Abstract: Light emitted from an obliquely angled LED source is directed by peripheral light tube walls which extend vertically toward media displaying printed indicia. The emitted light provides an illuminated area surrounding the printed indicia, while the light tube walls shield the printed indicia from excessive external light, so that a sensor measures the intensity of emitted light directly reflected from the media through a protective aperture.

Abstract: An exposure control apparatus for an electronic development type camera having a photographic optical system. The camera uses a recording medium in which subject images formed through the photographic optical system are electrically developed. The exposure control apparatus includes a detecting device for detecting first photometric data which corresponds to subject light passed through the recording medium at a moment an exposure of the recording medium commences. The detecting device further detects second photometric data which corresponds to subject light passed through the recording medium after the exposure commences and before the exposure terminates. The exposure control apparatus further includes a calculating device for calculating a transmittance of the recording medium after the exposure commences, using the first and second photometric data, and a controlling device for controlling the exposure of the recording medium in accordance with the calculated transmittance.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a characteristics detection circuit for detecting temperature characteristics of a recording head based on a temperature change when the recording head is heated, an ambient-temperature detection circuit for detecting an ambient temperature, and a control circuit for controlling an amount of ink discharge of the recording head based on the detected temperature characteristics and ambient temperature. It is thereby possible to obtain an appropriate recording density.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium by discharging ink to the surface of the recording medium, wherein ink is reserved in an ink tank including a negative pressure generating member, such as an absorber and a foaming member, and a function of accurately detecting the residual quantity such that depletion to a predetermined level can be detected is realized. Light emitted by a photointerrupter is allowed to pass through a portion of a wall surface of the ink tank made of transparent plastic or the like which is transmissible with respect to detection light emitted by the photointerrupter to detect change in the light reflectance in the boundary portion between the wall surface and the ink absorber. In accordance with reflectance obtained in a case where no ink exists in the detected portion and that obtained in a case where ink exists, the residual quantity of ink can be detected.

Abstract: An image sensing device provided in a camera using an electro-developing recording medium which electronically develops an image formed by a photographing optical system. During descending of the electro-developing recording medium, a light outputted from a light source passes through the electro-developing recording medium, so that an image recorded in the electro-developing recording medium is read by a line sensor. When an image is recorded on the electro-developing recording medium, the line sensor is directed to a sub-mirror provided to a quick return mirror. Thus, a light led from the photographing optical system is detected by the line sensor, so that an auto-focusing condition of the photographing optical system is sensed based on an output signal of the line sensor.

Abstract: An image reader reads an object image recorded on a flexible light-transmissible recording medium formed in the shape of an elongated web. A curved guide member guides the recording medium, and has at least an arcuate portion formed as a light-transmissible area. A light source is provided at one side of the arcuate portion, for illuminating the object image with light rays emitted from the light source. An image sensor is provided at the other side of the arcuate portion, and is aligned with the light source to receive the light rays passing through the object image. Thus, the image sensor optically and electronically senses the object image. A drive mechanism moves both the light source and the image sensor along the arcuate portion so that the object image is scanned with both the light source and the image sensor.

Abstract: In an ink-jet recording apparatus having two recording modes having different resolutions in recording, high density is realized in each of the recording modes in an excellent state. In a high-resolution recording mode, a colorless processing liquid to cause ink and its color material to be insoluble or to agglomerate is discharged, and the processing liquid and the ink are mixed on a recording medium. Thus, the ink becomes insoluble and therefore does not penetrate deeply into the recording medium, so that dots formed by the ink have a smaller diameter. As a result, high-resolution recording with the small-diameter dots can be realized. In a low-resolution recording mode, the diameter of dots formed by the ink without using the processing liquid is larger than in the foregoing case. Accordingly, dots can be densely arranged in the two modes, so that high density can be realized in an excellent state.

Abstract: A method of color balance determination for use by a color copying apparatus utilizing a gray estimate established as a functional relationship among at least three basic color density values measured from regions within multiple image frames of a film order. This functional relationship is preferably a fitted line to a set of measured density values from which density values from regions of high color saturation have been excluded. To discriminate these high color saturation regions, the color saturation is determined relative to a gray point calculated as a weighted average of minimum density and image average density values. Further improvement in the gray estimate is achieved by limiting the set of measured density values to regions of high modulance ("edge effect") within the image frames.

Abstract: A high speed photofinishing apparatus for reading information/data from a photosensitive filmstrip and for writing data on a magnetic layer contained on the filmstrip. The apparatus comprises at least one device for reading information/data from the filmstrip and a magnetic write head for writing information/data on the magnetic layer at a predetermined location. The write head is positioned with respect to the at least one device for reading a distance sufficient for allowing sufficient computational time needed for processing the information/data so that it can be magnetically written on the magnetic layer at the predetermined location.

Abstract: An image signal recording operation control device is provided in a still video camera. The control device has a photographing optical system by which an image is formed on an electro-developing recording medium, by which the image is electronically developed. The control device also has a scanner optical system by which the image developed by the electro-developing recording medium is formed on a sensor imaging plane. A line sensor is provided for scanning on the sensor imaging plane to read out the image. When the electro-developing recording medium is not mounted in the still video camera, i.e., when an aerial image formed by the photographing optical system is read by the line sensor, the scanner optical system is displaced by a predetermined amount along the optical axis, in comparison with a state in which the electro-developing recording medium is mounted, so that the scanner optical system can form an in-focus image on the sensor imaging plane.

