Patent ID: 6039435
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: B41J,G03G

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus at least comprising:a supplying means having a developer support carrying a developer;an opposing electrode disposed facing the developer support;a high-voltage power source for supplying a high voltage to produce a potential difference between the developer support and the opposing electrode;a control electrode at least comprising:an insulative substrate disposed between the developer support and the opposing electrode;a plurality of gates formed in the insulative substrate for forming a passage of the developer;one or more electrode groups provided covering a multiple number of the gates; anda control means for applying multiple potential states to each electrode group of the control electrode, wherein the control means controls the passage of the developer through the multiple number of the gates by applying a designated voltage to the electrode groups so as to form an image on a surface of a recording medium which is being conveyed over the opposing electrode, characterized in that, when a value as to a certain image-quality indicator for a first image, which is an ideal image to be formed on the recording medium surface, differs from a value as to an image-quality indicator for a second image, which is a predicted image to be formed on the recording medium surface, beyond a predetermined range, the control means restructures image data so that a desired image is obtained,wherein the image forming apparatus further includes a memory and the ideal image and the predicted image are formed in the memory using the image data, the ideal image being formed when the developer passes through the multiple number of the gates in an ideal manner and the predicted image being formed when the developer passes through the multiple number of the gates in a predicted manner,wherein the control means, at least, performs control of an arbitrary gate of the multiple number of the gates so as to cause the developer to transfer toner through the arbitrary gate in three different ways: a first type transfer in which the passage of the developer through the arbitrary gate will not be affected by a previous passage of the developer through the arbitrary gate; a second type transfer which occurs after the developer transfer of the first type and in which the passage of the developer is affected by the first type transfer; and a third type transfer which occurs after the developer transfer of the first and the second types and in which the passage of the developer is affected by the second type transfer, and the control means further comprises an image processing means for restructuring the image data so that the desired image can be formed, by taking advantage of at least one of a plurality of characteristics of the first, the second and the third transfer types, andwherein the image processing means restructures the image data by at least complementing or thinning pixels of data which will be of a dot formed of toner transfer of the second or the third type.