Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an exposure unit to expose a photoconductor to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor; a development unit to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor as a toner image using toner; and an exposure power controller to control exposure power of the exposure unit depending on a printing mode, including a normal printing mode and a toner-save printing mode in which less toner is consumed than in the normal printing mode. The exposure power controller decreases the exposure power of the exposure unit for the toner-save printing mode compared to the exposure power of the exposure unit for the normal printing mode.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a light emitter, a scanner, a first detector and a determiner. The light emitter outputs a beam. The scanner scans within a given area determined in advance with the beam output from the light emitter. The first detector is arranged on an optical path of the beam in the given area and detects the light quantity of the beam. The determiner determines light quantity shortage of the light beam if the light quantity detected by the first detector is below a first threshold set in advance and above a second threshold indicating a light quantity smaller than the first threshold and determines an abnormality in a scanning operation by the scanner or an abnormality of the light emitter if the light quantity detected by the first detector is below the second threshold.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus, including: a light source; an incident optical system; and an imaging optical system, in which: the imaging optical system includes at least one plastic lens; in a sub-scanning section, principal rays of the beams intersect each other on an optical axis of the imaging optical system; the principal rays intersect each other at different positions between a case of entering a central region of the at least one plastic lens and a case of entering an end region of the at least one plastic lens; and the principal rays entering one of the central region and the end region of the at least one plastic lens intersect each other, and the principal rays entering another of the central region and the end region of the at least one plastic lens intersect each other.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus for scanning a target surface using a plurality of light beams simultaneously along a first direction of the target surface. The apparatus has a light source having a plurality of light emitting elements; an optical deflector to deflect the plurality of light beams coming from the light source; and a scanning optical system to guide the plurality of light beams deflected by the optical deflector to the target surface. The scanning optical system includes a lens, disposed after the optical deflector, having the strongest power in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A plurality of scan lines, corresponding to the plurality of light beams deflected by the optical deflector, intersect or contact each other at an optical face of the lens.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an optical-path deflecting unit that deflects optical paths of optical beams in one group out of two groups, the optical beams being provided in a sub-scanning direction at a predetermined pitch; a scanning unit that scans a surface to in a main scanning direction with the one group of which the optical paths have been deflected and another group of which the optical paths are not deflected; and a control unit that controls the optical-path deflecting unit to deflect optical paths of the optical beams in the one group so that irradiation positions of the optical beams in the one group and irradiation positions of the optical beams in the another group are alternately arranged at regular intervals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for marking a container comprising at least a transparent wall comprising the following steps: a) applying at least one spot of ink on an outer surface of said transparent wall, b) heating said transparent wall, c) engraving a data matrix in the spot of ink of said transparent wall. The invention also relates to a marked container and to a method for identifying such a marked container.

Abstract: An optical disc has a data layer including a data-layer substrate made of a transparent material and a data-layer reflection film formed on an upper side of the data-layer substrate, a display layer including a display-layer substrate having a display pattern and a display-layer reflection film formed on a lower side of the display-layer substrate, and an intermediate layer made of a transparent material provided between an upper side of the data layer and a lower side of the display layer. The data- and display-layer reflection films exhibit specific reflectivity to allow the display pattern to be visible from a lower side of the data-layer substrate through the data-layer reflection film.

Abstract: An optical scanning device is configured in such a manner that, of four light beams for colors corresponding to cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, the number of folding mirrors disposed in the optical path of a light beam corresponding to an mage in yellow having the highest brightness and the lowest visibility is the greatest number, and further, the number of the folding mirrors disposed in the optical path of a light beam corresponding to an image in black having the lowest brightness and the highest visibility is the least number. It is thus possible to reduce unevenness in color in the color image resulting from the folding of light beams by the folding mirrors.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive drum, a line-type LED exposing unit disposed to be opposed to the photoconductive drum, an exposing unit supporting tray configured to support the LED exposing unit to be capable of approaching and separating from the photoconductive drum in a radial direction of the photoconductive drum, an extending piece being formed in a part of an end of the exposing unit supporting tray, and a rod member disposed in parallel to the major axis direction of the LED exposing unit and moved in the major axis direction to thereby cause the LED exposing unit to approach and separate from the photoconductive drum in the radial direction of the photoconductive drum via the extending piece of the exposing unit supporting tray.

