Abstract: For at least some layers of a number of stacked layers of an optical disc that correspond to different colors, an optical beam is selectively impinged on a region of the optical disc. The optical beam has a wavelength to which the layer is uniquely sensitive as compared to other of the layers, to sufficiently heat the layer so as to cause the region to change from at least substantially translucent to a color to which the layer corresponds.

Abstract: A marking beam of electromagnetic energy is generated within a printing device and a visibly markable portion of a replaceable subsystem that is at least partially arranged within the printing device is altered by illuminating at least part of the markable portion with the marking beam.

Abstract: An individually drivable array of single stripe laser diodes is proposed for imaging printing plates. An imaging optics is used to produce n image points which have a spatial interval l between adjacent points. An interleaving raster scan line method is indicated, which, given proper selection of the increment, enables each dot to be exposed exactly once.

Abstract: A self-scanning light-emitting element array is driven such that, if a current supply line for a light-emitting element is broken, a light-emitting element neighboring failed light-emitting element continues to operate. In first time period turned-on states of the neighboring two thyristor overlap when the turned-on state is transferred in the transfer portion by the two-phase clock pulses; a second time period is provided after the first period, during which the light-emitting thyristor corresponding to the turned-on thyristor in the transfer portion is lighted by the light-emitting signal; in a third time period, after the second time period, a turned-off transfer thyristor for the turned-on thyristor is turned on and the lighted thyristor in the light-emitting portion is lighted out. The second time period has a length in which the thyristor having the broken line neighboring the failed thyristor is lighted.

Abstract: A sublimation pen or cartridge for use in a dye sublimation printing system, which is to be used with sublimation inks of the type including at least a liquid carrier and solid-form pigments insoluble in the liquid carrier. The sublimation pen includes a pen main body, an ink inlet provided on the pen main body, and a variable-width ink passageway defined within the pen main body and capable of fluidly communicating with the ink inlet. The ink passageway defines a sublimation chamber vestibule adjacent to the ink inlet and capable of fluidly communicating therewith, and a sublimation chamber in fluid communication with the sublimation chamber vestibule, the sublimation chamber being wider than the sublimation chamber vestibule.

Abstract: In order to obtain a preferable image without “stripe-shaped unevenness”, an exposure apparatus comprising first and second exposure heads having light emitting sections emitting light with first and second intensity arranged in main and sub scanning directions such that an exposure area including an overlapped exposure area overlapping an exposure area of the first exposure head is exposed by the second exposure head and a driving control unit by which light emitting sections of the first and second exposure heads are lit at a predetermined timing in the overlapped exposure area such that a difference in the maximum exposure amount between pixels adjoining each other in the main scanning direction is smaller than a difference in the maximum exposure amount between each pixel in the exposure area of the first exposure head and each pixel in the exposure area of the second exposure head, is provided.

Abstract: A pixel clock and pulse-modulation-signal generating device includes a high-frequency-clock generating unit that generates a high-frequency clock; a modulation-data generating unit that generates, based on pixel control data that specifies a pixel length and image data, phase data that indicates a transition timing of a pixel clock and modulation data that indicates a desired bit pattern that corresponds to the image data; a pixel-clock generating unit that generates a pixel clock based on the high-frequency clock, the phase data, and a horizontal synchronization signal; and a serial-modulation-signal generating unit that inputs the modulation data, and outputs a pulse modulation signal in a serial pulse string based on the high-frequency clock.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a judging unit that judges an ink residual amount of an ink container, a pair of electrodes that are in contact with ink in the ink container and that are spaced apart, a detecting unit that detects an electrical characteristic between the pair of electrodes, a first route that is formed so as to connect the pair of electrodes via the ink in a state that the ink in the ink container is more than a prescribed amount, and a second route that connects the pair of electrodes in a state that the ink in the ink container is of the prescribed amount or less, the second route establishing electrical continuity though it is different from the first route in the electrical characteristic between the pair of electrodes via the ink.

Abstract: A laser scanning unit includes a housing; an optical system disposed in the housing and including an optical source which emits a laser beam, a polygonal mirror which scans the laser beam, and a plurality of optical elements which image the laser beam on an image surface; a motor disposed in the housing and which rotates the polygonal mirror; and a motor drive chip disposed outside of the housing and which uses a sensorless algorithm to control a rotation speed of the motor.

Abstract: A method sets up a device for image reproduction on printing plates. The fastening of image reproduction members, their orientation and tolerances, and also tolerances in the positioning of the image reproduction members on a guide or a spindle, lead to mis-positions of the image reproduction members in relation to one another. Offsets of two adjacent image parts may occur. In the method, the printing plate has reproduced on it in the X-direction at least one first pattern which overlaps with the first pattern of an adjacent image reproduction member and/or the printing plate, in each case with a right and a left column, has reproduced on it in the Y-direction in each case at least three spaced-apart second patterns, such that in each case the right column of an image part is at least contiguous to the left column of an adjacent image part.

Abstract: A system and method for synchronization of a pixilated labeling media and a digital medium are disclosed. The digital medium includes a substrate and a pixilated labeling layer disposed on the substrate. The labeling layer includes a plurality of color pixels adapted to form a predetermined color when activated and a plurality of synchronization pixels interspersed among the color pixels. The synchronization pixels are distinguishable by a sensor from the color pixels prior to activation of the color pixels.

