Patents Issued in May 15, 2008
  • Publication number: 20080112679
    Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a two-dimensional photonic crystal in which a complete photonic band gap (PBG), i.e. a photonic band gap that is effective for both a TE-polarized light and a TM-polarized light within a predetermined wavelength range, is created and an adequate width of the complete PBG can be ensured. A slab-shaped body 21 consisting of a birefringent material is provided with holes 22 periodically arranged in a triangular lattice pattern, where a plane shape of the hole is an equilateral triangle. The PBG for the TE-polarized light and the PBG for the TM-polarized light can be independently set by adjusting anisotropy in the refractive index of the body 21, i.e. a refractive index in a direction vertical to the body 21 and a refractive index in a direction parallel to the body 21. This construction makes it possible to ensure an adequate width of the complete PBG.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicants: KYOTO UNIVERSITY, TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Susumu Noda, Takashi Asano, Seiichi Takayama, Ranko Hatsuda
  • Publication number: 20080112680
    Abstract: There is provided splice trays and splice assemblies that include one or more optical fiber routing guides for optical fiber slack storage. The optical fiber routing guides are associated with individual or select groupings of splice holders in order to eliminate slack storage generally around the perimeter of the splice tray. Therefore, the optical fibers of one or a select number of splices may be routed separately from other optical fibers to enable technicians to more easily manipulate the fibers. In addition, optical fiber routing guides are included with a splice assembly in order to eliminate slack storage generally around the splice tray. The optical fiber routing guides additionally may define bend radiuses of between about 0.1 inch and about 0.5 inch. Therefore, splice trays and splice assemblies comprising the optical fiber routing guides may provide more convenient access and/or define smaller sizes compared to previous splice trays and splice assemblies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventor: Danny McGranahan
  • Publication number: 20080112681
    Abstract: An optical connection closure has at least one connector port located within an external wall of the closure for receiving a connectorized optical fiber of a distribution cable on the inside of the closure and a pre-connectorized fiber optic drop cable on the outside of the closure. The closure includes a base, a cover affixed to the base and movable between a closed position and an opened position, and an end wall that defines at least a portion of at least one cable opening for receiving the distribution cable in a butt-type or a through-type closure configuration. The base and the cover define an interior cavity that optionally contains a splice tray for interconnecting the optical fiber of the distribution cable with a pigtail to create the connectorized optical fiber. The connector port may be located within an end wall, a bottom wall or a top wall of the closure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Jennifer Battey, Guy Castonguay, Donnie Clapp, Terry Cox, Brett Menke, Jason Reagan, Chanh Vo
  • Publication number: 20080112682
    Abstract: To make a connecting structure of optical connectors capable of constantly and stably keeping optical connector plugs connected in a laterally aligned state through an optical connector clip, the structure includes boots formed to have fitted parts in an annular groove shape or a ringlike projection shape on an outer peripheries thereof; and a clip body including a plurality of boot inserting parts, which are adjacently provided and have fitting parts in a ringlike projection shape or an annular groove shape on an inner peripheries thereof, so as to fit the fitting parts to the fitted parts of the boots, wherein both side faces of the clip body are formed to have slit parts communicating with the boot inserting parts so as to be deformed in an expanding direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: SANWADENKI KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuji Ishii, Kohshi Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20080112683
    Abstract: A remote video editing system is provided for editing a video from a remote location without the need to locally save the video every time an edit is made. Briefly described, one embodiment, among others, includes the steps of analyzing characteristics of the video and embedding the information into the video; storing the video and the embedded information at an editing server; receiving edit instructions from a client at the editing server; creating a project file containing the edit instructions received; and editing the video based on the project file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: CYBERLINK CORP.
