Abstract: The bookbinding device of the present invention includes: a pair of holders capable of changing postures between a first posture of holding and restraining a lateral portion of a sheet bundle covered with a cover sheet, and a second posture of releasing the restraint; a tabular heating plate capable of generating heat for melting the hot-melt adhesive; a tabular cooling plate; a movable support plate which is arranged movably below the holders and supports the heating plate and the cooling plate; a first drive unit for changing the posture of the holders to the first posture or the second posture; a second drive unit for moving the movable support plate between a first position where the heating plate is positioned at a lower side of a holding space where the holders hold the sheet bundle, and a second position where the cooling plate is positioned at a lower side of the holding space; and a controller for controlling the operation of the first drive unit and the second drive unit.

Abstract: A plasma generation apparatus is provided which includes: an apparatus main body which has a microwave generation section which generates a microwave and a plasma generation nozzle which generates and emits a plasma gas based on the energy of the microwave; a microwave detection unit which detects a microwave leaking from the apparatus main body; and a control section which stops the microwave generation section from generating a microwave if the detection unit detects a microwave.

Abstract: A media sheet re-supply section is provided which connects the downstream side end to the upstream side end of a feeding section provided at a printing section to form an orbiting feed path together with the feeding section, and which flips over a media sheet sent out from the downstream side end of the feeding section, of which one side has received printing, and supplies it to the upstream side end of the feeding section. The media sheet re-supply section has a length of a feed path capable of holding, during printing on a current media sheet by the printing section, at least one preceding media sheet printed prior to the current media sheet.

Abstract: A printing apparatus for measuring proper density and generating correction data with high accuracy by eliminating influences of adjoining areas. A plurality of scanning coordinates SAx are set to a middle position in a primary scanning direction of each of pixel lines Q on a test chart. Scanning areas SA are set to positions where the scanning coordinates SAx intersect scanning coordinates SAy indicating numerous positions in a secondary scanning direction of the pixel lines Q. Density data of the scanning areas SA is averaged to generate correction data for updating a correction table.

Abstract: To provide a region detecting method capable of setting a proper threshold independently of a photographing condition and moreover, quickly and accurately detecting a specific region, which uses an image data storing section 10 for storing a sample image 12 and a purposed image 11, a first computing means 1 for obtaining the extraction-region-identifying threshold data for a plurality of sample images including a common extraction region but having average color values different from each other in accordance with a genetic algorithm and generating a threshold table 8 for the average color values, a second computing means 2 for adaptively computing the extraction-region-identifying threshold data for the purposed image 11 in accordance with the average color value of the purposed image and the threshold table 8, and a third computing means 3 for detecting an extraction region in accordance with the threshold data computed by the second computing means 12.

Abstract: An image processor includes an image processing section, an enlargement processing section, and a controller. When image data including a second predetermined number of pixels to be output from an image output section, is generated on the basis of image data including a first predetermined number of pixels smaller than the second predetermined number input to an image data input unit, the controller controls the enlargement processing section to generate image data including a third predetermined number of pixels larger than the first predetermined number and smaller than the second predetermined number. The controller controls the image processing section to apply image processing to the image data including the third predetermined number of pixels. The controller also controls the enlargement processing section to generate the image data including the second predetermined number of pixels on the basis of the image data including the third predetermined number of pixels.

Abstract: An image processing module restricts granular noise present in photographic image data obtained by digitization of an image by utilizing a weighted average filtering operation. The module comprises a target pixel setting section, a difference value calculation section, a weight coefficient determining section and a filtering operating section. The target pixel setting section sets one target pixel after another from a group of pixels together constituting the photographic image data. The difference value calculating section calculates a difference value between a pixel value of the target pixel and each peripheral pixel present within a calculating area centering about the target pixel and is used for the weighted average filtering operation. The weight coefficient determining section determines a weight coefficient for use in the weighted average filtering operation, in accordance with the difference value.

Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus includes a pair of transporting rollers, a table and a table drive mechanism. The pair of transporting rollers consist of a driving roller and a driven roller. On the table are stacked a plurality of recording media to be supplied to the pair of transporting rollers. The table drive mechanism moves the table between two positions of a transport position and a standby position. The table drive mechanism descends the table to the standby position, from the transport position, after the uppermost recording medium of the recording media stacked on the table at the transport position is sandwiched between the driving roller and the driven roller.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a processing unit for generating route data relating to a route along which a vehicle has actually traveled, from position data acquired by a position acquiring unit, an image data acquiring section for acquiring image data, a first storage section for storing the image data acquired by the image acquiring unit according to groups of respective destinations, and a second storage section for storing the route data generated by the processing unit. A link data generating section is provided for correlating the respective destinations with the respective route data via link data. An outputting unit is configured to extract a group linked to a destination by the link data in response to a manual designation of a route data stored in the second storage section or to a manual or automatic designation of a designation included in that route data and then to output the image data included in that group from the first storage section to an outputting section.

