Abstract: A medium writing apparatus obtains information to be written onto a recording medium, converts the information into a suitable writable format, and then writes the converted information onto the recording medium. An ID obtaining section obtains a medium ID from the recording medium, or through an input by the user. The medium ID and information indicating the place of the written information are sent to a server, and then stored as index information correlating them with each other. When the information written onto the recording medium is to be used at a later timing, the medium ID is identified, and the index information is obtained from the server. Therefore, the original information can be obtained so as to be easily reprocessed-or reused.

Abstract: The present invention provides a display control device which easily recognize the number of connected display media and which always display an optimum image on the respective display media even if an arbitrary display medium is attached or detached.

Abstract: An image display device is structured with an image display medium, a voltage applying unit and a control unit. The image display medium has black particles and white particles enclosed in a space between a transparent front substrate and a rear substrate. The front substrate is structured with a lamination having a substrate, an electrode and a surface coat layer. The rear substrate is structured with a lamination having a substrate, an electrode and a surface coat layer. The electrode on the front substrate is connected to the voltage applying unit while the voltage applying unit is connected to the control unit. The control unit controls the voltage applying unit to apply to the electrodes of the substrates an alternating voltage at a frequency of from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Abstract: An image display apparatus has an image display medium and a voltage applying section. The image display medium has a top-plane substrate and a back-plane substrate. The top-plane substrate has a transparent display-side electrode whose entire surface is uniform, formed on a transparent substrate. The back-plane substrate has an inner electrode and an outer electrode, formed on a substrate. Conductive colored particles, whose color is different from a color of the inner electrode, are enclosed between the top-plane substrate and the back-plane substrate. The voltage applying section has a DC power source, a first switch, a second switch, and a control unit. When the color of the inner electrode is displayed, the control unit controls the first switch such that the inner electrode is connected to the DC power source, and controls the second switch such that the outer electrode is grounded. Then, the colored particles move reciprocally and move to the outer electrode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a display element, which is driven at a low voltage, displays a high-contrast image with few density irregularities, and has improved image holding property. In a display element, which displays an image by moving, between a first and second substrate, particles having different colors and charge polarities by an electric field applied between the first and second substrates, the surface roughness of at least one of the substrates is 1 nm to 1 &mgr;m, the coefficient of shape is 100 to 140, the width and depth of the recessed part are not identical to the diameter of the particles and the contacting parts of the recessed part and the particles do not form a surface.

Abstract: An image display medium which implements multi-color display with a small number of kinds of particles and avoids a reduction in resolution of images, and an image writing device. The image display medium has a structure with a transparent display substrate, a colored back substrate, a spacer for constantly maintaining inter-substrate space, and white particles and black particles. The image display device is provided with the image display medium, an electrode head and a voltage application section. The electrode head implements monochrome display by moving the white particles and the black particles one to the display substrate side and the other to the back substrate side, by applying dc voltages between the substrates. When multi-color display is to be implemented, the electrode head applies ac voltages between the substrates and moves the particles to peripheries of portions so as to expose the back substrate at those portions.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink drying prevention apparatus that can prevent ink within an ink-jet recording head from drying, for a long period of time. The ink drying prevention apparatus prevents ink within an ink-jet recording head from drying, and includes a porous substance permeated with a seal liquid that is nonvolatile and incompatible with the ink within the head, wherein the porous substance can contact a nozzle surface of the ink-jet recording head. The seal liquid forms plural meniscuses in an interface with the nozzle surface and inside the porous substance to block air paths, thereby preventing ink within a nozzle exposed to the nozzle surface from drying.

Abstract: The present invention provides a display element, which is driven at a low voltage, displays a high-contrast image with few density irregularities, and has improved image holding property. In a display element, which displays an image by moving, between a first and second substrate, particles having different colors and charge polarities by an electric field applied between the first and second substrates, the surface roughness of at least one of the substrates is 1 nm to 1 &mgr;m, the coefficient of shape is 100 to 140, the width and depth of the recessed part are not identical to the diameter of the particles and the contacting parts of the recessed part and the particles do not form a surface.

Abstract: The present invention is for providing an image display device capable of preventing deterioration of display sharpness and contrast, and capable of improving display quality. An image display medium has a display substrate, having a first electrode, disposed on an image display surface side, a rear substrate having a plurality of second electrodes facing the display substrate, and two kinds of particle groups having different colors and charge characteristics sealed between the display substrate and the rear substrate movably between the first electrode and the second electrodes by an electric field. Before application of a display drive voltage for executing the image display, a voltage is applied to the image display medium by a voltage applying component so as to generate an electric field for moving the particle groups between the second electrodes to adjacent the second electrodes.

Abstract: An image display device is structured with an image display medium, a voltage applying unit and a control unit. The image display medium has black particles and white particles enclosed in a space between a transparent front substrate and a rear substrate. The front substrate is structured with a lamination having a substrate, an electrode and a surface coat layer. The rear substrate is structured with a lamination having a substrate, an electrode and a surface coat layer. The electrode on the front substrate is connected to the voltage applying unit while the voltage applying unit is connected to the control unit. The control unit controls the voltage applying unit to apply to the electrodes of the substrates an alternating voltage at a frequency of from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Abstract: The image display device has an image display medium comprising a display substrate and a rear substrate having intersecting linear electrodes formed thereon, and containing black and white particles between the display substrate and the rear substrate. An image is displayed at high resolution by controlling a voltage applied to the electrodes.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an image display medium for encapsulating powdered display elements uniformly between opposed substrates, and an image display medium. Spacer particles are formed in a grid pattern on a first flat substrate pulled out from a first film roll by a first electrostatic application apparatus, and spacers are formed on the first flat substrate by fixing by a first fixer. Then, black particles are applied on the entire surface by a second electrostatic application apparatus, and then white particles are applied on the entire surface by a third electrostatic application apparatus. Subsequently, black particles and white particles are removed from each upper surface of the spacers by a blade, and a second flat substrate pulled out from a second film roll is superimposed thereon, and each upper surface of the spacers is fixed to the second flat substrate by a second fixer.

Abstract: A recording liquid including a colorant, water and at least two kinds of fine resin particles. In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the two kinds of the fine resin particles are fine self-crosslinkable resin particles. In another preferred embodiment, the number of the kinds of the fine resin particles is 3 or more. Also, disclosed is an image recording method using the recording liquid.

Abstract: A recording liquid comprising a colorant, water and at least two kinds of fine resin particles. In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the two kinds of the fine resin particles are fine self-crosslinkable resin particles. In another preferred embodiment, the number of the kinds of the fine resin particles is 3 or more. Also, disclosed is an image recording method using the recording liquid.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus jetts an ink droplet from a free surface of an ink material by propagating a surface acoustic wave. The apparatus includes a substrate, a slant face formed on the substrate, The slant face contacts the ink material with a grade in use. A vibration generator for generating plural surface acoustic waves, is formed on the substrate away from the ink material in use, and the plural surface acoustic waves are propagated along with the substrate and changed into plural longitudinal waves having propagating directions in the ink material. The propagating directions will be concentrated at a certain portion within the ink material.

Abstract: An ink jet recording device for jetting an ink droplet from a free surface of an ink material includes: an ink container for containing the ink material and providing the free surface of the ink material therein; a vibrating member for providing a vibrating energy to the free surface of the ink material by contacting thereto at an interface portion between the free surface of the ink material and the ink container, wherein the vibrating means surrounds the free surface so that the vibrating energy is concentrated at one specific portion on the free surface of the ink material in order to jet the ink droplet therefrom; and an actuating system for actuating the vibrating member. An ink jet recording method using the same is also disclosed.