Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080258047 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, A METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME, A SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD FOR THE SAME, AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - Disclosed herein is a solid-state image pickup device including: a pixel array portion; a dummy pixel; a differential circuit; a reset voltage supplying section; and a common phase feedback circuit. | 10-23-2008 |
20080303705 | A/D conversion circuit, control method thereof, solid-state imaging device, and imaging apparatus - An A/D conversion circuit includes: an input capacitance to which an input signal and a reference signal are sequentially applied; an operational amplifier; a first switch connected between the other end of the input capacitance and a first input end of the operational amplifier; a feedback capacitance connected to the first input end of the operational amplifier; a second switch connected between the other end of the feedback capacitance and an output end of the operational amplifier; a third switch selectively applying a predetermined voltage to the other end of the feedback capacitance; a fourth switch selectively causing a short circuit between the first input end and the output end of the operational amplifier; a fifth switch applying the predetermined voltage to a second input end of the operational amplifier; and a sixth switch applying a ramp reference voltage to the second input end of the operational amplifier. | 12-11-2008 |
20090190018 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE, METHOD FOR READING SIGNAL OF SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE, AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image sensor includes a pixel array having vertical signal lines, each interconnected to one of columns of the pixel array, and a column processor including a unit readout circuit provided for each of sets of a predetermined number of columns. The unit readout circuit includes input switches, each connected to a corresponding one of the vertical signal lines and being sequentially turned on and off, an input capacitor having one end commonly connected to the input switches, a reference switch for selectively providing a reference voltage to the input capacitor, an operational amplifier connected to the other end of the input capacitor, a reset switch for selectively providing a short-circuit between input and output ends of the operational amplifier, and a feedback circuit provided for each of the columns and including a feedback switch and a feedback capacitor connected in series between the two ends of the operational amplifier. | 07-30-2009 |
20100013976 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, A METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME, A SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD FOR THE SAME, AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - A solid-state image pickup device including: a pixel array portion; a dummy pixel; a differential circuit; a reset voltage supplying section; and a common phase feedback circuit. | 01-21-2010 |
20100060503 | SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION TYPE A/D CONVERTER, METHOD OF CONTROLLING SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION TYPE A/D CONVERTER, SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A successive approximation type A/D converter includes: a reference signal generating section generating a reference signal; a comparator comparing an analog signal input thereto with the reference signal and converting the analog signal into a digital signal; and a control section controlling the reference signal to perform oversampling by executing an A/D conversion process on the analog signal at the comparator plural times such that the analog signal is A/D-converted into a digital value of N bits at the first A/D conversion process and such that the second and subsequent A/D conversion processes are performed starting with a lower bit of the (N-n)-th or lower order with upper n bits of the N-bit digital value obtained at the first A/D conversion process fixed. | 03-11-2010 |
20100259662 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA SYSTEM - A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section including a plurality of pixels, a pixel drive line controlling driving the pixels in each row, a signal line reading an analog signal of the pixels in each column, a pixel drive unit driving the pixels to perform a readout through the pixel drive line, and a readout circuit capable of converting the analog signal into a digital signal. At least the number of pixel drive lines or the number of signal lines is more than one, and the pixels of each pixel group are connected to different lines of either the pixel drive lines or the signal lines. The pixel drive unit sequentially drives the pixels in the pixel group at shifted timings, and the readout circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter sequentially receiving analog signals from the pixel group and sequentially converting the analog signals into digital signals. | 10-14-2010 |
20110127409 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, A METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME, A SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD FOR THE SAME, AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - A solid-state image pickup device including: a pixel array portion; a differential circuit; a reset voltage supplying section; and a common phase feedback circuit. | 06-02-2011 |
