Abstract: A large number of holes are formed in a two-layered porous film sandwiched between a lower substrate and an upper substrate and filled with a light transmitting liquid and fine particles. When a voltage is applied between an upper electrode and a lower electrode, migration of the fine particles, takes place based on electrophoresis. White color is displayed when the fine particles are located on an upper transparent porous film side and black color is displayed when the fine particles are located on a lower black porous film side. Color display is also possible by periodically repeating three primary colors of RGB in the lower layer porous film or arranging a color filter on the transparent upper substrate. Bubbles-containing fine particles or bubbles themselves may be employed in place of the fine particles.

Abstract: A large number of holes are formed in a two-layered porous film sandwiched between a lower substrate and an upper substrate and filled with a light transmitting liquid and fine particles. When a voltage is applied between an upper electrode and a lower electrode, migration of the fine particles, takes place based on electrophoresis. White color is displayed when the fine particles are located on an upper transparent porous film side and black color is displayed when the fine particles are located on a lower black porous film side. Color display is also possible by periodically repeating three primary colors of RGB in the lower layer porous film or arranging a color filter on the transparent upper substrate. Bubbles-containing fine particles or bubbles themselves may be employed in place of the fine particles.

Abstract: When a halftone image region that is below a predetermined density is to be reproduced, a processing unit controlling an exposure unit selects an exposure pattern that can represent a record dot diameter within a range based on a predetermined rule from exposure patterns prepared in advance. Accordingly, graininess is suppressed. When there are a plurality of exposure patterns that can be applied, the exposure pattern with the lowest number of dots present per 1 inch is employed. Accordingly, a halftone image is formed with the image reproducibility improved.

Abstract: An activity plan generation unit generates an activity plan for each salesperson based on an action pattern including a work objective and performance time obtained by analyzing a sales activity of a high performance salesperson, registers the plan in an activity plan DB, and notifies the plan to the salesperson and his/her supervisor. An information collection/registration unit stores an activity achievement input by a salesperson in an activity achievement DB. A progress management unit determines whether there is difference between an activity plan of a salesperson stored in the activity plan DB and an activity achievement stored in the activity achievement DB. When determining that there is difference between them, the progress management unit makes the activity plan generation unit again select an appropriate action pattern and correct the activity plan, and notifies the difference to the supervisor of the salesperson.

Abstract: When a halftone image region that is below a predetermined density is to be reproduced, a processing unit controlling an exposure unit selects an exposure pattern that can represent a record dot diameter within a range based on a predetermined rule from exposure patterns prepared in advance. Accordingly, graininess is suppressed. When there are a plurality of exposure patterns that can be applied, the exposure pattern with the lowest number of dots present per 1 inch is employed. Accordingly, a halftone image is formed with the image reproducibility improved.

Abstract: In a digital electrophotographic imaging process in which a latent electrostatic image is written to a charged photoreceptor using an exposure beam diameter Ds larger than pixel pitch Dp and the image is visualized by development, an unsaturated region of photo-induced discharge characteristics of the photoreceptor is used for an image portion of isolated 1 line, and a saturated region of the photo-induced discharge characteristics of the photoreceptor or gamma characteristics of development is used for an image portion for n lines (n≧2).

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for image formation uses power control means provided to a laser driver for controlling exposure energy and accordingly forming an image. Specifically, exposure energy is varied depending on an isolated-dot pattern and an isolated-line pattern by changing the pulse height (drive power) of a drive pulse for each dot. Both of the isolated-line and isolated-dot patterns of a high resolution can thus be reproduced with a high image quality without increase of cost due to requirements for accuracy in processing and positioning of a lens and without decrease of life of a photoreceptor due to a decreased thickness of its photosensitive layer.

Abstract: A control unit of an image forming apparatus for controlling exposure energy includes a reference image storage unit storing a plurality of reference images, an image recognition unit comparing image information consisting of a plurality of pieces of pixel information with data stored in the reference image storage unit, an exposure energy density storage unit storing an exposure energy density for each reference image stored in the reference image storage unit, an exposure energy density determination unit based on data from the image recognition unit and data in the exposure energy density storage unit an exposure energy density to be applied to a dot position corresponding to each piece of the pixel information, and a laser drive driving a laser of an exposure unit based on data from the exposure energy density determination uni. Accordingly, the image forming apparatus can be provided which exhibits an excellent image reproducibility for images with various dot densities.

