Abstract: A check pattern is printed which makes it possible to detect, with high precision, individual patterns corresponding to nozzles of a print head of an inkjet printing apparatus. More specifically, after an alignment mark is printed, ejection of an ink from the nozzles is stopped for a certain time. Because of this stoppage time, the concentration of a coloring material of the ink ejected from the nozzles increases, whereby the optical density of an analysis pattern which is printed later can be increased. In this manner, a scanner can read, with high precision, the patterns corresponding to the nozzles.

Abstract: Disclosed is an array of light emitting semiconductor components for use in a digital printer. Each component includes a driver and at least one light emitting device. The array includes data buses connecting to first subsets of components, forming a first partition of said component. The array further includes auxiliary buses connecting to second subsets of components, forming a second partition of the components. The first partition and the second partition are chosen such that each component can be uniquely identified by the subset of the first and second partition to which it belongs. The data buses are configured to supply instructions to the first subsets of components. Each component is configured to extract instructions on the basis of its membership of a particular subset according to the second partition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image carriers for four fundamental colors of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, and for an auxiliary color, and three optical scanning devices. A first optical scanning device includes two light sources for the black color and another fundamental color, a first deflector, and a first housing. A second optical scanning device includes two light sources for other two fundamental colors, a second deflector, and a second housing. A third optical scanning device includes a light source for the auxiliary color, a third deflector, a third housing, and one or more reflecting mirrors. The light source for the auxiliary color is disposed closer to the third deflector with the one or more reflecting mirrors to turn an optical path therebetween while maintaining an optical path length thereof. The optical paths for the auxiliary color and for the black color have identical light utilization efficiency.

Abstract: A recording medium includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and an image recording layer with insulating properties provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, the image recording layer containing cells each encapsulating at least one of electrophoretic particles or magnetophoretic particles, a dispersion medium, and at least two kinds of thermoreversible gelling agents.

Abstract: Provided is an optical scanning head including plural light-emitting element arrays that are arranged along a scanning direction, each of which includes plural light-emitting elements, a light-emitting control unit that outputs a light-emitting timing signal generated based on image information to each light-emitting element of the plural light-emitting element arrays to control light emission of the light-emitting element, a storage unit that is common to the plural light-emitting element arrays and stores a correction value of a light intensity variation due to an arrival time difference between the light-emitting timing signals to the plural light-emitting elements, and a correction unit that corrects the light-emitting timing signal based on the correction value.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus scans a target surface with a light beam along a main scanning direction. The apparatus includes a light source, an optical deflector which includes a rotating multi-faceted mirror, each surface of the multi-faceted mirror acting as a reflecting surface to deflect the light beam from the light source, and a scanning optical system configured to guide the light beam deflected by the optical deflector to the target surface. An angle which is formed between the light beam toward the reflecting surface of the optical deflector and the corresponding reflecting surface and which includes a reflected light reflected from the corresponding reflecting surface is always obtuse.

Abstract: Provided is an image recording system for recording an image on a recording medium attached to a conveyed article, including: a conveyor device conveying the conveyed article in a predetermined conveying direction; and a recording device provided on at least one side of the conveyor device in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and capable of contactlessly recording the image on the recording medium being located at a position facing itself. The image includes a scan image to be read by a reading device. The conveyor device decelerates the conveyed article by observing a position at which the recording medium will face the recording device as a target stop position. The recording device records the scan image on the recording medium after the conveyed article reaches the target stop position and while the amplitude of vibration of the conveyed article is equal to or smaller than a reference value.

Abstract: The technology disclosed relates to patterning of flexible substrate. One implementation can be applied for production of flexible displays and other electronic devices on flexible substrates. The substrate may be plastic film typically 50-150 microns thick and the size of the pattern features may typically be in the range 1-10 microns across. Larger and smaller structures are possible. The patterning is done by means of optical exposure, either by exposure of a photosensitive resist or lacquer, or by other thermal or photochemical interaction between the light and the substrate. The substrate may typically be loaded as a roll and after exposure and other processing it may be rolled up on a second output roll, so called roll-to-roll (R-to-R) processing.

Abstract: A light scanning apparatus, including: a light source configured to emit a light beam; a light deflector including: a rotary shaft; a bearing portion configured to support the rotary shaft; a rotor fixed to the rotary shaft; a stator fixed to the bearing portion; a drive circuit board configured to support the bearing portion and to drive the stator to rotate the rotor; and a mirror portion fixed to the rotor, the light deflector being configured to deflect the light beam emitted from the light source by the mirror portion; and a housing including: a bearing inserting portion into which the bearing portion is inserted; a fixing portion configured to fix the drive circuit board; and a recessed portion provided between the bearing inserting portion and the fixing portion.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: an image forming section including a photosensitive body, and an LED array configured to expose the photosensitive body; and a controller configured to: make a judgment of a dew-condensation state of the LED array, and change a power supply state of the LED array based on the dew-condensation state.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a light source, a scanning portion that includes plural reflection surfaces, makes light beams incident to the reflection surface such that optical axis directions of the light beams emitted from the light emitting parts are tilted with respect to a direction perpendicular to the reflection surface, and scans the light beams in the main scanning direction through rotation, an optical system that includes an optical member made of a resin, is disposed between the scanning portion and the surface to be scanned, and makes the plural light beams incident to the surface to be scanned such that optical axes of the plural light beams are parallel to each other, and a correction portion that is provided in the optical system, and corrects positional deviation of scanning lines of the light beams in the sub-scanning direction on the surface to be scanned.

