Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Timothy Carter Pledger
  • Patent number: 6477282
    Abstract: The image forming device according to the present invention performs resolution conversion processing or scaling processing of a binary image and outputs a processed image. The present image forming device is provided with an edge detecting section, which, during resolution conversion or scaling of the binary image, detects edges of the image and detects lengths and shapes of the edges, and with an interpolated/skipped line producing section, which performs resolution conversion processing or scaling processing based on the lengths and shapes of edges detected by the edge detecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Ohtsuki, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Mihoko Tanimura, Masatsugu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6462741
    Abstract: A presenting time for an animation is determined as follows for each of a plurality of frames of the animation in passage of time at a prescribed speed which can be changed as desired. First, for each of the plurality of frames, a signal indicating a timing corresponding to a boundary between adjacent frames is applied. Then, in accordance with the applied timing indication signal, a presenting time is determined and recorded onto a medium corresponding to each frame. A producer operates a keyboard, mouse or the like to input the timing indication signal at an arbitrary timing. In addition, the timing indication signal is input at a timing determined in accordance with the regenerated guide track information while guide track information (information to be referenced for identifying the aforementioned boundary) is regenerated at a regeneration rate in accordance with a prescribed speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Minoru Nishihata
  • Patent number: 6456667
    Abstract: A method of coding a signal for digital optical communication using a symbol formed of N slots [s1, s2, s3, . . . sN], wherein si is either 0 or 1 where i is an integer and l≦i ≦N is provided. The method includes the steps of determining a plurality of symbols which satisfy the following expression, wherein k is an arbitrary positive integer, and p1, q1, p2, q2, . . . , pk and qk are integers which satisfy 1≦p1<q1, 1≦p2<q2, . . . , 1≦pk<qk, and p1/q1<p2/q2<. . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ohtani, Hiroshi Uno, Yutaka Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6448104
    Abstract: A solid imaging device including: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity types a layer of a second conductivity type formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, the layer at least including a photosensitive portion of the second conductivity type; and a MOS transistor of the second conductivity type coupled to the photosensitive portion, wherein the solid imaging device further includes a layer of the first conductivity type in at least a channel region of the MOS transistor of the second conductivity type, the layer of the first conductivity type having an impurity concentration which is higher than an impurity concentration of the semiconductor substrate, and wherein at least a portion of a boundary of the layer of the second conductivity type is in direct contact with the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6441811
    Abstract: An electronic book display control device capable of solving the problem of a conventional page turning method of an electronic book device that pages are turned in accordance with a value predetermined by a speed controller and hence it is difficult to turn pages flexibly in accordance with the contents of the book and the characteristics of the user. The control device is provided with a CPU (1) which controls the whole device, an image data storage unit (2) in which the contents of the book are stored as image data, an image data control unit (3) which receives the image data and performs the required control, a display preparation image data memory unit (4) in which image data of the page being displayed and the page to be displayed next are stored, and a display unit (5) on which information concerning the image data and information concerning the operation of the electronic book are displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sawada, Yasuhisa Nakamura, Hisashi Saiga, Masafumi Yamanoue, Keisuke Iwasaki, Yoshihiro Kitamura
  • Patent number: 6438274
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes (i) an image interpolating section for calculating interpolation point and interpolation density of the interpolation point when subjecting a binary image to resolution conversion and scaling and (ii) an offset amount correcting section for giving an offset beforehand when the image interpolating section calculates the interpolation point. As a result, the image forming apparatus can comply with unrounded magnifications of other than integral multiples and a desirable image even with respect to a character image and a pseudo-halftone image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuru Tokuyama, Masaaki Ohtsuki, Masatsugu Nakamura, Mihoko Tanimura
  • Patent number: 6433803
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus for image formation uses power control means provided to a laser driver for controlling exposure energy and accordingly forming an image. Specifically, exposure energy is varied depending on an isolated-dot pattern and an isolated-line pattern by changing the pulse height (drive power) of a drive pulse for each dot. Both of the isolated-line and isolated-dot patterns of a high resolution can thus be reproduced with a high image quality without increase of cost due to requirements for accuracy in processing and positioning of a lens and without decrease of life of a photoreceptor due to a decreased thickness of its photosensitive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Mutou, Tetsuro Toyoshima, Tadashi Iwamatsu, Nobuyuki Azuma, Yoshinori Nakajima
  • Patent number: 6429839
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal display device; a light source for illuminating the liquid crystal display device; a LCD device driving circuit for providing a driving voltage to the liquid crystal display device based on a display data signal and a plurality of liquid crystal driving signals including a display data latch signal; a dividing circuit for dividing a frequency of the display data latch signal by a factor of N so as to obtain a period which is N times as large as that of the display data latch signal, where N is an integer greater than zero; a duty control circuit for changing an ON duty ratio of the frequency-divided signal by using the frequency-divided signal as a reference frequency; and a light source driving circuit for turning the light source ON/OFF based on a signal from the duty control circuit having the ON duty ratio set in the duty control circuit, wherein, where a driving duty is (1/D), and a remainder of D divided by the integer N is A, each of the inte
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 6418091
    Abstract: There are provided a magneto-optical disk, a super-resolution magneto-optical disk and a domain wall moving magneto-optical disk whose cross-talk, cross-write and cross-erasure are suppressed and whose recording density is improved. A recording magnetic layer formed on a land is shut off magnetically from the recording magnetic layer formed on a groove and thermal diffusion in the track direction is suppressed, by selectively oxidizing a magnetic layer formed on a side wall between the land and the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junji Hirokane, Noboru Iwata
  • Patent number: 6397317
    Abstract: A data processor comprising an adder for adding an address signal and an address conversion data set up by a central processing unit, to decide a converted address signal corresponding to the address signal, and a selector for selecting either of the converted address signal decided by the adder or the address signal, based on the detection signal output from an agreement detection circuit which judges whether the address signal agrees with the original ROM address or not, wherein the processings in the adder and the agreement detection circuit are performed in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Izumi Kusutaki