcting image formation using fuzzy logic
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1992-06-12
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Granted: 1995-11-07
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Expires: 2012-06-12
Abstract
Abstract An image forming apparatus for forming images on a recording medium on the basis of an electrophotography system includes a calculator for determining the quantities of state and quantities of control using fuzzy sets and for calculating, for each color, quantities of control. Each quantity of control corresponds to one of the detected quantities of state from a degree to which the quantity of state belongs to each fuzzy set. An extractor for extracting, in accordance with predetermined rules, a main quantity of control for each color in a specific position within the area represented by each quantity of control calculated by the calculator.
Inventors
- 👤 Hisashi Fukushima
- 👤 Yoshio Uchikawa
- 👤 Yoshito Mizoguchi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 04:01
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/50; G03G15/01; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/40; H04N1/407
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
An image forming apparatus for forming images on a recording medium comprising: an electrophotographic printer engine for forming images having a plurality of colors; detection means for quantitatively detecting a state of devices of the image forming apparatus relating to image formation; control means for setting quantities of control for each color of said electrophotographic printer engine based on the detected state of each of the devices of the image forming apparatus; calculation means for determining, based on the quantities of state detected by said detection means, quantities of control using fuzzy sets, and for calculating quantities of control to be set by the control means for each color, each quantity of control corresponding to one of the detected quantities of state from a degree to which the quantity of state belongs to each fuzzy set; and an extraction means for extracting, in accordance with predetermined rules, a main quantity of control by which the control means sets the amount of each color in a specific position within the area represented by each quantity of control calculated by said calculation means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
181 words
An image forming apparatus for forming images on a recording medium comprising: an electrophotographic printer engine for forming images having a plurality of colors; detection means for quantitatively detecting a state of devices of the image forming apparatus relating to image formation; control means for setting quantities of control for each color of said electrophotographic printer engine based on the detected state of each of the devices of the image forming apparatus; calculation means for determining, based on the quantities of state detected by said detection means, quantities of control using fuzzy sets, and for calculating quantities of control to be set by the control means for each color, each quantity of control corresponding to one of the detected quantities of state from a degree to which the quantity of state belongs to each fuzzy set; and an extraction means for extracting, in accordance with predetermined rules, a main quantity of control by which the control means sets the amount of each color in a specific position within the area represented by each quantity of control calculated by said calculation means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection means detects at least any of the environment around the apparatus, the quantity and direction of the change in said environment, the average humidity in unit time, the toner/carrier ratio of the developer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target to be controlled by said control means is at least any of the control electric potential of an electrostatic latent image forming means, the charge electric potential of the developer, and the toner/carrier ratio of the developer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said extraction means extracts the position of the center of gravity of area covered by each of the quantities of control calculated by said calculation means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
87 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: input means for inputting image signals; signal processing means for processing said image signals; image formation processing means for performing image formation in accordance with the image signals processed by said signal processing means; obtaining means for obtaining processing conditions for said image formation processing means; and inference means for inferring quantities of control for processing the image signal by said signal processing means based on the processing conditions obtained by said obtaining means and based on processing parameters using fuzzy logic.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
87 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: input means for inputting image signals; signal processing means for processing said image signals; image formation processing means for performing image formation in accordance with the image signals processed by said signal processing means; obtaining means for obtaining processing conditions for said image formation processing means; and inference means for inferring quantities of control for processing the image signal by said signal processing means based on the processing conditions obtained by said obtaining means and based on processing parameters using fuzzy logic.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said obtaining means detects the environmental temperature as a processing condition.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said obtaining means detects the number of the sheets on which said image formation processing means forms images as a processing condition.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said obtaining means obtaines the type of the recording papers on which images are formed as a processing condition.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said obtaining means obtains the type of the colorant used by said image forming means as a processing condition.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said signal processing means has a γ-conversion means for converting γ-characteristics of input image data and said inference means obtains conversion characteristics of γ-conversion means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an adjusting means for allowing said γ-conversion characteristics to be manually corrected.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image formation processing means forms images in a plurality of colors.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image formation processing means is a processing means of an electrophotography system.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
