Specific Light Source (e.g., Leds Assembly) Patents (Class 347/238)
  • Patent number: 8149259
    Abstract: A drive device for outputting a drive signal for driving a plurality of light emitting elements time-divisionally, the drive device includes a plurality of input terminals receiving input of a drive control signal for the light emitting elements, and a plurality of output terminals connected to the light emitting elements, for outputting the drive signal based on the drive control signal input into the input terminals, in which the input terminals and the output terminals are arranged substantially in a line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Nagumo
  • Patent number: 8138681
    Abstract: In a driving circuit, a drive transistor supplies drive electric current to record elements to construct an array, and a reference electric current generating circuit that provides a control voltage to the drive transistor and controls the drive electric current, wherein the drive transistor is composed of a first PMOS transistor and a second PMOS transistor that are connected in series; and the reference electric current generating circuit has a resistance element and a operational amplifier that are used to set a reference electric current for deciding the control voltage, wherein an output of the operational amplifier is provided to a control terminal of the first PMOS transistor; and a drive electric current ON/OFF signal to control on/off of the drive electric current is provided to a control terminal of the second PMOS transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Nagumo
  • Patent number: 8130253
    Abstract: A composite semiconductor device is formed of a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of device-forming areas in which semiconductor elements are formed and dicing areas defined between the device-forming areas, and is formed by dicing the semiconductor wafer at the dicing areas. The composite semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of wiring layers layered on the semiconductor substrate. The wiring layers include at least conductive films. Connecting portions are formed to connect the wiring layers with each other in a layering direction of the wiring layers. Each of the connecting portions is disposed on the device-forming area side with respect to a dicing position defined in the dicing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya Ohkawa, Shinya Jyumonji, Masumi Taninaka, Hiroshi Hamano, Masumi Koizumi
  • Patent number: 8125506
    Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a potential generating circuit that generates a first power supply potential and a second power supply potential that is different from the first power supply potential; a first signal processing circuit that selectively outputs one of a first high potential and a first low potential according to a data signal at one of at least three levels; a second signal processing circuit that selectively outputs one of a second high potential that is different from the first high potential and a second low potential that is different from the first low potential according to the data signal; a first current source that generates a first current in accordance with an output of the first signal processing circuit and the first power supply potential; a second current source that generates a second current in accordance with an output of the second signal processing circuit and the second power supply potential; and an electro-optical element that provides a tone level according to the fi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shinsuke Fujikawa
  • Patent number: 8098271
    Abstract: The exposure device includes: a light output device outputting light for exposing a charged image carrier, and including light-emitting elements caused to emit light or not through a control using a light-emission signal, switch elements provided corresponding to the light-emitting elements, and sequentially turned on to set the light-emitting elements ready to emit light, a transfer-signal generating unit generating a transfer signal for sequentially turning on the switch elements, a light-emission signal supply unit supplying the light-emission signal to the light-emitting elements, and a detection unit causing the transfer-signal generating unit to generate a transfer signal having cycles whose number is larger than that of the light-emitting elements, and detecting a potential of an output region of the light-emission signal supply unit while making an output from the light-emission signal supply unit high impedance; and an optical member focusing light outputted by the light output device onto the image
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ken Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 8096634
    Abstract: A method and system for compensating for temperature changes is disclosed that includes a mounting bar, a plurality of imaging chips adaptively mounted on the mounting bar, each imaging chip including a plurality of imaging elements, and a temperature determiner to determine a temperature of the mounting bar. A control module enables and disables at least one imaging element based on the determined temperature of the mounting bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas Wiggins
  • Patent number: 8089498
    Abstract: A surface-emission laser array comprises a plurality of surface-emission laser diode elements arranged in the form of a two-dimensional array, wherein a plurality of straight lines drawn perpendicularly to a straight line extending in a first direction from respective centers of the plurality of surface emission laser diode elements aligned in a second direction crossing the first direction, are formed with generally equal interval in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunichi Sato, Akihiro Itoh, Hiroyoshi Shouji, Yoshinori Hayashi, Daisuke Ichii, Kei Hara, Mitsumi Fujii
