Patents by Inventor Yoshihiko Hotta

Yoshihiko Hotta has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20120218540
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomomi Ishimi, Yoshihiko Hotta, Shinya Kawahara, Toshiaki Asai
  • Publication number: 20120212564
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventors: Kazutaka Yamamoto, Tomomi Ishimi, Shinya Kawahara, Toshiaki Asai, Yoshihiko Hotta
  • Publication number: 20120176463
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya KAWAHARA, Yoshihiko Hotta, Tomomi Ishimi
  • Patent number: 8164610
    Abstract: A surface-condition-information obtaining unit obtains information on a surface condition of a rewritable display medium on which information is reversely displayed visually. A write-laser output unit outputs a write laser to irradiate the rewritable display medium with the write laser, to perform a drawing on the rewritable display medium. A control unit performs a write process for displaying an image on the rewritable display medium by adjusting a laser output condition based on the information obtained by the surface-condition-information obtaining unit and controlling the write-laser output unit based on an adjustment of the laser output condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiko Nakata, Tsutomu Nakajima, Noriyuki Ochiai, Yukiko Sahashi, Yoshihiko Hotta, Shinya Kawahara, Hiroshi Uenishi, Tomomi Ishimi
  • Publication number: 20120075402
    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 semiconductor 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, 1.20?I1/I2?1.29 ??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 95% of the total irradiation energy of the applied laser beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomomi ISHIMI, Shinya Kawahara, Yoshihiko Hotta
  • Patent number: 8133652
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Kawahara, Yoshihiko Hotta, Tomomi Ishimi
  • Patent number: 8106934
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing method which includes at least any one of an image recording step and an image erasing step, wherein a light irradiation intensity I1 at a center position of the laser beam irradiated in the image recording step and a light irradiation intensity I2 on an 80% light energy bordering surface to the total light energy of the irradiated laser beam satisfy the expression, 0.40?I1/I2?2.00, and in the image recording step, at an overlap portion where a first image line among a plurality of image lines constituting an image is overlapped with a second image line, any one of the first image line and the second image line is not to be recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomomi Ishimi, Yoshihiko Hotta, Shinya Kawahara
  • Patent number: 8101334
    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 semiconductor 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, 1.20?I1/I2?1.29??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 95% of the total irradiation energy of the applied laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomomi Ishimi, Shinya Kawahara, Yoshihiko Hotta
  • Publication number: 20120013701
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomomi ISHIMI, Shinya Kawahara, Toshiaki Asai, Yoshihiko Hotta
  • Patent number: 8098266
    Abstract: An image processing method which contains: delivering laser light to a thermoreversible recording medium to heat the medium and record an image thereon, the medium reversibly changing a transparency or tone thereof depending on a temperature thereof; and heating the medium to erase the image recorded thereon, wherein the delivering is carried out using an image processing device containing: a laser light emitting unit; a light scanning unit disposed on a plane onto which laser light emitted from the laser light emitting unit is delivered; a light intensity distribution adjusting unit to change a light intensity distribution of the laser light; and a f? lens to condense the laser light, and wherein energy of the laser light passing through a peripheric portion of the f? lens and traveling onto the medium is lower than energy of the laser light passing through a center portion of the f? lens and traveling onto the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Asai, Tomomi Ishimi, Shinya Kawahara, Yoshihiko Hotta
  • Publication number: 20110314323
    Abstract: To improve the speed of accessing a low-speed circuit block from a high-speed circuit block without significantly increasing power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Yoshihiko HOTTA, Seiichi SAITO, Hiroyuki HAMASAKI, Hirotaka HARA, Itaru NONOMURA
  • Patent number: 8018784
    Abstract: To improve the speed of accessing a low-speed circuit block from a high-speed circuit block without significantly increasing power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Seiichi Saito, Hiroyuki Hamasaki, Hirotaka Hara, Itaru Nonomura
  • Publication number: 20110207603
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya KAWAHARA, Tomomi ISHIMI, Toshiaki ASAI, Yoshihiko HOTTA
  • Publication number: 20110090296
    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
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomomi ISHIMI, Shinya Kawahara, Toshiaki Asai, Yoshihiko Hotta
  • Publication number: 20110090299
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiaki ASAI, Yoshihiko Hotta, Tomomi Ishimi, Shinya Kawahara
  • Publication number: 20100182848
    Abstract: To improve the speed of accessing a low-speed circuit block from a high-speed circuit block without significantly increasing power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Seiichi Saito, Hiroyuki Hamasaki, Hirotaka Hara, Itaru Nonomura
  • Patent number: 7728860
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Kawahara, Yoshihiko Hotta, Satoshi Arai
  • Publication number: 20100069239
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.,
    Inventors: Toshiaki Asai, Tomomi Ishimi, Shinya Kawahara, Yoshihiko Hotta
  • Publication number: 20100069238
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Asai, Tomomi Ishimi, Shinya Kawahara, Yoshihiko Hotta
  • Publication number: 20100061198
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya KAWAHARA, Yoshihiko Hotta, Satoshi Arai