Patents Assigned to Minolta
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Patent number: 5705806Abstract: An image reading apparatus for reading documents disposed face upward on a document platen by optical scanning. The image reading apparatus comprises a color correction filter which has characteristics for shielding light of visible light range and is inserted into said imaging system on prescanning to detect the height of the document.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 1997Date of Patent: January 6, 1998Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shinya Matsuda, Koichi Kamon
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Patent number: 5706129Abstract: A pair of binoculars includes a first optical system; a second optical systems; a light rays separators that extracts from the first optical system a portion of light rays that pass through the first optical systems; a device for examining the extracted light rays; a device for adjusting parts of the first and second optical systems based on a results of the examination of the extracted light rays; and a light reducer located in the second optical system for separating light rays equivalent to the light rays extracted by the light rays separator from the light rays passing through the second optical system.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 1996Date of Patent: January 6, 1998Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masato Kato, Yasumasa Sugihara, Naoki Ishihara
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Patent number: 5703693Abstract: A digital copy machine includes an image reading unit IR, an image memory, an image formation unit PRT, and a circulation type sheet transportation mechanism having a transportation path of a length that can accommodate n (n.gtoreq.2) sheets for reversing the side of the sheet having a copy image formed on one side to the opposite side and refeeding the same to a copy position. In duplex copying using at least n sheets, the timing of feeding the first sheet is set so that the n-th sheet arrives at the copy position only after the time when the copy of an original image of the (2n-1)th page can be initiated in order to set the number of circulating sheets to n.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 1994Date of Patent: December 30, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventor: Takeshi Morikawa
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Patent number: 5701518Abstract: A waterproof camera to which an interchangeable lens unit having a waterproof construction is mounted. The waterproof camera has a lens mount provided in a camera body and to which the interchangeable lens unit is removably mounted, a ring-shaped flange provided in the lens mount and which positions the interchangeable lens unit relative to the camera camera body, an engaging member provided at an outer circumference of the ring-shaped flange and which engages with the outer circumference of one end of the interchangeable lens unit, and a waterproof member which is in pressing contact with an area of engagement between the engaging member and the outer circumference of one end of the interchangeable lens unit and prevents water from penetrating in the area of engagement.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 1996Date of Patent: December 23, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tsutomu Honda, Hisanori Itoh, Takuya Ueno, Junji Mori, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Yasushi Hasegawa, Hideo Kajita
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Patent number: 5701531Abstract: A mechanism, for feeding a film with a photographing information magnetic recording area, of a camera. The camera including the mechanism has a cartridge holder inside which a film cartridge housing the film in is set; an aperture for defining an exposure field on the film; a magnetic head for writing/reading the photographing information; a take-up spool around which the film fed from the film cartridge is wound; and a drive motor for feeding the film between the film cartridge and the take-up spool. Both the take-up spool and the magnetic head are installed on one side of the aperture, and both the cartridge holder and the drive motor are installed on the other side, opposite to the one side in view of the film feeding direction, of the aperture.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 1996Date of Patent: December 23, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiharu Tanaka, Junichi Tanii, Katsuhiro Ono
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Patent number: 5701204Abstract: A zoom lens system includes from the object side a first lens unit of positive refractive power and a second lens unit of negative refractive power. The zoom lens system further includes a rearmost lens unit on the most image side. During zooming from the shortest focal length condition to the longest focal length condition, the first lens unit is moved toward the object side so that the distance between the first and second lens units increases. During focusing to a shorter object distance condition, the first lens Unit .is moved toward the object side while the rearmost lens unit is moved toward the image side, and a ratio between movement amounts of the first and rearmost lens units varies according to zooming.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 1995Date of Patent: December 23, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventor: Hiroyuki Matsumoto
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Patent number: 5701569Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a toner image carrying member which carries a toner image, an intermediate transfer member or sheet transport type transfer member opposite to the toner image carrying member, a charging device which charges the transfer member for transferring the toner image from the toner image carrying member to the intermediate transfer member or carried sheet, a grounding electrode which contacts the transfer member, an ammeter which measures an electric current through the grounding electrode, and a control device which controls the charging device based on a measured value of the ammeter so as to stabilize said measured value. A power source is connected to the charging device through a resistance and the grounding electrode is in parallel with circuit from the resistance to the toner image carrying member.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 1996Date of Patent: December 23, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masaharu Kanazawa, Toshiya Natsuhara, Kazuyoshi Hara, Yasuo Tanaka