Abstract: This image-forming apparatus includes a plurality of photosensitive drums, a plurality of laser scanning units, and a motor control unit. A motor control unit detects the time difference between a change point of the detection signal of a reference color and the change points of colors targeted for phase correction, and, when the absolute value of the time difference is greater than a threshold, carries out a rough adjustment process for reducing the time difference by a drive signal with which a base period has been changed by a first period change amount and thereafter carries out a fine adjustment process for reducing the time difference by a drive signal with which the base period has been changed by a second period change amount smaller than the first period change amount.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium includes: a light emitting member having multiple light emitting elements provided side-by-side along a direction of an axis of an electrophotographic photosensitive drum of a process cartridge removably mounted to a mounting portion to subject the drum to exposure according to image information; a light emitting member support which supports the light emitting member, and is movable between an exposure position, at which the drum is subjected to exposure, and a retracted position, at which the light emitting member is retracted from the exposure position; and a moving member configured to move the light emitting member support between the exposure position and the retracted position in a state in which the light emitting member keeps parallel to the axis of the drum.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes an air-tight casing, an air-tight container and a tube-like member. The air-tight casing is configured to accommodate at least a polygon mirror and a driving unit that rotates the polygon mirror. The air-tight container is disposed at a distance from the air-tight casing and outside an outer wall surface vertically above the air-tight casing. The tube-like member is configured to communicatively connect an inside of the air-tight casing and an inside of the air-tight container.

Abstract: A printing plate making apparatus which scans a recording medium by light beam in a predetermined pixel pitch, thereby engraving a surface of the recording medium to make a printing plate, wherein an upper surface of a convex portion of light power of the light beam engraving all or part of an adjacent region which is adjacent to a convex portion which is to be left in a convex shape on a surface of the recording medium is set to an threshold engraving energy or less, and light power of light beam in a vicinity region in vicinity of outer side of a region defined as the adjacent region is brought higher than light power in the adjacent region.

Abstract: An optical print head having a substrate on which multiple light sources aligned in a main scanning direction are mounted to emit beams of light in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate; a lens array to focus the beams of light on an image bearing member to form an image thereon; a housing having a guiding portion extending in the main scanning direction to position the substrate and the lens array; a cleaner to clean a light-emitting surface of the lens array while moving in the main scanning direction; a moving device to move the cleaner; and a supporting member to support the housing and the cleaner. The supporting member rotatably supports the cleaner about a shaft and the guiding portion contacts the cleaner against the light-emitting surface of the lens array with a constant force over the main scanning direction during cleaning of the light-emitting surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for achieving boundary localization in a scanning apparatus, as well as to a scanning apparatus, which is capable of achieving intelligent judgement on boundary localization of the scanned file by means of this method, through an effective combination of optical, electronical and mechanical techniques. Said method comprises: a regular ribbon, a sensor module capable of detecting the ribbon, and the file to be scanned is placed between the ribbon and the sensor module; said sensor module first scans the ribbon information and stores it in the storage module of the scanning apparatus; said file to be scanned is placed between the sensor module and the ribbon, through the measured ribbon portion covered by the file to be scanned, the sensor is capable of deriving the boundary position of the file to be scanned by means of contrast measurement. With the scanning apparatus capable of achieving boundary localization.

Abstract: The present invention provides a labeling method for a blu-ray disc, which includes following steps: an initial radius is selected on a blank area of the blu-ray disc, and a pattern is determined; an initial physical sector number is calculated using the initial radius, and the pattern is transformed into a description data; according to the initial physical sector number and a size of the description data, a sequential recorded region of the blu-ray disc is divided into at least two sequential recorded regions, and information of the at least two sequential recorded regions are updated in a table of content, wherein an initial position of one of the sequential recorded regions is the initial physical sector number, and a length of the one of the sequential recorded regions is the size of the description data; the description data is written from the initial physical sector number.

Abstract: An optical scanning device including multiple light sources to emit multiple light beams for scanning different scanning surfaces; a light deflector having multiple reflection/deflection surfaces rotating in the main scanning direction to reflect and deflect the light beams such that at least two light beams are deflected by same one of the reflection/deflection surfaces at different angles in a sub-scanning direction relative to the normal line of the reflection/deflection surface; and a scanning lens to focus the deflected light beams on the scanning surfaces. At least one surface of the scanning lens has multiple refracting surfaces arranged side by side in the sub-scanning direction, and each of the refracting surfaces has a positive refracting power in the sub-scanning direction, and vertices of the refracting surfaces are shifted in the sub-scanning direction from intersections of the light beams with the refracting surfaces toward the center of the scanning lens.