  • Patent number: 8089501
    Abstract: A light emitting apparatus includes optical thyristors, a driver circuit that supplies a drive current to the thyristors so that the thyristors emit light, and a control circuit that controls the thyristors. Each thyristor includes an anode, a cathode connected to the ground, and a gate. The thyristor emits light when the drive current flows therethrough. The control circuit controls the gate, causing a control current to flow from the anode to the gate to turn on the thyristors. The control circuit applies a control voltage to the gate, the control voltage being higher than a voltage appearing across the gate and the cathode when the thyristor remains turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Nagumo
  • Patent number: 8089499
    Abstract: An exposure head, includes: a substrate that is provided with a first light emitting element, a second light emitting element that is arranged at one side of the first light emitting element in a first direction and a third light emitting element that is arranged at the one side of the second light emitting element in the first direction, the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element being arranged at a first distance from each other in the first direction, the second light emitting element and the third light emitting element being arranged at a second distance, which is different from the first distance, from each other in the first direction; and an imaging optical system that images light from the first, the second and the third light emitting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Sowa, Yujiro Nomura, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 8077190
    Abstract: An exposure head, includes: imaging optical systems which are arranged in a first direction; light emitting elements which are arranged in a second direction orthogonal to or substantially orthogonal to the first direction and emit lights to be imaged by the imaging optical systems; a first wiring which is connected with the light emitting element located at a first side in the second direction; and a second wiring which is connected with the light emitting element located at a second side in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomu Inoue, Yujiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 8059147
    Abstract: The exposure apparatus is provided with: a substrate; plural light emitting elements that are arranged in a line on a first surface of the substrate; and a heating unit that heats the substrate from the first surface side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Taira, Youji Houki, Yukihiro Matsushita
  • Patent number: 8059307
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an emitter which has a plurality of light emitting devices arranged in a sub-scan direction, and a former which forms an image on a photosensitive member by multi-passed scanning an identical region on the photosensitive member in a main scan direction using light beams output from the respective light emitting devices of the emitter. An input section inputs image data of an image to be formed by the image processing apparatus. A divider divides the input image data into image data for respective scans in the multi-passed scans using a mask pattern generated based on amounts of deviations from scan lines of the light beams output by the respective light emitting devices of the emitter. A supplier supplies the divided image data to the emitter in accordance with scans of the former.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihito Machida, Hideki Kubo, Hitoshi Fukamachi
  • Patent number: 8040368
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; a first body which rotatably supports the photosensitive member; an exposing unit which exposes the photosensitive member; a second body which supports the exposing unit movably between an exposing position in which the exposing unit exposes the photosensitive member and a retracting position in which the exposing unit is retracted from the photosensitive member; a first grounding unit which, when the exposing unit is positioned at the exposing position, causes the exposing unit to be electrically connected to the first body; and a second grounding unit which, when the exposing unit is positioned at the retracting position, causes the exposing unit to be electrically connected to the first body via the second body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junichi Yokoi
  • Patent number: 8035676
    Abstract: In a surface emitting laser element, on a substrate whose normal direction of a principal surface is inclined, a resonator structural body including an active layer, and a lower semiconductor DBR and an upper semiconductor DBR sandwiching the resonator structural body are stacked. A shape of a current passing through region in an oxide confinement structure of the upper semiconductor DBR is symmetrical to an axis passing through a center of the current passing through region parallel to an X axis and symmetrical to an axis passing through the center of the current passing through region parallel to a Y axis, and a length of the current passing through region is greater in the Y axis direction than in the X axis direction. A thickness of an oxidized layer surrounding the current passing through region is greater in the ?Y direction than in the +X and ?X directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Harasaka, Shunichi Sato, Naoto Jikutani, Toshihiro Ishii
  • Patent number: 8022418
