Abstract: Apparatus and method for performing a photographic printing in which photographic signals are separated into a black signal and a chrominance signal and gradating is performed on each one of the black signal and the chrominance signal.

Abstract: Fine pulse width modulation (PWM) adjustments in the output of a laser printer are accomplished by receiving values from a bit map and modifying the values in accordance with values in a lookup table (LUT). The lookup table is subdivided into a plurality of blocks, and a selection of the blocks is made in accordance with external values. This allows the output of a pulse width modulation circuit to be adjusted to a precision that is greater than that afforded by the bit size of the values from the bit map. The use of plural blocks in the lookup table permits adjustments in the output of the pulse width modulation circuit in accordance with external factors such as relative humidity, sensitivity of an optical photoreceptor, and developer life.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus which includes a housing, an optical source which emits an optical beam, a deflector which deflects an optical beam from the optical source, a focusing lens which focuses the optical beam from the deflector, and plural mirrors which reflect the optical beam from the deflector. The plural mirrors include a first mirror which reflects the optical beam from the deflector, a third mirror which reflects the optical beam from the first mirror, and a second mirror which reflects the optical beam from the third mirror. The optical beam is focused upon a photoconductive element by the focusing lens through the plural mirrors on a scanning surface, and at least one of the first mirror and the third mirror is pivotally supported to be adjusted in a sub-scanning direction. Further, the second mirror is slidably supported to be adjusted in a direction normal to a reflecting surface of the second mirror.

Abstract: A high density recording method for performing high density recording by reducing a light spot size in an optical pickup for recording information by scanning an optical disk with the light spot, spatially controlling the phase or the intensity of light being focused within the optical focal length of an objective lens by employing a diffraction optical element so as to form on the optical disk a light spot whose diameter is reduced according to the width of the portion for controlling the phase or intensity of the light. The distribution of the optical intensity is variable depending on the distance between the diffraction optical element and the optical disk, to thereby enable theoretically forming a limitlessly small light spot, and actually, greatly increase the recording capacity. The diffraction optical element can be used as a floating slider in an optical pickup having a swing arm.

Abstract: A thermal processor includes an air flow preventing means that substantially prevents the flow of air from a processor exit into a thermal processing compartment. The prevention of air flow reduces processing defects that otherwise could occur in sheets of thermally processed material handled by the thermal processor. The reduction of processing defects enhances the quality of the sheet of thermally processed material. In particular, the reduction of processing defects can enhance image quality of a sheet of photothermographic imaging material. The prevention of air flow reduces processing defects by maintaining a substantially uniform temperature within a thermal processing compartment of the thermal processor, and by reducing the condensation of fatty acids on interior surfaces of the thermal processing compartment prior to filtration.

Abstract: A printed paper sheet, on which plural pages of image are formed, is cut by detecting the position of conveying, the dimension of paper width and the amount of skew of the printed paper sheet, and by controlling the position of a slitter for cutting the printed paper sheet based on the detected result. The plural sheets of the cut printed paper sheets are divided so as to pass through plural routes to pile them in order of page.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser array emits a plurality of laser beams. A polygon mirror deflects the plurality of laser beams together. A prism type reflector separates the deflected laser beams to different directions that are generally along an arrangement direction of a plurality of photoreceptors. The separated laser beams are input to the respective photoreceptors through mirrors and cylindrical lenses.

Abstract: In the production of a screen printing stencil, a thin-walled hollow cylinder having a light responsive layer on the outside is rotated about its cylinder axis and exposed by means of a laser beam impinging on it. The laser beam is focused in the region of the light responsive layer. The laser beam is moved in the direction of the cylinder axis, and is switched on and off in agreement with a desired stencil pattern. A radial deviation of the actual position of the wall of the hollow cylinder from its ideal position is determined from at least one measuring position fixed relative to the laser beam for a multiplicity of circumferential positions of the hollow cylinder. A first actuating signal is then derived from at least one of the radial positional deviations obtained at the measuring positions.

Abstract: A system and method in which a size of a pixel used to print lenticular depth images is changed to remove overlap in the slow scan print direction. A space adjustment of the space between scan lines can also be performed to remove pixel overlap. The pixel can also be elongated in the fast scan direction reducing fast scan resolution. An elongated pixel can be combined with skip space adjustment to remove pixel overlap. Printing the image lines in the fast scan or dot movement direction improves image quality. The print resolution in the fast scan direction can be reduced by increasing the printing rate compared to the data rate of the supplied image data, thereby cloning pixels in the fast scan direction, while maintaining a normal slow scan speed to normally print lines. Combinations of the above approaches to directional printing, removing slow scan pixel overlap and reducing file size can be accomplished.