Abstract: In a read label as an information recording medium and a method for recording information thereon according to the present invention, the read label includes: an adhesive layer 3; a metal film layer 4 disposed on the surface of the adhesive layer 3; and a light-transmissive protective film layer 5 disposed on the surface of the metal film layer 4. The adhesive layer 3 and the light-transmissive protective film layer 5 are larger in thickness than the metal film layer 4, and an evaporated and removed portion is formed in a part of the metal film layer 4 by radiating a laser beam from the side of the light-transmissive protective film layer 5.

Abstract: An optical scanning device scanning scan target surfaces in a first direction with light includes: a light source emitting first and second light beams corresponding to two of the scan target surfaces; an optical deflector including a reflection surface on which the emitted first and second light beams are obliquely incident while being separated from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and deflecting the first and second light beams; a scanning lens disposed on respective optical paths of the deflected first and second light beams; and a branching optical element transmitting therethrough most of the first light beam transmitted through the scanning lens, and reflecting most of the second light beam transmitted through the scanning lens. The deflected first and second light beams intersect between the optical deflector and the branching optical element, when projected on a plane perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: An image-forming device is provided with a shutter member that has a ventilation passage formed extending therethrough in a main scanning direction, the shutter member adapted to slide over the outside surface of the housing in a secondary scanning direction, a cover member adapted to open or close an interior of a chassis of the device. The shutter member, when the cover member is moved in a direction to open up the inside of the device chassis, is moved in a direction to shut an output window, and when the cover member is moved in a direction to close up the inside of the device chassis, is moved in a direction to open the output window. In association with movement of the shutter member towards the open direction, the ventilation passage faces a ventilation opening of a duct furnished to the device chassis.

Abstract: An exposure control apparatus includes: a plurality of line memories; a processing unit that processes image data by successively recording the image data to the plurality of line memories, and successively reading the image data from the plurality of line memories; and an exposing unit that performs, with an exposure cycle, an exposure process according to the processed image data, and that forms a latent image based on the image data onto an image carrier, wherein the image data is transferred with a cycle which is N times as high as the exposure cycle (N is a natural number), and the processing unit reads the image data N times with the exposure cycle.

Abstract: A surface-emitting laser device includes a transparent dielectric layer provided in an emitting region and configured to cause a reflectance at a peripheral part to be different from a reflectance at a central part in the emitting region. In the surface-emitting laser device, the thickness of a contact layer is different between a region having a relatively high reflectance and a region having a relatively low reflectance in the emitting region. The contact layer is provided on the high refractive index layer of an upper multilayer film reflecting mirror, and the total optical thickness of the high refractive index layer and the contact layer in the region having the relatively low reflectance is deviated from an odd number multiple of a one quarter oscillation wavelength of laser light emitted from the emitting region.

Abstract: A system for preparing a flexographic printing plate having a printing layer, a second layer, and a cushion layer includes a first laser for imaging a first zone on a bottom surface of the cushion layer; and wherein the first laser or a second laser images a first area of a top surface of the printing layer which corresponds to the first zone.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a first light controller to shift starts of image writing operations of light sources by a first time interval. A test data storage stores, beforehand, test image data having dot columns formed by one-dot images arranged in a row in a sub-scanning direction and at predetermined intervals in a main scanning direction. An operation controller controls an image carrier at a speed so that adjacent dot images in the sub-scanning direction overlap. A second light controller forms electrostatic latent test images on the image carrier based on timing signals with the image carrier moved by the operation controller, and draws electrostatic latent test images with different time intervals. A density measurer measures densities of the developed test images. A time interval adjusting section adjusts the time interval based on the time interval used to draw the electrostatic latent test image having the lowest measured density.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pulse width modulation unit that changes pulse width of a signal in accordance with image data, and an image forming unit that forms an image by a driving laser beam with a signal whose pulse width has been modulated by the pulse width modulation unit and scanning a photosensitive body, and corrects the pulse width of the signal output by the pulse width modulation unit in accordance with a density unevenness characteristics in the main scanning direction of the image forming unit.