    Inventors: Borching Lin, Jau Hsiung Huang
  • Publication number: 20080112684
    Abstract: Systems and methods for space-time video montage are described. In one aspect, one or more arbitrary space-time volumes representing informative video portion(s) of at least one input video data sequence are identified. A video summary representing a montage of the at least one input video data sequence is generated for presentation to user from the one or more arbitrary space-time volumes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Matsushita, Hong-Wen Kang, Xiaoou Tang
  • Publication number: 20080112685
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a data transmission apparatus and a data transmission method for properly managing the contents of data and reproducing information recorded to a recording medium. A recording medium of the copy source records a Clip (Clip Information file and Clip AV stream file) and a PlayList. The PlayList and Clip files are transferred from the copy source to the copy destination via an IEEE 1394 digital bus to be copied to the copy destination. The arrival time stamp of the TP_extra_header of each source packet of the copied Clip AV stream file is the same as that of the copy source and the Clip Information file and the PlayList file corresponding to the copied Clip AV stream file are also copied to the copy destination. The present invention is applicable to recording apparatuses or reproducing apparatuses which process AV stream files, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Motoki Kato
  • Publication number: 20080112686
    Abstract: A method and system are provided in which metadata associated with programs selected to be recorded are monitored in real time and the recording begins and ends when the selected title is detected from actual video header information regardless of the time slot within which the program is scheduled to run. Another feature enables the recording of a designated program beyond its assigned time slot even when there is insufficient storage space on the user's DVR or other storage device. Other interconnected DVR or other storage devices are accessed to record one or more portions of the selected program. When a user desires a playback of the recording, the recorded program is played-back from the various networked multiple storage resources, each of which may contain one or more portions of the recorded program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Yen-Fu Chen, Blaine H. Dolph
  • Publication number: 20080112687
    Abstract: An information recording medium, and a recording/reproducing apparatus and a recording/reproducing method for the recording medium. Original data is sequentially updated by replacing an original recording block with one or more replacement recording blocks. A replacement recording block includes at least one of an original address field indicating a location of the original recording block or a previous address field indicating a location of an immediately previous recording block. Replacement information is effectively recovered in a system where a replacement for logical overwriting (LOW) occurs in either a spare area and a user data area by reference to the address fields in each replacement recording block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Sung-hee HWANG, Jung-wan KO
  • Publication number: 20080112688
    Abstract: An information recording medium, and a recording/reproducing apparatus and a recording/reproducing method for the recording medium. Original data is sequentially updated by replacing an original recording block with one or more replacement recording blocks. A replacement recording block includes at least one of an original address field indicating a location of the original recording block or a previous address field indicating a location of an immediately previous recording block. Replacement information is effectively recovered in a system where a replacement for logical overwriting (LOW) occurs in either a spare area and a user data area by reference to the address fields in each replacement recording block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-hee HWANG, Jung-wan KO
  • Publication number: 20080112689
    Abstract: An image pickup device is equipped with a function to a pickup still picture during a moving picture pickup operation with voices. After a moving picture pickup processing with voices is started (YES in S2), a moving picture recording processing and a voice recording processing are started (S14). Subsequently, when a shutter button is depressed halfway (YES in S16), the moving picture recording processing is switched to a processing to store substitute frames, which are a copy of frame data immediately preceding the half depression operation of the shutter button, instead of moving picture frames imaged in moving picture frame cycles (step S20), and a still picture pickup processing is performed. After the still picture pickup processing ends, the normal moving picture recording processing is resumed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Makoto YOKOI
  • Publication number: 20080112690
    Abstract: A system to personalize a display of content locally recorded at a media device is described herein. A segment having an associated segment identifier is extracted from a broadcast event recorded at the remote media device. Each segment identifier is searched for a match with the user profile data to generate a personalized segment list. Locator code data is associated with each segment of the personalized segment list. The locator code data is transmitted to the media device to be used to extract an image to present the personalized segment list.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Behzad Shahraray, David Gibbon, Lee Begeja, Zhu Liu, Richard V. Cox, Bernard S. Renger
  • Publication number: 20080112691
    Abstract: The present invention prevents a recording failure that may arise out of insufficient free disk space in a hard disk based video recorder. If disk space insufficiency occurs in a redundant recording device or video recorder that is equipped with a redundant hard disk array to provide against failure, the nonredundant mode is temporarily selected to obtain a necessary disk space. Further, the file loss caused by a hard disk failure is minimized by providing redundancy on an individual file basis and not on an individual hard disk basis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20080112692
    Abstract: Digital image conversion for storage on an optical disc and corresponding playback on an optical disc player is disclosed. Digital image conversion may convert images from external devices in an environment where the internal memory is insufficient to support retention of an entire optical disc image to be written onto the optical disc. The conversion entails iteratively accessing digital image files to be converted, encoding and storing them on the optical disc in the appropriate format, and building a navigational structure that is used to accommodate playback of the images from the optical disc. In one example, the digital image format of the source image files is JPEG, and the optical disc and playback format is a DVD format, with the encoded image file forming a packetized elementary stream, and the video file format being a DVD compliant program stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicants: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Chiu, Joseph Maciel
  • Publication number: 20080112693
    Abstract: Method of contiguously recording a sequence of ordered A/V information signals, such as video/audio information, and corresponding management information signals, such as video management, menu information or file information, on a disc-like recording medium of the write-once type, such as an optically recordable and readable disc. The recorded information complies to the requirements of ordering of such information as defined by a disc of the read-only type or of the rewritable type. The method comprises allocating a reserved area within a linear addressing space of the disc, contiguously recording the A/V information signals in a video recording area located succeeding the reserved area, recording corresponding management data in a temporary overview space succeeding the video recording area, generating a mapping table for mapping the recorded management data to address locations in the reserved area and recording the mapping table in the temporary overview space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.
