Abstract: An exposure amount of at least one or more first patterns used to determine positions at the time of triangulation is set to be larger than that of other patterns, so as to reduce the influence of shot noise in the first patterns, to improve precision, and to reduce power consumption as a whole. To this end, a three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus, which measures a three-dimensional shape of an object to be measured by projecting pattern light of a plurality of types of patterns onto the object to be measured, and capturing images of the object to be measured, controls a projector unit and image capture unit to set an exposure amount of the first patterns to be larger than that of patterns other than the first patterns.

Abstract: An exposure amount of at least one or more first patterns used to determine positions at the time of triangulation is set to be larger than that of other patterns, so as to reduce the influence of shot noise in the first patterns, to improve precision, and to reduce power consumption as a whole. To this end, a three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus, which measures a three-dimensional shape of an object to be measured by projecting pattern light of a plurality of types of patterns onto the object to be measured, and capturing images of the object to be measured, controls a projector unit and image capture unit to set an exposure amount of the first patterns to be larger than that of patterns other than the first patterns.

Abstract: An optical characteristic measurement apparatus acquires a measurement value pertaining to an image characteristic of an optical system to be tested on a plurality of evaluation planes, and measures an optical characteristic, comprising a measurement value correction unit correcting a measurement value pertaining to a width or a light intensity of one of a line spread distribution and a point spread distribution of a beam, on the evaluation planes, wherein: in case where the measurement value pertains to the width, the image plane is regarded as an evaluation reference plane, and the measurement value correction unit outputs a corrected value; in case where the measurement value pertains to the light intensity, the image plane is regarded as an evaluation reference plane, and the measurement value correction unit also outputs a corrected value; and the optical characteristic of the optical system to be tested is measured based on the corrected value.

Abstract: An exposure amount of at least one or more first patterns used to determine positions at the time of triangulation is set to be larger than that of other patterns, so as to reduce the influence of shot noise in the first patterns, to improve precision, and to reduce power consumption as a whole. To this end, a three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus, which measures a three-dimensional shape of an object to be measured by projecting pattern light of a plurality of types of patterns onto the object to be measured, and capturing images of the object to be measured, controls a projector unit and image capture unit to set an exposure amount of the first patterns to be larger than that of patterns other than the first patterns.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprising; projection means for projecting a first or second pattern each having a bright and dark portions onto a target object as a projection pattern; and image capturing means for imaging the target object on an image sensor as a luminance distribution. The luminance distribution has a first luminance value corresponding to the bright portion and a second luminance value corresponding to the dark portion, the first and second patterns have an overlapping portion where positions of the bright or dark portion overlap, a first luminance distribution corresponding to the first pattern and a second luminance distribution corresponding to the second pattern have an intersection at which the luminance distributions have the same luminance value, and the luminance value at the intersection differs from an average value of the first and second luminance values by a predetermined value.

Abstract: Pattern lights A and B of which patterns respectively having bright and dark sections have been in an inverted relation are projected on a subject to calculate luminance distributions L1 and L2 of the subject and average values Ave(L1) and Ave(L2) of the distributions. A luminance distribution obtained by multiplying a luminance distribution L0 of the subject of only a natural light component by a coefficient ? is subtracted from the luminance distribution L2 obtained by projecting the pattern light B on the subject and a correction value L2? thereof is calculated so that a difference e of the average values become zero. Then, an intersection point of the luminance distribution L1 obtained by projecting the pattern light A on the subject and the correction value L2? of the luminance distribution L2 obtained by projecting the pattern light B on the subject is derived.

Abstract: Pattern lights A and B of which patterns respectively having bright and dark sections have been in an inverted relation are projected on a subject to calculate luminance distributions L1 and L2 of the subject and average values Ave(L1) and Ave(L2) of the distributions. A luminance distribution obtained by multiplying a luminance distribution LO of the subject of only a natural light component by a coefficient n is subtracted from the luminance distribution L2 obtained by projecting the pattern light B on the subject and a correction value L2? thereof is calculated so that a difference e of the average values become zero. Then, an intersection point of the luminance distribution L1 obtained by projecting the pattern light A on the subject and the correction value L2? of the luminance distribution L2 obtained by projecting the pattern light B on the subject is derived.

Abstract: An optical characteristic measurement apparatus acquires a measurement value pertaining to an image characteristic of an optical system to be tested on a plurality of evaluation planes, and measures an optical characteristic, comprising a measurement value correction unit correcting a measurement value pertaining to a width or a light intensity of one of a line spread distribution and a point spread distribution of a beam, on the evaluation planes, wherein: in case where the measurement value pertains to the width, the image plane is regarded as an evaluation reference plane, and the measurement value correction unit outputs a corrected value; in case where the measurement value pertains to the light intensity, the image plane is regarded as an evaluation reference plane, and the measurement value correction unit also outputs a corrected value; and the optical characteristic of the optical system to be tested is measured based on the corrected value.

