Abstract: A lighting module includes a voltage-current controller to control power externally supplied, a capacitor charged with power supplied from the voltage-current controller, a laser light source to emit laser light driven by a current from the capacitor, first and second FETs electrically connected in series to the laser light source, and circuitry that controls a first voltage value applied to the first FET and a second voltage value applied to the second FET, to control a resistance value of the second FET. The first FET controls a pulse width of the current flowing through the laser light source in accordance with the first voltage value applied to a gate thereof. The second FET changes in resistance value in accordance with the second voltage value applied to a gate thereof and controls, with the resistance value, a peak value of the current flowing through the laser light source.

Abstract: A lighting module includes a voltage-current controller to control power externally supplied, a capacitor charged with power supplied from the voltage-current controller, a laser light source to emit laser light driven by a current from the capacitor, first and second FETs electrically connected in series to the laser light source, and circuitry that controls a first voltage value applied to the first FET and a second voltage value applied to the second FET, to control a resistance value of the second FET. The first FET controls a pulse width of the current flowing through the laser light source in accordance with the first voltage value applied to a gate thereof. The second FET changes in resistance value in accordance with the second voltage value applied to a gate thereof and controls, with the resistance value, a peak value of the current flowing through the laser light source.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor drum, a latent-image forming device, a developing device, a density detecting device, and a processing device. The density detecting device is configured to detect densities at a plurality of positions in a main-scanning direction on a developed image. The processing device is configured to acquire at least two light-amount correction tables respectively associated with at least two positions of the plurality of positions in the main-scanning direction on the developed image, the light-amount correction tables being for reducing density variations in a sub-scanning direction at the at least two positions, and correct, for each scan, a set point for setting an amount of light of a light source based on a difference in corresponding correction data between two light-amount correction tables respectively associated with two adjacent positions of the at least two light-amount correction tables.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image processor, a converter, a light source driver, an identifying unit, and a pattern generator. The image processor generates image data of first resolution and generates tag information indicating whether to perform image processing and associated with pixels of the image data of first resolution. The converter converts the image data of first resolution to image data of a higher second resolution. The light source driver drives a light source using a modulation signal corresponding to the image data of second resolution. The identifying unit identifies a target pixel to be subjected to image processing in the image data of first resolution based on the tag information. The pattern generator generates an image-processed pixel pattern of the second resolution according to the target pixel. The converter converts the target pixel in the image data of first resolution to the generated image-processed pixel pattern.

Abstract: A range finder which irradiates a subject by emission of a light source, and receives reflected light from the subject so as to measure a distance to the subject, the range finder includes a plurality of light-source-driving circuits supplying a driving current to the light source when a light-emitting signal that controls the emission of the light source is input, wherein the light-emitting signal is output to one of the light-source-driving circuits, and each of the light-source-driving circuits has a different response speed to the light-emitting signal.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image processor configured to perform first image processing on image data having a first resolution and to add tag data to a target pixel where second image processing is to be performed; a resolution converter configured to convert the image data into image data having a second resolution higher than the first resolution, and to perform the second image processing based on arrangement of the image data having the first resolution and the tag data; a pulse generator configured to generate an on-off modulation signal and an application-current switching signal in accordance with the image data having undergone the second image processing; and a light source driver configured to drive the light source in accordance with a current setting value output from an application current setter depending on the application-current switching signal and the on-off modulation signal.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image processor, a converter, a light source driver, an identifying unit, and a pattern generator. The image processor generates image data of first resolution and generates tag information indicating whether to perform image processing and associated with pixels of the image data of first resolution. The converter converts the image data of first resolution to image data of a higher second resolution. The light source driver drives a light source using a modulation signal corresponding to the image data of second resolution. The identifying unit identifies a target pixel to be subjected to image processing in the image data of first resolution based on the tag information. The pattern generator generates an image-processed pixel pattern of the second resolution according to the target pixel. The converter converts the target pixel in the image data of first resolution to the generated image-processed pixel pattern.