    Inventor: WIEBE DE HAAN
  • Publication number: 20080112694
    Abstract: An electric motor speed controller for use in a bicycle includes a motor to provide a propulsion force to move the bicycle. The actual motor speed and a target motor speed are compared, and if the actual motor speed is lower, more current is supplied to the motor, and if the actual motor speed is higher, less current is supplied to the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicants: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., Panasonic Semiconductor Asia Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Tien Yew Kang, Kian Teck Teo, Yubin Liu
  • Publication number: 20080112695
    Abstract: If a PWM duty instruction D1 determined by a duty calculation circuit exceeds an upper limit value, a duty signal processing circuit in a motor drive apparatus divides a switching current supply period in each of the phases into a first current supply period and a second current supply period. In the first current supply period, the duty is set to the upper limit value. In the second current supply period, the duty is set to 100%, and the length of the second current supply period is set depending upon the duty instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Kanamori
  • Publication number: 20080112696
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to lock a phase lock loop to a spindle motor are disclosed. An example controller comprises a counter to determine a period of an operating signal received from a motor, an oscillator to generate a control signal based on an input signal, and an initializer to generate the input value based on the period, wherein the input value causes the oscillator to generate the control signal having the same phase as the operating signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Liyong Chen, Irfan Azam Chaudhry, Steven Chacko
  • Publication number: 20080112697
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an image forming apparatus to control a DC motor at low speed using a low resolution encoder and a method thereof. If the encoder does not generate any pulses during a controlling period, the control apparatus estimates the speed of the DC motor using a formula model related to a plant in which an output speed of the direct current motor is varied according to an input voltage and a ripple model to estimate the speed of the direct current motor due to a load ripple caused by a gear driven by the direct current motor. The control apparatus avoids additional costs associated with high resolution encoders and strongly resists variation of load and has an excellent control performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae Young Kim
  • Publication number: 20080112698
    Abstract: A camera system for use with a weapon includes a camera, a lens assembly separate from the camera, and a mount attached to the lens assembly for mounting the lens assembly to a weapon. The camera includes a body, a wireless receiver disposed along the body, and a storage medium in communication with the receiver. The lens assembly comprises a wireless transmitter for transmitting signals from the lens assembly to the receiver. The camera system may include a sensor connected to the lens assembly for detecting a change in the position of the lens assembly from a non-shooting position to a shooting position and for activating the camera system based upon detection of this change in positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventor: Craig Ray
  • Publication number: 20080112699
    Abstract: A method for automatically estimating the spatial positions between cameras in a camera network utilizes unique identifying signals, such as RFID signals, transmitting between nearby cameras to estimate the relative distances or positions between cameras from received signal strength (RSS), time of arrival (TOA), or time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements to thereby determine the neighboring relationship among the cameras. A discover-locate process can be used to discover, from the estimated relative distances, unknown cameras in the vicinity of at least three cameras at known locations. Absolute locations of the discovered unknown cameras can then be calculated using a geometric calculation. The discover-locate process can be cascaded throughout the network to discover and locate all unknown cameras automatically using previously discovered and located cameras.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Steve D. Huseth, Soumitri N. Kolavennu, Saad J. Bedros, Isaac Cohen
  • Publication number: 20080112700
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a camera for at least one of taking a photograph or filming a video. The imaging device also includes a projection viewfinder assembly that projects a viewfinder to visually indicate a field of view of the camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Eral D. Foxenland, Jenny Fredriksson, Tom Pelzer
  • Publication number: 20080112701
    Abstract: An information presenting device is constituted by a recognizing and identifying unit for recognizing and identifying each marker within a photographing range of a photographing unit from an image photographed by the photographing unit, an information designating unit for designating information in accordance with information on each marker identified by the identifying unit, and a presentation image generating unit for generating a presentation image in which the information designated by the information designating unit is associated with the image photographed by the photographing unit. And the information on the each marker that is to be identified by the identifying unit is supplied in a data file set separately from the information presenting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takao SHIBASAKI, Yukihito FURUHASHI, Akito SAITO, Yuichiro AKATSUKA
