Driving Circuitry Patents (Class 347/237)
  • Patent number: 7498553
    Abstract: A technology capable of preventing generation of a problem due to saturation of an output value in an image pick-up section caused by a variation of illumination light from a light source. An image reading device includes a plurality of light sources each of which illuminates a document surface as a target for reading with illuminating light of a color different from the other light sources, an image pick-up section for imaging light radiated from the plurality of the light sources and reflected on the document surface, a controlling unit for making the plurality of the light sources emit light with any one of the plurality of the light sources as a reference light source, and an adjusting unit for lowering a current value of a power source which makes the reference light source emit light when an amount of light imaged in the image pick-up section exceeds a threshold value as a predetermined upper limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Shimokawa
  • Patent number: 7494202
    Abstract: What is disclosed is an image forming apparatus to form each of lines formed with different sizes of dots, comprising: a print control section to control printing by providing elements for printing, with a pulse current, so as to form each of said dots; a correcting circuit to correct magnitude of said pulse current at said each of lines printed with different sizes of dots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki Sato
  • Publication number: 20090002473
    Abstract: A light-emitting device has a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in one direction, each of the plurality of pixel circuits having a light-emitting element that emits light according to the amount of driving current, a driving transistor that supplies the driving current to the light-emitting element, a holding transistor that supplies a data signal supplied via a data line to the driving transistor, and a connecting line that connects the driving transistor to the holding transistor. The holding transistor, the light-emitting element, and the driving transistor are arranged in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the plurality of pixel circuits. The light-emitting element is provided between the holding transistor and the driving transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takayuki KITAZAWA
  • Patent number: 7471420
    Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments include an electrostatographic printing apparatus and a method of correcting one or more associated uniformity profiles. In various exemplary embodiments the apparatus includes first and second actuators. In various exemplary embodiments the method includes measuring an image and generating at least one corresponding TRC, generating a charge profile, subtracting a reference patch density from a patch value to obtain a difference profile, converting the difference profile to a ROS intensity profile and an LED intensity profile, and iteratively repeating the steps of measuring, generating, subtracting and converting until within an acceptable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Shawn P. Updegraff
  • Publication number: 20080303886
    Abstract: In a line head, a plurality of element arrays arranged in a first direction. Each array includes a plurality of light emission elements arrayed in a second direction which is perpendicularly to the first direction. The light emission elements emit light for forming an electrostatic talent image on a photosensitive surface of an image carrier. A switcher activates the light emission elements in at least one of the element arrays while deactivating the others. A developer develops the latent image as a visible image with toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsunori YAMAZAKI, Yujiro NOMURA, Kiyoshi TSUJINO
  • Patent number: 7463279
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms an image by laser beams from a plurality of lasers. The image forming apparatus includes a light amount control circuit that detects displacement in a sub-scanning direction of the main scanning line of a laser beam from the predetermined laser, from a reference position. The apparatus decides an allotted amount of light for each of the plurality of lasers in accordance with the detected displacement and controls to drive each of the plurality of lasers in accordance with the decided allotted amount of light for each laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhide Koga, Shigeo Hata, Yasuyuki Aiko, Akihiko Sakai, Takashi Nagaya, Takashi Birumachi, Shingo Kitamura
  • Patent number: 7453485
    Abstract: A light-emitting-element array unit includes a plurality of light-emitting-element arrays in which a plurality of light-emitting elements that is controlled based on binary image data is arranged in a row. An image-data-transfer control unit divides image data corresponding to one line in a main scanning direction for each of the light-emitting-element arrays, and when transferring the image data divided to each of the light-emitting-element arrays, controls a transfer of the image data by repeating a process of alternately transferring even pixel data and odd pixel data in one cycle of the one line in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoichi Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20080278565
