Abstract: The present invention provides a reversible thermosensitive recording medium including a support and a thermosensitive recording layer thereon, in which the thermosensitive recording layer comprises an electron-donating coloring compound and an electron-accepting compound, and the thermosensitive recording layer is capable of forming a relatively developed condition and a relatively erased condition depending on at least one of the difference of heating temperatures and the difference of cooling rates following to heating, and in which the electron-accepting compound comprises a phenol compound represented by the General Formula (1): where, in the General Formula (1) “l” represents an integer of 1 to 3, “m” represents an integer of 1 or more, and “n” represents an integer of 7 or more.

Abstract: To provide an image processing method including at least an image recording step and an image erasing step, wherein a laser beam is parallel light and wherein the laser scanning speed for the peripheral region surrounding the central region of the optical axis of the laser beam is lower than the laser scanning speed for the central region, the laser output for the peripheral region is greater than the output for the central region, or an overlapping area between a laser irradiation area that corresponds to a peripheral region surrounding a central region of the optical axis of the laser beam and a nearby laser irradiation area is larger than an overlapping area between a laser irradiation area that corresponds to the central region and the nearby laser irradiation area.

Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording medium including a substrate, a reversible thermosensitive recording layer and an intermediate layer. The reversible thermosensitive recording layer is configured to reversibly record and erase an image therein and disposed overlying the substrate and includes a binder resin and a reversible thermosensitive coloring composition. The reversible thermosensitive coloring composition includes an electron donating coloring compound and an electron accepting compound. The intermediate layer includes another binder resin and a content of hollow particles having a hollow ratio not less than 70% and a ratio of a maximum particle diameter thereof to a 50% cumulative particle diameter of from 2.0 to 3.0. The reversible thermosensitive recording layer achieves a colored state when heated to a temperature not lower than a melting point thereof, and achieves a discolorization state when heated to a temperature lower than the melting point.

Abstract: There is provided a reversible thermosensitive recording medium including a support, an intermediate layer, and a thermosensitive recording layer which reversibly changes a color thereof depending on a temperature, wherein the thermosensitive recording layer contains an electron-donating coloring compound, and an electron-accepting compound represented by the following general formula 1: where, n is an integer of 23 or more, and wherein the intermediate layer is disposed between the support and the thermosensitive recording layer, and contains hollow particles having a void ratio of 70% or more, a maximum diameter D100 of 5.0 ?m to 10.0 ?m, and a ratio D100/D50 of 2.0 to 3.0 where the ratio D100/D50 is a ratio of the maximum diameter D100 to a 50% cumulative particle diameter D50 of the hollow particles.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method which includes at least any one of image recording and image erasing, wherein a light irradiation intensity at a center position of the laser beam irradiated in the image recording is controlled; in the image recording, a first auxiliary line extended by a predetermined distance from a start point of each of image lines constituting an image in the opposite direction from the scanning direction and a second auxiliary line extended by a predetermined distance from an end point of each of the image lines in the scanning direction are prepared, and when the first and second auxiliary lines including an image line are continuously scanned, the image line is scanned with irradiating the laser beam, and the first and the second auxiliary lines are scanned without irradiating the laser beam to thereby record the image.

Abstract: A surface-condition-information obtaining unit obtains information on a surface condition of a rewritable display medium on which information is reversely displayed visually. A write-laser output unit outputs a write laser to irradiate the rewritable display medium with the write laser, to perform a drawing on the rewritable display medium. A control unit performs a write process for displaying an image on the rewritable display medium by adjusting a laser output condition based on the information obtained by the surface-condition-information obtaining unit and controlling the write-laser output unit based on an adjustment of the laser output condition.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method which includes any one of recording an image on a thermally reversible recording medium that can reversibly change any one of its transparency and color tone depending on temperature by irradiating and heating the thermally reversible recording medium with a laser beam, and erasing the image recorded on the thermally reversible recording medium by heating the thermally reversible recording medium, wherein in any one of the image recording and the image erasing, the thermally reversible recording medium is located at a position farther than a focal position of the laser beam, and at least any one of the image recording and the image erasing is performed.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method which includes at least any one of an image recording step and an image erasing step, wherein a light irradiation intensity I1 at a center position of the laser beam irradiated in the image recording step and a light irradiation intensity I2 on an 80% light energy bordering surface to the total light energy of the irradiated laser beam satisfy the expression, 0.40?I1/I2?2.00, and in the image recording step, at an overlap portion where a first image line among a plurality of image lines constituting an image is overlapped with a second image line, any one of the first image line and the second image line is not to be recorded.

Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording medium including a substrate; and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer located on the substrate and reversibly achieving a relatively colored state and a relatively discolored state depending on the temperature to which the recording layer is heated or the cooling speed at which the recording layer is cooled after heating, wherein the reversible thermosensitive recording layer comprises a polyalkylene glycol compound having a number average molecular weight not less than 2,000 exclusive of polypropylene glycol having a number average molecular weight not greater than 5,000. A reversible thermosensitive recording device, and an image processing method and apparatus using the reversible thermosensitive recording medium are also be provided.

Abstract: To provide an image processing method including at least an image recording step and an image erasing step, wherein a laser beam is parallel light and wherein the laser scanning speed for the peripheral region surrounding the central region of the optical axis of the laser beam is lower than the laser scanning speed for the central region, the laser output for the peripheral region is greater than the output for the central region, or an overlapping area between a laser irradiation area that corresponds to a peripheral region surrounding a central region of the optical axis of the laser beam and a nearby laser irradiation area is larger than an overlapping area between a laser irradiation area that corresponds to the central region and the nearby laser irradiation area.

