Patent ID: 8040580
Filing Date: 2011-10-18
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus having an image forming unit which forms an image by using an image carrier, an exposure unit for exposing the image carrier, and a developing unit for visualizing, with a printing material, an electrostatic latent image generated by exposure, the apparatus comprising: a profile storage unit configured to store a profile representing a shift amount of an exposure position in a sub-scanning direction when exposing the image carrier while scanning the image carrier in a main scanning direction; a determination unit configured to determine, based on the profile, a pixel position in the main scanning direction where the shift amount in the sub-scanning direction is to be compensated; an image data storage unit configured to store image data containing density values of color components and first attribute data for each pixel; a readout unit configured to read out the image data from the image data storage unit by shifting a readout position in the sub-scanning direction at the determined pixel position; an attribute correction unit configured to correct the first attribute data serving as part of the image data by referring to the first attribute data of the readout image data, and when the first attribute data representing a specific attribute exists, enlarge, in a direction corresponding to a direction in which the readout position is shifted, an area where the first attribute data representing the specific attribute exists; and an interpolation unit configured to interpolate a pixel value for image data within an area determined based on the corrected first attribute data, wherein an image is formed using the interpolated pixel value.