Abstract: A light emitting unit includes a substrate, plural light emitting elements disposed on the substrate, and a lens array disposed above the plural light emitting elements. The lens array includes a base and plural lenses that each focus light emitted from a corresponding light emitting element among the plural light emitting elements. The base includes a boundary surface which is in contact with the plural lenses and an opposing surface which opposes the plural light emitting elements. The distance from one of the plural light emitting elements to the boundary surface of the base which is in contact with a corresponding lens among the plural lenses is different from the distance from another one of the plural light emitting elements to the boundary surface of the base which is in contact with a corresponding lens among the plural lenses.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical scanning apparatus which includes first and second light sources, a deflection scanning device, and first and second scanning optical systems that guides the first and second laser beams deflected for scanning by the deflection scanning device, wherein the first and second scanning optical systems include scanning lenses, and a polarization beam splitter arranged in a downstream side of an optical path of the scanning lens, wherein the first scanning optical system includes a half-wave plate arranged in the downstream side of the optical path of the scanning lens and in an upstream side of an optical path of the polarization beam splitter, wherein the first laser beam and the second laser beam before being incident on the first and second scanning optical systems have different phases by 180 degrees from each other.

Abstract: An optical scanning unit used in an image forming apparatus having a latent image carrier includes a light emitter, a rotary deflector, an inclination adjustment unit, and a controller. The light emitter emits a light beam. The rotary deflector deflects and scans the light beam onto a surface of the latent image carrier. The inclination adjustment unit adjusts an inclination of a scan line corresponding to the light beam relative to a reference scan line on the latent image carrier. The controller changes at least one of a linear velocity of the latent image carrier and a rotation speed of the rotary deflector so as to change a ratio between the linear velocity of the latent image carrier and a scan speed of the light beam, and controls the inclination adjustment unit based on the ratio to keep the scan line from inclining relative to the reference scan line.

Abstract: A surface-emitting laser device is disclosed that includes a substrate connected to a heat sink; a first reflective layer formed of a semiconductor distributed Bragg reflector on the substrate; a first cavity spacer layer formed in contact with the first reflective layer; an active layer formed in contact with the first cavity spacer layer; a second cavity spacer layer formed in contact with the active layer; and a second reflective layer formed of a semiconductor distributed Bragg reflector in contact with the second cavity spacer layer. The first cavity spacer layer includes a semiconductor material having a thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of a semiconductor material forming the second cavity spacer layer.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for pre-rendering image data for a plurality of scanning paths are described here. The method includes receiving image data including a plurality of scan lines for a top portion of an image page, pre-rendering the data for a first scanning path to generate a first data set, pre-rendering the data for a second scanning path to generate a second data set, determining an initial scanning direction, and selecting the first data set or the second data set responsive to said determining. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Abstract: A light scanning unit and an image forming apparatus employing the same. The light scanning unit deflects light in a main scanning direction, irradiates the light on a photoconductive drum, and includes a beam detecting sensor to detect a horizontal synchronization signal by receiving a part of the light beam reflected and scanned by a beam deflector, and leads of terminals of the beam detecting sensor are not exposed to the light beam to be scanned.

Abstract: A surface-emitting laser device includes a lower reflector, a resonator structure having an active layer and an upper reflector on an inclined substrate, and an emission region emitting laser light enclosed by an electrode. The upper reflector includes a confinement structure having a current passing region enclosed by an oxide containing at least an oxide generated as a result of partial oxidation of a layer containing aluminum subject to selective oxidation, and a dielectric film formed within the emission region, the dielectric film at least enclosing a partial region including a center of the emission region. In viewing from a direction orthogonal to the emission region, a center of a region enclosed by the dielectric film is located at a position distant from the center of the emission region based on a size of the confinement structure relative to a direction orthogonal to an inclined axis of the inclined substrate.