Abstract: The invention relates to a marking apparatus (100) for marking an object with laser light, comprising a plurality of lasers (10) and a control unit for individually activating each of the lasers to emit a laser beam according to a sign to be marked. A set of deflection means (30) for rearranging the laser beams into a two-dimensional array of laser beams is provided, the set of deflection means (30) comprises at least one deflection means (33) per laser beam, in particular at least one mapping mirror (33) or one optical waveguide per laser beam.

Abstract: The optical scanning device includes a photoreceptor, a light source unit, a plurality of correction value storage units and a light quantity correction unit. The scanning position in the photoreceptor is divided into a plurality of areas. The target correction amount of the light quantity is predetermined so as to change according to the scanning position. The correction value storage unit stores the light quantity correction value that is associated with each of the areas. The light quantity correction unit corrects the light quantity during scanning by using the light quantity correction value corresponding to the scanning position. The length of each of the areas is shorter in an area in which the variation in the target correction amount per unit length is greater. The light quantity correction value is determined based on the target correction amount according to the area corresponding to the light quantity correction value.

Abstract: A method of color laser marking a security document precursor including at least: a transparent biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate foil; at least one colorless color forming layer for generating a color different from black containing at least an infrared absorber a color forming compound and a polymeric binder; and a laser markable polymeric support or a laser markable layer for generating a black color; comprising the steps of: laser marking the colorless color forming layer through the transparent polymeric foil with a infrared laser used in continuous wave mode to generate a color different from black; and laser marking the laser markable polymeric support or the laser markable layer through the transparent polymeric foil with the same infrared laser but used in a pulsed mode to generate a black color.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source configured to emit a light beam, a rotating polygon mirror configured to deflect the light beam such that the light beam scans a photosensitive member, an optical box to which the rotating polygon mirror is attached and which includes a first portion, and a holding member configured to hold the light source, including a second portion and a protrusion portion, and attached to the optical box such that the first portion of the optical box and the second portion of the holding member form a gap therebetween, wherein the holding member is attached to the optical box with an adhesive poured into the gap, and the protrusion portion is arranged toward the optical box from the holding member along a position in the gap into which the adhesive is poured to prevent the adhesive from falling off the position.

Abstract: A first lens array unit includes a first lens array plate and a second lens array plate in which a plurality of lenses are provided in the main scanning direction, and a first light shielding member piece and a second light shielding member piece provided with a plurality of through holes corresponding to the lenses. The first lens array plate, the second lens array plate, the first light shielding member piece, and the second light shielding member piece are formed as one piece. The lens array is built by bending joints joining the lens array plates and the light shielding member pieces such that the lens is located to directly face the corresponding through hole.

Abstract: A light-emitting substrate including: a first and second light-emitting devices each including terminals; and a substrate including a first hole and a second hole, the first hole and the second hole respectively having at least one receiving portion, wherein the receiving portion of the first hole receives the terminal of the first light-emitting device, and the receiving portion of the second hole receives the terminal of the second light-emitting device, a first line drawn through a center of the receiving portion of the first hole and a center of the first hole, and a second line drawn through a center of the receiving portion of the second hole and a center of the second hole are not aligned in line.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that is capable of forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of a photosensitive member with high position accuracy even when the shaft of the photosensitive member is off-centered. In the apparatus, exposure devices form electrostatic latent images on respective photosensitive drums, and developing devices develop the electrostatic latent images. An intermediate transfer belt rotates in contact with the photosensitive drums. A rotary encoder detects a rotational speed of a drum shaft of each photosensitive drum. An amount of off-centering of the drum shaft is detected, and a correction coefficient for correcting positional displacement of electrostatic latent images is calculated. A control unit corrects timing of exposure using the calculated correction coefficient, and controls the exposure device to form the image on the photosensitive drum based on the corrected timing of exposure.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second photosensitive members; first and second light sources; a rotatable polygonal mirror; a first signal output portion; and a second signal output portion. The first light source emits the light at timing on the basis of the first signal, and the second light source emits the light at timing on the basis of the second signal so that latent images are formed on the first and second photosensitive members, respectively, and then are developed with developers to form developer images on the first and second photosensitive members, respectively, and then an image is formed by superposing the developer images. Before output of a second signal from the second signal output portion is started, the first light source emits the light on the basis of a first signal to start formation of the latent image on the first photosensitive member.

Abstract: A light scanning unit includes: a light source unit; a polygon mirror for deflecting and scanning light emitted from the light source unit, in a main scanning direction, and having a plurality of deflection surfaces and a plurality of edges at which adjacent deflection surfaces meet one another; an image forming optical system for condensing the deflected light; and a synchronization detection optical system for detecting a portion of light that is divided and reflected at an edge of the polygon mirror. The light scanning unit may be incorporated into an image forming apparatus.