Abstract: A method of printing human readable information on a CD having a substrate, a record layer over the substrate, and a reflective layer over the record layer includes the steps of providing a colorant donor element in transferable relationship with a surface of the CD over the reflective layer; raster scanning a light beam across the colorant donor element to cause the transfer of human readable colorant pixels onto such surface; and continuously raster scanning the light beam without any non-printing or free fly time during the transfer of such human readable colorant pixels.

Abstract: An identity card, especially a credit card, having a picture section, which contains a photo of the card holder. In this section, pixels of different absorptions, especially the gray and black parts, are burned by a laser beam point-by-point into a surface layer and/or an intermediate layer located below a transparent surface layer of the identity card. In addition, a colored part is applied, particularly using the thermal transfer process, which covers the same area as the image. Security features can also be introduced into the image division.

Abstract: An oscillator generates a rectangular wave, based on which sawtooth waves are produced. When a synchronizing signal which is created when a laser beam from a laser diode is incident on a photosensor, is detected, a voltage of one of the sawtooth waves is sampled to hold it as a sample-hold signal. Comparators compare the sample-hold signal with the sawtooth waves, and a flip flop alternately outputs one of the compared results, to produce a pixel clock which regularly keeps a constant time relation to the synchronizing signal.

Abstract: The present invention is a light emission intensity width compensating method of an optical print head having a large number of light emitting devices, comprising the steps of measuring a light emission intensity distribution of each of the light emitting devices of the optical print head, slicing the distribution corresponding to a reference light emission intensity value, calculating a light emission intensity width of the reference light emission intensity value for each of the light emitting devices, designating a compensation value of drive energy so that each of the light emission intensity widths becomes equal, and causing each light emitting device to emit light corresponding to the compensation value of the drive energy. In addition, the present invention is an apparatus corresponding to the light emission intensity compensating method. The compensation values of the drive energy are stored in a storing means of the apparatus.

Abstract: When binary image data is outputted from a FIFO buffer, a first black pixel counting circuit counts black pixels in a 3.times.3 matrix having a target pixel at its center to produce a count value BK2. Similarly, a second black pixel counting circuit counts black pixels in a 17.times.9 matrix to produce a count value BK1. Based on the count values BK1 and BK2, a value indicating the dot diameter is outputted from the output value table while a look-up table and the output value table are sequentially referred to. Setting is so made that the dot diameter becomes smaller as the count values BK1 and BK2 decrease.

Abstract: Higher quality printing is difficult in implementation in spatial light modulator printers. The two major problems are accomplishing gray scale within the line time constraints, and eliminating staircasing artifacts within the images printed (81). It can be improved by using an alternate way of resetting cells on the spatial light modulator when data is being loaded onto the cells, timing delay (86), horizontal offset (84), and differently sized pixels (80, 82).

Abstract: A digital image reproduction system includes a sorter which is programmable to store media sheets from a single source of digital images in one or more assigned sorter storage locations. The sorter is controlled to switch from one of the assigned sorter storage locations to another assigned sorter storage location when the one storage location is full or when a predetermined number of media sheets have been placed into the one storage location.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine or a printer having a two-beam optical scanning unit, includes a pair of semiconductor laser beam emitters, each emitter generating a respective laser beam. A beam composition prism composes the two laser beams and a photoreceptor is provided for holding an image written with the two laser beams. A defector deflects the two laser beams onto the photoreceptor in a primary scanning direction so that the two laser beams are emitted on a primary scanning plane. Two supporting members each respectively supports one of the pair of semiconductor laser beam emitters. A moving member is provided for moving at least one of the two supporting members so that at least one of the two laser beams is movably adjusted so as to have a predetermined emitting direction.

Abstract: A page wide piezoelectric ink jet print engine and a method of manufacturing the same. The page wide ink jet print engine includes lower and upper body parts, each formed from piezoelectric material and having a plurality of generally parallel, spaced projections. Lower side surfaces of the projections of the lower body part are conductively mounted to corresponding bottom side surfaces of the projections of the upper body part to define a plurality of generally parallel, axially extending ink-carrying channels from which ink may be ejected.

Abstract: A system that permits the plotting of any combination of several colors in one pass. Three differently colored light sources are provided, and thus one, two or three colors may be plotted at the same time. An apparatus is provided for causing relative movement between the scanning head and the substrate along each of the two axes of the substrate. Preferably, the first axis is disposed circumferentially about a cylinder, on which the substrate is situated, the cylinder having a central axis, and the second axis is disposed approximately parallel to the central axis. The system includes deflection means, preferably acousto-optical modulators, for deflecting along a path a portion of each beam of light by an amount dependent upon the frequency of a signal that is present at the deflection means' input.

Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus having an image carrying and an optical scanning unit, wherein an optical scanning unit support means is provided, the optical scanning unit support means serving to turn the optical scanning unit in a horizontal direction, so that an error in positioning the image carrying body with respect to the optical scanning unit can be corrected by the turning operation.