Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image carrier that carries a first latent image. A first charging section charges the first image carrier. A first exposure section exposes the first image carrier charged by the first charging section. A first developing section develops the first latent image formed on the first image carrier in the first exposure section using a first liquid developer containing a carrier and first toner particles. A first primary transfer section transfers a first image developed in the first developing section onto a transfer medium. A second image carrier carries a second latent image. A second charging section charges the second image carrier. A second exposure section exposes the second image carrier charged by the second charging section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier that carries an image; a charging section that electrically charges the image carrier; an exposure section that forms a latent image on the image carrier electrically charged by the charging section; a development section that develops the latent image formed by the exposure section on the image carrier by means of a liquid developer; a primary transfer section that transfers a image developed by the development section onto a transfer medium; a secondary transfer section that transfers a image transferred onto the transfer medium further onto a recording medium by pressing the transfer medium; and a variable transfer pressure application section that applies transfer pressure of a first level or of a second level at the secondary transfer section.

Abstract: Light source device, including an alternating current high-pressure mercury lamp having a pair of opposed electrodes within a spherical light-emitting part containing at least 0.15 mg/mm3 of mercury and 10?6 ?mol/mm3 to 10?2 ?mol/mm3 of halogen, and cylindrical hermetically sealed portions extending from both ends of the light-emitting part. External leads protrude from the ends of the light-emitting part. A reflecting mirror has a concave reflecting part surrounding the light-emitting part and a cylindrical neck part. An adhesive fills a periphery one of the hermetically sealed portions in the area of the external leads in a manner fulfilling the relationship L1/R?0.5 where L1 (mm) is the length along the hermetically sealed portion filled with an adhesive and R (mm) is the diameter of the hermetically sealed portions. Feed wires connect to the external leads and openings for the feed wires can be formed in the reflecting part with flexible tubes between them.

Abstract: A light source device, including an alternating current high-pressure mercury lamp having a pair of electrodes opposite each other with a spherical light-emitting part having at least 0.15 mg/mm3 of mercury and halogen at 10?6 ?mol/mm3 to 10?2?mol/mm3, and cylindrical hermetically sealed parts extending from both ends of the light-emitting part. External leads protrude from the ends of the light-emitting part for receiving alternating current. A reflecting mirror having a concave reflecting part surrounds the light-emitting part and a cylindrical neck part. An adhesive for securing the mercury lamp and the reflecting mirror fills a periphery of the hermetically sealed parts of the mercury lamp. The distance L2 (mm) from a center in between the electrodes to the adhesive is set at a value of one of 16 mm or less and 20 mm or greater.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique to identify layout of surface regions of an object by image area segmentation. A plurality of images is acquired by imaging an object under a plurality of mutually different illumination conditions. By performing area segmentation on this plurality of images, the layouts of the plurality of image areas which is different from the layout of the object surface regions is obtained. Then, the layout of the surface regions on the object is identified based on the layouts of the plurality of image areas.

Abstract: A pattern-element extractor (51), one of functions implemented by a computer, extracts a plurality of pattern elements from a reference image, a region of which is displayed on a display (45). An input part (46) accepts an operator's selection of one out of the plurality of pattern elements as a reference pattern element, and a distinguishability checker (52) checks whether the selected pattern element is distinguishable from the other pattern elements and usable as the reference pattern element for pattern matching. A result of the check is notified to the operator, and an appropriate one out of the pattern elements in the reference image can be selected as the reference pattern element, by referring to the result of the check made by the distinguishability checker (52). Thus, misrecognition of the reference pattern element used for detecting a position of a target image relative to the reference image in pattern matching is prevented.

Abstract: A head in a printer has an outlet row including a plurality of outlets arranged in a width direction perpendicular to a scan direction. A threshold matrix is stored in a main body control part, and sleep elements representing sleep of ejection of ink are arranged in the threshold matrix at a regular interval in each element row which is a plurality of elements arranged in a row direction corresponding to the width direction. The threshold matrix is compared with a grayscale original image to generate data of a halftone image where during printing, the number of outlets included in each outlet group not brought into sleep state continuously in the width direction is made equal to or larger than 1 and equal to or smaller than a predetermined number. Thus, it is possible to easily suppress occurrence of unevenness in a printed image, caused by cross talk between outlets.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique to improve reliability of area segmentation result of an image into a plurality of image areas. A plurality of representative colors and a weight associated with each of the representative colors are determined. A weighted color difference index values associated with the representative colors are calculated according to the weights, respectively, with respect to each pixel constituting the image. The weighted color difference represents difference in color between an individual color representing color of each pixel constituting the image and each of the representative colors. Then, according to the weighted color difference index values, color of each pixel is classified into one of representative color regions associated with the representative colors, to perform segmentation of the image into the plurality of image areas.

Abstract: A color image of a circuit board is divided into respective color regions. Plural representative colors are set, and angle indices and distance indices are calculated for each pixel color in the color image in a predetermined color space. The angle indices for a particular pixel color represent angles between an individual color vector representing the particular pixel color and plural representative color vectors of the plural representative colors. The distance indices for a particular pixel color represent distances between the particular pixel color and the plural representative colors. Composite distance indices are then calculated for each pixel color in the color image, based on the distance indices and the angle indices. Each pixel in the color image is classified into plural representative color regions associated with the plural representative colors according to the composite distance indices, thereby dividing the image region of the color image into the plural representative color regions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an extra-high pressure mercury lamp in which 0.15 mg/mm3 or more of mercury is filled as light emitting material, and a pair of electrodes facing each other is disposed in an arc tube, in which at least one of the pair of electrodes has an axis portion, and a thick diameter portion formed by winding a coil around the axis portion, the thick diameter portion comprising a winding portion provided on the axis portion, and a curvature portion which is integrally formed with the axis portion, and has a curved portion at least in part around a circumference of the axis portion between the axis portion and the curvature portion, and the curved portion connected to a back end portion of the winding portion.

