Abstract: Providing a fingerprint detection apparatus which is small in size, low in cost and high in reliability. The fingerprint detection apparatus includes a shape transfer unit having a contact face for being contacted by a finger whose fingerprint is to be detected, the shape transfer unit having a thickness which varies, when a finger contacts with a surface which serves as the contact face, in accordance with pressures which are produced by concave and convex patterns of the fingerprint of the finger, and a detection driving circuit unit for detecting a pattern of the fingerprint based on variations of the thickness of the shape transfer unit and outputting results of the detection as electric signals, and detects a fingerprint pattern in accordance with variations of the thickness of the shape transfer unit.

Abstract: A fingerprint sensor is disclosed, which employs a plurality of tactile sensors, each has an elastic insulating body between a member of an electrically conductive material, i.e., a gate electrode, and an insulating film deposited on a channel region of a field-effect transistor (FET). The channel region is formed between a source region and a drain region. Each of the tactile sensors is connected in series with a transistor that serves as a source of constant or steady current to form a source follower circuit. With the source follower circuit, output of each of the tactile sensors is converted into source voltage. The source voltage of each of the source follower circuits is extracted via a first switching element at a common output terminal. The source follower circuits are connected via a second switching element to a source of electric power.

Abstract: A fingerprint detecting device includes a flat transparent body, a light source, a thin surface film layer, a fluid layer, and an image detection unit. The transparent body on which a skin surface of a finger is pressed has a surface constituted by a scattering surface with a fine three-dimensional unevenness. The light source irradiates incident light from an inside of the transparent body on the skin surface pressed against the surface of the transparent body. The surface film layer is formed on the surface of the transparent body via a small gap, on which a three-dimensional pattern of the skin surface is transferred by pressing the finger. The fluid layer is formed by sealing one of a gas and a liquid in the gap between the surface of the transparent body and the surface film layer, and is pressed by the surface film layer on which the three-dimensional pattern of the skin surface is transferred.

Abstract: In a fingerprint detecting device, the skin surface of a finger is pressed against a transparent body. A light source irradiates incident light from an inside of the transparent body on the skin surface. A thin surface film layer is formed on the surface of the transparent body, on which a three-dimensional pattern of the skin surface is transferred by pressing the finger, to pass the incident light from the light source an area where the surface film layer contacts the surface of the transparent body. A fluid layer is formed by sealing one of a gas and a liquid between the surface of the transparent body and the surface film layer. The fluid layer is pressed by the surface film layer on which the three-dimensional pattern of the skin surface is transferred and totally reflects the incident light from the light source in an area where the fluid layer contacts the surface of the transparent body.

Abstract: An image input device has a optical guide plate exposed to a window of a photo-shield case, a pair of light emitting diodes attached to side surfaces of the optical guide plate for radiating light into it, an area image sensor provided under the optical guide plate, a gradient index lens unit provided between the optical guide plate and the area image sensor and a filter connected to the area image sensor for eliminating a low frequency component from an image carrying signal; when a person presses a finger on the optical guide plate, the fingerprint scatters the light toward the gradient index lens unit, and the area image sensor produces the image carrying signal from the incident light; the reflection on valley lines is gradually varied along the width of the finger, and the elimination of the low frequency component makes the contrast of the image clear.

Abstract: The present invention provides a piezoelectric rotation driving apparatus wherein the number of the piezoelectric driving bodies is reduced so as to reduce the size of the apparatus. The apparatus is capable of achieving high efficiency and high torque by extinguishing an inertia rotation period. In are preferred embodiment of the invention, a set of the piezoelectric driving bodies including stacked piezoelectric elements are pressed against a cylindrical rotation body serving as a rotor, which is fitted to a rotation shaft, with leaf springs. The piezoelectric driving bodies are combined integrally with each other by a fitting pin such that action directions of forces of action members in the piezoelectric driving bodies driven by the stacked piezoelectric elements are opposite to each other.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sheet feeder includes a convex shell, piezoelectric ceramic elements, a base, a roller, and a driving power source. The convex shell has a protruding middle portion. Each piezoelectric ceramic element has one end in contact with a corresponding one of the two ends of the convex shell. The base serves to fix the other end of each of the piezoelectric ceramic elements. The roller is arranged to oppose the protruding middle portion of the convex shell so as to urge a paper sheet against the convex shell when the paper sheet is loaded. The coefficient of friction of a contact portion of the roller with respect to the paper sheet is smaller than that of a contact portion of the convex shell with respect to the paper sheet. The driving power source applies AC voltages having a phase difference to the two piezoelectric ceramic elements. A low-profile ultrasonic motor used for the ultrasonic sheet feeder and methods of driving the motor and the sheet feeder are also disclosed.

