Abstract: A printer includes: an image forming section that transfers a toner image onto a sheet-like recording medium conveyed on a conveyance-path, in which an electrostatic latent image is formed on a surface of an image carrier, and the toner image is formed on the surface of the image carrier by causing the electrostatic latent image to absorb toner; a primary fixing section disposed downstream of the image forming section in the conveyance-path and fixing on the recording medium the toner image transferred to the recording medium by the image forming section; a storage section disposed downstream of the primary fixing section in the conveyance-path and storing the recording medium on which the toner image is fixed by the primary fixing section; and a secondary fixing section disposed downstream of the storage section in the conveyance-path and performing a surface processing for the toner image fixed by the primary fixing section.

Abstract: A yellow dye-forming coupler represented by formula (I): wherein Q represents a group of nonmetallic atoms that form a 5- to 7-membered ring in combination with the —N?C—N(R1)—; R1 and R2 each represent a substituent; R4 represents an alkyl group; m represents an integer of 0 to 4; and X represents a hydrogen atom, or a group capable of being split-off upon a coupling reaction with an oxidized product of a developing agent; and when R4 represents a primary alkyl group, R1 represents —(CH2)3O—R101 in which R101 is an alkyl group having 4 to 8 carbon atoms. A silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material having at least one yellow dye-forming coupler represented by formula (I) in at least one layer provided on a support.

Abstract: A quantity of imparted erasing energy, which is to be imparted to a stimulable phosphor sheet in order to erase residual radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet, is adjusted by use of an image recording sensitivity in a next radiation image recording operation, which is to be performed on the stimulable phosphor sheet, and an energy level of the residual radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet. The quantity of the imparted erasing energy is adjusted such that, as the image recording sensitivity in the next radiation image recording operation, which is to be performed on the stimulable phosphor sheet, becomes high, and as the energy level of the residual radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet becomes high, the quantity of the imparted erasing energy is set to be large.

Abstract: A silver halide photographic light-sensitive material and an aqueous coating composition, each containing at least one compound represented by formula (1): in which, in formula (1), A1 and A2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom, x and y each independently represent an integer of from 1 to 6, L1 and L2 each independently represent —CH2— or —CH2OCH2—, z represents the number of from 1 to 60, R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent, and R3, R4, R5 and R6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or a hydroxymethyl group.

Abstract: An image forming method of the invention is an image forming method comprising the steps of exposing, through a photo mask, a substrate, on which a first negative photosensitive resin layer and second negative photosensitive resin layer are formed, wherein the photo mask is a photo mask having at least two light transmittable patterns, and the photosensitivity ratio of the first negative photosensitive resin layer to the second negative photosensitive resin layer is more than 1. This method makes it possible to form an image easily, which is used suitably by a reflection and transmission LCD display wherein the film thickness of a colored layer is partially varied in each pixel, and to easily form a spacer and a projection for orientation control.

Abstract: In an image data conversion apparatus for converting input image data of four colors consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow and black into output image data, there is provided a detection section for detecting an existence of a point or an area on an image in which any one of cyan, magenta and yellow has a value exceeding a first predetermined value, and black has a value exceeding a second predetermined value, in accordance with the input image data, and a conversion section having two modes of a first mode wherein said input image data is converted into output image data which is independent of an existence of said detection section, and a second mode wherein in the event that the detection section detects an existence of the point or the area, the input image data is converted into an output image data which is representative of an existence of the point or the area.

Abstract: There is prepared a printing plate on which a material being hydrophilic due to light energy at a first temperature and being hydrophobic at a second temperature due to heat energy which is lower than the first temperature is provided. First, the whole surface of the printing plate is forcibly made either one of hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Next, a region having the other nature out of hydrophobic and hydrophilic is formed so as to correspond to an image to be printed. Then, ink is supplied onto the region having hydrophobic nature to conduct offset printing.

