Patents Assigned to Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
  • Patent number: 5623370
    Abstract: A radial gradient index lens system has a refractive index distribution. The refractive index decreases from an optical axis along a height. The lens system has two meniscus lens elements whose convex surfaces have a larger radius of curvature than concave surfaces. The meniscus lens elements are arranged symmetrically with respect to an aperture stop so that the convex surfaces thereof face an object side and an image side, respectively. The gradient index lens system is for use in a copying apparatus or as a reading optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ueda, Satoshi Iwasaki, Sanae Watanabe, Kazuharu Kagoshima, Keijiro Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 5623300
    Abstract: A print head for reproducing a multi-level image is an provided. In the print head, a light-emitting array comprises a linear line of light-emitting elements. A D/A converter converts a multi-level image data to an analog signal, and an analog shift register shifts and latches the analog signals of a line received from the D/A converter. An analog latch register latches the analog signals held by the analog shift register. A driver controls the quantity of light of the light-emitting elements according to the analog signals latched by the analog latch register. In one embodiment, the print head includes a second analog shift register, an A/D converter a line memory and a divider which divides the image data by a signal from the line memory to produce corrected data which is provided to the driver to control driving of the light-emitting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Itoh, Munehiro Nakatani, Nobuo Kamei
  • Patent number: 5623716
    Abstract: In a process for image formation, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive member having an amorphous carbon layer as an outermost surface layer. The electrostatic latent image is developed with toner to form a toner image. The toner image is transferred to transfer paper of which pH-value according to JIS-P-8133 is in a range from 7.0 to 8.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Masaki, Izumi Osawa, Seishi Ojima
  • Patent number: 5621493
    Abstract: A photographic camera includes a camera body, a cartridge holder, and a shift device. The cartridge holder is capable of holding a film cartridge to be used in the photographic camera, and movable between a first position in which the film cartridge can be removed from the camera and a second position in which the film cartridge can be used in the photographic camera. The second position is aligned to the first position. The shift device shifts the cartridge holder between the first and second positions. The camera also can include a flash device, having a flashlight emitting portion, for illuminating an object to be photographed by a flash light. The camera further can include a device for determining a position of the film cartridge with respect to the camera body the cartridge holder is located at the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeru Wada, Michihiro Iwata, Manabu Inoue, Sadafusa Tsuji
  • Patent number: 5619308
    Abstract: In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a photoconductive drum, the photoconductive drum is electrically charged by a corona charger, and light corresponding to an image is projected onto the photoconductive drum by an exposure optical system, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image thereon. Thereafter, the formed electrostatic latent image is developed with toner by a developing unit to form a toner image thereon, and then the toner image is transferred onto a sheet of paper. There is further provided a voltage sensor for detecting a surface voltage at at least one position of the photoconductive drum. An operation value of at least one of the corona charger, the exposure optical system and the developing unit is adjusted by an adjustment controller based on the surface voltage detected by the voltage sensor at a timing between respective image forming processes when an image forming process is continuously repeated a plurality of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoyoshi Kinoshita, Takeru Kinoshita, Hideaki Kodama
  • Patent number: 5613166
    Abstract: An auto focus camera includes a focus detecting circuit, a lens driving circuit for driving a taking lens to an in-focus position based on a focus detection result, a starting signal outputting circuit for outputting a starting signal which starts a focusing operation, an operating member to be operated by a user after the starting signal is outputted, and a controlling circuit for controlling the lens driving circuit so as to drive the taking lens in manners different between before and after an operation of the operation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masataka Hamada, Kenji Ishibashi, Hiroshi Ueda, Hiroshi Ootsuka, Yoshihiro Hara
  • Patent number: 5613108
    Abstract: An electronic mail system in which a mail management method is improved in order to reduce the complexity and labour of handling transmitted information so that its convenience is increased. In an electronic mail system in which a plurality of data processing systems exchange messages through mailboxes MB utilizing the stored and forward system, the data processing system which receives a mail M transferred from the mailbox MB is provided with an electronic mail terminal utility. When the data processing system receives the mail M, the electronic mail terminal utility classifies a data file written in the mail M according to specific data contained in the mail M and stores the data file in an appropriate folder based on a result of the classification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 5612302