Abstract: To provide an image processing method including at least one of an image recording step and an image erasing step, wherein (1) laser beams are swept in the same direction and laser scanning involves a period where laser application is discontinued, (2) laser beams are swept in alternating directions and the laser scanning involves a period where laser application is discontinued, (3) laser beams are swept in alternating directions and laser scanning involves a period where laser application is discontinued, wherein the period involves no laser beam application from first laser scanning end point to second laser scanning point, or (4) laser beams are applied in alternating directions while avoiding continuous laser irradiation of nearby portions between adjacent laser beam lines, and laser scanning involves a period where laser application is discontinued.

Abstract: The reversible thermosensitive recording medium according to the present invention comprises a support, a thermosensitive layer and a protective layer in order, the thermosensitive layer comprises an electron-donating coloring compound and an electron-accepting compound and reversibly changes the color depending on temperatures, and the protective layer comprises a reactive heterocyclic compound, and inorganic fine particles of which surface is at least partially treated into hydrophobic, alternatively the protective layer comprises inorganic fine particles of which number-average particle size is 100 nm or less and of which surface is at least partially coated with organic silane compounds.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reversible thermosensitive recording medium including a support and a thermosensitive recording layer thereon, in which the thermosensitive recording layer comprises an electron-donating coloring compound and an electron-accepting compound, and the thermosensitive recording layer is capable of forming a relatively developed condition and a relatively erased condition depending on at least one of the difference of heating temperatures and the difference of cooling rates following to heating, and in which the electron-accepting compound comprises a phenol compound represented by the General Formula (1): where, in the General Formula (1) “l” represents an integer of 1 to 3, m represents an integer of 1 or more, and n represents an integer of 7 or more.

Abstract: There is provided a reversible thermosensitive recording medium including a support, an intermediate layer, and a thermosensitive recording layer which reversibly changes a color thereof depending on a temperature, wherein the thermosensitive recording layer contains an electron-donating coloring compound, and an electron-accepting compound represented by the following general formula 1: where, n is an integer of 23 or more, and wherein the intermediate layer is disposed between the support and the thermosensitive recording layer, and contains hollow particles having a void ratio of 70% or more, a maximum diameter D100 of 5.0 ?m to 10.0 ?m, and a ratio D100/D50 of 2.0 to 3.0 where the ratio D100/D50 is a ratio of the maximum diameter D100 to a 50% cumulative particle diameter D50 of the hollow particles.

Abstract: The reversible thermosensitive recording medium according to the present invention comprises a support, a thermosensitive layer and a protective layer in order, the thermosensitive layer comprises an electron-donating coloring compound and an electron-accepting compound and reversibly changes the color depending on temperatures, and the protective layer comprises a reactive heterocyclic compound, and inorganic fine particles of which surface is at least partially treated into hydrophobic, alternatively the protective layer comprises inorganic fine particles of which number-average particle size is 100 nm or less and of which surface is at least partially coated with organic silane compounds.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for image processing and an image processing apparatus which are capable of performing repetitive forming and erasing of high-contrast images at high speeds by forming high-density, uniform images and uniformly erasing images in a short period of time, and in addition, suppressing the degradation of the thermoreversible recording medium due to repetitive forming and erasing is possible.

Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording medium including a substrate; and a reversible thermosensitive recording layer located on the substrate and reversibly achieving a relatively colored state and a relatively discolored state depending on the temperature to which the recording layer is heated or the cooling speed at which the recording layer is cooled after heating, wherein the reversible thermosensitive recording layer comprises a polyalkylene glycol compound having a number average molecular weight not less than 2,000 exclusive of polypropylene glycol having a number average molecular weight not greater than 5,000. A reversible thermosensitive recording device, and an image processing method and apparatus using the reversible thermosensitive recording medium are also be provided.

Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording medium including a substrate, a reversible thermosensitive recording layer and an intermediate layer. The reversible thermosensitive recording layer is configured to reversibly record and erase an image therein and disposed overlying the substrate and includes a binder resin and a reversible thermosenstive coloring composition. The reversible thermosenstive coloring composition includes an electron donating coloring compound and an electron accepting compound. The intermediate layer includes another binder resin and a content of hollow particles having a hollow ratio not less than 70% and a ratio of a maximum particle diameter thereof to a 50% cumulative particle diameter of from 2.0 to 3.0. The reversible thermosensitive recording layer achieves a colored state when heated to a temperature not lower than a melting point thereof, and achieves a discolorization state when heated to a temperature lower than the melting point.

Abstract: The reversible thermosensitive recording medium according to the present invention comprises a support, a thermosensitive layer and a protective layer in order, the thermosensitive layer comprises an electron-donating coloring compound and an electron-accepting compound and reversibly changes the color depending on temperatures, and the protective layer comprises a reactive heterocyclic compound, and inorganic fine particles of which surface is at least partially treated into hydrophobic, alternatively the protective layer comprises inorganic fine particles of which number-average particle size is 100 nm or less and of which surface is at least partially coated with organic silane compounds.

Abstract: A sublimation thermal transfer recording material which includes a substrate and an ink layer formed on the substrate for forming a color image, the ink layer including a plurality of sublimable dye groups each of which has different hue and each of which includes one or more sublimable dyes, wherein, provided that weighted average values of solubility of each dye to toluene in each sublimable dye group are values D1, D2, D3, . . . , and Dn, and a maximum value thereof is Dh, each of the values Dn other than the maximum value Dh is greater than about 0.5×Dh, and/or wherein, provided that weighted average values of a product of solubility of each dye to toluene and an extinction coefficient of the dye in each sublimable dye group are values E1, E2, E3, . . . , and En, and a maximum value thereof is Eh, each of the values En other than the maximum value Eh is greater than about 0.5×Eh.