Abstract: A two-dimensional image of a substrate surface targeted for polishing is periodically picked up, and the image is analyzed to obtain an entropy H1, H2 of the two-dimensional image. An end point of polishing is then determined according to the entropy H1, H2. Alternatively, other image characteristic value such as a difference statistic of the image may be employed instead of the entropy H1, H2.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique to prevent increase in defect detection processing volume due to the shape of an object subject to the defect detection. An image of an object under inspection with a plurality of color regions is divided into areas by area segmentation according to colors. From the result of the segmentation, an inspection image representing a shape of a specific region among the plurality of color regions is obtained. The inspection image and a comparison image which is comparable at least in part with the inspection image are then compared to detect defects relating to the specific region.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique to identify layout of surface regions of an object by image area segmentation. A plurality of images is acquired by imaging an object under a plurality of mutually different illumination conditions. By performing area segmentation on this plurality of images, the layouts of the plurality of image areas which is different from the layout of the object surface regions is obtained. Then, the layout of the surface regions on the object is identified based on the layouts of the plurality of image areas.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique to improve reliability of area segmentation result of an image into a plurality of image areas. A plurality of representative colors and a weight associated with each of the representative colors are determined. A weighted color difference index values associated with the representative colors are calculated according to the weights, respectively, with respect to each pixel constituting the image. The weighted color difference represents difference in color between an individual color representing color of each pixel constituting the image and each of the representative colors. Then, according to the weighted color difference index values, color of each pixel is classified into one of representative color regions associated with the representative colors, to perform segmentation of the image into the plurality of image areas.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique to improve reliability of a segmentation result for a subject image, which is obtained a colored object with the possibility of change in color for each individual items. In a specified color space, existing color areas indicating ranges of colors containable in the subject image when the colored object has an allowable range of color, and non-existent color areas for outside the existing color areas are set. Then, subject image segmentation is performed by classifying colors of pixels of the subject image into the existing color areas and the non-existent color area.

Abstract: A pattern-element extractor (51), one of functions implemented by a computer, extracts a plurality of pattern elements from a reference image, a region of which is displayed on a display (45). An input part (46) accepts an operator's selection of one out of the plurality of pattern elements as a reference pattern element, and a distinguishability checker (52) checks whether the selected pattern element is distinguishable from the other pattern elements and usable as the reference pattern element for pattern matching. A result of the check is notified to the operator, and an appropriate one out of the pattern elements in the reference image can be selected as the reference pattern element, by referring to the result of the check made by the distinguishability checker (52). Thus, misrecognition of the reference pattern element used for detecting a position of a target image relative to the reference image in pattern matching is prevented.

Abstract: In a reference binary image representing a pattern including wires formed on a substrate, an erosion is performed on a specific area having the same pixel value as a pixel value corresponding to a wire area to acquire an eroded image and a dilation is performed on the specific area which remains in the eroded image to almost the same degree as the erosion to acquire an eroded and dilated image. Subsequently, a differential image between the eroded and dilated image and the reference binary image is generated as a wire image representing a wire area. It is thereby possible to easily extract a wire area which is a fine pattern area. By setting respective different defect detection sensitivities for the wire area and the other area on the basis of the wire image and detecting a defect in an inspection image in accordance with the defect detection sensitivities, it is possible to appropriately detect a defect in a pattern on a substrate.

Abstract: A board (9) is placed on a stage part (20) so that the back surface of the board is opposed to the stage part (20). The stage part cuts off light entering a hole penetrating the board (9) from a side of its back surface which is a reverse surface with respect to its pattern formed surface and has a reflection property which is different from that of the pattern formed surface with respect to an illumination light, and the illumination light is emitted from a light source part (31) onto the pattern formed surface (9a).

Abstract: A light source device in which the operating characteristic of the auxiliary light source can be improved, in which the starting property within the main discharge vessel is extremely advantageous and which has high reliability with respect to vibration resistance and impact strength without the disadvantage of a cost increase due to the complicated arrangement of the light source device, without reducing the proportion of good articles in the manufacture of the products, and without reducing the quality of the discharge lamp is achieved using a main discharge lamp mounted in a reflector with an auxiliary light source tightly held by the reflector or components which are adjacent to the reflector and without contact with the main discharge vessel.

Abstract: A light source device in which the operating characteristic of the auxiliary light source can be improved, in which the starting property within the main discharge vessel is extremely advantageous and which has high reliability with respect to vibration resistance and impact strength without the disadvantage of a cost increase due to the complicated arrangement of the light source device, without reducing the proportion of good articles in the manufacture of the products, and without reducing the quality of the discharge lamp is achieved using a main discharge lamp mounted in a reflector with an auxiliary light source tightly held by the reflector or components which are adjacent to the reflector and without contact with the main discharge vessel.