Abstract: In an overlapping head including a plurality of recording head chips overlapped to each other, a color shift can occur between a color recorded by an overlapping region and a color recorded by a non-overlapping region, which cannot be corrected by a density correction using head shading or the like. To correct such a color shift, a test pattern is recorded by the overlapping region and the non-overlapping region and colors of the recorded test pattern are measured. Color correction data to be used in correction of colors of an image to be recorded is generated based on a result of the measurement of the colors.

Abstract: In image processing, it is possible to suitably reduce density unevenness and graininess according to the ink used in printing. More specifically, when dividing multi-valued data and generating data for 2-pass multi-pass printing, in addition to divided multi-valued data for each of the two passes, divided multi-valued data that is common to the two passes is also generated. Moreover, quantized data of that common multi-valued data is reflected on the quantized data for each of the passes. Furthermore, when generating the quantized data, the division ratios used when generating the common data using the aforementioned multi-valued data division are set according to the colors of ink used in printing. By doing so, it becomes possible to suitably reduce density unevenness and graininess according to the colors used in printing.

Abstract: A ventilation load-reducing apparatus, which has a simple structure and is capable of further improving the efficiency of the heat recovery, and a vehicle air conditioner using the same are proposed. The ventilation load-reducing apparatus includes an inside air lead-out path 4 for ventilation which leads air of a vehicle-interior out of a vehicle from a rear side of the vehicle-interior, an outside air lead-in path 5 which leads outside air into a front side of the vehicle-interior, a ventilation heat recovery device 6 which recovers heat from the air led out through the inside air lead-out path 4, a recovered heat radiator 7 which releases the heat on the air led in through the outside air lead-in path 5, and a heat transmitter 8 which transmits the heat between the ventilation heat recovery device 6 and the recovered heat radiator 7. The ventilation load-reducing apparatus is independent of a refrigerant circulating system 9 of a vehicle air conditioner 2.

Abstract: When dividing multi-valued data and generating data for two-pass multi-pass printing, in addition to divided multi-valued data that are divided for each of the two passes, divided multi-valued data that is common to both of the two passes is generated. Moreover, quantized data of that common multi-valued data is reflected onto the quantized data for each pass. Furthermore, when generating quantized data, division ratios that are used when generating the common data by the multi-valued data division described above are set according to the image characteristics (whether or not the area is flesh color) of the multi-valued data. Thereby, it is possible to perform high-quality printing regardless of the image characteristics by taking a suitable balance between suppressing density unevenness and suppressing graininess.

Abstract: In image processing it is possible to adequately reduce density unevenness and graininess according to the duty of the image data. More specifically, when dividing multi-valued data and generating 2-pass multi-pass printing data, in addition to the divided multi-valued data for each of the two passes, divided multi-valued data that is common to both of the two passes is also generated. Moreover, the quantized data of that common multi-valued data is reflected on the quantized data of each pass. Furthermore, when generating quantized data, the division ratio when generating common data in the division of multi-valued data is set according to the duty (gradation value) of the multi-valued data. By doing so it becomes possible to adequately reduce the density unevenness and graininess according to the duty of the image data.

Abstract: In order to eliminate erroneous map matching, when a link is set on a road, the direction and distance the link is displaced are calculated in accordance with the width of the road and the width of a road paralleled to the road, or the positional relationship of both roads in road network.

Abstract: When the number (M) of passes is smaller than a threshold value, a first processing mode is selected. In the first processing mode, multivalued image data is divided into pieces of multivalued data corresponding to passes and a common multivalued data for a plurality of passes, the pieces of multivalued data are individually binarized to generate pieces of binary data corresponding to the passes, and the common multivalued data is binarized to generate common binary data for these passes. On the other hand, when the number (M) of passes is equal to or larger than the threshold value, a second processing mode is selected. In the second processing mode, multivalued image data is binarized and the binary data is divided into pieces of binary data corresponding to passes with a mask.

Abstract: Provided are an image processor and an image processing method that are capable of suppressing both density unevenness due to printing position shifts among a group of dots printed by a plurality of relative movements (or a plurality of printing element groups) and graininess. In order to accomplish this, a dot overlap rate in the printing mode in which the density unevenness stands out is made higher than the dot overlap rate in the printing mode in which other defects stand out more than the density unevenness. By doing so, it is possible to suitably adjust the dot overlap rate according to the image characteristic, and output an image having no density unevenness or graininess.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a reference surface extending along a sheet conveyance direction and configured to regulate the position of a side edge of a sheet to be conveyed, a skew conveyance mechanism configured to convey the sheet obliquely so that the side edge of the sheet collides against the reference surface, and a sheet deforming unit configured to deform the side edge of the sheet when the sheet is conveyed toward the reference surface by the skew conveyance mechanism.

Abstract: Inputted image data is converted to M number of multi-value data having a lower resolution than the inputted image data, and after quantization processing has been performed for each of the M number of multi-value data, an image is printed by M number of relative movements (M-pass printing) that corresponds to the M number of quantized data. By doing so, when compared with the case in which a resolution reduction process is not performed, it is possible to suppress the number of pixels that become the object of quantization processing, and it becomes possible to output an image with no fluctuation in image density or density unevenness without a decrease in the processing speed.

