Abstract: A color thermal printer of a type which utilizes any one of ink ribbons of different color combination, which comprises a different identifiers provided on and peculiar to each of the different ink ribbons and descriptive of the color combination of the respective ink ribbon; and a detecting system cooperable with any one of the identifiers for detecting, and providing an output signal indicative of, one of the ink ribbons of different color combination which is actually mounted on the printer. The output signal from the detecting means is utilized to instruct the thermal printer that the ink ribbon of the particular color combination has actually been mounted on the printer.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus for reading a transparent film has a light source, an exchangeable adjusting board corresponding to the transmission factor of the film, an imaging device for receiving and imaging the light passing through the adjusting board and the film, a comparison function for detecting the output of the imaging device and comparing the output of the imaging device with a predetermined output level, a control device for outputting power source control signals in response to the output of the comparison device, and a power source for energizing the light source in response to the power source control signals. Whereby, the adjusting board is imaged before the film is imaged by the imaging device, and in case the light amount of the light source is not adequate for the film, the extent of energizing the light source is adjusted for adequately imaging the film.

Abstract: A method of enlarging or reducing an image at a desired magnification in an image reading and/or recording apparatus. The feature of the present invention resides in first deciding the integral part a and the decimal part d of a value A corresponding to the desired magnification Z, then forming a single readout pixel by averaging a pieces of basic pixels read out from an original, and subsequently using the decimal part d as a correction value for each readout pixel and deleting one basic readout pixel every time the value of the decimal part accumulated with respect to the individual readout pixels exceeds 1, thereby continuously varying the ratio of the reading resolution to the recording density to execute enlargement or reduction of the image at the desired magnification.

Abstract: A color document reader comprises a plurality of different-colored light sources which sequentially illuminate a color document, and a light sensor which receives light reflected from the document. Prior to reading the document, a white balance operation is performed by sequentially illuminating a white reference area with the different-colored light sources and directing light reflected from the document to the light sensor. The peak value of an output signal produced by the light sensor is monitored, and light emission periods for each of the different-colored light sources and corresponding integration periods for the light sensor are determined so that the peak value of the output signal is substantially equal to a predetermined reference value when the white reference area is illuminated by each of the different-colored light sources. The light emission periods are longer than the integration periods to allow the light output of the light sources to stabilize before the integration periods begin.

Abstract: A thermal recording apparatus including a thermal head provided with a plurality of heating elements each having a predetermined value of resolution in a feed direction of a recording paper sheet, and a printer control circuit having first and second feed control members for feeding, at the time of recording scanning of each line of the recording paper sheet, the recording paper sheet through an interval of a half of the predetermined value and an interval of the predetermined value multiplied by a natural number, respectively such that feed of the recording paper sheet is controlled by the first and second feed control members at the time of recording of hues of yellow, magenta and cyan and a hue of black, respectively.

Abstract: In this invention there is disclosed a color image reader being able to read in three modes, a black and white mode, a color mode and a dropped color mode. The reader includesthree fluorescence lamps for illuminating a document to be read, each lamp having their own peaks in red, green and blue light zones respectively,an optical system for obtaining a real image of the document therethrough,a single image sensor being arranged at the position where the real image is focused,a mode selection device for choosing one mode from the three modes anda control device for lighting every fluorescence lamp in such a manner that three fluorescence lamps are turned on and off sequentially and successively when the color mode is chosen and, when the black and white mode is chosen, all of them are turned on at the same time.

Abstract: A lighting intensity control device that controls light intensity in a manuscript reproduction apparatus includes a back plate which has a manuscript area on which a manuscript can be disposed and a monitor area outside the manuscript area; a source of light which illuminates the manuscript and the monitor area of the back plate; a photodetector arranged so as to detect the brightness of the light reflected by the manuscript and by the monitor area of the back plate; and a light control element which controls the lighting time of the source of light during each scan period so as to keep the brightness of the light reflected by the monitor area of the back plate within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A color-picture reading apparatus comprises blue, red-purpose, and green-purpose fluorescent lamps, a red filter in front of the red-purpose lamp for solely passing the red radiation, a green filter in front of the green-purpose lamp for solely passing the green radiation, and a circuit for subsequently switching on and off the three lamps. Both the red filter and the green filter comprise a first filter for filtering the short wavelength radiation and a second filter for cutting the long wavelength radiation. The first filter is a glass filter and the second filter is an interference filter. All of the three lamps have a short afterglow time.