    Abstract: A composite semiconductor device includes a plurality of semiconductor thin films and a substrate on which the semiconductor thin films are attached. Each semiconductor thin film includes a plurality of semiconductor elements. Each semiconductor element includes a first contact region and a second contact region. The first contact region is connected to a first electrode, and the second contact region is connected to a second electrode. The semiconductor thin film is attached to a substrate such that the plurality of semiconductor elements are aligned in a row, and such that the first contact region and the second contact region are in the row of light emitting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiko Sagimori, Hiroyuki Fujiwara, Mitsuhiko Ogihara, Takahito Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8022975
    Abstract: A line head includes a positive lens system having two lenses, image-side and object-side lens arrays, a light emitter array on an object side of the positive lens system, and an aperture plate that forms an aperture diaphragm. Where the row number of lenses arrayed in a second direction is ‘m’, a gap between effective regions of two image-side lenses adjacent to each other in a first direction is ‘?’, an image-side angle of aperture is ‘?i’, a width of light-emitting elements images in the first direction is ‘Wi’, a focal length of the image-side lens is ‘f2’ and a distance from an image-side principal plane of the image-side lens to an image surface is ‘Si’, the following conditions are satisfied: f2?(mWi??)/(2?i), Wi?2Si?i/(m?1)+?/(m?1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Sowa, Yujiro Nomura, Ryuta Koizumi
  • Patent number: 8011807
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for enabling transmission of substantially equal amounts of energy from at least one light source (LS) comprising intensity variations in time to at least two light sensitive points (LSP), said transmission being controlled by means of at least one illumination arrangement (1), and said method comprising establishment of a correlation between said intensity variations and at least one feature of said illumination arrangement. The invention furthermore relates to an illumination arrangement (1) for controlling transmission of energy to at least two light sensitive points (LSP), wherein said controlling transmission enables transmission of substantially equal amounts of energy to each of said at least two light sensitive points (LSP).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Sign-Tronic AG
    Inventors: Niels Borgbjerg Sejersen, Niels Holm Larsen, Henrik Glent-Madsen
  • Patent number: 8009361
    Abstract: A lens array includes: a lens array substrate having a light transmissive property; a first lens disposed on the lens array substrate; and a second lens disposed on the lens array substrate in a first direction from the first lens and different from the first lens in peripheral shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yujiro Nomura, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7999838
    Abstract: In a line head, a plurality of light emitters are arrayed on a substrate in a first direction. Each of the light emitters is operable to emit a light beam. In a rod lens array, a plurality of rod lenses are arrayed in the first direction, and each of the rod lenses is adapted to focus the light beam emitted from an associated one of the light emitters onto a target surface. The substrate and the rod lens array are attached to a holder elongated in the first direction. Positioning members are provided at both end portions of the holder in the first direction. A relative position between the substrate and at least one of the positioning members is variable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomu Inoue, Kiyoshi Tsujino
  • Publication number: 20110193931
    Abstract: The invention provides an image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of smoothly and reasonably conducting image formation in case of using a lens (lenses) of which optical magnification is minus. An image forming apparatus of the invention comprises: a line head having lenses of which optical magnification is minus and a light emitter array in which a plurality of light emitting elements are aligned. The lenses are plural in an axial direction (main scanning direction) of an image carrier and a direction (sub scanning direction) perpendicular to the axial direction. A light emitter block composed of “m×n” (in number) light emitting elements is disposed relative to each lens. The “m×n” light emitting elements comprises “n” (in number) light emitting element lines arranged in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction and each light emitting element line includes “m” (in number) light emitting elements aligned in the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro KAWADA, Yujiro NOMURA, Motomu HAYAKAWA, Teruyuki INUKAI, Ken IKUMA
  • Patent number: 7995084
    Abstract: A line head, includes: a plurality of luminous elements grouped into a plurality of luminous element groups; and a lens array which includes a plurality of lenses each of which faces the luminous element group, focuses light beams emitted from the luminous element group on an image plane, and accordingly forms a spot group, wherein the plurality of luminous element groups are arrayed in M×N in a first direction and in a second direction which are different from each other, where M and N are integers equal to or greater than two, and spot groups adjacent to each other in a direction corresponding to the first direction are so formed on the image plane as to partly overlap in a direction corresponding to the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yujiro Nomura, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7995085
