Patent ID: 8032066

Claim:
An image forming apparatus capable of performing a color registration correction, the apparatus comprising: a color registration sensor positioned in a fixed location to detect a surface condition of the transfer belt along a linear path thereof as the transfer belt is rotated in the transfer belt rotation direction; and a controller for determining, prior to forming a mark for color registration correction on the transfer belt, whether an abnormal surface condition portion exists on the transfer belt, and storing location information of the abnormal surface condition portion on the transfer belt; wherein the abnormal surface condition portion existing on the transfer belt is determined based on a level of a reflection light detected by the color registration sensor that is reflected from a surface of the transfer belt in response to the color registration sensor emitting light toward the transfer belt, wherein, if two or more abnormal surface condition portions exist on the intermediate transfer belt along the linear path, a length of normal section between two abnormal surface condition portions is measured, wherein the controller determines whether the mark can be formed on the normal section between the two abnormal surface condition portions by determining whether the length of the normal section exceeds a length required to form the mark for the color registration correction on the transfer belt, and wherein the controller performs color registration correction by forming the mark for color registration correction on the normal section between the two abnormal surface condition portions if the length of the normal section exceeds the length required to form the mark for the color registration correction.