20110242381 | Solid-state image pickup apparatus signal processing method for a solid-state image pickup apparatus, and electronic apparatus - Disclosed herein is a solid-state image pickup apparatus, including a pixel array section in which a unit pixel including a photoelectric conversion section and a charge detection section for detecting charge generated by photoelectric conversion by the photoelectric conversion section is disposed; a driving section adapted to carry out driving of reading out a signal of the unit pixel divisionally by twice as a first signal and a second signal; and a signal processing section adapted to set the first signal read out first from the unit pixel as a reference voltage for a processable input voltage range of the signal processing section, adjust the reference voltage so that the first and second signals may be included in the input voltage range and carry out signal processing for the first and second signals using the adjusted reference voltage. | 10-06-2011 |
20110242389 | Solid-state imaging device, driving method and electronic apparatus - Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device employing a plurality of unit pixels each having an opto-electric conversion section configured to convert incident light into electric charge and an electric-charge holding section configured to hold a signal voltage representing the electric charge produced by the opto-electric conversion section, the solid-state imaging device further including a read section and a control section. | 10-06-2011 |
20110309963 | SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION TYPE A/D CONVERTER, METHOD OF CONTROLLING SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION TYPE A/D CONVERTER, SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A successive approximation type A/D converter includes: a reference signal generating section generating a reference signal; a comparator comparing an analog signal input thereto with the reference signal and converting the analog signal into a digital signal; and a control section controlling the reference signal to perform oversampling by executing an A/D conversion process on the analog signal at the comparator plural times such that the analog signal is A/D-converted into a digital value of N bits at the first A/D conversion process and such that the second and subsequent A/D conversion processes are performed starting with a lower bit of the (N−n)-th or lower order with upper n bits of the N-bit digital value obtained at the first A/D conversion process fixed. | 12-22-2011 |
20120026370 | Solid-state imaging device, method for driving solid-state imaging device, and electronic apparatus - Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device, including: a pixel array unit configured to be formed by two-dimensionally arranging unit pixels each having a photoelectric converter, a charge-voltage converter, a reset transistor to set the charge-voltage converter to a predetermined potential, and an amplification transistor to read out a signal converted by the charge-voltage converter; a signal processor configured to process a signal output from the unit pixel by using a reference voltage; and a setter configured to set a reset level obtained from a second unit pixel from which a signal level has been already read out as the reference voltage of the signal processor before readout of a signal level based on a signal charge accumulated or retained in the charge-voltage converter from a first unit pixel. | 02-02-2012 |
20120032687 | DETECTION APPARATUS FOR DETECTING ELECTRIC FIELD DISTRIBUTION OR CARRIER DISTRIBUTION BASED ON THE INTENSITY OF HIGH-ORDER HARMONICS - A detection apparatus having means for evaluating generation and disappearance of a carrier is provided. A detection apparatus detects, on the basis of high-order harmonics, an electric field distribution or a carrier distribution between electrodes arranged on an object to be observed. The detection apparatus includes an emission unit for emitting a fundamental wave to the object, a detection unit for detecting the high-order harmonics generated according to the electric field distribution or the carrier distribution in the object when a voltage is applied to the object, an excitation emission unit for emitting an excitation light for generating a carrier in the object, and a control signal output unit for outputting a second signal to cause the excitation emission unit to emit the fundamental wave to the object on the basis of a first signal of the excitation emission unit, and outputting a third signal to cause the detection unit to detect the high-order harmonics, wherein the control signal output unit is configured to change a time interval from when the first signal is output to when the second and third signals are output. | 02-09-2012 |
20120217380 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE, METHOD FOR READING SIGNAL OF SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE, AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image sensor including a pixel array having vertical signal lines, each interconnected to one of columns of the pixel array, and a column processor including a unit readout circuit provided for each of sets of a predetermined number of columns. The unit readout circuit includes input switches, each connected to a corresponding one of the vertical signal lines and being sequentially turned on and off, an input capacitor having one end commonly connected to the input switches, a reference switch for selectively providing a reference voltage to the input capacitor, an operational amplifier connected to the other end of the input capacitor, a reset switch for selectively providing a short-circuit between input and output ends of the operational amplifier, and a feedback circuit provided for each of the columns and including a feedback switch and a feedback capacitor connected in series between the two ends of the operational amplifier. | 08-30-2012 |