    Abstract: A line head, includes: a plurality of first substrates each of which includes a plurality of light emitting elements which emit light beams, a second substrate to which the plurality of first substrates are bonded, and an optical system which includes a plurality of lenses which focus light beams emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements toward an image plane, and in which a plurality of lenses face each of the plurality of first substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yujiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 7990408
    Abstract: An exposing device includes a light-emitting element array including plural light-emitting elements disposed in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to or substantially orthogonal to the first direction, a lens array including plural lenses that focus lights from the light-emitting elements, a supporting member that supports the light-emitting element array and the lens array, and an exposure-position adjusting mechanism including a rotation adjusting unit that rotates the supporting member around or substantially around an axis in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenjiro Yoshioka, Yujiro Nomura, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7978213
    Abstract: A focus adjustment method of an LED print head of an image forming apparatus, including steps of: setting one end with respect to a longitudinal direction of the LED print head on a first position where a distance between the photoconductor and the LED print head becomes shorter than a designed focal length, and setting other end with respect to the longitudinal direction of the LED print head on a second position where the distance between the photoconductor and the LED print head becomes longer than the designed focal length; outputting a pattern image having a predetermined resolution; and adjusting the position of the LED print head by moving each of the one end and the other end of the LED print head, based on information of the resolution of the outputted pattern image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Koshimura, Toru Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7956883
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes: light-emitting elements whose luminous energy is controlled according to a current value and a pulse width of a driving signal; a storage unit that stores first and second coefficients for every light-emitting element; a pulse width determining unit that determines the pulse width of the driving signal supplied to each light-emitting element on the basis of the first coefficient, a current value determining unit that determines a current value of the driving signal supplied to each light-emitting element on the basis of the second coefficient, a driving unit that supplies the driving signal having the current value determined by the current value determining unit within the determined pulse width determined, to the light-emitting element, and a coefficient determining unit that calculates the first coefficient based on target values of a light amount and first peak light amounts of one of the light-emitting elements, and calculates the second coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takao Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 7952601
    Abstract: An exposure head includes: a lens array in which lenses are disposed in a first direction; and a light-emitting element substrate on which light-emitting elements that emit light to be focused by the lenses are disposed. Length L1 of the lenses in the first direction and length L2 of the lenses in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction have a relation represented by an expression 1<L2/L1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuta Koizumi, Yujiro Nomura, Takeshi Sowa, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7952600
    Abstract: The invention provides an image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of smoothly and reasonably conducting image formation in case of using a lens (lenses) of which optical magnification is minus. An image forming apparatus of the invention comprises: a line head having lenses of which optical magnification is minus and a light emitter array in which a plurality of light emitting elements are aligned. The lenses are plural in an axial direction (main scanning direction) of an image carrier and a direction (sub scanning direction) perpendicular to the axial direction. A light emitter block composed of “m×n” (in number) light emitting elements is disposed relative to each lens. The “m×n” light emitting elements comprises “n” (in number) light emitting element lines arranged in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction and each light emitting element line includes “m” (in number) light emitting elements aligned in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiro Kawada, Yujiro Nomura, Motomu Hayakawa, Teruyuki Inukai, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7948509
    Abstract: A line head, includes a light-emitting element row, having a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a first direction; a plurality of feeding portions; a first power supply line for power supply, connected to a first feeding portion for a power supply of the feeding portions; and a second power supply line for ground, connected to a second feeding portion for a ground of the feeding portions. The light-emitting elements are respectively connected between the first power supply line and the second power supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsunori Yamazaki, Takao Miyazawa, Akira Nakajima, Yujiro Nomura, Kiyoshi Tsujino
  • Patent number: 7944462