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing thermal printing techniques onto thermally sensitive print media use one or more laser arrays to provide optical heating. Thermal management of the laser arrays is described. Techniques for alignment of multiple monolithic arrays onto a common carrier are described. Various output optics are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: John Haig Marsh, Stephen Gorton, Gary Ternent, Christopher Humby, Eric Goutain, Alexander Ballantyne
  • Patent number: 7450143
    Abstract: An electro-photographic image forming device that is capable of controlling a print speed and a method for controlling the same, wherein the electro-photographic image forming device has an engine mechanism including a laser scanning unit, a developing unit, a transfer roller, and a fixing unit. The electro-photographic image forming device further includes a first driving unit for driving the laser scanning unit, a second driving unit for driving the photosensitive medium, the developing unit, the transfer roller, and the fixing unit, and a controller for controlling the first and second driving units so as to have the laser scanning unit driven at a first driving speed and to have the photosensitive medium, the developing unit, the transfer roller, and the fixing unit, driven at a second driving speed in the engine mechanism when it is determined that a print mode for printing desired print data is set to a draft mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang-bok Lee
  • Publication number: 20080266375
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes an approximation formula determination unit, a sensitivity correction value determination unit and a bias current controller. The approximation formula determination unit determines an nth-order approximation formula and an mth-order approximation formula, which represent the sensitivity characteristic of the image carrier along the main-scanning direction thereof, from sensitivity data representing the sensitivity of each area obtained by dividing the surface of the image carrier into a plurality of areas. The sensitivity correction value determination unit determines a sensitivity correction value, which is a correction value of sensitivity in each area, from the nth-order approximation formula and mth-order approximation formula. The bias current controller controls a bias current in accordance with the sensitivity correction value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuichi Seki
  • Patent number: 7443413
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a laser diode drive current pulse, comprises providing a power correction table comprising drive current pulse correction factors corresponding to counter positions. The method also comprises providing a jump table comprising counter position adjustments corresponding to correction factors. A count value of a position within the counter positions is maintained. Maintaining the count value comprises indexing the count value to the jump table and incrementing the count value for each of a series of pixel clocks. A correction factor is determined, wherein determining the current correction factor comprises indexing the count value to the power correction table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Rodolfo Jodra, George Henry Kerby, Eugene A. Roylance
  • Publication number: 20080252713
    Abstract: The LED printer includes: a photosensitive drum; a resist roller for feeding a printing medium to the photosensitive drum at a first constant speed; a fixing device for discharging the printing medium from the photosensitive drum at a second constant speed; a separation type LED head arranged zigzag; and a printing control circuit for detecting a position of the printing medium fed by the resist roller or the fixing device and adjusting printing timings of the first portion LED head and the second portion LED head based on the detected position and the LED head interval. The LED printer can normally correct a print length in each of a front end region and a rear end region of a sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventor: Minoru Horikawa
  • Publication number: 20080225106
    Abstract: A circuit for driving a plurality of light emitting units includes a current biasing unit that biases a light emitting current with an overshoot current and supplies the resultant current to each of the light emitting units. The light emitting current is determined based on an amount of light emitted from each of the light emitting units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventors: Atsufumi OMORI, Masaaki ISHIDA, Yasuhiro NIHEI, Jun TANABE
  • Patent number: 7425971
    Abstract: In a line head, a plurality of element arrays arranged in a first direction. Each array includes a plurality of light emission elements arrayed in a second direction which is perpendicularly to the first direction. The light emission elements emit light for forming an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive surface of an image carrier. A switcher activates the light emission elements in at least one of the element arrays while deactivating the others. A developer develops the latent image as a visible image with toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsunori Yamazaki, Yujiro Nomura, Kiyoshi Tsujino
  • Patent number: 7425976