Abstract: In a digital electrophotographic imaging process in which a latent electrostatic image is written to a charged photoreceptor using an exposure beam diameter Ds larger than pixel pitch Dp and the image is visualized by development, an unsaturated region of photo-induced discharge characteristics of the photoreceptor is used for an image portion of isolated 1 line, and a saturated region of the photo-induced discharge characteristics of the photoreceptor or gamma characteristics of development is used for an image portion for n lines (n≧2).

Abstract: A developing device and a blade of the developing device, includes a contact section which is in plane contact with a development roller, and an inclined section which extends from an end of the contact section so as to form a flare at an inflow section of a one-component developer between the blade and development roller. When a flare angle between the blade having the flare and a line tangent to the development roller is denoted by a tilt angle &thgr;, 30°≦&thgr;≦90°. Thus, if the flare angle at the inflow section of the one-component developer between the blade and development roller is optimized, even when the one-component developer deteriorates with time, for example, the flowability is changed with time, it is possible to provide a developing device and a blade of the developing device capable of forming a one-component developer layer with an extremely stable deposit of one-component developer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has the following characteristics: the diameter of an exposure beam for exposing a latent image is not more than twice a minimum dot recording period p in peak intensity 1/e2, and the value of a spatial frequency characteristic function of a latent image defined by the thickness of a photoreceptor layer, the dielectric constant of the photoreceptor layer, the thickness of a developer layer, the dielectric constant of the developer layer and a spatial frequency &ohgr; defined as &ohgr;=&pgr;/p is at least 0.3. The image forming apparatus having such characteristics can reproduce an image of high resolution exceeding 600 to 1200 DPI with high fidelity.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for image formation uses power control means provided to a laser driver for controlling exposure energy and accordingly forming an image. Specifically, exposure energy is varied depending on an isolated-dot pattern and an isolated-line pattern by changing the pulse height (drive power) of a drive pulse for each dot. Both of the isolated-line and isolated-dot patterns of a high resolution can thus be reproduced with a high image quality without increase of cost due to requirements for accuracy in processing and positioning of a lens and without decrease of life of a photoreceptor due to a decreased thickness of its photosensitive layer.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention that development quality is improved by increasing the amount of charge during the transportation of toner by a toner holding member and decreasing the amount of charge during development for rendering an electrostatic latent image visible. A one-component non-magnetic toner is supplied from a toner supplying unit to the toner holding member such that the toner is electrostatically attracted to adhere to the toner holding member with a large amount of charge. The charge of the toner under transportation is reduced by charge adjusting means such as a conductive roller supplied with a potential from a frictional charging member or a voltage source, whereby the amount of development or the amount of toner adhering to an electrostatic latent image is increased and development quality is improved.

Abstract: An exposure energy control unit of an image forming apparatus controls exposure energy density Edot (&mgr;J/cm2) to be applied to an isolated one-dot pattern of image information to satisfy a relation −0.11P+6.4≦Edot/Eline≦−0.2P+10.7 where Eline (&mgr;J/cm2) represents exposure energy density applied to a line pattern of the image information having lines on every second lines and P (&mgr;m) represents dot pitch. Accordingly, image reproducibility of both of a periodic line pattern and an isolated dot pattern can be enhanced without decreasing the film thickness of a photoreceptor even if the resolution is high.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prevent an electrical breakdown of a toner layer and an occurrence of overcurrent, thereby preventing quality of image from being degraded at the time of development, when development with one-component toner is conducted using a developing roller of low resistance. The resistance value Rd of a developing roller which carries and conveys one-component toner in a manner of coming into contact with a photoconductor which bears an electrostatic latent image, is defined as Rd=.rho.d.multidot.(Dd1/S1), wherein S1 (cm.sup.2) is an area in which the developing roller comes into contact with the static image bearing member via a toner layer, Dd1 (cm) is a layer thickness of a semiconductive layer which composes the developing roller, and .rho.d (.OMEGA..multidot.cm) is a volume resistivity thereof. The range of the resistance Rd is set as 10.sup.4 <Rd<10.sup.5 and the resistance Rt (.OMEGA.) of the toner layer is set as Rt>5.times.10.sup.7.