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Patent number: 5701548Abstract: Disclosed is a copying system wherein operation modes of a copying machine are set using an IC card located at a distance from the copying machine. The IC card has: a transmitter for transmitting a signal that contains an identification code for identifying the IC card itself, an identification code for identifying the copying machine, and prestored operation mode setting information for the copying machine; a receiver for receiving a signal transmitted from the copying machine; and a CPU for identifying the copying machine and its operating condition. The copying machine has: a transmitter for transmitting a signal that contains an identification code for identifying the copying machine itself, an identification code for identifying the IC card, and information concerning the operating condition of the copying machine itself; a receiver for receiving a signal transmitted from the IC card; and a CPU for identifying the originating IC card and for setting the copying machine operation mode.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 1995Date of Patent: December 23, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventor: Toru Okatani
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Patent number: 5699200Abstract: A lens assembly is disclosed in which the amount of movement of at least one lens unit is achieved by combining the amounts of relative movement of at least two barrels. A linear advancement barrel advances straight ahead relative to a fixed barrel. A first lens unit moves together with the linear advancement barrel. A second lens unit is located in front of the first lens unit along the optical axis. A third lens unit is located behind the first lens unit along the optical axis. A cam ring moves together with the linear advancement barrel along the optical axis and rotates around the optical axis. The cam ring has first and second cams that move the second lens unit and the third lens unit by amounts of movement relative to the linear advancement barrel.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1996Date of Patent: December 16, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tetsuya Uno, Yoshifumi Harada, Daigo Yoshioka, Hiroaki Hasegawa, Yasuo Hawai
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Patent number: 5697263Abstract: A device, having a planetary gear and a single motor, in use for switching and transmitting a driving force of the motor to any one of station gears and for driving each station gear in both rotational directions. The operation of locking levers for preventing a planetary gear from revolving around a sun gear is controlled by a cam. The cam is actuated by a driving force of the motor. A spring frictionally connecting the cam and an output shaft of a speed reduction system is interposed therebetween, and a magnet is disposed so as to restrict the movement of the cam when the motor rotates. A sun gear is connected with the output shaft of the speed reduction system with a "play" or gap in order that the rotation of the sun gear is reversed behind time corresponding to the play when the rotation of the motor is reversed, thus making it possible to start actuating the cam earlier than the sun gear for making sure that the locking levers are shifted.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 1996Date of Patent: December 16, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira Funahashi, Michihiro Iwata
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Patent number: 5699169Abstract: In the electronic sort of a digital copying machine, image data of a document consisting of a plurality of sheets are read and compressed to bi-level data in a memory. The compressed image data are recovered to multi-level data successively. When a plurality of copies of the document are produced, the recovery action is repeated by the number of the copies. In a facsimile machine combined with a digital copying machine, bi-level image data for the automatic reduction transmission are recovered first to multi-level image data, and the density of the multi-level image data is changed for the reduction. Then, the multi-level data are converted to bi-level data for facsimile transmission. In a digital two-color copying machine, multi-level image data of the second color of the two colors to be recorded later has to be synchronized to those of the other in correspondence to the delay of the recording time between the two colors.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1996Date of Patent: December 16, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Keiji Nakatani, Masamichi Sugiura, Munehiro Nakatani, Shigenobu Fukushima
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Patent number: 5697009Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus by which a first image corresponding to first image information and a second image corresponding to second image information are superimposed one on the top of the other, the apparatus having a scanning device for scanning a document line by line to output the first image information; a composing device for composing the first and second image information so that the first and second images are superimposed one on the top of the other; a detecting device for detecting changes of the scanning speed in a direction perpendicular to the lines; and a controlling device for so controlling the composing device that the relative position of the second and first images in the direction are adjusted line by line in accordance with the results detected.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 1995Date of Patent: December 9, 1997Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kenichi Muroki, Shoji Imaizumi
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Patent number: 5696531Abstract: An image display apparatus according to the present invention includes an image data memory for storing image data to be displayed, an image plane for displaying an image, a low resolution image display unit for displaying an image based on image data on the image plane with low resolution, a mouse for designating a position in a particular region in the image plane, and a high resolution image display unit for displaying an image based on image data of the particular region designated by the mouse on the image plane with high resolution of a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the low resolution.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 1994Date of Patent: December 9, 1997Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsunori Suzuki, Toshihiko Kumon, Yoshikazu Ikenoue