Abstract: An optical scanning device has an incident optical system that makes a light beam emitted from a light source unit enter to a deflection surface of an optical deflector in a state in which the light beam has a larger width than a width of the deflection surface in a main scanning direction, and an imaging optical system that images the light beam reflectively deflected by the optical deflector onto a surface to be scanned. In the device, a slit member that restricts a diameter of the light beam in a sub-scanning direction is provided within an optical path between the optical deflector and the surface to be scanned. A peak intensity of a spot of the light beam scanned on the surface to be scanned is made constant, or substantially constant across an entire effective scanning region.

Abstract: An optical scanning device has an incident optical system that makes a light beam emitted from a light source unit enter to a deflection surface of an optical deflector in a state in which the light beam has a larger width than a width of the deflection surface in a main scanning direction, and an imaging optical system that images the light beam reflectively deflected by the optical deflector onto a surface to be scanned. In the device, a slit member that restricts a diameter of the light beam in a sub-scanning direction is provided within an optical path between the optical deflector and the surface to be scanned. A peak intensity of a spot of the light beam scanned on the surface to be scanned is made constant, or substantially constant across an entire effective scanning region.

Abstract: It is an object of this invention to provide an optical element molding method capable of correcting local processing errors in an optical element without increasing the size of an apparatus or raising the manufacturing cost.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a light source having a plurality of light-emitting portions, a deflector for deflecting a plurality of light beams emitted by the light source, optical elements for guiding the plurality of light beams emitted by the light source toward the deflector and an imaging element for guiding the plurality of light beams deflected by the deflector onto a surface to be scanned. A polarization limiting element is inserted in an optical path between the light source and the deflector so as to limit directions of polarization of the plurality of light beams.

Abstract: A scanning optical apparatus is provided with a light source, a deflector and an aperture. A light beam generated from the light source is a linearly polarized light the polarized direction of which is inclined by 45.degree. with respect to a plane of deflection of the light beam which is defined to the light beam plane formed by the light beam deflected by the deflectively reflection surface of the deflector with the elapse of time. The light beam is scanned to be deflected by the deflector. The aperture for limiting a diameter of the light beam is arranged between the light source and the deflector.

Abstract: It is an object of this invention to provide an optical element molding method capable of correcting local processing errors in an optical element without increasing the size of an apparatus or raising the manufacturing cost.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus comprises a beam generating unit for generating a light beam modulated in accordance with input image signal, a beam deflecting unit for scanning a recording medium using the light beam generated by the beam generating unit, the beam deflecting unit comprising a rotating polygon mirror having a plurality of reflecting surfaces. The apparatus can be operated in a mode for forming an image using all the reflecting surfaces of the rotating polygon mirror and in a mode for forming an image using predetermined reflecting surfaces of a plurality of reflecting surfaces of the rotating polygon mirror. The apparatus thus permits the dot density to be changed to a plurality of values with a simple structure so that image information can be recorded with high definition on the surface of a recording medium.

Abstract: A scanning optical apparatus includes a light source, a modulator for intermittently modulating a beam from the light source or for modulating it in amplitude, imaging device for imaging the beam from the light source at predetermined position, a deflector for deflecting the beam from the light source in a predetermined direction, a photoreceptor for receiving the beam deflected by the deflector and modulated by the modulator, processing device for processing a signal produced by the photoreceptor, and an adjusting device, responsive to the processing device, for adjusting an imaging position of the beam by the imaging device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has exposure unit for emitting light modified in accordance with image information, the light quantity of said exposure unit being variable, image forming unit for forming image on a photosensitive medium in accordance with light emitted from the exposure unit, detector for detecting the surface state of the photosensitive medium, and controller for optimizing the light quantity of the exposure unit in accordance with the output of the detecting unit. The control unit obtains a potential versus image information variation characteristic of the photosensitive medium based on the output of the detecting unit and sets the light quantity of the exposure unit such that the characteristic approximate a straight line.

Abstract: A light beam scanning apparatus has a light source, a deflecting element for deflecting a light beam from the light source, such as a rotary polygon mirror, a drive component for driving the light source, a measuring means for detecting the light beam deflected by the deflection element and measuring the scanning speed of the light beam, and a control system for controlling the drive component in accordance with signals from the measuring device. According to this composition, even if the scanning speed is cyclically changed in each scanning, it is possible to restrain an image on a medium to be scanned from being deteriorated by the change.

Abstract: A scanning optical apparatus includes a light source, a modulator for intermittently modulating a beam from the light source or for modulating it in amplitude, imaging device for imaging the beam from the light source at predetermined position, a deflector for deflecting the beam from the light source in a predetermined direction, a photoreceptor for receiving the beam deflected by the deflector and modulated by the modulator, processing for processing a signal produced by the photoreceptor, and an adjusting device, responsive to the processing device, for adjusting an imaging position of the beam by the imaging device.

Abstract: In a document sheet recognition device, a size or position of a document sheet mounted on a document table is detected by detecting light intensities at a plurality of fixed areas on the document sheet table, and the size or position thereof is determined in accordance with the detected light intensities.