Abstract: The preferred embodiment provides such a fluorescent tube ignitor having a plurality of auxiliary electrodes provided in the periphery of the tube wall of each fluorescent tube, while the potentials of these auxiliary electrodes are set at a specific level equal to or lower than those of the low-voltage-applied filament circuits of each fluorescent tube. Integration and simplification of the preheat circuit at one-end of respective fluorescent tubes securely realizes a still smaller size of the ignitor, cost reduction, suppression of noise interference, and easier and faster start of illumination.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus comprising a lighting control means, an analog shift means, a transfer control means and a clock pulse control means. According to the controlling operation of a lighting control means for lighting the light source during a given time period, the output of the CCD sensor is prohibited from being fed to the analog shift means while the light source is turned on, with the output of the CCD sensor being adapted to be fed to the analog shift means and to shift to an output circuit while the light source is turned off, thus preventing the accumulation of light electric-charges, caused by light leakage within a light-source lighting period, and preventing mixed color reading through the remaining electric charges, with the result that the color resolution of the red, green, blue can be performed with accuracy.

Abstract: A color-picture analyzing apparatus includes a blue, green, and red-purpose lamps, preferably, fluorescent lamps; a sharp-cut filter in front of the red-purpose lamp for solely passing the red radiation; an infrared-cut filter interposed between a document having a color-picture to be analyzed and a reading sensor for cutting an infrared zone radiation; a first circuit for continuously switching on the green lamps; and a second circuit for alternatively switching on the blue and the red-purpose lamps. The red-purpose lamp can provide wide radiations covering the red spectral zone. It may be a cool white fluorescent lamp having a short afterglow time.

Abstract: A CCD sensor output circuit of an image reading apparatus adapted to output a stable reading signal from a CCD sensor even if the light source changes in temperature due to heating. One portion of a region read by the CCD sensor serves as a reference region. In accordance with the output of the CCD sensor corresponding to the reference region, after the light source has been turned on in response to a lighting control signal, the reflected lights from the images are accumulated in the CCD sensor at a first timing after the light source has been made stable, and the output of the CCD sensor is transferred at a second timing after the firt timing but before the output of the next lighting control signal, thus providing the CCD sensor output after the light source has been made stable.

Abstract: A color image reading device for reading an original by an optical scanning device which optically scans across said original line-by-line is disclosed. The color image reading device includes a green fluorescent lamp for generating a green light with an afterglow characteristics, a red fluorescent lamp for generating a red light with no afterglow characteristics, and a blue fluorescent lamp for generating a blue light with no afterglow characteristics. The green, red and blue fluorescent lamps are actuated in a predetermined time sequence. A CCD is provided for detecting an image under green during the afterglow, under red light and under blue light.

Abstract: In an image picture reading device having a light source to irradiate an original copy, a series of sensors arranged in a line for detecting densities of small areas of the original copy by light reflected from the original copy, a reading circuit for sequentially outputting signals for the densities for the small areas of the original copy, and a buffer for storing and outputting the density signals sequentially received from the reading circuit, the buffer being reset for the initial state at constant intervals, the image picture reading device includes a setting unit for a resolution "K" value of the reading device, a buffer control unit for setting a reset pulse cycle for the buffer at a period for which picture density signals are accumulated to the quantity of "k" corresponding to the "K" value input by the setting unit, a light source control circuit for controlling the light amount of the light source, and a control unit for setting the light source control circuit so as to control the light amount to

Abstract: A multi-pin-electrode electrostatic recording system includes a recording head having 2048 pin electrodes aligned in a line and 65 pairs of auxiliary electrodes positioned near the pin electrodes. A negative recording pulse is applied to a selected pin electrode when a positive recording pulse is applied to a corresponding pair of auxiliary electrodes to form an electrostatic latent image on a dielectric layer of a recording paper. A compensation negative voltage pulse is applied to the auxiliary electrodes, the compensation negative voltage pulse having a pulsewidth longer than the positive recording pulse and the positive recording pulse being superimposed on the compensation negative voltage pulse. By the compensation negative voltage pulse, the occurrence of the ghost image on the non-selected image point is eliminated.