Abstract: There is provided a printing system which allows efficient printing at a low cost. In a printing system, unprocessed order information is arranged so as to be sequentially processed from order information which can be processed by a printer without changing paper during an unattended operation, and order information which can be processed by paper set in the printer is preferentially printed. As a result, unprocessed image information is processed in an unmanned state at the maximum. Further, before switched to an unattended operation, a paper size in which the greatest number of prints are to be prepared is selected and the selected result is notified to an operator to instruct him or her to set the paper indicated by the result in the printer, thereby allowing order information to be processed by an unattended operation at the maximum.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device has: an n-type semiconductor substrate; a p-type layer formed in the n-type substrate; a first n-type region formed in the p-type layer and constituting a photodiode therewith; a first gate structure including a charge storage region and a control gate, formed on the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the first region; a second n-type region formed adjacent to the first gate structure on opposite side to the first region, constituting a non-volatile memory element with the first region and the first gate structure; and a control circuit for applying write and read voltages to the control gate, for tunneling and writing charges, and for reading stored information. A solid state image pickup device is provided which can execute a novel pixel signal read operation.

Abstract: Trapping conditions including trapping parameters and trapping areas are established for the image of a certain page displayed on a display unit through an input device. Another page is specified to which the trapping conditions thus established for the image of the certain page are to be applied. Thus, the trapping conditions thus established for the image of the certain page can be applied to the image of the other page.

Abstract: A photo print is produced from image data. A system controller classifies the photo prints on the basis of additional information of the image data under a classification condition recorded in a smart medium. The photo prints are discharged to sorting trays. The system controller allocates the respective sorting trays to each classification. When the photo print is discharged to the sorting tray, a sorter switches a conveyance route of the photo print in response to a classification signal sent from the system controller. The photo prints are distributed to the sorting trays every classification. Owing to this, the photo prints are prevented from being discharged in a mixed state.

Abstract: A battery is charged utilizing electric power provided by a power supply line included in a cable that is in accordance with IEEE 1394. A charging apparatus and a personal computer are connected together by the cable. A power source unit in the personal computer converts AC voltage to direct voltage and supplies the DC voltage to the power supply line. The voltage is applied to a charging circuit via the power supply line, thereby charging the battery. A signal line included in the cable is used when the charging apparatus and personal computer send and receive data to and from each other.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method for preparing grains of silver salt of an organic acid by reacting a solution containing silver ions and a solution containing an alkali metal salt of an organic acid, in which the reaction is performed in sealed mixing means and which comprises steps of supplying the solution containing silver ions into a reaction field solution before introduced into the sealed mixing means, and supplying the solution containing an alkali metal salt of an organic acid into the reaction field solution or sealed mixing means to which the solution containing silver ions has been supplied, etc. According to the present invention, high quality grains of silver salt of an organic acid can be efficiently produced at low cost.

Abstract: Synthesized images having unpredictable appearances are obtained when generating the synthesized images by arranging a plurality of images in predetermined formats. A monotone image generating section generates a plurality of monotone images, by converting each of a plurality of images into monotone images of random hues. A synthesizing section arranges the plurality of monotone images in the predetermined layout, to generate the synthesized image.

Abstract: An optical film comprising an optically anisotropic layer including a liquid crystalline compound, wherein the optically anisotropic layer satisfies the following formulae: Re(450)/Re(650)<1.25??Formula (1): wherein Re(450) and Re(650) are in-plane retardation values (unit: nm) of the optically anisotropic layer at wavelengths of 450 nm and 650 nm, respectively; 0.09<Re—m(550)/d??Formula (2): wherein Re_m(550) is an in-plane retardation value (unit: nm) of a uniaxial alignment layer in which the director of the liquid crystalline compound is aligned to be parallel in the plane at a wavelength of 550 nm, and d is the thickness of the uniaxial alignment layer (unit: nm).

Abstract: A capsule endoscope is provided with an image pickup section having a CCD image sensor, a plurality of LEDs for emitting illumination light, a control circuit for controlling the image pickup section and the LEDs, a transmitting/receiving circuit for transmitting an image signal as a radio signal, and a battery for supplying electric power to each part of the capsule endoscope inside of a capsule case. When the capsule endoscope reaches a large intestine which is a lower digestive tract, the transmitting/receiving circuit receives an image capture initiation signal from an external transmitter provided outside of the body. The control circuit then activates the LEDs and the image pickup section to perform the image capturing at a predetermined interval.