Abstract: A toner which can exhibit 5 nN or less of inter-particle force calculated by the following equation (1) when the toner is laminated and carried on a toner carrier:Fv=q.multidot.E-Fi (1)where Fv is an inter-particle force, q.multidot.E is a Coulomb force calculated by the following equation:q.multidot.E=q.multidot.{Vb+(Q/M).multidot..delta..multidot.P.multidot.dt.s ub.1.sup.2 /(2.epsilon.o.epsilon..sub.T)}/(.epsilon..sub.T .multidot.g+dt.sub.1) (2)where Fi is an image-force calculated by the following equation (3):Fi={(W.sub.1 .multidot..pi.d.sup.3 .multidot..delta.)/(6 .epsilon.o .epsilon..sub.T)}.multidot.(Q/M).sup.2 (3)where q is a quantity of charge [C] of the toner particle to be developed, E is an electric field strength [V/m] acting on the toner layer, Q/M is a toner charge-to-mass ratio [mC/g], W.sub.1 is an amount of toner separated by development among the toner laminated and carried on the toner carrier, .epsilon.o is a vacuum dielectric constant [C/(V.multidot.m)], .epsilon..sub.

Abstract: A blade is pressed against a developing roller for regulating the amount of toner which is deposited on a surface of the developing roller. The blade is formed with a slant face at its tip end, to which the toner is transported along a direction of rotation of the developing roller. An angle of aperture .theta. at a toner inlet portion defined by the developing roller and the slant face is set at 12.5.degree. or more, the angle of aperture counting in an angle .psi. of the slant face, elastic deformation and radius (R) of the developing roller, and an angle .alpha. related to a nip width w on which the blade contacts with the developing roller. Such an angle of aperture .theta. provides a great allowance for a free length l of the blade, thereby permitting the blade to maintain a constant toner mass for forming a uniform toner layer.

Abstract: A developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductive member has a developing roller that bears a one-component developer on its surface and develops the electrostatic latent image by contacting the photoconductive member; a supply roller for supplying developer to the developing roller; and a blade that contacts the developing roller so as to regulate a layer thickness of the developer supplied by the supply roller, wherein supposing that the developer has a volume-average particle size represented by Dbk, the developer at this time being maintained on the developing roller as a layer that has been supplied by the supply roller and again formed so as to have a predetermined thickness by the blade after the developing roller, on which the developer was formed as a layer having a predetermined thickness, carried out a black-image developing process, and supposing that the volume-average particle size of the developer is Dwt, the developer at this time being maintained on the dev

Abstract: The object of the invention is to certainly remove and certainly recover the charged toner remaining on a developing roller after development. A single component toner which is delivered to the developing roller via a toner-supplying roller is made into a relatively thin layer of a predetermined thickness with a charging plate and is frictionally charged with a given quantity of electric charge. Subsequently, the toner is adhered on a photoreceptor drum along by the electrostatic latent image to develop an image at the developing region at which the developing roller comes into contact with the photoreceptor drum. After development, the electric charge of the toner layer on the developing roller is removed with an electric-charge-removing sheet. The toner after development is recovered into a toner hopper via the toner-supplying roller.

Abstract: An elastic member for pressing is provided in a prescribed location in an area where the developer carrier comes in contact with the discharging member, in order to bring the discharging member into contact with the developer carrier so that mechanical peeling of the residual developer on the developer carrier is not caused, and the discharging member is provided with a bias power supply for setting bias in a direction imparting to the discharging member a force for electrically drawing the residual developer on the developer carrier away from the developer carrier, and after thus reducing the electric adhesion of the residual developer to the developer carrier, the developer feed member removes the residual developer on the developer carrier in the vicinity of disjunction area or in the contact area of the developer carrier and the developer feed member, thereafter applies new developer in a developer container to the developer carrier in the vicinity of approaching area or in the contact-starting area of th