    Abstract: A digital circuit generates very precise varying clock frequencies for applications that can tolerate a small degree of jitter but require exact longer term frequencies, e.g. a video clock for a laser printer. Some subpixel jitter is acceptable, but the overall pixel rate remains exact and consistent. In some applications, the jitter may be desirable to smear the EMI spectrum. For example, if the high frequency input clock is modulated, the edges of the video clock will also be modulated yet remain within the jitter and frequency specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Douglas Gene Keithley, Richard David Taylor, Mark David Montierth
  • Patent number: 7403215
    Abstract: Laser driver systems and methods are provided for controlling a laser driver coupled to a suitable laser source. The laser driver comprises a plurality of current sources, including at least one bias current source and at least two switched current sources. To control the laser driver, a laser power control signal is provided for each switched current source that corresponds to a desired laser output power. An output power error measure is defined based upon an error between a measured laser output power and the desired laser output power for each switched current source and a control system is characterized in which the output power error measures combine to change a magnitude of each of the switched current sources and the bias current source(s) such that the output power error measures converge over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Jerome Heink, Daniel Richard Klemer, Stanley Coy Tungate, Jr., Eric Wayne Westerfield
  • Patent number: 7397491
    Abstract: A light-emitting device has a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in one direction, each of the plurality of pixel circuits having a light-emitting element that emits light according to the amount of driving current, a driving transistor that supplies the driving current to the light-emitting element, a holding transistor that supplies a data signal supplied via a data line to the driving transistor, and a connecting line that connects the driving transistor to the holding transistor. The holding transistor, the light-emitting element, and the driving transistor are arranged in a direction crossing the arrangement direction of the plurality of pixel circuits. The light-emitting element is provided between the holding transistor and the driving transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takayuki Kitazawa
  • Publication number: 20080049093
    Abstract: Laser driver systems and methods are provided for controlling a laser driver coupled to a suitable laser source. The laser driver comprises a plurality of current sources, including at least one bias current source and at least two switched current sources. To control the laser driver, a laser power control signal is provided for each switched current source that corresponds to a desired laser output power. An output power error measure is defined based upon an error between a measured laser output power and the desired laser output power for each switched current source and a control system is characterized in which the output power error measures combine to change a magnitude of each of the switched current sources and the bias current source(s) such that the output power error measures converge over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Philip Jerome Heink, Daniel Richard Klemer, Stanley Coy Tungate, Eric Wayne Westerfield
  • Patent number: 7336391
    Abstract: In a multi-exposure drawing method for drawing a pattern on a drawing surface, using an exposure unit including a plurality of optical modulation elements arranged in a matrix manner, the unit is continuously and relatively moved at a constant velocity with respect to the drawing surface in an array-direction defined by a matrix-arrangement of the modulation elements. Optical modulation elements, spaced at a regular interval in an alignment of optical modulation elements along the array-direction, are successively and selectively driven based on a same bit datum, to thereby modulate a light beam made incident thereon, whenever the exposure unit is moved by a distance corresponding to the regular interval, resulting in the production of a pixel dot on the drawing surface in a multi-exposure manner by the modulated light beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: ORC Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Okuyama
  • Publication number: 20080024587
    Abstract: A line head, includes: a microlens array in which a plurality of microlenses having a magnification whose absolute value is below 1 are arranged in a main scanning direction of a surface-to-be-scanned, and a plurality of luminous element groups which are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the respective plurality of microlenses, wherein in each of the plurality of luminous element groups, a plurality of luminous elements are arranged at mutually different main-scanning-direction positions in the main scanning direction, the plurality of luminous elements are respectively caused to emit lights at timings in conformity with a movement of the surface-to-be-scanned in a sub scanning direction, and light beams emitted from the plurality of luminous elements are imaged on the surface-to-be-scanned at mutually different main-scanning-direction positions in the main scanning direction to form a plurality of spots side by side on the surface-to-be-scanned in the main scanning direction, and in each of the pl
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yujiro NOMURA, Nozomu INOUE, Ryuta KOIZUMI, Ken IKUMA
  • Patent number: 7324130
