Abstract: A droplet ejecting device includes a nozzle unit, a piezoelectric member and a drive voltage generating unit. The piezoelectric member has a common electrode and a discrete electrode. A first differentiation by polarization voltage of a characteristic curve indicating change in a polarization of the piezoelectric member with respect to change in the polarization voltage has a plurality of extremal values including a first extremal value at a prescribed positive voltage Vbp that is the smallest polarization voltage among plus polarization voltages corresponding to the plurality of extremal values, and a second extremal value at a prescribed negative voltage Vbn that is the largest polarization voltage among minus polarization voltages corresponding to the plurality of extremal values.

Abstract: An ink filling mechanism is used to hold an ink-jet cartridge thereto for easily and effectively refilling the ink cartridge. The ink filling mechanism has an ink cartridge holder, which includes a holding case provided at a top wall with at least one ink filling opening for locating an ink injecting device to an adequate position for injecting ink into the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge holder of the ink filling mechanism also includes an ink nozzle sealing pad and an ink-pumping sealing pad, which may be selectively positioned at a bottom of the holding case to facilitate the injecting of ink into or the pumping of ink from the ink cartridge being refilled.

Abstract: An inkjet head including a flow path unit and a plurality of actuator units, each of the plurality of actuator units has a parallelogram shape defined by two sets of opposing sides, which is substantially parallel to a first direction and a second direction intersecting with each other along a plane, the side of the actuator unit parallel to the second direction is substantially parallel to that of an adjacent actuator unit and is shifted from that of the adjacent actuator unit in the second direction, the plurality of actuator units are inclined with respect to two contour lines of a flow path unit, the two contour lines being parallel with each other and extending in a longitudinal direction of the flow path unit, and centers of gravity of contours of the plurality of actuator units are arranged on substantially one straight line which is parallel to the contour lines.

Abstract: An ink cartridge 1 is detachably connected to a head of a record apparatus and has a container main body 2 having an ink tank chamber 11 opened to the atmosphere in a state in which the head and the cartridge are connected and a first opening 85 through which ink can be injected into the ink tank chamber (second ink storage chamber 16, etc.,). Such an intermediate wall 301 partitioning the ink tank chamber 11 into two space parts 11a and 11b placed side by side in an ink injection direction is disposed in the ink tank chamber 11 and is formed with a through part 301a through which ink can be injected.

Abstract: An ink cartridge 1 is detachably connected to a head of a record apparatus and has a container main body 2 having an ink tank chamber 11 opened to the atmosphere in a state in which the head and the cartridge are connected and a first opening 85 through which ink can be injected into the ink tank chamber (second ink storage chamber 16, etc.,). Such an intermediate wall 301 partitioning the ink tank chamber 11 into two space parts 11a and 11b placed side by side in an ink injection direction is disposed in the ink tank chamber 11 and is formed with a through part 301a through which ink can be injected.

Abstract: An ink cartridge 1 is detachably connected to a head of a record apparatus and has a container main body 2 having an ink tank chamber 11 opened to the atmosphere in a state in which the head and the cartridge are connected and a first opening 85 through which ink can be injected into the ink tank chamber (second ink storage chamber 16, etc.,). Such an intermediate wall 301 partitioning the ink tank chamber 11 into two space parts 11a and 11b placed side by side in an ink injection direction is disposed in the ink tank chamber 11 and is formed with a through part 301a through which ink can be injected.

Abstract: A refill unit that includes a case, a door, a locking member and an unlocking member. The locking member slides between a protruded position and a retracted position and is engageable with the case at an intermediate position between the protruded position and the retracted position to lock the door in a closed position. the locking member is displaced toward the retracted position to release the engagement. The unlocking member is turnably supported on the door and is capable of moving, when the door is in the closed position, between a neutral position and a housed position. The unlocking member is displaced from the neutral position to a fallen position to displace the locking member from the intermediate position to the retracted position.

Abstract: A liquid cartridge includes: a cartridge case including a case body having an opening at its one side and a lid member covering the opening of the case body; and a liquid accommodating part that is provided in an internal space defined within the cartridge case, at least a part of the liquid accommodating part being made of flexible material, wherein an air communicating path having one end communicating with an air introduction hole through which air is introduced and the other end communicating with the internal space is formed to surround the internal space in the cartridge case.