  • Publication number: 20080112702
    Abstract: A photographing apparatus requiring a short initialization time, and a method thereof are provided. The photographing apparatus includes a camera part for converting an optical image converged through a lens into an electric signal, and processing the electric signal into an image signal, a first memory for temporarily storing the image signal generated at the camera part, a second memory for storing the image signal stored in the first memory, and a signal processing part for temporarily storing the image signal to the first memory during initialization of the second memory, and upon completion of the initialization of the second memory, storing the image signal stored in the first memory to the second memory. As a result, initialization time of the photographing apparatus is shortened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventor: Sang-hyuk Cha
  • Publication number: 20080112703
    Abstract: A photonic interconnect system avoids high capacitance electric interconnects by using optical signals to communicate data between devices. The system can provide massively parallel information output by mapping logical addresses to frequency bands, so that modulation of a selected frequency band can encode information for a specific location corresponding to the logical address. The system comprises a first device containing a plurality of locations that are separately accessible and a plurality of optical decoders respectively associated with the locations; a second device that generates a logical address identifying a selected one of the locations in the first device; a converter capable of activating each of a plurality of components of an optical signal; and an optical path from the converter to each of the locations. The system can be used for both classical and quantum information processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Raymond Beausoleil, Philip Kuekes, William Munro, Timothy Spiller, R. Williams, Sean Barrett
  • Publication number: 20080112704
    Abstract: Generating oscillator signals with which selected signals may be mixed. Such oscillator signals may be generated by dividing a pilot tone, such as a 120 MHz pilot tone found on many cable TV systems. Oscillator signals for demodulating received selected signals may be similarly generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: TELESECTOR RESOURCES GROUP, INC.
    Inventors: Jack Needle, Dimitrios Kokkinos
  • Publication number: 20080112705
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the design and operation of a frequency selective electrooptic source. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the electrooptic source comprises an optical signal generator, optical circuitry, and at least one optical/electrical converter wherein the optical signal generator comprises a plurality of optical outputs characterized by distinct output frequencies and the optical circuitry is configured to permit the selection and combination of different ones of the distinct-frequency optical outputs to generate a modulated optical signal, which is converted to a millimeter or sub-millimeter wave. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: OPTIMER PHOTONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Richard Ridgway, David W. Nippa
  • Publication number: 20080112706
    Abstract: An optical receiving apparatus for reducing crosstalk in a WDM communication system is disclosed. The receiving device includes a wavelength division de-multiplexer for receiving and de-multiplexing a first multiplexed optical signal and a second multiplexed optical signal, a first receiver for photo-electrically converting the first optical signal input from the wavelength division de-multiplexer into a first data signal, a second receiver for photo-electrically converting the second optical signal input from the wavelength division de-multiplexer and dividing the photo-electrically converted signal into a first division signal and a second division signal according to power and a compensator for inversing the second division signal and combining the inversed signal with the first data signal, thereby generating a signal compensating for crosstalk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Hoon Kim, Seong-Taek Hwang
  • Publication number: 20080112707
    Abstract: A connector assembly includes a motherboard and a connector. The motherboard defines a first plane and includes at least one fiber trace. The connector includes an optical lens, an electrical/optical converter, an electrical connector, and a circuit board connecting the optical lens and the electrical connector. The optical lens can be arranged to receive and transmit light from the at least one fiber trace in a direction that is parallel or substantially parallel to the first plane. A plane defined by at least a portion of a main surface of the circuit board is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first plane. The at least one fiber trace is arranged to transmit light to and away from an edge of the motherboard and is arranged to receive light at the edge of the motherboard.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: SAMTEC, INC.