Abstract: A LED driver IC includes a control module(s) for controlling one or more LED drive parameters and non-volatile memory for storing settings data for that control module(s). The control module(s) is fully integrated into the LED driver IC and does not require any control input from off-chip components or signals. Therefore, the space requirements for LED circuits that make use of the LED driver IC can be minimized. Also, the non-volatile memory storage of settings data eliminates the need for an initialization or configuration input each time the LED driver IC is powered on. The non-volatile memory can be a one-time programmable memory or can be a reprogrammable memory.

Abstract: An optical print head (OPH) on the label side of an optical disc is positioned to a desired labeling position through a mechanical coupling between the OPH and an optical pickup unit (OPU) at the data side of the optical disc. The OPU is positioned to a target data track on the data side of the disc, and the OPH is moved to a desired label position through the mechanical coupling.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, which comprises a contamination prevention member that covers a top surface of a light window with one side exposed to an outside of a main body, which prevents a contamination material, such as dust, from getting onto the light window, and which a user can recognize and remove easily.

Abstract: Unevenness of light quantity caused by angle dependence of transmittance is decreased, and a light beam is shaped. Therefore, a light source 3 which emits the polarized light beam having a long shape and an aperture 10 which narrows the light beam emitted from the light source 3 are provided. An opening 10a of the aperture 10 is formed in a long hole shape. A line of apsides direction of the opening 10a of the aperture 10 is set to a minor axis direction of the light beam from the light source 3, and the line of apsides direction of the opening 10a of the aperture 10 is formed so as to extend to an outside of the area defined by 1/e2 for the peak intensity of the laser beam. Polarized directions of the light beams emitted from the light sources 3 are arranged so as to have a symmetric relation or a substantially symmetric relation with respect to a straight line extending toward a sub-scanning direction.

Abstract: When laser beams with a wavelength of 9.3 ?m or 9.6 ?m are used, a pulse width t (?sec) which is a radiation time of the laser beam and an energy density E (kw/cm2) of the laser beam on an X-ray film are set such that they meet requirements based on an area A between line segments A1 and A2. Moreover, when laser beams with a wavelength of a 10-micrometer band, such as 10.6 ?m, is used, the pulse width and the energy density are set such that they meet requirements based on an area B between line segments B1 and B2. As a result, since the pulse width t is within a range of equal to or larger than 3 ?sec and smaller than 30 ?sec, a high-quality marking pattern with excellent visibility can be formed while improving the productivity of the X-ray film.

Abstract: A laser emitter including: a first lens barrel portion for holding a first laser element; a second lens barrel portion for holding a second laser element whose optical axis is slanted with respect to an optical axis of the first lens barrel portion, the second lens barrel portion being provided as one unit with the first lens barrel portion; a first lens supporting portion provided at the tip of the first lens barrel portion to support a first collimator lens; and a second lens supporting portion provided at the tip of the second lens barrel portion to support a second collimator lens, in which the first and second lens supporting portions are capable of supporting the collimator lenses with an adjustment range stretching in an optical axis direction, and the first and second collimator lenses are fixed and supported at positions adjusted within the adjustment range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member having a photosensitive surface and an optical writing apparatus generating a laser beam modulated according to image data. The optical writing apparatus includes a housing, an optical deflector, an f-theta lens and a separator. The optical deflector is configured to rotate to deflect the laser beam. The f-theta lens is configured to correct the laser beam deflected by the optical deflector and to transmit a corrected laser beam towards the image bearing member. The separator is configured to separate an inside space of the housing into at least two sections including a first section in which the optical deflector is mounted and a second section in which the f-theta lens is mounted. The separator includes a heat resistant transparent plate disposed at a position of crossing passage of the laser beam between the optical deflector and the f-theta lens.

Abstract: A control system for a cooling fan of a laser printer enables selection of fan speed based on the actual degree of usage of the printer. The system provides first and second sets of fan speeds where each set contains information corresponding to a plurality of fan speeds. Information regarding the current operational condition of the fuser of the printer is periodically obtained, preferably during a preset interval. The fan is then operated at one of the fan speeds of the first or second set of fan speeds, with the selection of the first or second set and the selection of one of the fan speeds based on the current operational condition of the fuser. In this manner, the speed of the fan is substantially continuously controlled based on the operational condition of the printer.

Abstract: An imaging device (10) for a printing form (12), has at least one first and one second laser diode bar (14, 16), the laser diodes (18) on the laser diode bars (14, 16) being disposed in lines. The device includes a first and a second micro-optics (21, 22) for generating aberration-corrected intermediate image spots of the laser diodes (18) and a macro-optical imaging optics (23) for generating image spots (24) on the printing form (12). The first and the second micro-optics (21, 22) are positioned in such a way in the emission regions of the first and second laser diode bar (14, 16) that the image spots (24) of the laser diodes (18) of the first and second laser diode bar (14, 16) lie at disjoint positions on the printing form (12), substantially along a spanning polyline (30). Also, a method is provided for arranging optical components in an imaging device (10) for a printing form (12).