Abstract: A disclosed marking control device controls a marking device to mark a target image on a thermoreversible recording medium by applying a laser beam includes a marking position determination unit dividing the image into plural marking lines, and determining their marking positions; a marking order determination unit determining a marking order to mark the marking lines in mutually opposite directions; an adjusting unit adjusting a distance between a first ending point and a second starting point to be longer than a distance between a first starting point and a second ending point, or adjusting laser power applied to a second starting point side of the second marking line to be lower than the laser power applied to a second ending point side of the second marking line; and a marking instruction generator unit generating marking instructions including the marking positions of the marking lines and the marking order thereof.

Abstract: To provide an image processing method including at least one of recording an image onto a thermoreversible recording medium in which transparency or color tone reversibly changes depending upon temperature, by applying a laser beam with the use of a CO2 laser device so as to heat the thermoreversible recording medium, and erasing an image recorded on the thermoreversible recording medium, by heating the thermoreversible recording medium, wherein an intensity distribution of the laser beam applied in the image recording step satisfies the relationship represented by Expression 1 shown below, 1.59<I1/I2?2.00??Expression 1 where I1 denotes an irradiation intensity of the applied laser beam in a central position of the applied laser beam, and I2 denotes an irradiation intensity of the applied laser beam on a plane corresponding to 80% of the total irradiation energy of the applied laser beam.

Abstract: A method for uniformly erasing an image recorded on a thermo-reversible recording medium. The image erasing apparatus includes an LD array, which emits a laser light whose cross section has a line shape; optics which include at least one cylindrical lens which converts, into a converging light which converges in a width direction, a line-shaped laser light which is emitted from the LD array and emits the converging light; and a mono-axial galvano mirror which deflects the laser light emitted from the optics in the width direction to scan the deflected laser light onto the thermo-reversible recording medium.

Abstract: A laser rewriting apparatus positioned on one side or the other side of a conveyance path through which a to-be-conveyed object on which a thermoreversible recording medium is affixed is conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction. The laser rewriting apparatus emits laser light to the thermoreversible recording medium and rewrites an image. The laser writing apparatus includes an image erasing apparatus that emits laser light to the thermoreversible recording medium and erases the image from the thermoreversible recording medium; and an image recording apparatus positioned on the predetermined conveyance direction downstream side of the image erasing apparatus and records a new image by emitting laser light to the thermoreversible recording medium. The image erasing apparatus and the image recording apparatus have the respective laser light emitting parts from which the laser light is emitted at ends on the same side with respect to the predetermined conveyance direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method which includes any one of recording an image on a thermally reversible recording medium that can reversibly change any one of its transparency and color tone depending on temperature by irradiating and heating the thermally reversible recording medium with a laser beam, and erasing the image recorded on the thermally reversible recording medium by heating the thermally reversible recording medium, wherein in any one of the image recording and the image erasing, the thermally reversible recording medium is located at a position farther than a focal position of the laser beam, and at least any one of the image recording and the image erasing is performed.

Abstract: To provide an image processing method including at least one of an image recording step and an image erasing step, wherein (1) laser beams are swept in the same direction and laser scanning involves a period where laser application is discontinued, (2) laser beams are swept in alternating directions and the laser scanning involves a period where laser application is discontinued, (3) laser beams are swept in alternating directions and laser scanning involves a period where laser application is discontinued, wherein the period involves no laser beam application from first laser scanning end point to second laser scanning point, or (4) laser beams are applied in alternating directions while avoiding continuous laser irradiation of nearby portions between adjacent laser beam lines, and laser scanning involves a period where laser application is discontinued.

Abstract: An image processing method including: measuring a distance between a medium where an image is to be recorded and an image processing apparatus which stores a relation between irradiation energy and distance previously measured; calculating an irradiation energy from the distance measured in the measuring based on the relation stored in the image processing apparatus; and irradiating and heating the medium with laser beams having the irradiation energy obtained in the calculating to record an image in the medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method which includes at least any one of image recording and image erasing, wherein a light irradiation intensity at a center position of the laser beam irradiated in the image recording is controlled; in the image recording, a first auxiliary line extended by a predetermined distance from a start point of each of image lines constituting an image in the opposite direction from the scanning direction and a second auxiliary line extended by a predetermined distance from an end point of each of the image lines in the scanning direction are prepared, and when the first and second auxiliary lines including an image line are continuously scanned, the image line is scanned with irradiating the laser beam, and the first and the second auxiliary lines are scanned without irradiating the laser beam to thereby record the image.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method which includes any one of recording an image on a thermally reversible recording medium that can reversibly change any one of its transparency and color tone depending on temperature by irradiating and heating the thermally reversible recording medium with a laser beam, and erasing the image recorded on the thermally reversible recording medium by heating the thermally reversible recording medium, wherein in any one of the image recording and the image erasing, the thermally reversible recording medium is located at a position farther than a focal position of the laser beam, and at least any one of the image recording and the image erasing is performed.

Abstract: To provide a thermosensitive recording medium including: a support; an image recording layer on the support; and an inorganic material in particle form as a light-heat conversion material, wherein the inorganic material has a ratio of Y to X, represented by Y/X, of 2 or greater, where X denotes an average value of absorption intensities with respect to light having wavelengths in the range of 400 nm to 700 nm, and Y denotes a maximum value among absorption intensities with respect to light having wavelengths greater than 700 nm but smaller than or equal to 1,200 nm.