20130016263 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS USING THE SAMEAANM Sato; MamoruAACI KanagawaAACO JPAAGP Sato; Mamoru Kanagawa JPAANM Sakakibara; MasakiAACI KanagawaAACO JPAAGP Sakakibara; Masaki Kanagawa JP - Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device including: a photoelectric conversion portion generating signal electric charges corresponding to a quantity of light; a pixel array block having pixels, each of the pixels including three or more electric charge accumulating portions having a first electric charge accumulating portion, a second electric charge accumulating portion, and a third electric charge accumulating portion, and plural pixel transistors; a scanning block carrying out scanning in such a way that accumulation periods of time for the signal electric charges become simultaneous for all of the pixels, and scanning reading-out of the low illuminance signal and the high illuminance signal; and an arithmetic operation processing portion acquiring a false signal accumulated in the third electric charge accumulating portion before the reading-out of the low illuminance signal, and correcting the low illuminance signal and the high illuminance signal by using the false signal. | 01-17-2013 |
20130307837 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR AND DRIVING METHOD - There is provided a solid-state image sensor including a pixel circuit including a plurality of pixels and imaging a subject, a peripheral circuit provided in a vicinity of the pixel circuit and performing operation in regard to imaging, and a connection element electrically connecting, in initialization of the pixels, elements in the pixels to which a predetermined voltage is applied for initializing the pixels to the peripheral circuit with the predetermined voltage. | 11-21-2013 |
20140009656 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA SYSTEM - A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section including a plurality of pixels, a pixel drive line controlling driving the pixels in each row, a signal line reading an analog signal of the pixels in each column, a pixel drive unit driving the pixels to perform a readout through the pixel drive line, and a readout circuit capable of converting the analog signal into a digital signal. At least the number of pixel drive lines or the number of signal lines is more than one, and the pixels of each pixel group are connected to different lines of either the pixel drive lines or the signal lines. The pixel drive unit sequentially drives the pixels in the pixel group at shifted timings, and the readout circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter sequentially receiving analog signals from the pixel group and sequentially converting the analog signals into digital signals. | 01-09-2014 |
20140036123 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD FOR A SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section that has at least one pixel with a photoelectric conversion unit and a charge detection unit. A driving section is configured to read out a signal of the pixel, a first portion of said signal being based on signal charge, a second portion of said signal being based on a reset potential. A signal processing section is configured to read out the first portion of the signal as a reference voltage, with the reference voltage being adjusted to cause the first and second portions of the signal to be within an input voltage range. | 02-06-2014 |
20140049675 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVING METHOD, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - There is provided a solid-state imaging device including a pixel array section having a plurality of unit pixels two-dimensionally arranged therein, the unit pixels including at least a photoelectric conversion section, a charge holding section, a transfer section, and a reset section, and a drive control section which controls driving of the unit pixels in a manner that a voltage as a signal level and a voltage as a reset level are each read out serially per row. The drive control section controls readout of the voltage of the charge holding section in accordance with initialization of the charge holding section performed by the reset section before the charge transfer by the transfer section. | 02-20-2014 |
20140313385 | IMAGING ELEMENT, CONTROL METHOD, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - The present disclosure relates to an imaging element, a control method, and an imaging apparatus that enable an image of a higher image quality to be obtained. | 10-23-2014 |
20150124132 | IMAGING ELEMENT, DRIVING METHOD, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - The present technology relates to an imaging element, a driving method, and an electronic apparatus that can decrease a voltage and increase a saturation signal amount. | 05-07-2015 |
20150130971 | SIGNAL PROCESSING DEVICE AND METHOD, IMAGING ELEMENT, AND IMAGING DEVICE - A signal processing device and signal processing method are described herein. By way of example, the signal processing method includes a selection unit configured to select, based on a first comparison of an analog signal with a determination voltage, a selected reference voltage to be compared with the analog signal, the selected reference voltage being selected from a plurality of reference voltages. The plurality of reference voltages include at least a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage. | 05-14-2015 |
