Patent ID: 7022977

Claim:
A light beam scanning apparatus comprising: light-emission means for outputting a light beam; light beam scanning means for scanning the light beam from the light-emission means over a to-be-scanned surface so as to scan the to-be-scanned surface in a main scan direction; first detection means for detecting a passage position of the light beam scanned by the light beam scanning means; processing means for determining whether correction is necessary in a process relating to a detection result of the first detection means, and setting a correction amount if the correction is necessary, thus performing a process for the detection result; altering means for altering the passage position of the light beam scanned by the light beam scanning means over the to-be-scanned surface; second detection means for detecting whether the passage position of the light beam altered by the altering means coincides with a reference position; first control means for altering, if the passage position of the light beam detected by the second detection means is not coincident with the reference position, the passage position of the light beam toward the reference position by a given amount using the altering means until the passage position comes to the reference position, and controlling the detection by the first detection means and the processing by the processing means each time alteration is made; and second control means for controlling the detection by the first detection means and a non-correction process by the processing means when the passage position of the light beam detected by the second detection means comes to the reference position by the control of the first control means.