    Inventor: John A. MONGOLD
  • Publication number: 20080112708
    Abstract: An optical receiver comprises a first light receiving element to convert an optical signal to an electric signal and to output the electric signal from one end thereof; and a light receiving element row connected to the other end of said first light receiving element to supply electric power to said first light receiving element, said light receiving element row including a plurality of second light receiving elements connected in series.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SHIMADA, Asako IKEDA, Shigeyuki SAKURA
  • Publication number: 20080112709
    Abstract: The present application is directed to an apparatus and method for the automated compensation of dispersion over a broad wavelength range for coherent optical pulses. In one embodiment, the present application discloses an automatic dispersion compensating optical apparatus configured to change chirp introduced into an optical signal by an optical system in optical communication with the dispersion compensating optical apparatus and includes at least one wavelength-tunable source of coherent optical pulses configured to output at least one optical signal, at least one dispersion compensation device configured to receive the optical signal from the coherent source, and at least one controller in communication with the dispersion compensation device and configured to adjust chirp introduced into the optical signal by the dispersion compensation device as the wavelength of the optical signal is varied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Newport Corporation
    Inventors: Dmitri A. Oulianov, Stefan Marzenell, Richard Boggy
  • Publication number: 20080112710
    Abstract: The present invention is a miniaturized differential M phase-shift modulator (M=2n: n is 2 or more) in which a plurality of Mach-Zehnder type light modulators each adapted to output a DPSK-modulated signal light by applying a driving voltage signal are arranged in parallel and that comprises a multiplexing waveguide adapted to output a DMPSK-modulated light by multiplexing outputs of the plurality of the Mach-Zehnder type light modulators, wherein a phase-shift voltage to produce a phase shift difference of substantially 2?/M for a plurality of the signal lights multiplexed by the multiplexing waveguide is applied to the plurality of the Mach-Zehnder type light modulators together with the driving voltage signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Toshiki TANAKA, Hideyuki Miyata
  • Publication number: 20080112711
    Abstract: An operational amplifier circuit 5 of the present invention includes: a transconductance amplifier circuit 1 which converts a differential input voltage into a differential output current; a common-mode feedback circuit 2 which outputs a control signal to the transconductance amplifier circuit 1 so as to make a D.C. voltage level of a differential output voltage of the transconductance amplifier circuit 1 equal to a reference voltage vref; a voltage supply circuit 3 which supplies, as the reference voltage vref, a voltage which is hardly affected by a power source voltage to the common-mode feedback circuit 2; and an output load ZL to which the differential output voltage of transconductance amplifier circuit 1 is applied, and which constitutes an output terminal of the operational amplifier circuit 5. To each of the circuits, a power source voltage vdd is supplied from a power source terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventor: Takahiro INOUE
  • Publication number: 20080112712
    Abstract: A bandpass filter circuit 10 of the present invention includes: transconductance amplifier circuits 1 to 3; a common-mode feedback circuit 4 which outputs a first control signal to the transconductance amplifier circuit 1 so that a D.C. voltage level of a differential output of the transconductance amplifier circuit 1 is at a predetermined level; a common-mode feedback circuit 5 which outputs a second control signal to the transconductance amplifier circuit 2 so that a D.C. voltage level of a differential output of the transconductance amplifier circuit 2 is at a predetermined level; and capacitors C1 to C3. Each of the members are connected as shown in FIG. 1. With the configuration, a bandpass filter circuit capable of adjusting constants such as a Q-value is realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventor: Takahiro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20080112713
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to surface plasmon-polariton waveguides, which can guide ultra-long range surface plasmon-polariton waves. The attenuation of an ultra-long range surface plasmon-polariton waves is much lower than the attenuation of the conventional long range surface plasmon-polariton waves guided with the same kind of metal film or metal strip at the same plasmon-polariton frequency. An exemplary ultra-long range surface plasmon-polariton waveguide disclosed in this disclosure comprises a metal layer, such as a metal film or finite width metal strip, intermediate dielectric layers adjacent to the metal layer, and outer cladding dielectric material. The intermediate dielectric layers redistribute the electromagnetic energy distribution of the surface plasmon-polariton waves so that less of the energy propagates in the metal layer. Therefore, the attenuation of the surface plasmon-polariton wave is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventor: Junpeng Guo
  • Publication number: 20080112714
    Abstract: A meandering detection device capable of detecting meandering of a subject with high accuracy includes: a contact which has an open end making contact with and following a subject body and which is supported by a support part; a reflection part integrally provided to the contact and reflecting light; an emission part emitting light toward the reflection part; and a first and a second light receiving parts which are disposed in front of the reflection part, which receive the light reflected by the reflection part and then outputs signals in accordance with respective amounts of light received, and which detect meandering of the subject based on a difference in the amount of light received.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventor: Kensuke FUJIHARA