Abstract: A solid ink jet image forming apparatus includes a printing unit which fires melted solid ink onto an image on a printing medium for printing, and an ink supplying unit which contains solid ink in a lateral direction of the printing unit. In the case where the solid ink jet image forming apparatus includes a scanning unit reading an image from a document, a user can simply and easily load the solid ink without moving the scanning unit, so that the solid ink jet image forming apparatus has improved installation stability and a compact size.

Abstract: This invention is related to an inkjet ink comprising water, a first self-dispersing pigment, and a second self-dispersing pigment, wherein said first self-dispersing pigment comprises a charged group bonded directly to the surface thereof, and said second self-dispersing pigment comprises a charged group bonded through a linking group to the surface thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to ink compositions and printed substrates produced using the ink, inkjet dispensers including the ink, printing systems for using and printing with the ink, and methods for using the same. In an embodiment, the ink composition is a consumable inkjet ink formulated by combining an aqueous inkjet vehicle having at least one water soluble organic solvent, and a colorant.

Abstract: The image recording apparatus forms an image on each of at least two kinds of printing media of different widths by ejecting ink droplets thereon. The apparatus includes an ink ejection unit that ejects ink toward a front surface of a printing medium, a pair of ink receivers that receive the ink ejected outside both side edges of the printing medium in a width direction perpendicular to a transport direction of the printing medium and a first shield plate that is arranged outside a first edge of the printing medium in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the printing medium, and moves in parallel to the front surface of the printing medium and in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the printing medium in accordance with a position of an edge of each of the at least two kinds of printing media of the different widths.

Abstract: An inkjet printing system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an inkjet printing chamber depositing ink on a substrate, and a drying chamber spaced from inkjet printing chamber by a predetermined interval and drying the ink by regulating a vapor pressure of a solvent of the ink deposited on substrate. The drying chamber is provided separately, and the vapor pressure of the solvent within the drying chamber is regulated, so that the drying speed of the ink is regulated so as to improve the crystallinity of the organic semiconductor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an inkjet recording element having good dye keeping properties in time and good image quality. Said inkjet recording element comprises a porous polyester support and at least one ink-receiving layer, said ink-receiving layer comprising at least one hydrosoluble binder and at least one aluminosilicate polymer obtainable by a preparation method consisting in treating an aluminum halide with an alkyl orthosilicate only having hydrolyzable functions with an aqueous alkali in the presence of silanol groups, the aluminum concentration being maintained less than 0.3 mol/l, the Al/Si molar ratio being maintained between 1 and 3.6 and the alkali/Al molar ratio being maintained between 2.3 and 3; and then stirring the resulting mixture at ambient temperature in the presence of silanol groups for long enough to form the aluminosilicate polymer.

Abstract: An image drum device and a method of manufacturing the image drum are provided. The method includes forming electrodes, electrically insulated from each other and disposed parallel to each other, on a flexible substrate; bonding a control unit to the flexible substrate; disposing opposite ends of the flexible substrate to face each other; inserting the control unit and the ends of the flexible substrate into a slit which is longitudinally formed in a drum body; and attaching the flexible substrate to the drum body. The image drum includes a drum body having a slit longitudinally therein; a flexible substrate including electrodes, electrically insulated from each other, disposed parallel to each other, and formed on an outer surface thereof, the flexible substrate attached to and covering the drum body; and a control unit which is inserted into the slit together with opposite ends of an outer surface of the flexible substrate.

Abstract: A disclosed optical scanner includes a light source unit and a control unit configured to control the light source unit. Light emitted from the light source unit is scanned to expose a scan object surface and form an image on the scan object surface. The light source unit includes plural light sources arranged at a density equal to N (N being an integer of two or more) times higher than a density of pixels on the scan object surface. The control unit controls the light source unit such that one pixel is formed by at least two of the light sources.

