Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light beam scanner to scan an image bearer by a light beam according to data on a pattern for image positional deviation correction and a developing device to develop a latent image of the pattern. The pattern is formed on the image bearer by scanning performed by the light beam scanner. The image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt to transfer the pattern to a medium, a sensor to read the pattern to obtain an amount of image positional deviation, a skew correction device to adjust a tilt of an optical member of the light beam scanner according to a skew amount to correct a skew and perform the image positional deviation correction according to the amount of image positional deviation, and circuitry to drive the skew correction device before the image positional deviation correction.

Abstract: A magnetic component of an embodiment has a resin-made hollow container that houses a doughnut-shaped magnetic core, and the resin forming the hollow container exhibits a white color to gray color having a chromatic value C of 0 (achromatic) to 2 and a lightness V or 8 or higher as defined by JIS Z8721 “Color specification—Specification according to their three attributes”. The hollow container has an inner wall portion formed to form a hollow portion, an outer wall portion formed to surround the inner wall portion, and a bottom portion provided at one end of each of the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion to close a space between the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion, and houses the doughnut-shaped magnetic core between the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearers, a plurality of optical writing devices, a plurality of image forming units, and circuitry. The plurality of optical writing devices scan and irradiate the plurality of image bearers with a plurality of light beams according to image data to form latent images on the plurality of image bearers. The plurality of image forming units develop the latent images formed on the plurality of image bearers. The circuitry changes scanning speeds of the plurality of light beams and sets, to each of the plurality of optical writing devices, a correction value of an image misregistration on corresponding one of the plurality of image bearers caused by a change of a scanning speed of corresponding one of the plurality of light beams.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image bearers including a first image bearer and a second image bearer and circuitry that corrects misalignment of images developed on the image bearers, transferred to a transfer member, and detected by a detector. The circuitry sequentially executes a first correction process and a second correction process. The first correction process includes correcting misalignment in relation to images developed on the first image bearer based on images developed on a first group of image bearers of the image bearers. The first group of image bearers includes the first image bearer and the second image bearer. The second correction process includes correcting misalignment in relation to images developed on the second image bearer based on images developed on a second group of image bearers of the image bearers. The second group of image bearers excludes the first image bearer and includes the second image bearer.

Abstract: An image forming device comprising circuitry. The circuitry generates an image pattern in which two or more types of patch images are combined and changes a value of image data around at least one type of patch image of the two or more types of patch images to less than a maximum value of image data of the at least one type of patch image when the two or more types of patch images are combined.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearers, a plurality of optical writing devices, a plurality of image forming units, and circuitry. The plurality of optical writing devices scan and irradiate the plurality of image bearers with a plurality of light beams according to image data to form latent images on the plurality of image bearers. The plurality of image forming units develop the latent images formed on the plurality of image bearers. The circuitry changes scanning speeds of the plurality of light beams and sets, to each of the plurality of optical writing devices, a correction value of an image misregistration on corresponding one of the plurality of image bearers caused by a change of a scanning speed of corresponding one of the plurality of light beams.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt, a forming unit, a detection unit, a correction unit, a drive system, a determination unit, and a notification unit. The forming unit forms an image-misregistration detection pattern of a plurality of colors on the belt. The correction unit corrects an image misregistration of an image of each color based on a detection result of the pattern. The determination unit detects a difference amount between a pattern interval of the pattern on the belt and a pattern interval serving as a reference value for each color and determines that an abnormality has occurred in a driving state of the drive system, in response to the difference amount equal to or greater than a threshold value. The notification unit notifies occurrence of the misregistration when the determination unit determines that the driving state is abnormal, based on the difference amount of any one color.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device and circuitry. The image forming device forms an image on a recording medium, based on an image forming condition. The circuitry determines a position of the image formed on the recording medium by the image forming device, based on a detection signal of a pattern formed on the recording medium by the image forming device and reference position information of the pattern on the recording medium. The circuitry determines a reference position of the pattern differently depending on the image forming condition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt, a forming unit, a detection unit, a correction unit, a drive system, a determination unit, and a notification unit. The forming unit forms an image-misregistration detection pattern of a plurality of colors on the belt. The correction unit corrects an image misregistration of an image of each color based on a detection result of the pattern. The determination unit detects a difference amount between a pattern interval of the pattern on the belt and a pattern interval serving as a reference value for each color and determines that an abnormality has occurred in a driving state of the drive system, in response to the difference amount equal to or greater than a threshold value. The notification unit notifies occurrence of the misregistration when the determination unit determines that the driving state is abnormal, based on the difference amount of any one color.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light beam scanner to scan an image bearer by a light beam according to data on a pattern for image positional deviation correction and a developing device to develop a latent image of the pattern. The pattern is formed on the image bearer by scanning performed by the light beam scanner. The image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt to transfer the pattern to a medium, a sensor to read the pattern to obtain an amount of image positional deviation, a skew correction device to adjust a tilt of an optical member of the light beam scanner according to a skew amount to correct a skew and perform the image positional deviation correction according to the amount of image positional deviation, and circuitry to drive the skew correction device before the image positional deviation correction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device and a control device. The image forming device forms an image on a recording medium. The control device controls an image forming process. The control device includes circuitry. The circuitry changes a plurality of partial images in a target image into a certain state. The target image is to be formed on the recording medium. The plurality of partial images are to be formed peripheral to a plurality of pattern images. Each of the plurality of pattern images is to be formed at a certain position on the recording medium. The circuitry further controls the image forming device to form the target image including the changed plurality of partial images and the plurality of pattern images on the recording medium, and corrects a position of the target image based on a detection result of the formed plurality of pattern images.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device and a control device. The image forming device forms an image on a recording medium. The control device controls an image forming process. The control device includes circuitry. The circuitry changes a plurality of partial images in a target image into a certain state. The target image is to be formed on the recording medium. The plurality of partial images are to be formed peripheral to a plurality of pattern images. Each of the plurality of pattern images is to be formed at a certain position on the recording medium. The circuitry further controls the image forming device to form the target image including the changed plurality of partial images and the plurality of pattern images on the recording medium, and corrects a position of the target image based on a detection result of the formed plurality of pattern images.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming devices, image output devices, an endless conveyor, a transfer device, holders, a detector, and circuitry. The image forming devices include image bearers. The image output devices form latent images on the image bearers. The image forming devices form visible images from the latent images. The transfer device transfers the visible images onto the endless conveyor that conveys the visible images in an image conveyance direction. The holders hold the image forming devices interchangeable at holding positions aligned in the image conveyance direction. The detector detects the visible images. The circuitry compares a first visible image of the visible images formed at a specific holding position of the holding positions with a second visible image of the visible images formed at another holding position of the holding positions on the endless conveyor, to correct misalignment between the first and second visible images.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor; an optical writer to write a latent image on the photoconductor; an image data generator to generate image data of at least one of text and image and of a correction pattern; a light emission controller to control a light source of the optical writer; a developing device to develop the latent image into a toner image; a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium; a fixing device to fix the toner image thereon; a detector to detect the toner image of the correction pattern formed according to the image data; and a writing position controller to control when the light source emits light based on the toner image detected. The correction pattern is formed at each of four corners inside a margin of the recording medium, and includes two edges in each of main scanning and sub-scanning directions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming devices, image output devices, an endless conveyor, a transfer device, holders, a detector, and circuitry. The image forming devices include image bearers. The image output devices form latent images on the image bearers. The image forming devices form visible images from the latent images. The transfer device transfers the visible images onto the endless conveyor that conveys the visible images in an image conveyance direction. The holders hold the image forming devices interchangeable at holding positions aligned in the image conveyance direction. The detector detects the visible images. The circuitry compares a first visible image of the visible images formed at a specific holding position of the holding positions with a second visible image of the visible images formed at another holding position of the holding positions on the endless conveyor, to correct misalignment between the first and second visible images.