Abstract: An optical scanning device including a light source having multiple light emitters; an optical element to reflect and transmit the emitted light beams; a photodetector to receive the reflected light beams; an aperture having an opening to shape the transmitted light beams; a light deflector to deflect the transmitted light beams; and a scanning optics to guide the deflected light beams to a scanning surface. The quantity of each of the light beams received by the photodetector is not less than 0.01 mW, and the size of a light receiving surface of the photodetector is determined such that even when the full width at half maximum of the emitted light beams changes, the rate of change of the ratio of the quantity of the light beams detected by the photodetector to the quantity of the light beams passing through the opening of the aperture is not greater than 4%.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a correction control unit and a correction amount adjusting unit. The correction control unit performs a phase correction process of changing a drive frequency of a driver for driving and rotating a rotating polygon mirror having a rotational phase difference judged not to coincide by a predetermined correction amount and driving the driver for a period corresponding to a specified clock number by a drive clock signal of the changed drive frequency if a rotational phase difference of another rotating polygon mirror does not coincide with a reference rotational phase difference. The correction amount adjusting unit reduces the predetermined correction amount by a predetermined specified amount and causes the correction control unit to perform the phase correction process again if the rotational phase difference does not coincide with a reference rotational phase difference after the phase correction process is performed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: an image bearing member; a latent image forming unit configured to emit a light beam based on image data and to form an electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member by the light beam; a placement unit provided in a main body of the image forming apparatus, on which the latent image forming unit is placed; an elastic member disposed between the latent image forming unit and the placement unit; and a pressing unit provided in the main body of the image forming apparatus and configured to press the latent image forming unit toward the placement unit so that the elastic member is pressed by the latent image forming unit and the placement unit.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for magnetically imprinting indicia into a layer on an article, the layer comprising a composition in which magnetic or magnetisable particles are suspended. The apparatus comprises: a soft magnetisable sheet, having an outer surface arranged to face the article in use, and an opposing interior surface; and a permanent magnet, shaped such that its magnetic field contains perturbations giving rise to indicia. The permanent magnet is disposed adjacent the interior surface of the soft magnetisable sheet. The soft magnetisable sheet enhances the perturbations of the magnetic field of the permanent magnet such that when the layer to be imprinted is located adjacent the outer surface of the soft magnetisable sheet, the magnetic or magnetisable particles are oriented by the magnetic field to display the indicia.

Abstract: A printer includes a printing unit that prints information upon an element to be printed upon; a projection unit that projects an optical image in a position that is different from a position of the element to be printed upon in which position the printing unit is printing the information; and a control unit that causes the projection unit to project an optical image that represents the information to be printed by the printing unit before printing by the printing unit is started.

Abstract: In a light source device, a light-emitting element and a coupling lens configured to condense a beam of light emitted from the light-emitting element are held by a holding member. The holding member has an adherend that is opposite to a surface of the coupling lens facing to the light-emitting element in a direction of an optical axis of the coupling lens. Part of the surface of the coupling lens facing to the light-emitting element is bonded to the adherend of the holding member. In the optical scanner which includes this light source device, a beam of light emitted from the light source device is deflected by a deflector so that a target surface is scanned with the beam of light, and the deflected beam of light is caused by an image forming optical system to focus on the target surface, to form an image thereon.

Abstract: In laser engraving apparatus for engraving a gray-scale image on a plastic ID-card, the laser is a modulatable optically pumped semiconductor laser. Focusing optics focus a beam from the laser into a focal spot about 10 micrometers in diameter. The ID-card is mounted on a turntable which is rotated such that the focal spot sweeps over the ID card. The turntable is translated in a direction transverse to the rotation direction and the laser is modulated such that the engraved gray-scale image is formed by a matrix of parallel black lines of various length and spacing.

Abstract: Translucent, transparent, or semi-translucent microlens sheetings with composite images are disclosed, in which a composite image floats above or below the sheeting, or both. The composite image may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional. The sheeting may have at least one layer of material having a surface of microlenses that form one or more images at positions internal to the layer of material, at least one of the images being a partially complete image. Additional layers, such as retroreflective, translucent, transparent, or optical structure layers may also be incorporated into the sheeting.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of forming a toner image, comprising: electrically charging a photoreceptor by a charging roller being brought into contact with the photoreceptor, the photoreceptor comprises a photosensitive coating layer on a cylindrical conductive substrate; correcting line width variation using an exposure adjustment calculation (y); and, wherein the exposure adjustment calculation uses a factor based on a ratio (m) of a coefficient of line width variation due to toner ager divided by the coefficient of line width variation due to laser power.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus improved in the accuracy of detecting a time period over which a laser beam is scanned. A laser beam emitted from a laser light source is deflected by a polygon mirror such that the laser beam scans a photosensitive drum. The deflected laser beam is guided onto the photosensitive drum via an imaging lens. A mode hop detection unit detects a mode hop of the laser beam. An image pulse generation section detects a main scanning magnification of an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum. When a mode hop is detected, the main scanning magnification in a next scanning cycle is corrected using a correction value stored in a storage unit and used most lately, whereas when no wavelength variation has not detected, the main scanning magnification in the next scanning cycle is corrected using the latest correction value.