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Patent number: 5694657Abstract: A regenerating apparatus of a recording medium by removing a printing material therefrom comprises a holder which is arranged in the liquid and has a plurality of holding members for holding the media; a feeder for feeding the medium to the respective holding members successively; a discharger which includes a discharging passage extending from each of the holding member and out of the liquid for discharging the recording medium having been held by the holding member for a specific time; and a remover which is disposed in the liquid and near the passage so as to contact and remove the printing material from the recording medium transported along the passage.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 1994Date of Patent: December 9, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masazumi Yoshida, Junji Machida, Kaoru Furusawa, Haruhiko Atarashi
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Patent number: 5697017Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a developing unit which is removably installed in a body of the image forming apparatus, a shutter covering a developing region of the photosensitive member when the developing unit is removed from the body of the image forming apparatus and a cleaning member capable of cleaning the surface of the photosensitive member in accordance with rotation of the photosensitive member by making contact with the photosensitive member in conjunction with the shutter covering operation, but which does not contact the photosensitive member when the shutter is open. During a control operation, foreign matter such as used developer adhered to the photosensitive member is removed when the photosensitive member is rotated with the shutter closed.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 1995Date of Patent: December 9, 1997Assignees: Lexmark International, Inc., Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Paul Allen Rooke, Thomas Howard Miller, John Edward Passafiume, Narutaka Yoshida, Yasushi Tsuda, Joho Katsuo, Hirofumi Hasegawa
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Patent number: 5696675Abstract: A route making system calculates a route for a mobile robot based on input area information including an attribute of each area. The mobile robot travels along the calculated route and carries out work proper for the attribute of each area while traveling. A mobile robot control system controls traveling and work of a mobile robot based on input area information. The mobile robot carries out work proper for the attribute of each area.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1995Date of Patent: December 9, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kyoko Nakamura, Yuichi Kawakami
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Patent number: 5697039Abstract: A copying machine having an original feeding unit for feeding originals onto a platen glass which is operable in a two-original feeding mode where two originals are placed side by side in a particular position on the platen glass, and a sheet handling unit which is operable in a binding mode where copy sheets which copied images are bound. When the two-original feeding mode is selected, a selection of the binding mode is inhibited. When the two-original feeding mode is selected after the binding mode was selected, a warning is generated to inform that the sheet handling unit becomes impossible to be operated in the binding mode. When a copying operation is started without in spite of the generation of the warning, the binding mode is canceled.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 1992Date of Patent: December 9, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kadotaro Nishimori, Masazumi Ito, Kimihiko Higashio
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Patent number: 5697000Abstract: A camera is provided with a varifocal lens including a zoom lens system driven by a motor and by a zoom lens drive control section and a focusing lens system driven by a motor and by a focusing lens drive control section for performing focusing before the zoom lens system is driven or while the zoom lens system is being driven. The camera is also provided with a lens switch sensor for determining whether an operation member for starting an exposure operation has been operated or not and a body control section and a lens control section for halting the driving of the zoom lens system when it is determined that the operation member has been operated by the sensor to re-start the driving of the focusing lens system.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 1994Date of Patent: December 9, 1997Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Hara, Kenji Ishibashi, Kimiharu Akahoshi, Norihiko Akamatsu
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Patent number: 5694223Abstract: A printer control unit carries out a predetermined calculation based on the amount of adhering toner detected by an AIDC sensor and the surface potential of a photoconductor detected by a V sensor to correct the light emission intensity of a light source to prepare light emission characteristic data for .gamma. correction to obtain an optimal image. A .gamma. correcting unit corrects an image signal output from an image signal processing unit using the calculated light emission characteristic data for .gamma. correction to control the light source to emit light based on the corrected data. More specifically, since the .gamma. correction data is obtained by calculation, optimal .gamma. correction can always be carried out without a memory of a large capacity.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 1996Date of Patent: December 2, 1997Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kentaro Katori, Toshifumi Watanabe, Yukihiko Okuno, Masaki Tanaka, Hironobu Nakata, Katsuyuki Hirata
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Patent number: 5692741Abstract: In an operation for transporting a sheet by a first roller to a second roller pair downstream of the first roller, and further transporting the sheet by the second roller pair, the time during which the sheet is transported by the first roller is controlled, responsive to a comparison of a reference time and the actual time required for a sheet to be transported from the first roller to a predetermined position in the sheet transport path, to suppress disadvantages such as jamming and deformation into a Z-form, which may be caused by reduction of a transporting performance due to wear of the rollers and adhesion of paper powder to the rollers.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 1995Date of Patent: December 2, 1997Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hidenobu Nakamura, Koji Naito, Yoshiaki Nakajima