    Abstract: A LED driver IC includes a control module(s) for controlling one or more LED drive parameters and non-volatile memory for storing settings data for that control module(s). The control module(s) is fully integrated into the LED driver IC and does not require any control input from off-chip components or signals. Therefore, the space requirements for LED circuits that make use of the LED driver IC can be minimized. Also, the non-volatile memory storage of settings data eliminates the need for an initialization or configuration input each time the LED driver IC is powered on. The non-volatile memory can be a one-time programmable memory or can be a reprogrammable memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony G. Russell, Gelu Voicu
  • Publication number: 20080002018
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods presented herein allow for the alignment of images. In some embodiments, a plurality of PWM modules each receive input data and corresponding input phase-shifted clock signals. In some embodiments, each PWM module generates an output phase-shifted PWM signal based on the input data and its corresponding input phase-shifted clock signal. In some embodiments, a selector selects one of the output phase-shifted PWM signal based on timing relationships between an event signal and the phase-shifted clock signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventor: Peter Johnston
  • Publication number: 20080002017
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an LED driving circuit and a serial LED illumination system. The LED driving circuit compares a data signal with a voltage threshold via a comparator to output a mode selection signal. The register unit includes an instruction register and a data register. The register unit is coupled to the comparator unit and controlled by the mode selection signal to perform an instruction or data transmission mode. The instruction register stores the instruction data under the instruction mode. The data register stores the illumination display data under the data transmission mode. When the data register is full, the register unit outputs a secondary data signal. The driving unit is controlled by the instruction data and drives an LED module according to the illumination display data. The serial LED illumination system includes a controller that is connected with at least one LED driving circuit in serial.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventors: Bily Wang, Hui-Chung Lin
  • Patent number: 7301552
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus with a plurality of driven elements has a memory for storing driving data on each of the driven elements for driving the driven elements, and a computing unit that reads, from the memory, driving data on a driven element corresponding to a dot of interest and driving data on at least one driven element corresponding to at least one dot included in an area of predetermined dimensions in which the dot of interest is included, and produces corrected printing data based on the driving data read from the memory and on printing data on the dot of interest input from a higher control unit. The image forming apparatus performs printing by driving the driven element corresponding to the dot of interest by use of the corrected printing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki Sato
  • Patent number: 7301553
    Abstract: A light source control apparatus for controlling the output of a light source for forming an electrostatic latent image on an image carrying member in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the light source control apparatus according to the present invention including a storing unit that stores first drive control data of the light source on two or more positions of the image carrying member, an interpolating that generates second drive control data on at least one interpolation position between the two or more positions based on the first drive control data, a digital-analog converting unit that converts the first and second drive control data to an analog signal, a low-pass filter that cuts a high-frequency component of the analog signal outputted from the digital-analog converting unit, and a driving unit that drives the light source in response to the analog signal from which the high-frequency component has been cut by the low-pass filter, wherein the low-pass filter has a cut-off frequency hig
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhide Koga, Shigeo Hata
  • Patent number: 7292258
    Abstract: A multibeam scanning optical apparatus incluses a controller which specifies laser diodes which are emitting light normally and arranged in a continuous row, a memory having a plurality of area in which image data are stored, a write-in controller which causes image data for each line to be written into only areas of memory corresponding to the specified laser diodes when any of the laser diodes suffers a failure, a read-out controller which causes the image data for each line to be read out simultaneously from the areas of memory corresponding to the specified laser diodes and a driver which performs light emission control only with respect to the specified laser diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Noguchi, Hidekazu Takahama, Takahiro Tsutsumi, Toru Maegawa
  • Patent number: 7286259
