Patent ID: 9491329
Filing Date: 2016-11-08
CPC Classification: H04N

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a photoreceptor on which a toner image is formed; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image on the recording medium; a processor and a memory; a storage unit configured to store image data representing the image; a first generation unit configured to generate a first position information which represents a position of a target pixel in a first direction which corresponds to a conveyance direction of the recording medium; a second generation unit configured to generate a second position information which represents a position of the target pixel in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction; a setting unit configured to set, based on magnification changing information in the first direction which corresponds to a conveyance direction of the recording medium, a division condition for dividing the image data representing the image into two or more areas in the first direction, the setting unit including: a pseudorandom number value generation circuit configured to generate a random number value based on a seed value; a control unit configured to: store a seed value which is set in the pseudorandom number value generation circuit in the holding unit when the first position information of the target pixel is different from the first position information of the previous pixel and the area of the target pixel is different from that of the previous pixel; and set the seed value held in the holding unit in the pseudorandom number value generation circuit when the first position information of the target pixel is different from the first position information of the previous pixel and the area of the target pixel identical to that of the previous pixel, wherein the control unit is further configured to: cause the pseudorandom number value generation circuit for each target pixel to generate a random number value; and perform a magnification change to the image by reading the image data corresponding to the target pixel from the storing unit based on the generated random number value, the second position information and the first position information, wherein the processor and the memory operate to function as the first generation unit, the second generation unit, the setting unit, the holding unit, the seed value setting unit and the control unit.