Abstract: A thermosensitive recording medium including a support; a layer containing a photothermal conversion material, formed over a surface of the support; and an oxygen blocking layer formed over a surface of the layer opposite to a surface thereof over which the support is formed, wherein the layer further contains a resin, which is in a cross-linked state, and the photothermal conversion material absorbs a light having a specific wavelength and converts the light into heat, and wherein the oxygen blocking layer has an oxygen permeability of 0.5 mL/(m2·24 hr·atm) or less at 25° C. and 80% RH.

Abstract: An image processing method including calculating a density of a character to be recorded based on information of a type, size and line width of the character; adjusting an irradiation energy of a laser beam for recording the character based on the density of the character; and irradiating a recording medium with the laser beam whose irradiation energy is adjusted so as to record the character thereon.

Abstract: A laser rewriting apparatus positioned on one side or the other side of a conveyance path through which a to-be-conveyed object on which a thermoreversible recording medium is affixed is conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction. The laser rewriting apparatus emits laser light to the thermoreversible recording medium and rewrites an image. The laser writing apparatus includes an image erasing apparatus that emits laser light to the thermoreversible recording medium and erases the image from the thermoreversible recording medium; and an image recording apparatus positioned on the predetermined conveyance direction downstream side of the image erasing apparatus and records a new image by emitting laser light to the thermoreversible recording medium. The image erasing apparatus and the image recording apparatus have the respective laser light emitting parts from which the laser light is emitted at ends on the same side with respect to the predetermined conveyance direction.

Abstract: A method for erasing an image including irradiating an image formed on a thermoreversible recording medium with a laser light having a wavelength of 700 nm to 1,500 nm so as to erase the image, wherein an energy density of the laser light is in a range of the energy density which can erase the image and a center value or less of the range, wherein the thermoreversible recording medium includes a support, and a thermoreversible recording layer on the support, and wherein the thermoreversible recording layer contains a leuco dye serving as an electron-donating color-forming compound and a reversible developer serving as an electron-accepting compound, in which color tone reversibly changes by heat, and at least one of the thermoreversible recording layer and a layer adjacent to the thermoreversible recording layer contains a photothermal conversion material, which absorbs the light and converts the light into heat.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method which includes recording an image by irradiating a recording medium with laser beams which are arrayed in parallel at predetermined intervals to heat the recording medium, so that the image is composed of a plurality of lines written with the laser beams on the recording medium, and wherein in the image recording, the plurality of lines written with the laser beams include a line written first and an overwritten line, a part of which is overlapped with the line written first; and the irradiation energy for the overwritten line is smaller than the irradiation energy for the line written first.

Abstract: A method for erasing an image including irradiating an image formed on a thermoreversible recording medium with a laser light having a wavelength of 700 nm to 1,500 nm so as to erase the image, wherein an energy density of the laser light is in a range of the energy density which can erase the image and more than a center value of the range, wherein the thermoreversible recording medium includes a support, and a thermoreversible recording layer on the support, and wherein the thermoreversible recording layer contains a leuco dye serving as an electron-donating color-forming compound and a reversible developer serving as an electron-accepting compound, in which color tone reversibly changes by heat, and at least one of the thermoreversible recording layer and a layer adjacent to the thermoreversible recording layer contains a photothermal conversion material, which absorbs the light and converts the light into heat.

Abstract: An image erasing apparatus including: a semiconductor laser array in which a plurality of semiconductor laser light sources are linearly aligned; a width direction collimating unit provided on an output surface of the semiconductor laser array, and configured to collimate, in a width direction, broadening of laser beams emitted from the semiconductor laser array so as to form a linear beam; and a length direction light distribution controlling unit configured to control a length of a major axis of the linear beam to be longer than a length of a major axis of an emission part of the semiconductor laser array, and to attain uniform light distribution in the length direction of the linear beam; wherein the linear beam, which has the major axis whose length is longer than the length of the major axis of the emission part of the semiconductor laser array and uniform light distribution in the length direction thereof, is to be applied to and heat a thermoreversible recording medium, in which any of transparency and

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for image processing and an image processing apparatus which are capable of performing repetitive forming and erasing of high-contrast images at high speeds by forming high-density, uniform images and uniformly erasing images in a short period of time, and in addition, suppressing the degradation of the thermoreversible recording medium due to repetitive forming and erasing is possible.

Abstract: An image processing method including: measuring a distance between a medium where an image is to be recorded and an image processing apparatus which stores a relation between irradiation energy and distance previously measured; calculating an irradiation energy from the distance measured in the measuring based on the relation stored in the image processing apparatus; and irradiating and heating the medium with laser beams having the irradiation energy obtained in the calculating to record an image in the medium.

Abstract: A disclosed marking control device controls a marking device to mark a target image on a thermoreversible recording medium by applying a laser beam includes a marking position determination unit dividing the image into plural marking lines, and determining their marking positions; a marking order determination unit determining a marking order to mark the marking lines in mutually opposite directions; an adjusting unit adjusting a distance between a first ending point and a second starting point to be longer than a distance between a first starting point and a second ending point, or adjusting laser power applied to a second starting point side of the second marking line to be lower than the laser power applied to a second ending point side of the second marking line; and a marking instruction generator unit generating marking instructions including the marking positions of the marking lines and the marking order thereof.