Patent ID: 6018355
Filing Date: 2000-01-25
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A thermal recording apparatus for forming an image in accordance with image data on a thermal recording material using a thermal head; said apparatus comprising:a correction data storage unit for holding shading correction data for said image data for correcting an unevenness in a recording density due to said thermal head and at least one of: a weighting function for a shading correction coefficient associated with the recording density of said image data, a weighting function for a shading correction coefficient associated with a temperature of said thermal head, a weighting function for a shading correction coefficient associated with a recording speed of said image, a weighting function for a shading correction coefficient associated with a temperature and a humidity of said thermal recording material, and a weighting function for a shading correction coefficient associated with a gradient of said thermal recording material;an image processing unit for correcting the unevenness in the recording density due to said thermal head by calculating an applied shading correction coefficient based on said at least one of the weighting functions, and then applying said applied shading correction coefficient to said image data; whereinsaid apparatus further comprises at least one of means for detecting the temperature of said thermal head, means for setting the recording speed of said image, means for detecting the temperature and the humidity of said thermal recording material and means for storing the gradient of said thermal recording material, said at least one of detecting and storing means outputting a signal to said correction data storage unit for determining said respective weighting functions.