Abstract: A light source drive control device includes: an image data generating part that generates line-thinned image data having been subjected to line thinning processing for thinning an edge pixel in image data by a first pixel width; an intensity information generating part that generates intensity information including a first intensity at which a pixel not included in a set second pixel width of an edge in the line-thinned image data is exposed and a second intensity at which a pixel included in the second pixel width is exposed and which is higher than the first intensity; and a light source driving part that drives a light source based on a light source modulation signal generated according to the line-thinned image data and a drive current data switched based on a drive current switching signal generated based on the intensity information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image processor configured to perform first image processing on image data having a first resolution and to add tag data to a target pixel where second image processing is to be performed; a resolution converter configured to convert the image data into image data having a second resolution higher than the first resolution, and to perform the second image processing based on arrangement of the image data having the first resolution and the tag data; a pulse generator configured to generate an on-off modulation signal and an application-current switching signal in accordance with the image data having undergone the second image processing; and a light source driver configured to drive the light source in accordance with a current setting value output from an application current setter depending on the application-current switching signal and the on-off modulation signal.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms an image according to light emitted from a light source is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a first image processor that performs image processing on image data having a first resolution and outputs the resulting image data; a resolution converter that acquires the image data having the first resolution output from the first image processor and converts the image data to image data having a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution; a modulation signal generator that modulates the image data having the second resolution according to a clock signal to thereby generate a modulation signal; a light source driver that drives the light source according to the modulation signal; and a second image processor that performs image processing on the image data having the second resolution to be modulated to the modulation signal.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor drum; an optical scanning device that drives a light source to scan a surface of the photoconductor drum and form a latent image on the surface; a developing device that develops the latent image; and a density detector to detect density variation of an image in a rotation direction of the photoconductor drum, the image being developed by the developing device. The optical scanning device includes a processing device that is capable of correcting a driving signal for driving the light source on a basis of an output signal of the density detector to adjust at least either one of a correction period and a correction strength of correction data for the driving signal for a rotation period of the photoconductor drum.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image processor configured to perform first image processing on image data having a first resolution and to add tag data to a target pixel where second image processing is to be performed; a resolution converter configured to convert the image data into image data having a second resolution higher than the first resolution, and to perform the second image processing based on arrangement of the image data having the first resolution and the tag data; a pulse generator configured to generate an on-off modulation signal and an application-current switching signal in accordance with the image data having undergone the second image processing; and a light source driver configured to drive the light source in accordance with a current setting value output from an application current setter depending on the application-current switching signal and the on-off modulation signal.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image by scanning an image bearer with light modulated in accordance with image information includes a light source configured to emit the light and a control device configured to control the light source in accordance with the image information. The control device sets light emission duration of the light source for forming a particular pixel in the image to be shorter than light emission duration of the light source for forming a normal pixel, which is a pixel other than the particular pixel irk the image, and sets light emission intensity of the light source for forming the particular pixel to be higher than light emission intensity of the light source for forming the normal pixel.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor drum, a latent-image forming device, a developing device, a density detecting device, and a processing device. The density detecting device is configured to detect densities at a plurality of positions in a main-scanning direction on a developed image. The processing device is configured to acquire at least two light-amount correction tables respectively associated with at least two positions of the plurality of positions in the main-scanning direction on the developed image, the light-amount correction tables being for reducing density variations in a sub-scanning direction at the at least two positions, and correct, for each scan, a set point for setting an amount of light of a light source based on a difference in corresponding correction data between two light-amount correction tables respectively associated with two adjacent positions of the at least two light-amount correction tables.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a drive signal generating unit that generates a drive signal for driving a light source based on a reference pulse signal serving as a reference to form a plurality of pixels arranged in the main-scanning direction of an image, and the drive signal generating unit generates the drive signal by adjusting the pulse width of the reference pulse signal so that the amplitude of portions of the reference pulse signal with the adjusted pulse width corresponding to specific pixels among the pixels is larger than the amplitude of portions corresponding to normal pixels that are pixels other than the specific pixels among the pixels, and so that the pulse width of the portions of the reference pulse signal with the adjusted pulse width corresponding to the specific pixels is smaller than the pulse width of the portions corresponding to the normal pixels.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a light source; and a light source control unit that supplies a pulse drive current according to image data to the light source. An amplitude of a part of the drive current corresponding to a specified pixel of the image data is larger than an amplitude of a part of the drive current corresponding to a normal pixel of the image data that is a pixel other than the specified pixel and the pulse width of the part of the drive current corresponding to the specified pixel is smaller than the pulse width of the part of the drive current corresponding to the normal pixel.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an image-processing-unit that generates tag information indicating whether each of pixels of a first-resolution image data is a pixel of a character or a line, a resolution-converting-unit that converts the first-resolution image data to image data with a second resolution higher than the first resolution, and a light-source-driving-unit that drives light-source according to the second-resolution image data. The resolution-converting-unit includes an image-matrix-acquiring-unit that acquires an image matrix being image data and tag information with the first resolution in an area containing a target-pixel and pixels around the target-pixel, a pattern-matching-unit that determines whether the target-pixel is a pixel of an edge of a character or a line based on the image matrix, and a first-converting-unit that, when the pixel is the edge pixel, converts the image data to image data with the second resolution of a pattern determined in accordance with a layout of the target-pixel.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor drum; an optical scanning device that drives a light source to scan a surface of the photoconductor drum and form a latent image on the surface; a developing device that develops the latent image; and a density detector to detect density variation of an image in a rotation direction of the photoconductor drum, the image being developed by the developing device. The optical scanning device includes a processing device that is capable of correcting a driving signal for driving the light source on a basis of an output signal of the density detector to adjust at least either one of a correction period and a correction strength of correction data for the driving signal for a rotation period of the photoconductor drum.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image processor configured to perform first image processing on image data having a first resolution and to add tag data to a target pixel where second image processing is to be performed; a resolution converter configured to convert the image data into image data having a second resolution higher than the first resolution, and to perform the second image processing based on arrangement of the image data having the first resolution and the tag data; a pulse generator configured to generate an on-off modulation signal and an application-current switching signal in accordance with the image data having undergone the second image processing; and a light source driver configured to drive the light source in accordance with a current setting value output from an application current setter depending on the application-current switching signal and the on-off modulation signal.

Abstract: A light source drive control device includes: an image data generating part that generates line-thinned image data having been subjected to line thinning processing for thinning an edge pixel in image data by a first pixel width; an intensity information generating part that generates intensity information including a first intensity at which a pixel not included in a set second pixel width of an edge in the line-thinned image data is exposed and a second intensity at which a pixel included in the second pixel width is exposed and which is higher than the first intensity; and a light source driving part that drives a light source based on a light source modulation signal generated according to the line-thinned image data and a drive current data switched based on a drive current switching signal generated based on the intensity information.