  • Publication number: 20080112715
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner cartridge that is configured to be detachably attachable to a main body of the image forming apparatus and stores toner, a cartridge memory unit that is provided in the toner cartridge and stores information on the toner cartridge, an image forming unit that forms a toner image using toner supplied from the toner cartridge, a memory determining unit that determines whether the cartridge memory unit is in a normal state, a count unit that counts an amount of toner consumption consumed for the toner image formed by the image forming unit, and a life determination unit that determines the life of the toner cartridge corresponding to an amount of residual toner remaining in the toner cartridge, wherein the life determination unit shifts its mode between a first life-determination mode in which the life is determined on the basis of a count value of the count unit and a second life-determination mode in which the life is determined on the basis of the toner density of a
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiki SHIROKI, Hidenori KIN
  • Publication number: 20080112716
    Abstract: In a method or system for regulation of optical density in an electrographic printing method, a toner layer thickness of a toner image developed with a developer station is scanned with a sensor. The resulting toner layer thickness signal is used for regulation of inking in the developer station. A humidity is measured with a moisture sensor and the resulting humidity signal is used for at least one of compensation of moisture-dependent deviations of the toner layer thickness signal and regulation of the inking in the developer station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventor: Markus Jeschonek
  • Publication number: 20080112717
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus and method capable of reducing a measurement error in a measurement result of the surface potential of an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of an image bearing member. The measurement error occurs under the influence of an electric field generated from a pre-exposed area. Consequently, miniaturization of an image forming apparatus and consistent print quality can be achieved. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming control section for determining an error correction value corresponding to the charge state of a latent image on the basis of relationships between charge states of the latent image and error correction values which have been prepared in advance, computing an error corrected potential measurement value using the error correction value and a potential measurement value, and controlling the image forming apparatus on the basis of the error corrected potential measurement value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Zaitsu, Takashi Ushijima, Kaoru Noguchi, Kazuhiko Kato, Toshiyuki Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20080112718
    Abstract: A printer detects density of a toner pattern on an intermediate transfer belt, operates a differential value for the detection value, and compares the differential value with a threshold value. If fluctuation of detection values is great and there are detection values of which differential values exceed the threshold value, those detection values are assumed to contain noise due to abnormality of the shape on the belt, and the detection values in such a range are corrected using curve approximation. A tone correction table is updated using the corrected detection values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hironori Akashi, Tetsuya Sakai
  • Publication number: 20080112719
    Abstract: A liquid volume detector for detecting the volume of a liquid in a container is provided with a liquid level detecting member which is arranged at a specified height position in the container and on which a load acts by the liquid when the liquid level in the container is located at the specified height position, and a first drive source connected to the liquid level detecting member for moving the liquid level detecting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Oda, Nobuhiro Horiuchi, Jumpei Hobo, Koji Murase, Hiroyuki Ueda, Hidenori Takenaka
  • Publication number: 20080112720
    Abstract: There is provided a fixing device 6 including a heating body 22 which has a heating heat generation section 24 subjected to induction heating upon application of alternating magnetic fields generated by a exciting coil 27, a pressure roller 23 which has a pressing heat generation section 25 being higher in magnetic permeability than the heating heat generation section 24 and being subjected to induction heating by a part of magnetic flux in the alternating magnetic fields leaking from the heating heat generation section 24, and a drive circuit for applying drive voltage to the exciting coil, wherein a rate of the alternating magnetic fields leaking from the heating heat generation section 24 is changed by frequencies of the drive voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Kagawa
  • Publication number: 20080112721
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes: a receiving unit that receives a request of a user; a fixing unit that heats an unfixed image on a recording medium to thereby fix the same to the recording medium; an executing unit that executes at least one function that consumes electric power other than a fixing function by the fixing unit; and a controller that controls to reserve execution of the other function by the executing unit that is required to execute the request in the case where electric power consumption exceeds a prescribed value because a start-up operation of the fixing unit and the execution of the other function by the executing unit are performed in parallel, and the fixing unit is used to execute the received request during the start-up operation that raises the temperature of the fixing unit to a prescribed target temperature with a prescribed amount of electric power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Ajiro