Abstract: A scanner includes: an acquiring unit that acquires determination result information based on a determination result of whether a target dot of a target pixel of a plurality of pixels constituting image data is a first dot or a second dot; a light source control unit that, if the target dot is the first dot, causes a light source to emit a light beam during a corrected lighting time with a light source characteristic time based on a characteristic of the light source being added to a predetermined lighting time that is preliminarily determined with respect to the target dot, and if the target dot is the second dot, causes the light source to emit a light beam during the predetermined lighting time; and a deflecting unit that deflects the light beam in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor; an optical writer to write a latent image on the photoconductor; an image data generator to generate image data of at least one of text and image and of a correction pattern; a light emission controller to control a light source of the optical writer; a developing device to develop the latent image into a toner image; a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium; a fixing device to fix the toner image thereon; a detector to detect the toner image of the correction pattern formed according to the image data; and a writing position controller to control when the light source emits light based on the toner image detected. The correction pattern is formed at each of four corners inside a margin of the recording medium, and includes two edges in each of main scanning and sub-scanning directions.

Abstract: A light-beam-scanning apparatus includes first and second array-light sources including plural light-emitting units and a light-receiving unit; first and second light-source-control units for controlling light emission of the light-emitting units; a write-control unit for controlling the light-source-control units; a deflection unit for deflecting a direction of light emitted from the light-emitting units; and a synchronization-detection element for generating a synchronization-detection signal according to the light deflected by the deflection unit incident onto the synchronization-detection element. Initialization of the light-emitting units of the second array-light source is performed after initialization of the first array-light source is performed; and when the initialization of the light-emitting units of the first array-light source is being performed, a signal for causing the light-emitting units of the second array-light source not to emit light is input to the second light-source-control unit.

Abstract: A light-beam-scanning apparatus includes first and second array-light sources including plural light-emitting units and a light-receiving unit; first and second light-source-control units for controlling light emission of the light-emitting units; a write-control unit for controlling the light-source-control units; a deflection unit for deflecting a direction of light emitted from the light-emitting units; and a synchronization-detection element for generating a synchronization-detection signal according to the light deflected by the deflection unit incident onto the synchronization-detection element. Initialization of the light-emitting units of the second array-light source is performed after initialization of the first array-light source is performed; and when the initialization of the light-emitting units of the first array-light source is being performed, a signal for causing the light-emitting units of the second array-light source not to emit light is input to the second light-source-control unit.

Abstract: A scanner includes: an acquiring unit that acquires determination result information based on a determination result of whether a target dot of a target pixel of a plurality of pixels constituting image data is a first dot or a second dot; a light source control unit that, if the target dot is the first dot, causes a light source to emit a light beam during a corrected lighting time with a light source characteristic time based on a characteristic of the light source being added to a predetermined lighting time that is preliminarily determined with respect to the target dot, and if the target dot is the second dot, causes the light source to emit a light beam during the predetermined lighting time; and a deflecting unit that deflects the light beam in the main scanning direction.