Abstract: An initial resin substrate is formed by laminating resin layers, and one surface of the initial substrate is heated and pressed by a molding die to mold a projected and dented surface such that substantially no deformation occurs on the resin layer providing a surface opposed to the one surface of the initial substrate. A reversible image display medium is produced by a method comprising the steps of accommodating a dry developer into the concavities and fixing a second substrate to the first substrate using an adhesive. Alternatively a reversible image display medium may be produced by, e.g.

Abstract: In image processing of a document having image data of a document including an image with character images on a background image, the character images and the background image thereof are separated. First, areas in correspondence to the character images from the image data are extracted, and character code data are generated based on the extracted areas in the image data. On the other hand, the character image in the image data is replaced with the background image. The character images are reproduced with reference to the character code data at the positions of the character images. On the other hand, the original character images are deleted from the image data. The character images on the background image is complemented based on the background image data. Then the character images based on the character code data and the background image thereof are synthesized.

Abstract: The inventive image processing apparatus takes steps of 1) dividing an image to be processed into numerals of blocks; 2) determining whether a block is a color block or not; 3) determining whether the image is a color image or not based on the rate of color blocks to the entire blocks. Thereby, valid color pixel rate can be obtained at blocks belonging to a color region even though an image is almost monochrome but partially colored. Accordingly, the inventive image processing apparatus can appropriately determine whether the image is a color image or not.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, a compression processor compresses a color image data, a storage device stores the compressed data, and an expansion processor expands the data read from the storage device. A first background controller controls background of the color image data not yet compressed by the compression processor, while a second background controller controls background of the image data expanded by the expansion processor. A controller activates either the first background controller or the second background controller.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus employing an error diffusion method capable of preventing a pseudo contour attributable to a delayed dot. The image processing apparatus receives an error diffused from a neighboring pixel and corrects a value (an input value of 0 to 1) of a pixel to be processed before it reduces a tone. Then a subtracter calculates an error associated with the tone reduction, which is diffused to a neighboring pixel. Herein, only for an input value of no less than 0.5 an inversion portion multiplies by ?1 an error from a neighboring pixel and an error to a neighboring pixel. Thus a dot can be free of delay to prevent a pseudo contour.

Abstract: Broadcasting waves transmitted from a broadcasting device include operation control information for operating peripheral devices on a receiver side in accordance with the contents of a broadcast program in addition to broadcast data about said broadcast program. The receiver outputs the broadcast data to a display device, and transmits an operation command signal dependent on the operation control information to the peripheral devices to operate the peripheral devices in accordance with the contents of the broadcast program. As a result, an air conditioner raises or lowers room temperature and an illumination device blinks according to the progress of the program.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a memory storing firmware, a reception unit for receiving an image processing job, an image processing job execution controller for executing the image processing job using the firmware, a firmware reception unit for receiving firmware for rewrite purpose distributed from an external device, a firmware rewrite controller for executing a firmware rewrite job of rewriting the firmware stored in the memory to the received firmware, a judgment unit for judging a type of the received firmware, and a job management controller for adjusting an execution order of the image processing job and the firmware rewrite job according to the type of the received firmware, and instructing to execute the image processing job and the firmware rewrite job in the adjusted execution order when the image processing job and the firmware rewrite job are both placed in a wait state for execution.

Abstract: An output system having a data processor and an printer or other output device for outputting data in a specific format, which is sent from the data processor, to which is installed driver software for controlling the output device. Whether the data on output request passes the driver software is determined in sending data to the output device. Data are prohibited from being sent to the output device for output requests on which data bypasses the driver software.

Abstract: A zoom lens device has a zoom lens system having a plurality of lens units; and an image sensor converting an optical image formed by the zoom lens system, into electric image data. Lens surfaces constituting the zoom lens system are all refracting surfaces. Zooming is performed by varying the distances between the lens units. The following conditions are satisfied: 3.1?ft/fw?5.5 where fw is the focal length of the zoom lens system in the shortest focal length condition, and ft is the focal length of the zoom lens system in the longest focal length condition.

