Patent ID: 6784911
Filing Date: 2004-08-31
Classification: G03D

Abstract:
A heat developing apparatus for developing a heat-processable photo-sensitive material comprising:a supply unit having a loading section for loading the heat-processable photo-sensitive material; an exposure unit for forming a latent image on the heat-processable photo-sensitive material fed by the supply unit based on an image signal or on a predetermined signal for density measurement; a developing unit for heat development of heat-processable photo-sensitive material containing the latent image; a device for gaining density information of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material developed by the developing unit; and a controller for conducting a correction for a density of the heat-processable photo-sensitive material based on a desired density and the density information, by controlling at least one of the exposure unit and the developing unit; wherein, (i) if a print request has not been received at the time when a new package incorporating the heat-processable photo-sensitive material is loaded on the loading section, the controller conducts the correction according to the density information gained by forming and developing a latent image based on the predetermined signal for density measurement after the print request is received; and (ii) if a print request has been already received at the time when the new package is loaded on the loading section, the controller conducts the correction according to the density information gained by forming and developing a latent image based on the predetermined signal for density measurement when the new package is loaded on the loading section.