Abstract: A photograph image-processing method comprises the steps of entering a film image for reading a film image by an image pickup device and generating color image data, generating concentration histograms for each of RGB color components from the color image data, relative-stretch-processing the concentration histograms, calculating and deriving a relative stretch ratio which maximizes the RGB superimposed area which has undergone relative-stretch processing, calculating and deriving an evaluation value of reliability with respect to the relative stretch ratio, calculating and deriving a correction stretch ratio based on the evaluation value, and conversion-processing RGB components of each pixel of the color image data in accordance with the correction stretch ratio.

Abstract: A method of detecting the base concentration of a film comprises the steps of generating a concentration histogram from the film image in each of the RGB color components, shifting and stretching the histograms in the other colors towards the histogram in the reference color in the concentration axial direction, calculating an superimposed area between the two histograms in the two color components after the stretching process, and finding the shift rate and the stretch ratio when a total of the respective superimposed areas calculated is the greatest value. As the minimum of the lowest concentration in the histograms at the shift rate and the stretch ratio determined is specified to represent the location of the base concentration in the original histogram, the base concentration in each color component of the film can be calculated from the location of the base concentration in the histogram.

Abstract: A printing apparatus for generating a test chart using a plurality of sheets of printing paper and correction data having high accuracy according to the test chart. Overlapping regions G are extracted from scanning data D1 and D2 of two test charts. Tendency in variation (inclination) of the density is obtained for one set of the scanning data in the overlapping regions G and such tendency in variation is reduced. The scanning data D1 and D2 are then combined together to eliminate the density difference, thereby obtaining a single set of combined scanning data D3. A correction data generation means updates a correction table based on density data of the scanning data D3.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for resizing image data by a determined desired magnification. The apparatus includes an image data inputting section for inputting the image data, a magnification determining section for determining a magnification based on the image size of the inputted image data and the print size, a magnification converting section for converting the determined desired magnification into a combination of a first reduction ratio including 100% magnification, an expansion ratio and a second reduction ratio including 100% magnification, a first image reducing section for reducing the image data by the first reduction ratio by using an averaging operation, an image expanding section for expanding the resultant reduced image data by the expansion ratio by using an interpolating operation, and a second image reducing section for reducing the resultant expanded image data by the second reduction ratio by using an averaging operation.

Abstract: A defective pixel correcting method, for correcting one or more of defective pixels present in visible light image data, the one or more of pixels being determined as defective by using the visible light image data and infrared light image data, the method includes the steps of: (a) determining one or more of defective pixels based on a first criterion and creating a first defective pixel map; (b) correcting the one or more of defective pixels by luminance adjustment using the first defective pixel map; (c) generating and displaying an additional correction setting screen including a visible light image based on corrected visible light image data and an indicator indicative of a quasi-defective pixel area; (d) creating an additional correction target pixel map which specifies one or more of additional correction target pixels manually set through the additional correction setting screen; and (e) correcting the one or more of additional correction target pixels by interpolation.

Abstract: When an order reception unit receives a determination result indicating that a user who has inputted identification information is a registered user, the order reception unit receives an order for photograph printing from the user without prompting the user to input personal information. A photograph printing device then performs photograph printing in accordance with the order received by the order reception unit.

Abstract: Printing paper is cut by moving the lower one of a pair of upper and lower cutting blades with the upper one fixed. A protective member for preventing the printed surface of the printing paper being conveyed from coming into contact with the cutting edge of the upper cutting blade is disposed upstream of the upper cutting blade in the direction of paper conveyance.

Abstract: When an identification code relating to a subject order is obtained by an acquisition unit, a determination unit determines whether or not printed photographs relating to the subject order are housed in a housing unit. When the determination unit determines that the printed photographs relating to the subject order are not housed in the housing unit, the transmission unit transmits a request for calculation of an expected time to housing to a management server. A notification unit notifies a user of the expected time to housing, transmitted from the management server, as an expected time to delivery of the printed photographs relating to the subject order.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes: a printing part including a print head for ejecting ink to paper to print an image on the paper; a drying part including a heater for drying the ink adhering to the paper printed by the print head; and an agitator for agitating the air in the space in the printing part during a warm-up operation involving raising the temperature of the heater.

Abstract: When a newly received printed photograph and an undelivered order exist in relation to an identical user, a delivery device is controlled such that the newly received printed photograph is delivered at the same time as a printed photograph relating to the undelivered order.

Abstract: A method of detecting the base concentration of a film is provided including: a film image entering process of reading a developed film with an image pickup device to generate the pixel values in each of the RGB color components; a non-exposure region detecting step of detecting the edge of each frame on the film from the detected pixel values and specifying as the non-exposure region each line of pixels disposed at the intermediate between any two adjacent frame-image edges from the detected edge data; and a base concentration calculating step of subjecting the pixel values in each non-exposure region specified in the non-exposure region detecting step to different arithmetic operations for calculating corresponding base concentrations of the film, whereby the highest of the base concentrations is judged as a true base concentration.