Abstract: A printing apparatus and method achieves efficient use of memory by dynamically changing memory allocation of a printer, and thus improves total throughput of the printer. The type of printhead-integrated ink cartridge attached to a carriage is discriminated in accordance with a signal from a cartridge discrimination resistor. If the ink cartridge is for color printing, in a DRAM, large memory areas are allocated to a print-control work area and an image buffer. If the ink cartridge is for monochromatic printing, small memory areas are allocated to the print-control work area and the image buffer.

Abstract: A panoramic camera has a camera housing rotatable about an axis of rotation that defines a viewpoint which points along a radial optical path that object rays traverse as the camera is rotated about its axis; a lens assembly having an optical path and a front nodal point mounted for rotation with the camera housing with the optical path of the lens offset from the radial optical path; a specular assembly including an object specular member along the radial optical path mounted for rotation with the housing that cooperates with the lens assembly for gathering object rays that traverse the radial optical path and for deviating them along the optical path of the lens assembly in such a way that the front nodal point of the lens subassembly virtually appears to lie on the axis of rotation thereby eliminating image smearing; and has different ambient light responsive controller embodiments operative either to continuously vary or to preset exposure, or to base exposure on a control sinewave whose phase is obtained

Abstract: First and second dials are coaxially and rotatably supported by a boss formed on an outer cover. An encoding plate having an encoding pattern formed on each of its upper and lower surfaces is fixed to the lower surface of the outer cover. A first contact which slides on one of the encoding patterns interlocking with the first dial is provided on the upper surface of a dial holding plate attached to a lower end of a shaft of the first dial. A second contact which slides on the other encoding pattern interlocking with the second dial is provided on the lower surface of a protrusion provided on the lower surface of the second dial.

Abstract: An electro-developing type still video camera which uses an electro-developing recording medium, has an image-sensor which optically and electronically senses a developed image as a single-frame of image data from the medium. Also included is a memory device having a plurality of data-storage sections, in one of which the single-frame of image data can be stored whenever the developed image of the medium is sensed. A first image-data transferring device transfers a single-frame of image data from a selected one of the sections of the memory device to an external processing device when such a single-frame of image data is stored in the selected section. A second image-data transferring device transfers a single-frame of image data sensed by the image-reader to the external processing device when a single-frame of image data is not stored in the selected section.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of making photographic prints on stock from negatives that differ in density range. The appropriateness of the exposure gradient of the stock for the particular negative is ensured by employing stock with a definite "contrast-Schwarzchild-effect" and by so varying the intensity of the light that the negative is exposed to during printing that the gradient is adapted to the characteristics of the particular negative as a function of the accordingly varied printing time.

Abstract: A voltage control device provided in an electro-developing type camera using an electro-developing recording medium by which an image is electronically developed. A first control electrode is provided on a portion corresponding to a first surface of the electro-developing recording medium. A second control electrode is provided on a portion corresponding to a second surface of the electro-developing recording medium. The second control electrode has rectangular first and second divided electrodes. The first divided electrode traverses the center portion of the electro-developing recording medium. The second divided electrode is positioned along a long side of the rectangle of the first divided electrode adjacent to the first divided electrode. An electric voltage is applied to the electro-developing recording medium through the first and/or second divided electrode.

Abstract: An electronic still video camera has an electro-developing recording medium. As soon as an optical image is formed on the medium, the image is recorded and developed as a visible image therein. The developed image is electronically read as image data by a line sensor, and the read image data may be stored in an IC memory card, a floppy disk, a hard disk or the like. Optionally, the read image data may be transferred from the camera to an external device such as a computer, a TV monitor or the like. The developed image can be thermally erased from the medium by using an electric heater. When one of: the formation of the optical image on the medium is carried out; the reading of the image data from the developed image of the medium: and the erasing of the developed image from the medium is carried out, the remaining operations are enabled.

Abstract: A photographing operation control device having an electro-developing recording medium to electronically develop an image formed thereon. The developing or photographing operation of the electro-developing recording medium is performed during a period when a recording medium activating signal is outputted. An exposure period for which the electro-developing recording medium is exposed is set based on a measured photometry value. When the exposure period is longer than a standard period for which the recording medium activating signal is outputted, the recording signal activating signal is outputted as pulse signals for a period equal to the exposure period. The operation period for which the pulse signals are outputted is set in such a manner that a total amount of the output period of the recording medium activating signal is equal to the standard period.

Abstract: An image recording device using an electro-developing recording medium by which an object image formed thereon is electronically developed. The recording medium has a first recording area in which the object image is recorded, and a second recording area in which information other than the object image is recorded. The first recording area has three recording portions in which red, green and blue images are recorded, respectively. The information may be a color temperature information. The red, green and blue images are read out from the first recording area in accordance with the color temperature information, so that an image having a natural color is obtained.

Abstract: A check device of electro-developing type camera using an electro-developing recording medium, to electronically develop an image. The electro-developing recording medium is illuminated by a light source, so that an image recorded on the electro-developing recording medium is read by a light sensor. When reading the image, the line sensor is moved along the electro-developing recording medium by a scan mechanism. Based upon an image signal read by the line sensor, it is determined whether or not the image has been successfully erased.