Patent ID: 8306443

Claim:
A document processing system, comprising: a plurality of marking devices operative to transfer marking material onto a corresponding medium, the individual marking devices comprising at least one transfer field control actuator controlling a transfer field used to transfer marking material by the marking device onto the medium with a transfer field control input for setting the transfer field used by the transfer field control actuator; at least one toner state adjustment actuator having a toner state adjustment input for adjusting an operating parameter associated with transfer of marking material by the marking device onto the medium; at least one sensor operative to sense a marking material transfer condition associated with the medium; and a controller operatively coupled with the marking devices and operative in a normal mode to selectively cause one or more of the marking devices to transfer marking material onto the medium in accordance with a print job, the controller being operative in an adjustment mode for individual ones of the plurality of marking devices: to cause the marking device to transfer marking material onto the medium at one or more values of the transfer field control input input value and at least one initial value of the toner state adjustment input, to obtain marking material transfer condition values from the sensor corresponding to the one or more transfer field control input values and the initial toner state adjustment input value, to derive a marking material transfer condition relationship as a function of the transfer field based on the marking material transfer condition values from the sensor, to selectively change the toner state adjustment input to a changed toner state adjustment input value based at least partially on the derived transfer condition relationship, to cause the marking device to again transfer marking material onto the medium at one or more values of the transfer field control input using the changed toner state adjustment input value, to obtain adjusted marking material transfer condition values from the sensor, to derive an adjusted marking material transfer condition relationship as a function of the transfer field based on the adjusted marking material transfer condition values from the sensor, and to selectively reduce the transfer field control input to a reduced transfer field control input value that provides acceptable transfer of marking material based at least partially on the adjusted marking material transfer condition relationship, and the controller is thereafter operative in the normal mode to selectively cause one or more of the marking devices to transfer marking material onto the medium in accordance with a print job using the changed transfer field control input value.