An image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said image forming means uses a laser beam as a light source for exposure.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
107 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming an image; control means for controlling a density of the image formed by said image forming means; manual designating means for manually designating a density characteristic of the image to be formed by said image forming means; quantity-of-state detecting means for detecting at least one quantity of state of said image forming means; inference means for obtaining, in accordance with a fuzzy rule and the detected quantity of state, a quantity of control of said control means; and correcting means for correcting said fuzzy rule in accordance with the density characteristic designated by said manual designating means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
107 words
An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming an image; control means for controlling a density of the image formed by said image forming means; manual designating means for manually designating a density characteristic of the image to be formed by said image forming means; quantity-of-state detecting means for detecting at least one quantity of state of said image forming means; inference means for obtaining, in accordance with a fuzzy rule and the detected quantity of state, a quantity of control of said control means; and correcting means for correcting said fuzzy rule in accordance with the density characteristic designated by said manual designating means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
63 words
An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said image forming means is an electrophotographic engine having: an image-carrying element; means for forming a latent image on said image-carrying element; developing means for developing the latent image formed on said image-carrying element; and toner image processing means for performing a process of transferring the image formed on said image-carrying element onto a transfer material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said correcting means corrects a membership function of the fuzzy rule.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said manual designating means designates a brightness of the image to be formed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said manual designating means designates a contrast of the image to be formed.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said image forming means forms an image based on an image signal, and said control means controls a gamma characteristic of the image signal.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
150 words
An image forming method for forming images by using an electrophotographic printer, comprising the steps of: quantitatively detecting a state of devices of the electrophotographic printer relating to image formation; setting quantities of control for each color of the electrophotographic printer based on the detected state; determining, based on quantities of state detected in said detecting step, the quantities of control using fuzzy sets; calculating the quantities of control to be set in said setting step for each color, each quantity of control corresponding to one of the detected quantities of state from a degree to which the quantity of state belongs to each fuzzy set; and extracting, in accordance with predetermined rules, a main quantity of control by which said setting step sets an amount of each color in a specific position within an area represented by each quantity of control calculated in said determining step and calculating step.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
150 words
An image forming method for forming images by using an electrophotographic printer, comprising the steps of: quantitatively detecting a state of devices of the electrophotographic printer relating to image formation; setting quantities of control for each color of the electrophotographic printer based on the detected state; determining, based on quantities of state detected in said detecting step, the quantities of control using fuzzy sets; calculating the quantities of control to be set in said setting step for each color, each quantity of control corresponding to one of the detected quantities of state from a degree to which the quantity of state belongs to each fuzzy set; and extracting, in accordance with predetermined rules, a main quantity of control by which said setting step sets an amount of each color in a specific position within an area represented by each quantity of control calculated in said determining step and calculating step.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
62 words
An image forming method using a printer, comprising the steps of: inputting image signals; processing the image signals; obtaining processing conditions of the printer; inferring quantities of control for processing in said processing step based on the processing conditions obtained in said obtaining step and based on processing parameters using fuzzy logic; and outputting the image signal processed in said processing step.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
62 words
An image forming method using a printer, comprising the steps of: inputting image signals; processing the image signals; obtaining processing conditions of the printer; inferring quantities of control for processing in said processing step based on the processing conditions obtained in said obtaining step and based on processing parameters using fuzzy logic; and outputting the image signal processed in said processing step.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
86 words
An image forming method using a printing engine, comprising the steps of: controlling a density of an image reproduced by the printing engine; manually designating a density characteristic of the image to be reproduced by the printing engine; detecting at least one quantity of state of the printer; obtaining a quantity of control in said controlling step in accordance with a fuzzy rule and the detected quantity of state; and correcting the fuzzy rule in accordance with the density characteristic designated in said manually designating step.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
86 words
An image forming method using a printing engine, comprising the steps of: controlling a density of an image reproduced by the printing engine; manually designating a density characteristic of the image to be reproduced by the printing engine; detecting at least one quantity of state of the printer; obtaining a quantity of control in said controlling step in accordance with a fuzzy rule and the detected quantity of state; and correcting the fuzzy rule in accordance with the density characteristic designated in said manually designating step.
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