20150138414 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD FOR A SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section that has at least one pixel with a photoelectric conversion unit and a charge detection unit. A driving section is configured to read out a signal of the pixel, a first portion of said signal being based on signal charge, a second portion of said signal being based on a reset potential. A signal processing section is configured to read out the first portion of the signal as a reference voltage, with the reference voltage being adjusted to cause the first and second portions of the signal to be within an input voltage range. | 05-21-2015 |
20150237278 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD FOR A SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section that has at least one pixel with a photoelectric conversion unit and a charge detection unit. A driving section is configured to read out a signal of the pixel, a first portion of said signal being based on signal charge, a second portion of said signal being based on a reset potential. A signal processing section is configured to read out the first portion of the signal as a reference voltage, with the reference voltage being adjusted to cause the first and second portions of the signal to be within an input voltage range. | 08-20-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090316236 | Image processing method, printer driver, imaging apparatus, image processing apparatus, and imaging system - An image processing method is disclosed for performing an under color removal process and a black recording liquid incorporation process on an input three-color signal, and generating image data for an imaging apparatus that is configured to form a color image on a recording medium using recording liquids of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. The method includes the steps of regulating a maximum black recording liquid incorporation amount such that glossiness of black realized in an image formed on a glossy recording medium is not degraded, setting the black to be realized by the black recording liquid until reaching the regulated maximum black recording liquid incorporation amount, and setting the black to be realized through addition of a composite of the cyan, magenta, and yellow recording liquids if the black to be realized requires an amount of the black recording liquid exceeding the regulated maximum black recording liquid incorporation amount. | 12-24-2009 |
20100265292 | INK, INK CARTRIDGE, INK JET RECORDING APPARATUS, AND INK JET RECORDING METHOD - To provide an ink jet recording method including: performing image recording on a recording medium to obtain an ink adhesion quantity of 15 g/m | 10-21-2010 |
20100265548 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - An image processing apparatus, which performs an error diffusion on M-value image data with an error weight matrix into N-value image data, includes: a corrected-value calculating unit that calculates a corrected value by adding a first value and a second value to a pixel value corresponding to a processing-target color component of a pixel of interest, the first value being obtained by multiplying an error for each quantized pixel of the processing-target color component by the matrix, and the second value being obtained by multiplying an error for each quantized pixel of a different color component by the matrix; a quantizing unit that compares the corrected value with a quantization threshold, and outputs N-value image data; and an error diffusion unit that calculates an error at the pixel of interest by subtracting a quantization threshold from a value obtained by adding the first value to the pixel value. | 10-21-2010 |
20110102489 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming device forms an image on a recording sheet by bidirectional recording. In the image forming device, a control part controls the image forming device. The control part includes a distance changing part that changes a sheet transporting distance for transporting the recording sheet after a forward movement of a recording head to a first transport distance and changes a sheet transporting distance for transporting the recording sheet after a backward movement of the recording head to a second transport distance, and a nozzle changing part that determines inactive nozzles which do not discharge a recording liquid among nozzles of the recording head alternately for one of the forward movement and the backward movement of the recording head. | 05-05-2011 |
20110273746 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - A disclosed image processing apparatus performs an image processing operation to execute double-side printing on both sides of an image forming medium. The image processing apparatus forms a dot font including a dot pattern of a character in a character image that has undergone a halftone process using a predetermined coefficient for mitigating show-through when the double-side printing is performed; forms a correction dot for making a correction to reduce step-like irregularities along an outline portion of the character in the character image, which correction dot is formed based on an arrangement position, a color, and a dot size of the correction dot for reproducing a gradation that has undergone the halftone process using said predetermined coefficient; and combines the dot font and the correction dot. | 11-10-2011 |