Abstract: Disclosed in a multi-beam optical scanning apparatus which includes a light source unit including a plurality of radiation points disposed with being spaced from each other in a main scanning direction, and a deflecting unit for deflecting a plurality of light beams radiated from the light source unit toward a surface to be scanned.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a polygon mirror, a plurality of laser generators, a first sensor, and a second sensor are disposed at a frame formed with a resin. A laser beam outputted from the laser generator and deflected by a deflection surface is irradiated onto a photosensitive surface of a photosensitive drum to scan the photosensitive surface over a scan part. The first sensor is disposed at a first position to detect a laser beam deflected by the deflection surface. The second sensor is disposed at a second position to detect a laser beam deflected by the deflection surface. A storage unit stores correspondence information indicating shift of the scan part from a reference scan part in relation to time difference between detections of the laser beam by the first sensor and the laser beam by the second sensor. The correspondence information varies with temperature variation in the frame. A controller controls the laser generator to output a laser beam based on the shift of the scan part.

Abstract: Scanning of a microarray is performed through a mask that exposes a plurality, but not all, of the sites of the microarray, and either the mask is movable relative to the microarray or the microarray is movable relative to the mask, or both. The mask is useful as a means of restricting the illumination of sites on the microarray to those that can be illuminated while the scan head is traveling at a steady, target velocity, blocking the passage of light between the scan head and the microarray at those points in the scan head trajectory where the scan head is either accelerating or decelerating. The mask is also useful for reducing background noise in the microarray image by preventing light spillage to sites adjacent to those being scanned.

Abstract: A laser beam emitted from each semiconductor laser 27 is guided by a step index type multi-mode optical fiber, a graded index type multi-mode optical fiber deformable and movable with movement of a recording head, and a step index type multi-mode optical fiber, to be emitted from a light emitter toward an imaging optical system.

Abstract: A method of adjusting an exposure device suited for an electrophotographic printer, the exposure device includes a plurality of light-emitting elements. The method includes the steps of energizing selected light-emitting elements according to a selection scheme, using a pre-determined energy level for energizing each selected light-emitting element and obtaining a corresponding exposure intensity distribution from the exposure device. The method further includes the steps of predicting a toner area coverage distribution, based on the obtained exposure intensity distribution and on a pre-established transfer function, obtaining an attribute of the predicted toner area coverage distribution and determining the setting values for the energy levels for energizing each selected light-emitting element such that the obtained attribute becomes a target attribute.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for deploying and delivering composite services in an NGN network. In one embodiment, a composite service enabling data processing system can be provided. The system can include a visual channel servlet enabled to establish for a common session a visual channel of access to a composite service, and a voice channel servlet enabled to establish for the common session a voice channel of access to a composite service. The system further can include a model servlet configured for coupling to a model for the common session, for modifying state data in the model for the common session, and to synchronize views for each of the channels of access to the composite service responsive to updates detected in the model.

Abstract: A portable telephone with a camera is disclosed, in which a functionality of a camera being rotated to an object in any desired rotational angle without a main body turned around. The portable telephone comprises a main body having a control panel installed on a front face of the main body and a rotation-support part formed in an upper end of the main body, a folder having a display panel and a speaker installed on a front face of the folder and having a connecting part formed in a low end of the folder, the connecting part being rotatably coupled to outer sides of the rotation-support part, and a camera module being rotatably coupled to inner sides of the rotation-support parts.

Abstract: A security monitoring system has a monitoring location and a remote location with at least one monitoring device. A first image from one of the monitoring devices is recorded, and then compared with a second image from the same monitoring device. When the amount of change between the first and second images exceeds a predetermined threshold, then a scrutiny situation signal is generated. The video recorder may be located at either the monitoring location or the remote location. In some cases, the first and second video images are sent from the remote location to the monitoring location via a temporary communication channel that has at least one portion that is provided by an online computer service. In some cases, the first and second video images are sent from the remote location to the monitoring location via a temporary communication channel that has at least one wireless portion.

Abstract: A method for mixing effect sounds with a music data and storing/replaying the mixed music data using an auxiliary input device equipped at the mobile telephone is provided. The method includes extracting a direction and a displacement range of the auxiliary input device from an input signal, if the signal is input through the auxiliary input device while music data is replayed, applying effects corresponding to the extracted direction and input range to the music data, storing the music data with the applied effects in a temporary memory, and storing the music data with the applied effects as merged music data in a memory according to a user's commmand.

