Abstract: An intermediate member for laser bonding (3) to be sandwiched, in order to bond a first member (2) and a second member (4) using a laser welding method, between the first member (2) made of a material capable of transmitting laser beams and the second member (4) made of a material which is the same as or different from that of the first member (2) before irradiation with laser beams, the intermediate member for laser bonding (3) having tackiness. This intermediate member for laser bonding (3) can be used for bonding of various materials, and thus a high bonding strength can be attained.

Abstract: A server that manages a distribution of a file and at least two client devices including a first client device that requests the file and a second client device that transfers the file are connected via a network. The second client device includes a storing unit to store the file, and a transferring unit that transfers the file to the first client device. The server includes a managing unit that manages the file, a distributing unit that distributes the file in response to a request from the first client device, and a reward managing unit that manages a reward for the second client device that participated in a transfer of the file.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: at least one image forming unit including an image bearing member bearing a latent image and a developing device configured to develop the latent image with a developer including a toner to form a toner image thereon; optionally an intermediate transfer configured to receive the toner image from the image bearing member; a transfer device configured to transfer the toner image to a receiving material; an image pattern measuring device configured to evaluate at least a formal property of a test toner image formed on the image bearing member or the intermediate transfer medium; an image quality predicting device configured to predict image qualities of the toner image to be formed on the receiving material on the basis of the evaluation data; and an image forming condition adjusting device configured to adjust image forming conditions on the basis of the image quality prediction data.

Abstract: An image reading system is disclosed that has an image information reading unit for reading optical information on a manuscript, and an image outputting unit for outputting the optical information read by the image information reading unit to a recording medium. The system includes an IC tag information reading unit for reading IC tag information held by an IC tag provided on the manuscript, an IC tag information outputting unit for outputting the IC tag information read by the IC tag information reading unit to the recording medium, a conversion unit for converting the IC tag information into coded image data, and a control unit for controlling outputting of the coded image data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: at least one image forming unit including an image bearing member bearing a latent image and a developing device configured to develop the latent image with a developer including a toner to form a toner image thereon; optionally an intermediate transfer configured to receive the toner image from the image bearing member; a transfer device configured to transfer the toner image to a receiving material; an image pattern measuring device configured to evaluate at least a formal property of a test toner image formed on the image bearing member or the intermediate transfer medium; an image quality predicting device configured to predict image qualities of the toner image to be formed on the receiving material on the basis of the evaluation data; and an image forming condition adjusting device configured to adjust image forming conditions on the basis of the image quality prediction data.

Abstract: A recording apparatus can apply an appropriate amount of setting agent, which is in the form of powder, to an intermediate transfer member. The setting agent is provided to a plurality of depressions formed on an application roller and transferred onto the intermediate transfer member, or formed on the intermediate transfer member, which moves the setting agent to a position where a visible image is formed by applying the droplets of a liquid onto the setting agent. The setting agent increases the viscosity of droplets of the liquid for forming the visible image to be transferred to a recording medium. The visible image formed on the setting agent is transferred onto the recording medium.

Abstract: The color matching methods and systems according to the current invention accomplish accurate color matching by separating causes for creating color discrepancies in a predetermined color patch on an image-carrying medium and a color monitor display. In general, the chromaticity values of the predetermined color patch are measured under a standard calorimeter light source whose luminance is different from that of ambient light. The corresponding color is displayed based upon the luminance of the standard light. However, ambient light does not generally have the above luminance. Thus, when the color display is compared against the color patch under ambient light, the colors do not appear identical. To solve this and other problems, the current invention discloses methods and systems to adjust the display signals based upon the luminance of ambient light.

Abstract: A multi-beam light source device which can be used in an optical scanning device has less optical cross-talk and an improved stability in frequency response. The multi-beam light source device comprises a semiconductor laser array having a plurality of light emitting sources, a light receiving element array having a plurality of light receiving elements and a half mirror splitting a light beam emitted by the semiconductor laser array into at least two split light beams. A light converging unit is provided for converging one of the split light beams at a predetermined focal point. The light receiving element array is positioned at the focal point of the light converging unit for receiving the concentrated one of the split light beams. A controlling circuit is provided for controlling an output of the semiconductor laser array in accordance with the amount of light received by the light receiving element array.

Abstract: An optical recording apparatus comprises a laser diode array including a plurality of laser diodes for producing a plurality of laser beams in response to a drive signal indicative of an image, an optical system for scanning the laser beams on a surface of a photosensitive body, a beam splitting unit for splitting the laser beams produced by the laser diodes to form control laser beams; a driver for driving each of the laser diodes in the laser diode array, an optical detection unit provided for detecting the control laser beams, the optical detection unit including a plurality of photodetectors in correspondence to the laser diodes in the laser diode array in a one-to-one relationship, each of the photodetectors producing an output signal indicative of an optical power of the control laser beam incident thereto, and a control unit supplied with the output signals from the photodetectors in the optical detection unit for controlling the driver such that each of the laser diodes in the laser diode array produc

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for processing an image signal generated in an image reading apparatus comprising a light source for illuminating a document, an optical system, and an optical detector for detecting a light which is reflected at a reading point on the document and passes through the optical system and for outputting an image signal corresponding to an amount of light detected thereby are disclosed. A secondary light source effect function which describes a degree that a light reflected at each point other than the reading point on the document affects the image signal corresponding to the reading point is obtained. The image signal output from the optical detector is corrected based on the secondary light source effect function and an image signal corresponding to each point so that a component corresponding to a light which is reflected at each point other than the reading point and affects the image signal corresponding to the reading point is eliminated from the image signal.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for measuring a rotary speed of a rotary body, right and left circularly or elliptically polarized lights are incident to a polarizer attached onto a rotary face of the rotary body as a measured object. An optical beat signal is generated when the polarized lights are incident to the polarizer. This optical beat signal is detected a photodetector, etc. The rotary speed of the rotary body is calculated from a beat frequency of the optical beat signal. An optical rotator may be arranged on an optical path on which the right and left circularly polarized lights obtained through a 1/4 wavelength plate are transmitted toward the polarizer. A corner-cube prism may be arranged between the rotary face and the polarizer to reflect the light beam transmitted through the polarizer toward the photodetector.