  • Publication number: 20080112722
    Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention, it is detected whether an auxiliary power source device is mounted in an apparatus main body or not. When the auxiliary power source device is mounted in the image forming apparatus, after a specified time has passed in a printable state, power supply to a first heat roller to heat a heat roller is shifted to a sleep mode. When the auxiliary power source device is not mounted in the image forming apparatus, after a specified time has passed in the printable state, a shift is made to a preheat mode in which the heat roller is kept at a preheat temperature, and a specified time has further passed, a shift is made to a sleep mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20080112723
    Abstract: A developing apparatus for an image forming apparatus includes a developing roller for carrying a magnetic developer; a developing device frame, having an opening for exposing a part of the developing roller, for rotatably supporting the developing roller; a magnetic sealing member, mounted to the developing device frame at a longitudinal end portion, for sealing a gap between the developing device frame and the developing roller against leakage of the magnetic developer, wherein the magnetic sealing member includes an arcuate surface which has a magnetic property and which is opposed to an outer surface of the developing roller with a gap therebetween and a projected surface which has a magnetic property and which is projected from an upstream end of the arcuate surface toward upstream with respect to a peripheral moving direction of the developing roller and which is remoter from an outer surface of the developing roller than the arcuate surface; a sheet for preventing the magnetic developer from leaking th
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toru Oguma, Shinichi Nishida
  • Publication number: 20080112724
    Abstract: A method of removing a drum from a printer toner cartridge, the drum comprising a cylindrical body, the drum further comprising a pair of drum gears attached to each end of the drum, each drum gear being configured to attach the drum to the printer, at least one drum gear comprising a cylindrical body, the cylindrical body defining a hollow drum gear interior, at least one drum gear further comprising a drum gear wall that is positioned perpendicular to the cylindrical body and configured to cover the hollow drum gear interior, the method comprising creating a hole through the drum gear wall and inserting a cutting device through the hollow drum gear interior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Future Graphics LLC
    Inventor: Tigran Ohanyan
  • Publication number: 20080112725
    Abstract: A device for detaching a drum from a cartridge, the device comprising a means for supporting the printer cartridge; a means for preventing printer cartridge movement while the drum is being detached from the printer cartridge; and a cutting device comprising at least one adjustable cutting edge, wherein the adjustable cutting edge may be adjusted from an unexposed position to an exposed position and vice versa. A method of removing a drum from a printer cartridge, the drum being attached to the printer cartridge by at least one drum gear assembly, the drum gear assembly comprising a cylinder with a hollow interior, the method comprising supporting the printer cartridge on a fixture; substantially securing the printer cartridge; and cutting the drum gear assembly from the hollow interior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Future Graphics LLC
    Inventor: Tigran Ohanyan
  • Publication number: 20080112726
    Abstract: A plurality of process cartridges are installed and removed in a lateral direction of an image forming device main body. A conveying belt unit in the device main body includes a conveying belt that upwardly conveys a sheet on which an image is to be formed and a frame that supports an entraining roller at which the conveying belt is entrained. The image forming device includes a guide that guides the plurality of process cartridges to their installed positions in the device main body. The plurality of process cartridges correspond to respective toners of a plurality of colors. Each of the process cartridges includes a housing that supports a photosensitive drum which rotates in a predetermined direction. Each of the process cartridges also includes a handle having the same color as that of the frame of the conveying belt unit and which is formed integrally with the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru OZAWA, Takeshi Okoshi
  • Publication number: 20080112727
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having removable/replaceable process cartridges is provided. One of the removable/replaceable process cartridges may be removed/replaced from a panel which is different than a panel from which the other removable/replaceable process cartridges may be removed/replaced. One of the removable/replaceable process cartridges may be associated with an exposure device which is only used to expose a portion of that process cartridge while the other removable/replaceable process cartridges may be associated with at least one other exposure device. An image forming apparatus may include two or more different types of exposure devices (e.g., laser based, light emitting diode based, etc.). An image forming apparatus may include a plurality of guide members for guiding portions of an exposure device arranged on a panel of the image forming apparatus such that when the door or panel is arranged on the image forming apparatus, the exposure device is guided into position by the guide members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Soichiro Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20080112728
    Abstract: An improved method for producing a metallic core for use in the production of a blanket cylinder or an image cylinder sleeve for use in electophotographic processes. The sleeves includes aluminum or other suitable metal, which is rendered more suitable for use as a sleeve surface by oxidation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Steven Cormier, Thomas Tombs, Edward Miskinis