Abstract: The present invention provides a teleconference terminal apparatus for carrying out a teleconference by transmitting/receiving image and voice signals via a communications network. The teleconference terminal apparatus comprises: an image-capturing device which generates an image signal by capturing an image; an image processing section which converts the image signal to a signal mode corresponding to the communications network and outputs the converted signal; a microphone which performs detection of a voice along with the image capturing, and thereby generates a voice signal corresponding to the level of the voice; a voice processing section which converts the voice signal to a signal mode corresponding to the communications network and outputs the converted signal; and a computing section which increases or reduces the amount of data of the image signal outputted from the image processing section, on the basis of the level of the voice signal.

Abstract: A control unit is connected to an endoscopic video camera, which is connected to an endoscope. Image data representing an image is received by the control unit from the video camera. Based on a characteristic of the received image which is indicative of a physical characteristic of the endoscope, the endoscope is recognized and/or and the value of a parameter for processing or display of images acquired by the camera is then automatically selected.

Abstract: An endoscope device including an insertion part including an observation optical system and a measuring optical system, wherein the endoscope device is provided with a characteristic value comparing circuit 85 which compares previous characteristic values and current characteristic values to identify previous characteristic values corresponding to the current characteristic values, and when storing the current characteristic values, current characteristic values corresponding to the previous characteristic values, identified by the characteristic value comparing circuit 85, are stored in a storage circuit C2 together with various information. According to the invention, for inspecting turbine blades of jet engines, automation (labor-saving) of the inspection process by reducing the number of the inspection steps is realized and the difficulty in the inspection of analysis areas is eliminated.

Abstract: A goggle based light-weight VOG system includes an integral calibration laser and at least one digital camera connected to and powered by a laptop computer through a firewire connection. The digital camera may digitally center the pupil in both the X and Y directions. A calibration mechanism may be incorporated onto the goggle base. An EOG system may also be incorporated directly into the goggle. The VOG system may track and record 3-D movement of the eye, track pupil dilation, head position and goggle slippage. An animated eye display provides data in a more meaningful fashion. The VOG system is a modular design whereby the same goggle frame or base is used to build a variety of digital camera VOG systems.

Abstract: A live video system provides live video monitoring of subject matter in a hazardous zone located in a poor radio frequency (RF) transmission area. A camera sealed against contamination captures video images of the subject matter in the hazardous zone. The camera sends the live video images over a camera cable connected to a live reel. The live reel may be located in the hazardous zone and has a feed cable on the live reel electrically connected to the camera cable as the feed cable is paid out from the live reel. This feed cable extends from the live reel to a transmission station located outside the poor RF transmission area. The transmission station has a RF transmitter connected to the feed cable. The RF transmitter transmits the video signal to a receiving station.

Abstract: An Interferometric Modulator (IMod) is a microelectromechanical device for modulating light using interference. The colors of these devices may be determined in a spatial fashion, and their inherent color shift may be compensated for using several optical compensation mechanisms. Brightness, addressing, and driving of IMods may be accomplished in a variety of ways with appropriate packaging, and peripheral electronics which can be attached and/or fabricated using one of many techniques. The devices may be used in both embedded and directly perceived applications, the latter providing multiple viewing modes as well as a multitude of product concepts ranging in size from microscopic to architectural in scope.

Abstract: A remote location having at least one monitoring device is monitored via a temporary communication channel so that an image from the remote location is displayed at a monitoring location along with a graphic signal that depends on the source of the image. Scrutiny information is sent from the remote location to the monitoring location, including the image. The graphic signal may represent a map of the remote location, and may include text providing helpful information relating to the remote location. In some cases, the temporary communication channel is provided at least in part through an online computer service. In some cases, the communications interface is a wireless communications interface.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for providing a real-time remote video feed of an interactive jewelry showing. In an embodiment, a digital video camera captures a video stream of a jewelry item, such as a gem or, more particularly, a diamond, being manipulated by a gemologist. Using a combination of both physical and digital zoom capabilities, the video is configured to provide between 300× and 1000× (variable) magnification. The gemologist may observe the video stream via a display and may further control operation of the system through user input devices such as a mouse and keyboard. A computer system collocated with the gemologist, may be used to receive and process the video stream from the digital video camera. The computer system may then be coupled to a packet network whereby other users may be provided with access to the real-time remote jewelry feed.

