Luminance nonuniformity adjustment method and luminance nonuniformity adjustment module using this method
A luminance nonuniformity adjustment module for eliminating luminance nonuniformities in light emitting elements determines a luminance correction coefficient for each light-emitting element through a test print. The luminance nonuniformity adjustment module comprises a provisional luminance correction coefficient calculation unit, an improper coloring degree calculation unit and a luminance correction coefficient determination unit. The provisional luminance correction coefficient calculation unit calculates a provisional luminance correction coefficient by comparing a measured density value for a grayscale chart and a predetermined target density value. The improper coloring degree calculation unit calculates an improper coloring degree, which is the degree of improper coloring that occurs when other colors are expressed when developing a specific color, from the measured density values for the grayscale chart and an unbalanced chart in which the gray balance has been altered. The luminance correction coefficient determination unit corrects the provisional luminance correction coefficient using the improper coloring degree.
1. A luminance nonuniformity adjustment method for calculating a luminance correction coefficient for each optical element determined through a test print using a light-sensitive material to eliminate luminance nonuniformities in said optical elements of a color laser print head, which controls a plurality of said optical elements in a linear array for each color of the three basic colors according to an exposure gradation value based on an image data to expose the light-sensitive material, the method comprising the steps of:
calculating a provisional luminance correction coefficient by comparing a measured density value for a grayscale chart of areas having different density values and a predetermined target density value by a provisional luminance correction coefficient calculation unit of a luminance nonuniformity adjustment device;
calculating an improper coloring degree, which is the degree of improper coloring that occurs when other colors are expressed when developing a specific color, from a measured density value corresponding to the grayscale chart and an unbalanced chart where the gray balance has been altered by an improper coloring degree calculation unit of said luminance nonuniformity adjustment device;
correcting the provisional luminance correction coefficient using the calculated improper coloring degree to determined a final luminance correction coefficient by a luminance correction coefficient determination unit of said luminance nonuniformity adjustment device; and
storing said final luminance correction coefficient in a correction table of said luminance nonuniformity adjustment device by said luminance correction coefficient determination unit of said luminance nonuniformity adjustment device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of forming said grayscale chart and said unbalanced chart on a same test print by a test print output management unit of said luminance nonuniformity adjustment device.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of calculating a primary coloring degree, which is a degree of coloring of a specific color from said measured density values for said grayscale chart and said unbalanced chart by said improper coloring degree calculation unit of said luminance nonuniformity adjustment device; and correcting said provisional luminance correction coefficient using said calculated primary coloring degree and said improper coloring degree by said luminance correction coefficient determination unit of said luminance nonuniformity adjustment device.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of expressing said final luminance correction coefficient determined by said luminance correction coefficient determination unit of said luminance nonuniformity adjustment device in a matrix equation by a correction matrix creation unit of said luminance nonuniformity adjustment device:
[
K_B
K_G
K_R
]
=
[
Bb
-
Gb
-
Rb
-
Bg
Gg
-
Rg
-
Br
-
Gr
Rr
]
[
a
-
1
b
-
1
c
-
1
]
+
[
1
1
1
]
where K_B is a blue luminance correction coefficient K_G is a green luminance correction coefficient, K_R is a red luminance correction coefficient, Bb is a primary coloring degree of blue with respect to a blue exposure gradation value, Gg is a primary coloring degree of green with respect to a green exposure gradation value, Rr is a primary coloring degree of red with respect to a red exposure gradation value, Gb is an improper coloring degree of blue with respect to the green exposure gradation value, Rb is an improper coloring degree of blue with respect to the red exposure gradation value, Bg is an improper coloring degree of green with respect to the blue exposure gradation value, Rg is an improper coloring degree of green with respect to the red exposure gradation value, Br is an improper coloring degree of red with respect to the blue exposure gradation value, Gr is an improper coloring degree of red with respect to the green exposure gradation value, a is the provisional luminance correction coefficient for blue, b is the provisional luminance correction coefficient for green and c is the provisional luminance correction coefficient for red.
5. A luminance nonuniformity adjustment device for calculating a luminance correction coefficient for each optical element determined through a test print using a light-sensitive material to eliminate luminance nonuniformities in said optical elements in a color laser print head, which controls a plurality of said optical elements in a linear array for each color of the three basic colors according to an exposure gradation value based on an image data to expose the light-sensitive material, said luminance nonuniformity adjustment device comprising:
a provisional luminance correction coefficient calculation unit for calculating a provisional luminance correction coefficient by comparing a measured density value for a grayscale chart of areas having different density values and a predetermined target density value;
an improper coloring degree calculation unit for calculating an improper coloring degree, which is the degree of improper coloring that occurs when other colors are expressed when developing a specific color, from measured density values for the grayscale chart and an unbalanced chart where the gray balance has been altered; and
a luminance correction coefficient determination unit for determining a final luminance correction coefficient by correcting the provisional luminance correction coefficient using said calculated improper coloring degree, and storing said final luminance correction coefficient for said each optical element in a correction table of said luminance nonuniformity adjustment device.
6. The luminance nonuniformity adjustment device of claim 5 , further comprising a primary coloring degree calculation unit for calculating a primary coloring degree, which is a degree of expression of a specific color, from the measured density values corresponding to said grayscale chart and said unbalanced chart; and wherein said luminance correction coefficient determination unit determines a final luminance correction coefficient from said provisional luminance correction coefficient using said primary coloring degree and said improper coloring degree.
7. The luminance nonuniformity adjustment device of claim 6 , further comprising a correction matrix creation unit for generating a 3×3 correction matrix whose elements are a primary coloring degree Bb of blue with respect to a blue exposure gradation value, a primary coloring degree Gg of green with respect to a green exposure gradation value, a primary coloring degree Rr of red with respect to a red exposure gradation value, an improper coloring degree Gb of blue with respect to the green exposure gradation value, an improper coloring degree Rb of blue with respect to the red exposure gradation value, an improper coloring degree Bg of green with respect to the blue exposure gradation value, an improper coloring degree Rg of green with respect to the red exposure gradation value, an improper coloring degree Br of red with respect to the blue exposure gradation value and an improper coloring degree Gr of red with respect to the green exposure gradation value based on the calculated values from said primary coloring degree calculation unit and said improper coloring degree calculation unit; and wherein said luminance correction coefficient determination unit determines said final luminance correction coefficients by multiplying the blue, green, and red provisional luminance correction coefficients by said correction matrix.
8. An image forming device incorporating the luminance nonuniformity adjustment device of claim 5 .
9. The image forming device of claim 8 being a digital laser printer.