20120236054 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM, AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a carriage that includes a head including a black nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged and a color nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are arrange, the black nozzle array being disposed at a position shifted in the sub-scanning direction downstream in a medium conveying direction with respect to the color nozzle array; a conveying unit configured to convey a recording medium in a sub-scanning direction; and a control unit. The control unit forms an image by the color nozzle array in a main scanning in one direction, relatively moves the recording medium to a subsequent main-scanning position thereafter, and forms an image by the black nozzle array on the image formed by the color nozzle array in a following main scanning in the other direction so as to complete an image for one scanning area. | 09-20-2012 |
20120236057 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - Print head for black material is arranged such that the black material is to be ejected later than cyan, magenta, and yellow materials on both of forward and backward strokes, and the print heads for the cyan, magenta, and yellow materials are arranged in tandem in a main-scanning direction. The first processing unit converts input image data into CMY image data and then performs black generation and undercolor removal on the CMY image data, to obtain CMYK image data. The second processing unit converts CMY image data excluding K image data from the CMYK image data into image data for use in printing in the backward direction. The on/off switching unit switches between causing and not causing the second processing unit to covert the CMY image data depending on which one of printing in the forward stroke and printing in the backward stroke is to be performed. | 09-20-2012 |
20130070303 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - The present invention provides a novel image processing apparatus that facilitates obtaining high-quality image even in low resolution without driving up costs and lowering speed. The image processing apparatus of this invention includes the line width determining unit that determines whether or not line width in image with high resolution is one pixel. The adding unit adds one pixel either above or below the line in image converted to lower resolution and makes the width of the line two pixels. | 03-21-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110158677 | CLEANING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is provided a cleaning apparatus, comprising: a normally-charged toner cleaning member that receives a voltage having a polarity reverse to a normal charging polarity of a toner and electrostatically removes a toner having the normal charging polarity on a cleaning target; a reversely-charged toner cleaning member that receives a voltage having the same polarity as the normal charging polarity of a toner and electrostatically removes a toner having a polarity reverse to the normal charging polarity on the cleaning target; and a pre-cleaning member that is disposed at an upstream side of the normally-charged toner cleaning member and the reversely-charged toner cleaning member in a surface moving direction of the cleaning target, receives a voltage having a polarity reverse to the normal charging polarity of the toner, and electrostatically removes a toner having the normal charging polarity on the cleaning target. | 06-30-2011 |
20110229187 | CLEANING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A cleaning device includes a normally charged toner cleaning unit, a reversely charged toner cleaning unit, and a pre-cleaning unit. The normally charged toner cleaning unit has a normally charged toner cleaning member, a normally charged toner recovery member, and a normally charged toner scraping member. The reversely charged toner cleaning unit has a reversely charged toner cleaning member, a reversely charged toner recovery member, and a reversely charged toner scraping member. The pre-cleaning unit has a pre-cleaning member, a pre-recovery member, and a pre-scraping member. | 09-22-2011 |
20110229234 | CLEANING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is provided a pre-cleaning brush roller being a pre-cleaning member which is disposed on an upstream of a normally-charged-toner cleaning brush roller and an oppositely-charged-toner cleaning brush roller in a surface moving direction of an intermediate transfer belt, is applied with a voltage having a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity of toner, and electrostatically removes the toner having the normal charge polarity. | 09-22-2011 |
20120008973 | CLEANING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A cleaning device disposed downstream from a transfer position in a direction of rotation of the image carrier to remove toner from the image carrier. The cleaning device includes a normally-charged toner cleaning member to electrostatically remove normally-charged toner from the image carrier, one of a polarity controller to control the toner on the image carrier to have a normal charging polarity and a reversely-charged toner cleaning member to electrostatically remove reversely-charged toner from the image carrier, a pre-cleaning member to electrostatically remove normally-charged toner from the image carrier, a pre-collection member to electrostatically collect the toner from the pre-cleaning member, and a control unit to reduce a voltage applied to the pre-cleaning member immediately after an untransferred toner image is removed from the image carrier by the pre-cleaning member below a voltage applied to the pre-cleaning member during removal of the untransferred toner image. | 01-12-2012 |