Abstract: An on-demand type ink-jet print head requires only a small amount of energy for the droplet formation. A pressure chamber is filled with ink and a transducer or electromechanical conversion element applies a pressure on the ink pressure chamber. A fluid rectifier element (here, a check valve) is provided between the ink supply inlet and the pressure chamber so that a forwardly directed resistance is applied to ink flowing from the ink supply inlet to the pressure chamber and a reversely directed resistance is applied to ink flowing from the pressure chamber to the ink supply inlet. A fluid resistance element (here, a plate with many pinholes) is provided between the pressure chamber and the nozzle. The resistance of the fluid resistance element is greater than the forwardly directed resistance of the rectifier element.

Abstract: A photoresist and etch method is used to manufacture valve elements of an ink jet printer. The method involves the building of successive layers upon a substrate, with the layers including conductive spacer layers which may be dissolved and plated layers that resist the dissolving. The resulting structure is a very small structure manufactured to extreme accuracy.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a ceramic electronic device includes the steps of: forming a pattern of a predetermined shape made of a photosensitive resin; forming an electrical circuit element on a ceramic green sheet; stacking and pressing the pattern, the ceramic green sheet having the electrical circuit element thereon, and at least one ceramic green sheet to prepare a laminated body; and sintering the laminated body. A ceramic electronic device integrally including a cavity and the electrical circuit element therein is manufactured by this method.

Abstract: An on-demand type ink-jet printer with a thin cylindrical tip end coaxially projecting into a cylindrical passageway. Ink droplet formation is controlled by a piezoelectric transducer. A stream of air is forced through an annular space formed between the tip end and passageway. The air pressures acting on a meniscus at the tip end is controlled by the position of the tip end within the passageway. A solvent for the ink saturates a porous member surrounding the end of the passageway to control drying of the ink.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus applies a pressure, which is higher than atmospheric pressure, to an ink supply. A recording head includes a nozzle for jetting ink droplets. A valve is disposed between the pressurized ink supply and the nozzle in order to control the ink flow to the nozzle. The valve is opened in response to a recording signal only when ink droplets are to be jetted from said nozzle.

Abstract: A printer head, for an ink-on-demand type ink-jet printer, squirts ink droplets onto a printing medium. The printer head includes a nozzle for delivering the ink droplets and a passage for supplying ink from an ink tank. The ink is pressurized in accordance with an electric signal which commands the delivery of the ink droplets. Fluid control valves are deformed under the action of the ink pressure.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer for recording information by jetting ink droplets on a recording medium has a plurality of ink-jet nozzles arranged so that ink droplets projected therefrom combine in flight at a space between the nozzles and the recording medium. The amplitude and the pulse width of driving signals used to deflect piezoelectric elements which contract to expel the ink droplets from the nozzles are appropriately varied to vary the momentum of the individual ink droplets projected from each nozzle so that the combined ink droplets will have a velocity and direction representative of the information to be recorded.

Abstract: A print head for an on-demand type ink-jet printer for jetting ink droplets from a nozzle has a plurality of pressure chambers interconnected with a single nozzle via a plurality of rectifying elements. The rectifying elements have a fluid resistance which is dependent on the direction of the fluid flow therethrough so that the pressure chambers can operate independent of one another to jet ink droplets at an increased frequency from the nozzle.

Abstract: A demand ink-jet printer uses droplets of conductive ink for recording on a recording medium. In greater detail, an ink chamber, filled with conductive ink, has a nozzle in one wall and a piezoelectric member attached to another wall. Droplets of ink are driven out the nozzle in response to a driving pulse applied to the piezoelectric member. The energy content of the driving pulses controls both the size of the droplets and the potential of a charging voltage applied to the droplets. This way, the combined charge and size may be held constant so that large or small drops may be generated to produce half-tone pictures and the droplets may be electrostatically deflected accurately, despite the variance in droplet size.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer uses droplets of conductive ink to print on a recording medium. The ink is in a chamber having a nozzle and a piezoelectric member attached to one wall of the chamber. The droplets are driven out of the nozzle in response to a driving pulse which is applied to the piezoelectric member. The size of the droplets is determined by the energy content of the driving pulse. The charges formed upon the droplets leaving the nozzle are generated responsive to the driving pulse and have a level which depends upon the driving pulse.

Abstract: A sintered high sensitive electrophotographic plate free of cracks in a photoconductive layer and exfoliation of it from a substrate can be obtained by adding an inorganic material, whose melting or softening temperature is higher than a firing temperature, into a mixture composed essentially of photoconductive material and a glass binder having a softening temperature lower than the firing temperature.

Abstract: The invention contemplates electrostatic recording apparatus in which a toner image consisting of toner particles of at least two different kinds and of different polarities is efficiently and reliably transferred to a recording medium, such as an ordinary sheet of paper. The toner particles having different polarities are all converted into those having one polarity, and after such conversion the toner image (with its two kinds of particles) is electrostatically transferred to the recording medium, the transfer involving both kinds of particles at the same time. Various embodiments are described.