IMAGE QUALITY DETECTION DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE QUALITY DETECTION METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To specify a portion causing the degradation of image quality. SOLUTION: A first image quality sensor 10a is disposed so as to detect image quality on a photoreceptor 61 after a development process. A second image quality sensor 10b is disposed so as to detect image quality on an intermediate transfer belt (intermediate transfer member) 5 downstream of an image transfer position. A third image quality sensor 10c is disposed so as to detect image quality on a paper conveyance path 28 downstream of a paper transfer position before a fixing process. A fourth image quality sensor 10d is disposed so as to detect image quality on the paper conveyance path 28 after a fixing process. One of image forming process takes place between the image quality sensors. Specifically, a primary transfer process takes place between the first and second image quality sensors 10a and 10b, a secondary transfer process between the second and third image quality sensors 10b and 10c, and the fixing process between the third and fourth image quality sensors 10c and 10d. Outputs from the image quality sensors 10a-10d before and after each of the corresponding image forming processes are compared. Thereby it is determined whether or not degradation in image quality has occurred in each image forming process. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI