Abstract: An image processing device includes a first encoding processing portion to perform first encoding processing according to a first compression method for compressing multilevel image data and a second encoding processing portion to perform second encoding processing according to a second compression method for compressing binary image data. A determination portion determines whether an image made up of acquired image data is a monochrome image. A data volume estimating portion makes an estimation between a first data volume when image data forming the monochrome image is compressed by the first encoding processing and a second data volume when the image data is compressed by the second encoding processing as to which data volume becomes smaller. A file creating portion creates a data file from image data that has the smaller volume.

Abstract: An image processer has an extractor to extract a character area from color image data. A color-difference-value acquirer acquires information about color-difference values in the character area. A color-saturation-value acquirer acquires information about color saturation in the character area. A color-difference-subrange storage stores pre-defined color-difference subranges. A chromatic-region determination section determines the character area as gray when color salutation values fail to satisfy a condition for a chromatic color, and determines the character area as a chromatic region when color saturation values in the character area satisfy the condition. A first color-difference-subrange assignment section assigns a stored color-difference subrange to the character area determined as the chromatic region based on information about color-difference values.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is capable of accurately reading out a document without various data transmission between a document feeding section and a document reading section. The reading position setter sets a fresh document reading position (RP3) at a position where no foreign object (F) adheres. A shift distance calculator calculates a shift distance (Z) between an upstream-most reading position (RP2) and the refresh document reading position (RP3). A delay time calculator calculates delay time based on the calculated shift distance (Z). A start signal sender instructs the document reading section to start reading a document (P) when the leading end of the document (P) reaches the upstream-most reading position (RP2). An ASIC outputs the instruction to start reading the document to an A/D with a delay of the feed delay time found by the delay time calculator to instruct an image sensor to start reading the document (P).

Abstract: When an image forming apparatus sequentially reads the document images of a plurality of pages, forms images on sheets and outputs the sheets (aggregation mode and similar), the image forming apparatus compares, for partial data of the data for a plurality of pages generated by a reading device, coded partial data after first image processing with coded partial data after second image processing. If the coded partial data after first image processing is smaller, the coded data for the plurality of pages after first image processing is caused to be stored in a compressed data storage portion. Then, a first coding/decoding portion is caused to read the stored data, a second image processing portion and similar are caused to perform processing of the data, and a printer is caused to form images on sheets and output the sheets.

Abstract: An absorbent article with high fitting property and high absorptivity, where the end part is less deformed, is provided. An absorbent article comprising at least a liquid-permeable sheet, a liquid-impermeable sheet, and an absorber sandwiched between the liquid-permeable sheet and the liquid-impermeable sheet, wherein the absorber comprises a first absorbing part and a second absorbing part formed nearly on the center part of the first absorbing part and smaller in the area than the first absorbing part, and a compressed groove is continuously provided in nearly closed form to extend from the peripheral edge region in the longitudinal direction of the second absorbing part to the first absorbing part.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus sequentially performing image processing on multiple pieces of band data composing image data. The image processing apparatus includes a RAM and a JPEG encoding circuit. The RAM has a buffer area of a fixed length. The JPEG encoding circuit sequentially performs variable-length encoding on multiple pieces of band data, sequentially writes the band data subjected to the encoding from the beginning of the buffer area, and writes subsequent band data subjected to the encoding from the beginning of the buffer area if the end of the band data subjected to the encoding is positioned in a boundary area having a certain length including an ending part of the buffer area.

Abstract: This invention relates to inhibition of microbial lysis via regulation of activity of a lytic enzyme for degrading the cell wall. The lytic enzyme inhibitor and the lysis inhibitor are each composed mainly of the Bacillus subtilis-derived YoeB gene or the YoeB protein encoded by a gene homologous to the YoeB gene. An example of the YoeB protein is a protein consisting of the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 2.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus configured as follows. A mode specification table in a storage device contains mode specification information obtained by associating a job designated by a user. The mode specification information indicates which of a page mode and a band mode is to be selected when the job is performed. An operation panel detects a first user operation for inputting the job and a second user operation for starting the job. A main controller, using the mode specification information, specifies the mode corresponding to the job designated by the first user operation. A main controller causes a data acquisition circuit to acquire image data upon detection of the second user operation and causes an image processing circuit to perform a data processing according to the specified mode.

Abstract: A process for producing a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising the step of crosslinking dynamically at least the following components (A) to (C) in the presence of a crosslinking agent: (A) 10 to 50% by weight of an oil-extended ethylene-?-olefin-non-conjugated diene copolymer rubber having a density of 850 to 900 kg/m3, and a Mooney viscosity (ML1+4 100° C.) of 30 to 150, (B) 20 to 60% by weight of an ethylene-?-olefin copolymer having a density of 850 to 910 kg/m3, and a melt flow rate of 0.05 to 80 g/10 minutes measured at 230° C. under a load of 21.18 N, and (C) 20 to 60% by weight of a propylene resin, the total amount of the components (A) to (C) being 100% by weight; and an air-bag cover comprising a thermoplastic elastomer composition produced according to said process.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image reading device, an image printing system and image forming device in which variation in light intensity caused by the continuous lighting time of an exposure lamp serving as a light source for reading an original is prevented, a read image is prevented from deteriorating and wasteful power consumption is prevented. The exposure lamp is turned off after a predetermined time has passed from a time when the original finishes passing through a reading position or the original is conveyed to a standby position. Alternatively, the exposure lamp is turned off without setting the predetermined time in a group-copy mode.