    Abstract: An exposure head includes a light emitting substrate having a transparent substrate, a plurality of light emitting elements that is disposed on one face of the transparent substrate, and one or a plurality of light detecting units that is disposed on the transparent substrate and can detect light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements and propagating inside the transparent substrate. The light that is emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements and is transmitted through the transparent substrate is projected on an image carrier that faces the plurality of light emitting elements with the transparent substrate interposed therebetween so as to form a predetermined pattern on the image carrier. Inside the transparent substrate, a plurality of reformation points that diffusely reflects light propagating inside the transparent substrate is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazunori Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20110090299
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method which includes recording an image by irradiating a recording medium with laser beams which are arrayed in parallel at predetermined intervals to heat the recording medium, so that the image is composed of a plurality of lines written with the laser beams on the recording medium, and wherein in the image recording, the plurality of lines written with the laser beams include a line written first and an overwritten line, a part of which is overlapped with the line written first; and the irradiation energy for the overwritten line is smaller than the irradiation energy for the line written first.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiaki ASAI, Yoshihiko Hotta, Tomomi Ishimi, Shinya Kawahara
  • Patent number: 7929006
    Abstract: A disclosed image forming apparatus includes a laser array light source having plural laser light sources for generating plural laser beams; a photosensitive body having a surface on which an electrostatic latent image is formed by a surface potential changed by the plural laser beams emitted from the laser array light source; and a controller for controlling emission of the plural laser beams of the laser array light source. The controller sequentially turns off at least one of the plural laser beams when forming a continuous electrostatic latent image line on the photosensitive body by scanning the plural laser beams in a main scanning direction of the photosensitive body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Shibuya
  • Patent number: 7924302
    Abstract: A laser light source has a plurality of semiconductor lasers arranged in a direction intersecting a primary scanning direction X. The semiconductor lasers are arranged in such a positional relationship that each semiconductor laser is located upstream, in the primary scanning direction X, of a different semiconductor laser located adjacent thereto and downstream thereof in a direction in which air is blown from an air blowoff pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Fujisawa, Keisuke Hirayama, Hiroshi Okamoto, Junichi Oka
  • Patent number: 7924303
    Abstract: There is provided a method for controlling a line head including a focusing optical system, first light emitters, light from which being focused by the focusing optical system, second light emitters disposed next to the first light emitters in a first direction, light from the second light emitters being focused by the focusing optical system, and third light emitters disposed next to the second light emitters in the first direction, light from the third light emitters being focused by the focusing optical system. The method includes turning on the first light emitters at time t0, turning on the second light emitters after a period t1 has passed since the time t0, and turning on the third light emitters after a period t2 has passed since the time t0. The periods t1 and t2 are controlled under the following condition: t2?n×t1 (n is an integer two or greater).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Yamaguchi, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7924304
    Abstract: A light-emitting element array includes: a resistor connected at a first end to a driving unit; and a plurality of light-emitting elements, each of the plurality of light-emitting elements including a three-terminal switching element having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, the first terminal in each of the plurality of light-emitting elements being connected to a second end of the resistor, the second terminal in each of the plurality of light-emitting elements being connected to ground, and the third terminal in each of the plurality of light-emitting elements being connected to a control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Nagumo
  • Patent number: 7916163
    Abstract: An exposure head, includes: an imaging optical system; a first light emitting element that emits a light which is to be focused by the imaging optical system; a second light emitting element that emits a light which is to be focused by the imaging optical system; a first TFT circuit that is connected with the first light emitting element via an interconnection wire; and a second TFT circuit that is connected with the second light emitting element via an interconnection wire, wherein the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element are provided between the first TFT circuit and the second TFT circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuta Koizumi, Nozomu Inoue, Yujiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 7907162
    Abstract: An exposure head includes a substrate having a plurality of light emitting element rows each having a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a first direction, the light emitting element rows being arranged in a second direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and an imaging optical system adapted to image light beams from the light emitting elements on an exposed surface to form respective light-collected sections, and two of the light emitting elements forming the light-collected sections adjacent to each other in the first direction are respectively disposed in the light emitting element rows different from each other, and one of the light emitting element rows is disposed so as to match or substantially match with the meridian plane of the imaging optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomu Inoue, Yujiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 7903136