Abstract: A taking lens system for forming an image on a solid-state image sensor has, from the object side, two positive lens elements and at least one negative lens element. The most image-side lens surface is an aspherical surface concave to the image side, and this aspherical surface has a point of inflection.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes a scanner unit entering image data, a printer unit printing out input image data, a signature information detection unit detecting additional information including destination information from the image data, and a communication processing unit transmitting information related to printing of image data to the detected destination. Additional information including destination information is detected from the image data. Information related to printing of image data is transmitted to the destination detected from the image data. Accordingly, information related to printing when image data is printed is audited at the destination side.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of managing files. In this invention, a method of managing a file stored in an external memory device of a computer having an application that starts when it is read by the computer consists of a step of accepting an instruction for starting up the application, and a step of automatically deleting the application program from the external memory device when the started application terminates. This file managing method can automatically delete the application program from the external memory device when the started application terminates.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus first forms an edge image of an input image using, for example, SOBEL operator, and performs a smoothing process on the formed edge image by using an average filter. Thereafter, the image processing apparatus calculates a difference between the edge image and the edge smoothed image, and binarizes the edge image based on the difference.

Abstract: An image not subjected to color correction, gamma correction, MTF correction and others is used as an image to be subjected to Retinex image processing. Thus, a RAW image prepared only by converting an electric signal of a CCD image sensor by an A/D converter into a digital form is used as an image to be subjected to the Retinex processing. Predetermined gamma correction is performed after the Retinex processing. Thereby, Retinex algorithm substantially modeling functions of a retina and a cortex of a living body exhibits its original performance. The resolution of the original image is lowered, and processing is performed on an image thus produced to produce a blurred image. Then, the resolution of the blurred image is restored to the same resolution as that of the original image, and the Retinex processing is performed. Thereby, the Retinex processing can be performed without increasing memory consumption and extremely lowering an operation speed.

Abstract: A data sending apparatus, on sending data to a receiving apparatus, searches its storage for a transmission method to the receiving apparatus. After sending data to the receiving apparatus, the sending apparatus receives from the receiving apparatus a transmission result including a transmission condition and capabilities of the receiving apparatus. When an error occurs during the data transmission, the sending apparatus reads the communication and processing capabilities of the receiving apparatus from the transmission result, and resends the data by a transmission method in accordance with the receiving apparatus. It then acquires the transmission result and stores the same in the storage.

Abstract: The scanner 10 having a function as a data transmission device generates a reduced image 202 from the original image data obtained by scanning a document, prepares an e-mail 200 that contains the reduced image 202, which is linked to the original image data file stored in a specified storage area, and transmits the e-mail 200 to a specified destination.

Abstract: A lens optical system is provided with a cemented lens element formed by cementing two constituent lens elements made of different optical materials together, with a diffractive optical surface formed at the cementing interface between the two constituent lens elements. The two constituent lens elements have at their respective interfaces with air a radius of curvature different from the radius of curvature that they have at the cementing interface.

Abstract: In a image processing apparatus executing an error diffusion process, normal error diffusion process is performed when an input pixel value is not “0”. When the input value is “0” (white pixel), “0” is automatically output, error memory of the pixel is reset, and calculation and distribution of the error are not performed. Accordingly, the speed of processing of the image processing apparatus can be improved. Further, by setting smaller the threshold value in error diffusion, the influence caused by resetting of the error memory and delay in generating a dot can be prevented.

Abstract: In cluster printing, the pages of a print job are divided and output to a plurality of image forming apparatuses. When this is done, a table that records the image size (data size) for each page included in the print job and the speed of data transmission to an image forming apparatus for that page is created. A determination is made whether there are pages with a data transmission speed lower than a threshold value (i.e., whether unprintable pages exist), and if there are, the job is re-divided such that the number of image forming apparatuses to be used is reduced. Consequently, the data transmission speed for each page is prevented from becoming slower than the printing speed.

Abstract: A digital camera having an image shake correction apparatus and a method of preventing the image shake of an image taken by the digital camera. The digital camera includes optical elements arranged along a bent line for focusing an object image upon a light receiving plane in which the elements include at least one mirror which reflects a light from an object toward the light receiving plane, a driver for moving the mirror so as to turn its light axis having been bent by the mirror, a vibration sensor for sensing a vibration of a camera body, and a processor for making the driver move the mirror based on the sensed vibration. The mirror turns so as to cancel the vibration of the object image focussed on the light receiving plane.