Abstract: A document feeding device includes: a document tray on which a document is loaded; a discharge tray to which the original document is discharged; a conveyance path which conveys a document on the original document tray to the discharge tray via a document reading position; a detection unit which is disposed in the conveyance path and detects a jam of the original document in the conveyance path; and an illumination device which illuminates the conveyance path in a state visible from the exterior when the detection unit has detected a jam of the original document.

Abstract: A document pressing apparatus is provided with a document pressing cover including a first lateral part and a second lateral part facing the first lateral part and openable and closable with respect to a housing fitted with a contact glass, a supporting member for supporting the document pressing cover rotatably with respect to the housing at the side of the first lateral part, a plate member connected with the document pressing cover for pressing a document against the contact glass, a first resilient member arranged at the side of the first lateral part between the plate member and the document pressing cover for exerting a pressing force to the document, and a second resilient member provided at the side of the second lateral part between the plate member and the document pressing cover for exerting a pressing force smaller than that of the first resilient member to the document.

Abstract: A mixer which has an enhanced frequency selection characteristic and generates no pass loss is realized without using an operation control signal having a frequency higher than a sampling frequency. Provided are a time control section 102 for supplying control signals, a first switched capacitor circuit 100 for outputting a discrete time sample stream of the input signal 107 in accordance with integration operation control signals Lo1 and Lo2, and a second switched capacitor circuit 104 functioning as a high-order IIR filter by sharing a charge, and a frequency of each of the integration operation control signals Lo1 and Lo2 is higher than frequencies of other control signals.

Abstract: An image reading device includes: a foreign-matter image position detection unit that detects a predetermined foreign-matter image from the image read by a document reading unit when the document conveyed by a document conveying unit comes off from a document reading position and detects a main scanning direction position of the foreign-matter image in the main scanning direction; and a lighting control unit that lights up the light-emitting element group arranged in the main scanning direction and lights up the light-emitting elements within a predetermined range from the main scanning direction position of the foreign-matter image in a light emission mode that is different from a light emission mode of other light-emitting elements when the foreign-matter image is detected by the foreign-matter image position detection unit.

Abstract: A multi-functional peripheral allows a user to select a productivity priority mode or an image quality priority mode. In the productivity priority mode, a scanner performs a reading operation without moving first and second carriages in a sub-scanning direction, a foreign object image removing processing is executed in accordance with image data obtained by the reading operation, and image forming is performed in accordance with the image data applied with image processing. In the image quality priority mode, the first and second carriages are moved from a reading position P to a reading position P? at which the foreign object does not adhere to a reading slot, the scanner performs the reading operation, and an image forming is performed in accordance with image data applied with image processing not including the foreign object image removing processing.

Abstract: An original document feed tray is positioned above an original document output tray. When original documents are set on the original document feed tray, the original document feed tray is moved upwardly from a home position to a position where the uppermost original document sheet can be transported to an original document transport mechanism. When the original document feed tray is lifted in accordance with the reduction of the original documents on the original document feed tray after the original documents are transported to the original document transport mechanism, the original document feed tray is lifted to a position, above the position where all original documents on the original document feed tray were transported to the original document transport mechanism.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a first encoding processing portion to perform first encoding processing according to a first compression method for compressing multilevel image data and a second encoding processing portion to perform second encoding processing according to a second compression method for compressing binary image data. A determination portion determines whether an image made up of acquired image data is a monochrome image. A data volume estimating portion makes an estimation between a first data volume when image data forming the monochrome image is compressed by the first encoding processing and a second data volume when the image data is compressed by the second encoding processing as to which data volume becomes smaller. A file creating portion creates a data file from image data that has the smaller volume.

Abstract: An image processing device includes an input portion for selecting encoding processing for an image to be filed as a monochrome image from first encoding processing according to a first compression method for compressing multilevel image data and second encoding processing according to a second compression method for compressing binary image data. An encoding processing portion performs encoding processing on the image to be filed as the monochrome image. The input portion includes a display and first and second input portions. The display displays a list of images to be filed as the monochrome image. The first input portion is used to specify an image shown on the display and to select encoding processing to be performed on the specified image. The second input portion is used to select the first or second encoding processing to be performed on the specified image.

Abstract: An image processer has an extractor to extract a character area from color image data. A color-difference-value acquirer acquires information about color-difference values in the character area. A color-saturation-value acquirer acquires information about color saturation in the character area. A color-difference-subrange storage stores pre-defined color-difference subranges. A chromatic-region determination section determines the character area as gray when color salutation values fail to satisfy a condition for a chromatic color, and determines the character area as a chromatic region when color saturation values in the character area satisfy the condition. A first color-difference-subrange assignment section assigns a stored color-difference subrange to the character area determined as the chromatic region based on information about color-difference values.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus has a display to display color images and a storage to store color image data. A first preview controller causes the display to display a color preview image based on stored color image data. A character-area extractor extracts a character area from the stored color image data and a color-designation acceptor accepts a designated color newly set in the extracted character area. A second preview controller changes a color of the extracted character area extracted in the preview image to the accepted designated color, and causes a display of the changed preview image. A decision-instruction acceptor accepts an instruction to set the designated color. A color-change processor responds to the accepted instruction by the decision-instruction acceptor to change information representing a color of the stored color image data to allow the color of the extracted character area to be changed to the accepted designated color.