    Abstract: A scanning optical apparatus uses a light source pair that includes at least two light sources to scan a same scan line. The scanning optical apparatus includes: a first group of light sources which include a first light source of a light source pair and are lined up on a first line; and a second group of light sources which include a second light source of the light source pair and are lined up on a second line. The first line and the second line are inclined with respect to reference lines corresponding to scan lines so that the first light source and the second light source of the light source pair scan the same scan line. Moreover, a distance between the first light source and the second light source of the light source pair is at least twice a distance between two adjacent light sources in the first line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hajime Motoyama
  • Patent number: 7903135
    Abstract: An optical scanning device which scans a scanned surface by a plurality of light beams in a main-scanning direction includes a light source having a plurality of light-emitting portions which emit the light beams, the light-emitting portions being two-dimensionally arranged in a plane parallel to the main-scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main-scanning direction via arrangement intervals in the main-scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction, a deflector which scans the light beams in the main-scanning direction; and a scanning optical system which images the scanned light beams onto the scanned surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Ichii, Yoshinori Hayashi, Seizo Suzuki, Masaaki Ishida, Makoto Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 7898738
    Abstract: An exposure device is provided that has a light emitting unit having a plurality of light emitting elements and a lens array having a pair of lenses having a first lens and a second lens, the lens array having a shielding unit for shielding a light from any one of the pair of lenses, wherein a formula EC<EP/2 is satisfied, where EP denotes an interval between two adjacent light emitting elements of the plurality of light emitting elements and where EC denotes an off-set between a central axis of the first lens and a central axis of the second lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiro Yamamura
  • Patent number: 7889224
    Abstract: A disclosed optical path switching device includes a polarization bistable VCSEL that emits a beam having a rising polarization plane, a laser light source configured to emit a beam having a polarization plane orthogonal to the rising polarization plane, and an optical path switching unit configured to switch an optical path of the beam emitted from the polarization bistable VCSEL by switching the angle of the rising polarization plane of the beam emitted from the polarization bistable VCSEL. The beam emitted from the polarization bistable VCSEL is incident on an entrance window of the optical path switching unit, and the beam emitted from the laser light source is incident on an exit window of the polarization bistable VCSEL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimichi Hagiya, Kazuya Miyagaki, Atsushi Takaura, Toshiaki Tokita
  • Patent number: 7880756
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor member; a LED head that includes a plurality of light emitting diodes arrayed in a line along a rotating axial direction of said photoreceptor member and that is modulated in response to image signals, so as to expose said photoreceptor member while said photoreceptor member is rotating; a deviation detecting sensor to detect deviations on a circumferential surface of said photoreceptor member; a filter to extract low frequency components including a rotational frequency component of said photoreceptor member from deviation signals detected by said deviation detecting sensor, so as to acquire deviation information with respect to said circumferential surface of said photoreceptor member; a driving section to move said LED head back and forth against said circumferential surface of said photoreceptor member; and a position controlling section to control said driving section, based on said deviation information acquired by said filter, so as to keep a distance
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Norio Joichi, Atsushi Takahashi, Youbao Peng, Yoshihito Sasamoto, Yoshiki Katayama, Takashi Nara
  • Patent number: 7880759
    Abstract: A line head includes a substrate, light emitting elements disposed on the substrate, drive circuits that drive the light emitting elements, and wirings that electrically connect the drive circuits and the light emitting elements. The light emitting elements form n (n?2) light emitting element rows. The drive circuits are electrically connected with the wirings to light emitting elements belonging to a number of light emitting element rows equal to or smaller than n?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takeharu Toguchi
  • Patent number: 7880757
    Abstract: In an image forming device, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) head is attached to a slide member. The slide member includes a slidable base side member and a leading end side member which can move with respect to the base side member in a direction that is different from a sliding direction of the base side member. The LED head is provided on the leading end side member, and a positioning pin is provided on the LED head. The LED head is positioned with respect to a photoconductive drum by the positioning pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Nakano, Hideatsu Shimamoto