    Abstract: The present invention provides a cleaning solution for recycling a waste copy paper with toner-images formed on the surface of the copy paper, comprising water, a monoester of bivalent organic acid, a surface active agent and an organic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masazumi Yoshida, Susumu Tanaka, Junji Machida
  • Patent number: 5608495
    Abstract: An image density control apparatus which includes a photoreceptor having a photosensitive surface to be uniformly charged to a reference potential and formed with a charge latent image by a reference light amount, a device for developing the charge latent image at a reference developing potential so as to obtain a test pattern, a device for detecting density of the test pattern so as to control image forming condition during an actual image formation according to the detected value. The image density control apparatus further includes a reference condition control device which sets the reference image forming condition for forming the test pattern in accordance with the image forming condition for forming a document which was previously set by detecting a representative density of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideo Kitakubo, Suguru Hamamichi, Mineo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5608547
    Abstract: In a shadow process mode, a scanner reads out an original with a first exposure lamp in a first scanning operation. The readout image data is stored in an image memory via an I/O control unit. In the second scanning operation, the scanner reads out the original with a second exposure lamp having an illumination direction different from that of the first exposure lamp. The image data read out in the second scanning operation and the data stored in the image memory are subtracted for each pixel by a subtractor. The difference thereof is compared with a predetermined value in a comparator. The compared result is output to a selector, whereby a desired image data is provided to a printer processing unit via the I/O control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Munehiro Nakatani, Yoshikazu Ikenoue, Atsushi Ishikawa, Akio Nakajima, Hideo Kumashiro, Katsuaki Tajima, Tetsuya Itoh, Keiji Nakatani, Sou Hirota
  • Patent number: 5606420
    Abstract: A camera system has a camera section, a reproduction section and a printer section, the printer section being separably attachable to either the camera section or the reproduction section to form an integral body. The camera system has photoelectric conversion elements and picks up an image of an object to produce image data. The reproduction section processes the image data so as to reproduce the picked-up image on a display screen, and the printer section prints the picked-up image on printing paper based on the image data. The reproduction section may include an output device which transmits the processed image data to a television set having a display screen, and it may also be integrally provided with a monitor having a display screen. The camera system further includes a recording portion electrically connected with the camera section and which records the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Maeda, Yasuhiro Kyoden, Hirokazu Naruto, Yoshito Tanaka, Dai Shintani, Katsuyuki Nanba
  • Patent number: 5606630
    Abstract: An image reproducing apparatus is adapted for reproducing a photographed image recorded on a film, the film having photographic information about the photographed image. The apparatus includes a reproducer for reproducing the photographed image recorded on the film, a reader for reading the photographic information from the film, a corrector for correcting the quality of the photographed image, a setter for setting a correction for the corrector based on the photographic information, and a controller for controlling the corrector to reproduce the photographed image in accordance with the set correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukari Maeda, Hiroaki Kubo, Toshiyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5604825
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for carrying out a variable scale magnification processing for contracting or enlarging an original image. The image processing apparatus including a variable scale moving unit for increasing pixels in accordance with a variable scale magnification in order to enlarge the original image includes a smoothing processing unit for smoothing pixel data. The smoothing processing unit detects the number of increased pixels for each pixel by an increased pixel number determining unit, so as to smooth image data output from the variable scale magnification moving unit by employing smoothing filters of a matrix size selected in accordance with the result of the detection. This results in an image processing apparatus that can prevent a degradation in image quality by an appropriate smoothing processing independently of whether a variable scale magnification in enlargement is integer or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hirota, Katsuaki Tajima
  • Patent number: 5596444