20120034006 | CLEANING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME, AND METHOD FOR MOUNTING SAME - A cleaning device including: multiple cleaning members arranged consecutively in a direction of movement of a cleaning target to remove adhered substances from the cleaning target; multiple casings to individually hold and at least partially enclose the multiple cleaning members, respectively, the casings and the cleaning members together constituting multiple sub-units; and a sub-unit holder to hold the multiple sub-units, from which the sub-units are individually removable. | 02-09-2012 |
20120087704 | CLEANING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A cleaning device including a normally charged toner cleaning member provided in contact with a cleaning target at a contact position to remove normally charged toner from the cleaning target, a reversely charged toner cleaning member provided in contact with the cleaning target at a contact position upstream from the normally charged toner cleaning member to remove reversely charged toner from the cleaning target, and a pre-cleaning member provided in contact with the cleaning target at a contact position upstream from both the normally and reversely charged toner cleaning members to remove normally charged toner from the cleaning target. The contact position between the pre-cleaning member and the cleaning target has a width wider than a width of the contact position between the normally charged toner cleaning member and the cleaning target and a width of the contact position between the reversely charged toner cleaning member and the cleaning target. | 04-12-2012 |
20120099883 | CLEANING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A cleaning device including a rotatable cleaning member contacting a rotatable image carrier bearing a toner image to electrostatically remove toner from the image carrier while rotating, and a control unit to control rotation of the cleaning member to satisfy a relation of (60/R)>(L/V) during removal of a toner pattern formed on the image carrier at a predetermined timing and remaining attached to the image carrier without being transferred from the image carrier onto a transfer member using the cleaning member, where R (rpm) is a number of rotations of the cleaning member, L (mm) is a length of the toner pattern in a direction of rotation of the image carrier, and V (mm/s) is a speed of the image carrier. | 04-26-2012 |
20120224870 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A novel image forming apparatus including a setting memory storing multiple voltage settings; two or more voltage applying members each contacting a voltage applied member at respective contact positions close to each other, which are simultaneously being applied with respective voltages selected from the voltage settings; two or more current detectors each detecting a current flowing in the respective contact positions; and a setting changer performing a setting changing processing in which the voltage applied to one of the voltage applying members is changed based on the current detected by the corresponding current detector while a predetermined voltage is applied to the other voltage applying members, so that an optimum current flows in the corresponding contact position. | 09-06-2012 |
20130315617 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a belt cleaning device is provided. The belt cleaning device includes an image bearing belt having an elastic layer, a cleaning member, a cleaning facing member, and a side seal. A surface of the image bearing belt is movable. The cleaning member is in contact with the surface of the image bearing belt to remove a substance adhered thereto. The cleaning facing member is disposed on a back-surface side of the image bearing belt while facing the cleaning member with the image bearing belt therebetween. The side seal is disposed to an axial end part of the cleaning member and pressed against the surface of the image bearing belt. The cleaning facing member is out of contact with the back side of the image bearing belt within an area where the cleaning facing member faces the side seal with respect to an axial direction. | 11-28-2013 |
20140119769 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearer, a charging member to contact a surface of the image bearer and charge the image bearer, an exposure device to expose the image bearer and form a latent image, a developing device to develop the latent image on the image bearer into a toner image, a transfer device to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a transfer medium, and a cleaning blade to contact the surface of the image bearer and remove toner from the image bearer after image transfer. The charging member has surface unevenness created by projections and recesses extending in a direction of rotation of the image bearer. The cleaning blade is configured to abrade projections formed on the surface of the image bearer. | 05-01-2014 |
20140193172 | CLEANER, AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE CLEANER - A cleaner is provided. The cleaner includes a cleaning blade having an edge to be contacted with a surface of a member to be cleaned while moving relative to the member to clean the surface of the member. The cleaning blade includes the edge, and first and second side surfaces, wherein the edge is disposed between the first and second side surfaces. When the cleaning blade is not contacted with the surface of the member to be cleaned, the first side surface is opposed to the surface of the member, and when the cleaning blade is contacted with the surface of the member, the edge, and the first and second side surfaces of the cleaning blade are contacted with the surface of the member. | 07-10-2014 |