Abstract: A laser interferometer (10) comprises: a first beam splitter (22) which splits a laser beam emitted from a light source (3) into a first beam (L2) and a second beam; a second beam splitter (24) which splits the second beam into a third beam (L1) and a fourth beam (L3), and which causes reflected beams, produced by reflection of the split beams (L1, L3) and incident from reverse directions to the directions of the split beams, to exit in a reverse direction to the direction of the second beam; and a beam selecting unit (50, 51, 60, 66, 68) which, from among the reflected beams produced by reflection of the third and fourth beams (L1, L3) and caused to exit the second beam splitter (24) in the reverse direction to the direction of the second beam, selects a beam to be combined in the first beam splitter (22) with a reflected beam produced by reflection of the first beam (L2) and incident on the first beam splitter from a reverse direction to the direction of the first beam (L2).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a reading unit, a controller, and an identifying unit. The image forming unit includes multiple recording elements arrayed in a first predetermined direction and drives the recording elements in accordance with input image information so as to form an image on a recording medium that moves relatively to the recording elements in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The reading unit reads the image formed by the image forming unit and outputs read data. The controller controls the image forming unit so as to form a detection pattern in a detection-pattern region located upstream or downstream, in the second direction, of a region where the image is formed in the recording medium. The identifying unit identifies a target recording element on the basis of read data obtained by reading the detection pattern using the reading unit.

Abstract: A coloring material recording device comprises a plurality of image recording elements and a control unit. The plurality of image recording elements record with a plurality of coloring materials on a recording medium and form an image, and one of the plurality of image recording elements is provided for each of the coloring materials. The control unit controls the plurality of image recording elements such that detection images of at least two coloring materials of the plurality of coloring materials overlap each other on the recording medium.

Abstract: An image processing device including: an acquisition unit that acquires image data for recording with a liquid droplet ejecting head having a plurality of ejection nozzles that eject liquid droplets onto a recording medium, and data relating to a faulty ejection nozzle of the liquid droplet ejecting head; a generation unit that generates recording data in units of pixels corresponding to the ejection nozzles based on the image data; a conversion unit that, based on data relating to the faulty ejection nozzle, converts the recording data in units of rows of pixels to be recorded by each of the ejection nozzles so as to reduce the number of pixels to be recorded by the faulty ejection nozzle; and an output unit that outputs the converted recording data to the liquid droplet-ejecting head.

Abstract: A laser interferometer (10) comprises: a first beam splitter (22) which splits a laser beam emitted from a light source (3) into a first beam (L2) and a second beam; a second beam splitter (24) which splits the second beam into a third beam (L1) and a fourth beam (L3), and which causes reflected beams, produced by reflection of the split beams (L1, L3) and incident from reverse directions to the directions of the split beams, to exit in a reverse direction to the direction of the second beam; and a beam selecting unit (50, 51, 60, 66, 68) which, from among the reflected beams produced by reflection of the third and fourth beams (L1, L3) and caused to exit the second beam splitter (24) in the reverse direction to the direction of the second beam, selects a beam to be combined in the first beam splitter (22) with a reflected beam produced by reflection of the first beam (L2) and incident on the first beam splitter from a reverse direction to the direction of the first beam (L2).

Abstract: A charging method using a use point that is a unit, common to a plurality of apparatuses, of charging according to use thereof includes the steps of (a) converting a result of use of each of functions of each of the apparatuses to use points, (b) totaling the use points of each of the apparatuses obtained in the step (a) based on a predetermined unit, and (c) charging for use of each of the apparatuses based on the use points totaled in the step (b).

Abstract: A coloring material recording device comprises a plurality of image recording elements and a control unit. The plurality of image recording elements record with a plurality of coloring materials on a recording medium and form an image, and one of the plurality of image recording elements is provided for each of the coloring materials. The control unit controls the plurality of image recording elements such that detection images of at least two coloring materials of the plurality of coloring materials overlap each other on the recording medium.

Abstract: An image processing device including: an acquisition unit that acquires image data for recording with a liquid droplet ejecting head having a plurality of ejection nozzles that eject liquid droplets onto a recording medium, and data relating to a faulty ejection nozzle of the liquid droplet ejecting head; a generation unit that generates recording data in units of pixels corresponding to the ejection nozzles based on the image data; a conversion unit that, based on data relating to the faulty ejection nozzle, converts the recording data in units of rows of pixels to be recorded by each of the ejection nozzles so as to reduce the number of pixels to be recorded by the faulty ejection nozzle; and an output unit that outputs the converted recording data to the liquid droplet-ejecting head.

Abstract: A Michelson interferometer 1 of a thickness measuring device 100 comprises two optical cables 4 and 5 connected by an optical coupler 3, and the optical cables 4 and 5 are formed by polarization optical fibers 41 or the like, connected by the optical connectors 42 or the like. The optical connectors 42 or the like, are adjusted in angle and position by rotating the optical fibers 41 or the like, to be connected around the optical axis.