    Abstract: Image data input from a host computer is converted into data BDATA corresponding to a beam diameter at an image control circuit. BDATA is input into a voice coil 21 driving a collimator lens through a collimator lens driving circuit 3, and the diameter of a laser beam is thus determined. Meanwhile, BDATA is input to a laser beam driving circuit 2 together with a signal LDATA controlling light emission from a laser diode. The laser diode is driven at an intensity corresponding to the beam diameter based on BDATA and LDATA at laser driving circuit 2. An optical apparatus capable of reproducing an accurate dot diameter according to a beam diameter is provided as a result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Eguchi
  • Patent number: 5592650
    Abstract: A program replacement device is incorporated in a computer system having a CPU and a program memory in which first programs to be executed by the CPU are stored. The program replacement device includes a RAM employed as the program memory and having a write enable terminal, and a protection circuit interposed between the write enable terminal of the program memory and a write signal outputted from the CPU. The protection circuit includes a push switch for instructing program replacement with respect to the program memory, a pulse generating circuit for generating a pulse signal having a given time interval in response to an instruction from the push switch, and a gate circuit for making, only when the pulse signal is generated, the write signal outputted from the CPU valid with respect to the write enable terminal of the program memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1997
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Okatani, Yoichi Kawabuchi, Syuzi Maruta, Keiichi Nomura
  • Patent number: 5589871
    Abstract: In the present invention, after a motor is electrically disconnected from a power source by a safety switch, said motor is electrically disconnected from a circuit connected thereto by means of a diode. Therefore, the effects of a regenerative electric force generated by said motor in a circuit connected to said motor are eliminated, and the voltage of said circuit connected to said motor is less than a standard safety voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mikiyuki Aoki, Kunihiko Omura
  • Patent number: 5587799
    Abstract: A copying machine having the ability to read and store an image of an original document in a memory means is provided. An operator can interrupt a copying process of the original document and enter an image of a subsequent document into the copying machine and have it reproduced at a subsequent time period which can be preset. The copying machine can reserve and reproduce the reserved image, even if there is an inadvertent activation of an off switch on the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Motomi Kawamura, Masamichi Kishi, Takeshi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 5587801
    Abstract: In a digital copying apparatus, the digital image data of a document to be copied are stored in a memory means, and an image is copied on a paper according to the digital image data stored in the memory means. Two clear modes are provided for clearing the image data stored in the memory means. In the first clear mode, the data in the memory means is cleared when the document is detected to be removed from the platen and the like. In the second clear mode, the data in the memory means is cleared when a new document is detected to be set on the platen glass or the like. One of the two clear modes is selected with the operational panel and the selected mode is displayed. A memory clear command is sent to the memory means at an appropriate timing in the two clear modes, and the memory clear is executed by the memory means. The memory clear command is sent only after the copying operation is completed or it is inhibited to clear the image data when a latent image is being formed according to the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuo Kamei, Yoshikazu Ikenoue, Hideo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5587815
    Abstract: A phase modulating device for spatially modulating a phase of an incident light beam is of a binary type having a plurality of rectangular protrusions on a cross section thereof. A distribution is provided to a diffraction efficiency at each point of the phase modulating device by varying a width of each protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Sato, Takuji Hatano
  • Patent number: 5587551
    Abstract: A developing apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image on an electrostatic latent image carrier includes a toner tank for storing toner, a developing roller, and an agitator for supplying the toner from the toner tank to the developing roller. The apparatus further includes a regulation member having one end portion fixedly supported and other end portion being slidingly held in contact with the outer surface to define a contacting area. The regulating member is bent at an angle .alpha. outwardly from the outer surface to define a bent portion such that the bent portion is located closely adjacent to the developing roller with respect to the contacting area. The curvature radius of the bent portion is no greater than 0.5 mm and the length of the bent portion's free end is between 0.5-5.0 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihito Ikegawa, Kouichi Aritomo, Kazuki Tsukamoto, Michiya Yamashita