  • Patent number: 7880758
    Abstract: Described herein is a light source apparatus in which wasteful cost increases can be suppressed during the manufacture of various types of light source apparatuses and replacement of a broken light source can be performed at low cost, a recording apparatus using the light source apparatus, and an image forming apparatus comprising the recording apparatus, a plurality of optical units comprising optical members (a light source element and a lens) for outputting a single beam are combined separably in row form, and a holder used as means for holding the optical units in row form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Morikawa, Shinichi Suzuki, Kazumi Ishima
  • Publication number: 20110012984
    Abstract: A method for adjusting an imaging parameter includes operating a recording head (16) to form a first set of image features (60A) on a media (17). Image features in the first set are formed while the imaging parameter is set to a first predetermined value. The recording head forms a second set of image features (60B) on the media. Features in the second set are formed while the imaging parameter is set to a second predetermined value different from the first predetermined value. Image features of the first set are interleaved with image features of the second set to form an interleaved pattern of image features on the media. Data (47) from the interleaved pattern is generated and analyzed to determine a quantified value representative of banding in the interleaved pattern. The imaging parameters are adjusted based on the quantified value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventors: Michael K. Jackson, Kenneth V. Dyck
  • Publication number: 20110012985
    Abstract: A recording head (16) is operated to form a regular pattern of image swaths on a recording media (17). The regular pattern of image features comprises a first set of image features (60A) that is formed with an imaging parameter set to a first predetermined value and a second set of image features (60B) is formed with an imaging parameter set to a second predetermined value, different from the first predetermined value. Image features in the first set and the second set are arranged on the recording media with a sub-scan spatial frequency equal to a non-integer multiple of a sub-scan spatial frequency of the image swaths. A scanner (40) generates data (47) of the scanned pattern, wherein a first integer multiple of a sampling spatial frequency employed by the scanner is equal to a second integer multiple of the sub-scan spatial frequency of the first set and the second set of image features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventors: Kenneth V. Dyck, Valentine A. Karassiouk, Michael K. Jackson
  • Publication number: 20100328416
    Abstract: A light emitting device is provided with: a self-scanning light emitting element array that includes light emitting elements divided into plural groups, light-controlled for each of the groups, and arrayed in line; and a light-up controller that sets any one of a voltage and a current for light-up, in accordance with the number of light emitting elements intended to light up in each of the groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chikaho Ikeda, Kiyofumi Aikawa
  • Patent number: 7852366
    Abstract: A system and a method print one or more images to one or more reimageable documents, wherein the one or more representative of at least a portion of a digital file. The method includes a connecting a portable printer to a computing device. Moreover, the method includes emitting ultraviolet light from a light source, wherein an imaging layer of the reimageable document is imagable by ultraviolet light, wherein ultraviolet light forms a color contrast on the imaging layer that defines an image representative of at least a portion of the digital file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel Iftime, Eric J. Shrader, Peter M. Kazmaier, Paul F. Smith, Hadi K. Mahabadi
  • Patent number: 7834899
    Abstract: A laser marking system comprises means for transmitting the laser-emitted light onto one or a plurality of points on a substrate, with means for displacing the substrate and laser light emitting source relative to one another, wherein the substrate is selected to be sufficiently sensitive to the emitted light so that a reaction occurs at either said point or plurality of points which marks the substrate and characterised by the feature that the laser light emitting source comprises an array of lasers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: The Technology Partnership PLC
    Inventors: Samuel C. Hyde, Neil Griffin
  • Patent number: 7816649
    Abstract: A laser patterning apparatus for handling a donor film and improving compression uniformity between the donor film and an acceptor substrate is provided. The laser patterning apparatus includes: a stage that supports an acceptor substrate; a shielding mask that is placed on the acceptor substrate to form a pattern and is attached to a donor film on one surface thereof; a laser gun that is disposed at an upper part of the stage to radiate laser light to a portion of the donor film through the pattern of the shielding mask; a pressing member that corresponds to a portion of the shielding mask; and an actuator that is connected to one side of the pressing member to press the pressing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Do-Young Kim, Tae-Min Kang, Sang-Bong Lee, Seung-Mook Lee, Hee-Cheol Kang, Jin-Won Sun