Abstract: In a light emission apparatus which is connected to a board to which a VCSEL is bonded, and to a laser holder and which is configured to bring the VCSEL on the board into contact with a contact portion provided on the laser holder, through elastic deformation, the board is deformed due to fluctuations in the state of elastic deformation of a connection member, and electrical connection with the VCSEL is cut off by this deformation wherein a plate spring configured to press the connection member toward the laser holder side is provided.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a photosensitive member; an exposure device configured to form plural solid patch latent images on the photosensitive member; a potential detecting device configured to detect a surface potential of the photosensitive member; a density detecting device configured to detect density of plural solid patch toner images developed by a developing device; and a control device configured to calculate a relation between an exposure amount of a solid image area and a theoretical value of the exposure amount and a ratio of an exposure amount of a line image area to that of the solid image area, based on detection results of the potential detecting device and the density detecting device, calculate, based on the ratio, a relation of the exposure amount of the line image area to the theoretical value, and modulate light output from the exposure device according to the relation.

Abstract: A light scanning apparatus to be used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the light scanning apparatus including: a housing having an outer wall provided with an opening; a light source configured to emit a light beam; a deflecting device provided in the housing and configured to deflect the light beam emitted from the light source such that the light beam emitted from the light source scans a photosensitive member; an optical element arranged on an optical path of the light beam in the housing; and an elastic member provided on the housing to block up the opening, wherein the elastic member is formed of a material which is deformable to increase and decrease a volumetric capacity of an internal space formed by the housing and the elastic member in accordance with a temperature fluctuation inside the housing.

Abstract: A material marking method includes: generating a code; randomly selecting at least one area of the material; and marking by laser shot on the surface of, or inside the material in each the area of the material to represent the code there in a way that cannot be detected by the naked eye. Preferentially, the randomly selecting step is performed for each item of material to be marked. Preferentially, during the code generating step, a two-dimensional bar code is generated, and during the marking step, the two-dimensional bar code is represented. Preferably, the method includes marking the material in order to represent a mark visible to the naked eye, at least one part of a marking area of a mark visible to the naked eye is selected randomly and/or the visible mark bears an item of information representative of the position of at least one area where the code that cannot be detected by the naked eye is represented.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus of the present invention, including a plurality of laser light sources (LDs), obtains reference data used for limiting a driving current within an allowable range at the time of APC with respect to each LD. The reference data on the first laser light source (LD1) is stored in advance in a memory at the time of factory shipment. The exposure apparatus determines, as the reference data of each of the LDs other than the LD1, the driving current supplied to each LD such that the light power of each LD is equal to that of the LD1 when being caused to emit light based on the reference data on the LD1 stored in the memory, thereby easily obtaining the reference data necessary for APC.

Abstract: A light beam emission apparatus separates, via a half mirror, apart of a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser towards a photosensitive member, guides the separated laser beam to an optical sensor to detect a light quantity, and controls the light quantity based on the detected result. The light beam emission apparatus includes a first light blocking member located between the semiconductor laser and the half mirror, and a second light blocking member located between the half mirror and the optical sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus (100) and method (200) that determines beam delays in a printing device is disclosed. The apparatus can include a photosensitive surface (110) and a raster output scanner (120) optically coupled to the photosensitive surface, an integrated scan detector (130) configured to detect the beams from the raster output scanner and configured to produce a signal based on the beams detected from the raster output scanner, and a beam calibration controller (140) coupled to the integrated scan detector. The beam calibration controller can be configured to determine at least one beam delay between the first optical emitter and the at least one second optical emitter based on signals from the integrated scan detector and can also be configured to delay operation between the first optical emitter and the at least one second optical emitter based on the at least one beam delay.

Abstract: Provided is a paper cup printing apparatus including: a photographing unit that takes a photo; a printing unit that prints the photo taken by the photographing unit on the surface of a paper cup; and a control unit that converts the photo taken by the photographing unit into data for printing, and controls the printing unit to automatically print the photo on the surface of the paper cup. The paper cup printing apparatus prints user's face or favorite image on a paper cup for containing coffee or drink to thus encourage recycling of the paper cup and increase sales of coffee or drink.