Abstract: A plurality of modules interact to form an adaptive network in which each module transmits and receives data signals indicative of proximity of objects. A central computer accumulates the data produced or received and relayed by each module for analyzing proximity responses to transmit through the adaptive network control signals to a selectively-addressed module to respond to computer analyses of the data accumulated from modules forming the adaptive network. Interactions of local processors in modules that sense an intrusion determine the location and path of movements of the intruding object and control cameras in the modules to retrieve video images of the intruding object. Multiple operational frequencies in adaptive networks permit expansions by additional networks that each operate at separate radio frequencies to avoid overlapping interaction. Additional modules may be introduced into operating networks without knowing the operating frequency at the time of introduction.

Abstract: A system for adult verification in a mobile RFID environment and a method thereof, more particularly, a system which strongly protects privacy and a method thereof are provided. The system comprising a RFID tag, a user terminal, an adult verification request processor, and a content provider (CP) includes: a rating information reader reading adult verification rating information of adult content recorded in an RFID tag; an adult verification rating determiner determining a final rating of the read rating information; and a service rating verification validity checker determining whether the adult content corresponding to the final rating is provided to a user of the terminal on the basis of the determined final rating and the age of the user.

Abstract: A photographic device including: a wide-angle lens; an image processing unit for processing light passed through the wide-angle lens to convert the light into a wide-field picture, directly cutting out a part of the wide-field picture, and for correcting distortion of the part cut out; and recording means capable of recording the picture corrected for distortion by the image processing unit.

Abstract: An image monitoring system uses wireless communications to transmit images for security monitoring. The system includes a central controller (105) and a plurality of digital still camera units (110) operatively connected to the central controller (105). At least one of the camera units (110) includes an image sensor (215), a motion detector (220) that causes the image sensor (215) to receive image data when motion is detected, a micro controller (205), and a first nonvolatile memory operatively connected to or included in the micro controller (205). The micro controller (205) determines whether received image data should be transmitted to the central controller (105), and the central controller (105) determines whether received image data should be transmitted to a monitoring station (115). The camera units (110) may further be used as standalone units as replacements for motion detectors in existing security systems.

Abstract: An integrated apparatus for testing image devices is disclosed, in which a plurality of testing apparatuses needed when an image-related device is installed are integrated into one construction for thereby achieving a good portability as compared to a conventional art in which a plurality of testing apparatuses such as a multi-meter, a portable monitor, a communication tester, etc. are separately needed.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for determining an operational threshold level for distinguishing between video data and synchronization data in a video signal, are described herein.

Abstract: An image vibration-compensating apparatus and a method thereof are provided. The apparatus and the method are applied in an image-capturing apparatus, such as a digital still camera (DSC) or digital video recorder (DVR), for compensating image vibration when capturing an image. The image vibration-compensating apparatus comprises an adaptive edge extractor, a sub-region movement detector, a frame motion calculator, and a correcting vector generator. The image vibration-compensating apparatus analyses the difference between the current image and the previous image, and outputs the correcting motion vector to achieve the function of image vibration-compensation. In the image vibration-compensating method, an accumulate compensation mode is used to prevent fast motion of an image frame which will cause discomfort of the user's eyes when a relatively large image vibration occurs in a short period.

Abstract: An image pickup device includes a display that displays one of image data including an operation menu or operation key image data representing operation keys; an external output section that outputs the image data including the operation menu to the outside; an output state detector that detects that the external output section is in a state capable of outputting the image data to the outside; a display data instruction section that instructs to display the operation key image data on the display and to display the image data including the operation menu on an external display device, which is an output destination of the image data in the external output section, when the external output section is detected to be in the capable state, and instructs to display the image data including the operation menu on the display when the external output section is not detected to be in the capable state; a display data supply that supplies one of the display or the external output section with one of the image data incl

Abstract: A method for customizing a digital camera for at least one particular user is disclosed. The digital camera includes a reprogrammable memory for storing firmware which controls the operation of the digital camera and a camera graphical user interface responsive to the firmware stored in the reprogrammable memory. The method includes providing customization software executed external to the digital camera which can access a plurality of firmware components having different camera features. A user selects desired camera features to cause the customization software to access the corresponding firmware component(s). The selected corresponding firmware component(s) are provided to the digital camera and the reprogrammable memory is reprogrammed to store the corresponding firmware component(s) to thereby customize the digital camera.