Abstract: A publication information acquisition apparatus used by a user of a service converts information extracted from a newspaper into electronic information and transmits the electronic information to a publication information providing apparatus. The publication information providing apparatus decodes the electronic information, acquires key information for searching for characters and/or an image from the decoded electronic information, and searches newspaper information in a database based on the key information. The publication information providing apparatus acquires the name of a newspaper and the date of issue thereof as confirmation information and transmits the confirmation information to the publication information acquisition apparatus. It is therefore possible to easily know from which newspaper the extraction is acquired and when the newspaper was issued.

Abstract: Coordinates in an image and its corresponding color-converted data are supplied to a control/operation portion for every pixel. Quantization is applied to each color. The quantization is carried out so that a kind of dot for at least one color is made different from kinds of dots for the others in one and the same pixel when dots for different colors are superimposed on the pixel. The control/operation portion refers to a two-dimensional matrix on the basis of the quantization result, determines an output dot for each color, and converts the data into data which can be processed by a printer. The printer records an image based on the quantization result while reciprocating a recording head. Thus, it is possible to reduce color shift caused by the difference of the ink landing order at the time of reciprocating the head for recording.

Abstract: On the basis of name of a printing medium, which is supplied from a printing medium specifying section, a recording pattern producing section determines whether the printing medium to be printed is a medium in which an ink easily penetrates or that in which an ink hardly penetrates, determines hue changing degree due to bidirectional printing for each pixel from position information of CMYK image data and a scanning pattern, and changes the densities of CMY so that the output density of a hue having a larger hue changing degree in the input image data is lowered, and that of a hue having a smaller hue changing degree is raised. As a result, a total amount of inks ejected from a head of an ink recording section is controlled with respect to the color which is early impacted and that which is lately impacted.

Abstract: A charging method using a use point that is a unit, common to a plurality of apparatuses, of charging according to use thereof includes the steps of (a) converting a result of use of each of functions of each of the apparatuses to use points, (b) totaling the use points of each of the apparatuses obtained in the step (a) based on a predetermined unit, and (c) charging for use of each of the apparatuses based on the use points totaled in the step (b).

Abstract: Coordinates in an image and its corresponding color-converted data are supplied to a control/operation portion for every pixel. Quantization is applied to each color. The quantization is carried out so that a kind of dot for at least one color is made different from kinds of dots for the others in one and the same pixel when dots for different colors are superimposed on the pixel. The control/operation portion refers to a two-dimensional matrix on the basis of the quantization result, determines an output dot for each color, and converts the data into data which can be processed by a printer. The printer records an image based on the quantization result while reciprocating a recording head. Thus, it is possible to reduce color shift caused by the difference of the ink landing order at the time of reciprocating the head for recording.

Abstract: On the basis of name of a printing medium, which is supplied from a printing medium specifying section, a recording pattern producing section determines whether the printing medium to be printed is a medium in which an ink easily penetrates or that in which an ink hardly penetrates, determines hue changing degree due to bidirectional printing for each pixel from position information of CMYK image data and a scanning pattern, and changes the densities of CMY so that the output density of a hue having a larger hue changing degree in the input image data is lowered, and that of a hue having a smaller hue changing degree is raised. As a result, a total amount of inks ejected from a head of an ink recording section is controlled with respect to the color which is early impacted and that which is lately impacted.

Abstract: A publication information acquisition apparatus used by a user of a service converts information extracted from a newspaper into electronic information and transmits the electronic information to a publication information providing apparatus. The publication information providing apparatus decodes the electronic information, acquires key information for searching for characters and/or an image from the decoded electronic information, and searches newspaper information in a database based on the key information. The publication information providing apparatus acquires the name of a newspaper and the date of issue thereof as confirmation information and transmits the confirmation information to the publication information acquisition apparatus. It is therefore possible to easily know from which newspaper the extraction is acquired and when the newspaper was issued.

Abstract: In a stand type image scanner, an exclusive light source portion is used in irradiation in which the light intensity in a specific wavelength band W within a wavelength band W0 in which the reflectivity of a portion to be dropped out on the original is higher than that in the other wavelength band, and a scanning portion performs binary processing of regarding as white color a portion of the original at which the detection value of reflected light intensity is higher than a reference value while regarding as black color a portion of the original at which the detection value of the reflected light intensity is smaller than the reference value.

Abstract: A neodymium-containing transparent resin comprising (A) a copolymer of (i) at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of alkyl methacrylates having alkyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms and styrene with (ii) at least one copolymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acid or a salt thereof selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and neodymium salts thereof and (B) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of saturated or unsaturated organic carboxylic acids substituted or unsubstituted with a hydroxyl group and having 6 to 21 carbon atoms, and neodymium salts thereof, which transparent resin is characterized by having a neodymium content in the range of 0.

Abstract: A plastic scintillator which comprises using as the matrix resin thereof a copolymer obtained by polymerizing (a) at least one compound represented by the general formula I: ##STR1## wherein, X and Y independently denote hydrogen atom or methyl group, providing that they do not exclusively denote methyl group, or a monomer mixture containing at least one compound of the general formula I in a weight proportion of at least 0.4 to the polymerizable monomer mixture to be used in the presence of (b) at least one monomer having at least two carbon-carbon double bonds capable of radical polymerization in the molecular unit thereof.