US Patent 7471308 Frequency modulation apparatus and frequency modulation method

A frequency modulation apparatus capable of reducing a peak level of a radiation noise of a characteristic frequency band due to an image clock. This frequency modulation apparatus is used in an image formation apparatus having an image bearing body to be scanned by a laser beam. An auxiliary clock calculating portion calculates an auxiliary clock period based on a reference clock period and a modulation coefficient, and an image clock generating portion generates the image clock in which a frequency is different at least in one portion and other portions of an image area on a main scan line to be scanned by the laser beam on the image bearing body based on the initial period value set in advance and the auxiliary clock period, and the image clock generating portion performs a frequency modulation so that the frequency of the image clock changes within a predetermined fluctuation.