Abstract: An optical apparatus is disclosed which can prevent displacement of subject images due to an initializing operation of the image stabilizing unit from being seen by a photographer through a finder. The apparatus comprises an image-stabilizing unit which includes a movable unit movable for image stabilization and balls movable in conjunction with the movement of the movable unit, and a controller which controls operations of the movable unit. The controller causes the movable unit to perform a specific operation for moving the balls to a specific position in response to mounting of the optical apparatus on another optical apparatus, the specific operation being a different operation from an image stabilization operation of the image-stabilizing unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus capable of obtaining good shake-corrected images in electronic image stablization irrespective of changes of image-taking conditions. An image processing apparatus comprising: a shake correcting part that performs coordinate transformation processing based on shake information to an input image that is generated by use of an image-pickup device; and a method changing part that changes a coordinate transformation method for the coordinate transformation processing.

Abstract: A camera device includes optics to produce a projected image, where the projected image has a projected image area. The camera device also includes a moveable sensor to move to a number of positions within the projected image area and capture a portion of the projected image, as an image portion, in each of the positions, and processing logic to combine the image portions together into a final image.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus for imaging an image using a solid-state image pickup device includes a first linear matrix operation unit configured to perform matrix conversion upon a color component of an image signal obtained by imaging using coefficients capable of improving color reproducibility; a second linear matrix operation unit configured to perform matrix conversion upon the color component using coefficients capable of achieving noise component reduction; a signal combining unit configured to combine image signals output from a plurality of signal processing systems each of which includes one of the first or second linear matrix operation units; and a combination ratio setting unit configured to set a combination ratio so that, when a subject is bright, an image signal output from the signal processing system that includes the first linear matrix operation unit can be combined in an amount larger than the image signals output from the other signal processing systems.

Abstract: In short, the image processing device for obtaining a single image by using a plurality of image-pickup elements comprises a plurality of image-pickup signal processing circuits that are provided for each of the image-pickup elements, an image arrangement conversion circuit which converts the read-out order of the images corresponding to the respective image-pickup elements that are output from the image-pickup signal processing circuits, an image splitting processing circuit for performing image splitting on the image that is output from the image arrangement conversion circuit, an image processing circuit for performing image processing in parallel on each of the split images, and an image compression circuit for compressing in parallel each of the split images that are output from the image processing circuit.

Abstract: A method for customizing a digital camera for at least one particular user is disclosed. The digital camera includes a reprogrammable memory for storing firmware which controls the operation of the digital camera and a camera graphical user interface responsive to the firmware stored in the reprogrammable memory. The method includes providing customization software executed external to the digital camera which can access a plurality of firmware components having different camera features. A user selects desired camera features to cause the customization software to access the corresponding firmware component(s). The selected corresponding firmware component(s) are provided to the digital camera and the reprogrammable memory is reprogrammed to store the corresponding firmware component(s) to thereby customize the digital camera.

Abstract: A storage unit is configured to store beforehand a table that shows a relation between spread parameters and command values supplied to a control unit to acquire a focused image of an object, and information that designates a command value corresponding to an inflection point on an approximated curve showing the relation that the spread parameters have with the command values, the control unit being configured to control a state of an optical system in accordance with an input command value. The luminance information about the object that lies at a distance falling within a range over which focusing should be detected is acquired, at the position of the optical system, which is obtained by the command value corresponding to the inflection point shown in the table.

Abstract: An operability in performing an image correction process on a picked-up image of an object shot at approximately the same shooting angle is improved and a process time is shortened. A CPU in a cellular phone extracts the contour of the object from one of a plurality of picked-up images sequentially picked up in a sequential image pickup mode, and calculates correction data to be used in image correction based on the extracted contour. Thereafter, the CPU performs an image correction process on the plurality of picked-up images picked up sequentially to correct the distortion of the image of the object included in each picked-up image, using the calculated correction data.