Abstract: Provided is an image processor and image processing method that are capable of suppressing both density unevenness and graininess that occur due to deviation of the printing position of dots that are printed by a plurality of relative movements (or a plurality of printing element groups). In order to accomplish this, the dot overlap rate of an image characteristic in which density unevenness stands out is made higher than the dot overlap rate of an image characteristic in which other defects stand out more than the density unevenness. By doing so, it is possible to suitably adjust the dot overlap rate according to an image characteristic, and to output an image having no density unevenness or graininess.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus (102) includes a microphone (40). Sound is captured by the microphone (40), and a key operation is detected by a sub microcomputer (46). The processes according to outputs from the microphone (40) and the sub microcomputer (46) are executed by a main microcomputer (42). The main microcomputer (42) outputs a sound effect from a speaker (58) in response to the key operation. Besides, output setting of the sound effect is changed between active state and inactive state. The main microcomputer (42) changes an extraction characteristic of sound according to the setting state of sound effect output.

Abstract: A transfer-fixing device transfers and fixes a toner image onto a transfer-fixing surface of a recording medium, and includes a transfer-fixing member, a pressing member, a heating member, and a temperature equalization member. The transfer-fixing member carries the toner image. The pressing member pressingly contacts the transfer-fixing member to form a nip between the pressing member and the transfer-fixing member through which the recording medium passes. The heating member heats the transfer-fixing surface of the recording medium conveyed toward the nip so that the recording medium reaches the nip before a temperature of a back surface opposite the transfer-fixing surface of the recording medium increases. The temperature equalization member equalizes temperature distribution on a surface of the transfer-fixing member in a width direction of the transfer-fixing member perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording medium, after the surface of the transfer-fixing member passes the nip.

Abstract: The transfer-fixing device includes an image carrier, a pressing member, a heater, and an electrical field generator. The image carrier carries a toner image. The pressing member presses against the image carrier to form a transfer-fixing nip between the pressing member and the image carrier. The heater heats the toner image carried by the image carrier so that a temperature of the toner image is not higher than Tm +10 degrees centigrade when a toner softening point is Tm degrees centigrade. The electrical field generator forms a transfer electrical field at the transfer-fixing nip.

Abstract: A power steering lock apparatus provides high reliability and can be actuated using minimal control parts. In a power steering lock apparatus including a lock bolt, an actuator, an actuator driving part, position detecting part, and a slave control part, and being structured such that the slave control part executes a control in accordance with a control signal output by a host control part, the host control part outputs an integrity confirmation code signal to the slave control part, the slave control part executes a computing process by using the input integrity confirmation code signal as a parameter, and outputs a result of computation as an integrity confirmation information to the host control part, and the host control part outputs an engine start signal when the host control part determines that the slave control part is normally activated, and the lock bolt indicates an unlock position state.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a reference surface extending along a sheet conveyance direction and configured to regulate the position of a side edge of a sheet to be conveyed, a skew conveyance mechanism configured to convey the sheet obliquely so that the side edge of the sheet collides against the reference surface, and a sheet deforming unit configured to deform the side edge of the sheet when the sheet is conveyed toward the reference surface by the skew conveyance mechanism.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for measuring an amount of an objective component to be measured in a sample, which comprises; preventing an electric charge in an atmosphere in a photometry chamber from transferring to the surface of a solution which generates light due to an energy variation of a substance induced by the objective component in the sample, measuring value of the light, and determining an amount of the objective component in the sample on the basis of the measured value thus obtained, and an instrument used for the method. According to the present invention, in measurement of an objective component in a sample using a spectrophotometer, problems such as between-day variation of signal values or increase of background value, etc. can be solved, and a trace component can be measured in high accuracy and high sensitivity.

Abstract: An upper limit detection sensor detects that a top face position of a sheet stack on a tray reaches an upper limit position which enables feeding of sheets one by one by a sheet feeding portion and a lower limit detection sensor detects that the top face position of the sheet stack on the tray reaches a lower limit position which enable feeding of sheets one by one. When the sheet stack is loosened by blowing air against a side face of the sheet stack on the tray with an air spouting nozzle provided on an air loosening device, if a sheet floated by air from the air loosening device exceeds an upper limit position of a feeding enabled range, the lowering amount of the tray is controlled so that at least a sheet next to the sheet to be fed is not lower than a lower end position of the air spouting port of the air loosening device.

Abstract: A cleaning device including a cleaning member that moves in a predetermined direction and is in contact with a cleaning target that moves in a predetermined direction and which is directly or indirectly heated by a heater, to remove toner particles on a surface of the cleaning target. A contact surface of the cleaning member with the cleaning target includes a plurality of regions of different toner-releasing ability.

Abstract: An article transporting apparatus includes a traveling carriage adapted to run along a travel rail, a pair of front and rear lift guide masts mounted on the traveling carriage to be spaced apart from each other and connected to each other at upper ends thereof by an upper frame, a lift adapted to vertically move along the pair of front and rear lift guide masts, and an article transfer device provided in the lift, wherein one of the pair of front and rear lift guide masts includes a plurality of posts mounted upright to be spaced apart from each other and a plurality of diagonal members for connecting the adjacent posts to each other, the one of the pair of front and rear lift guide masts having a horizontal section area greater than that of the other of the pair of front and rear lift guide masts.