    Abstract: A method for driving a self-scanning light-emitting element array is provided in which two light-emitting elements may be illuminated simultaneously in one chip. In a self-scanning light-emitting element array including a transfer element array and light-emitting element array, a magnitude of the write signal for illuminating adjacent two light-emitting elements simultaneously is two times that of the write signal for illuminating one light-emitting element. The self-scanning light-emitting element array is composed of a plurality of self-scanning light-emitting element array chips arranged in a linear manner, and the two-phase clock pulses are applied commonly to the plurality of self-scanning light-emitting element array chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Ohno, Shuya Ogi
  • Patent number: 7280131
    Abstract: An image formation device changes the rotational rate of a polygon motor, i.e. the main-scanning rate, and selects one of pulse width conversion tables when an image formation is performed multiple times on a single sheet of transfer paper. The changing of the main-scanning rate is for preventing inconsistent sizes between a first recorded image and a second recorded image caused by shrinkage of transfer paper. The pulse width conversion tables allow the pulse widths to be modulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Yamada, Hajime Kaji, Yoshitaka Yamazaki, Junichi Noguchi, Takayuki Kawakami, Hajime Motoyama, Satoshi Ogawara, Yushi Oka, Akihito Mori
  • Patent number: 7268797
    Abstract: One scanning interval of a laser beam is divided into a plurality of blocks, correction data, which corresponds to optical characteristics of an optical unit placed between a laser element and a photosensitive drum, is stored in memory in association with each block, the correction data corresponding to a block being scanned by the laser beam is read out of the memory, and the laser is driven upon correcting the laser drive signal based upon the correction data read out and correction data corresponding to a block adjacent to the block being scanned by the laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeo Hata, Katsuhide Koga
  • Patent number: 7248277
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of light-emitting element array units, a light intensity control unit, and an image data transfer unit. Each light-emitting element array unit includes a plurality of light-emitting elements, and is arranged in an at-least-two-rows staggered manner in a main scanning direction with overlapping portions overlapping in a sub-scanning direction to include a plurality of light-emitting elements continuously adjacent one to another in the at-least-two-rows staggered manner in the main scanning direction with an adjacent two overlapping light-emitting elements at each of the overlapping portions. The light intensity control unit controls light intensity of the light-emitting elements based on an overlapping degree of the adjacent two light-emitting elements at each of the overlapping portions. The image data transfer unit divides an input image data and transfers the respective image data to each one of the light-emitting element array units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoichi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 7248276
    Abstract: A motor drive device for driving of a plurality of motors in a proper manner, having a first motor, a second motor, and a current controller. The first motor is able to drive at up to a first maximum permissible current of A1. The second motor is able to drive at up to a second maximum permissible current of B1. The power supply supplies up to a maximum permissible supply current of D to the first and second motors. The current controller controls operations of the first and second motors. The maximum permissible supply current of D is set to be less than a sum of A1 and B1. The current controller controls a first current A2 to be supplied to the first motor and a second current B2 to be supplied to the second motor so that a sum of the first and second current A2 and B2 is less than D. The current controller controls the second current B2 to be less than the second maximum permissible current B1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shogo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7242416
    Abstract: An optical head that forms latent images on a photosensitive material by a multiple-exposure method is driven at higher speed. This optical head comprises a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a specific direction, a storage unit for receiving and storing data corresponding to one pixel, a shift register having a plurality of registers respectively corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements, the shift register receiving the data stored in the storage unit and successively shifting the data of each register, and an element drive circuit for lighting the corresponding light emitting elements on the basis of the data in each register of the shift register, wherein the plurality of light emitting elements arranged in the specific direction are successively lighted, and one pixel is subjected to multiple exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsukazu Kurose, Yujiro Nomura, Kiyoshi Tsujino, Ken Ikuma
  • Patent number: 7236183
    Abstract: A printhead with a variable exposure width having a plurality of exposure elements defining a given exposure width. A plurality of driver ICs are coupled to the exposure elements, each driver IC including a plurality of registers. A data bus is coupled to the plurality of driver ICs. Circuitry is provided in a first driver IC of the plurality of driver ICs for having data received from the data bus bypass the plurality of registers in the first driver IC to disable unused exposure elements of the plurality of exposure elements, whereby the exposure width can be varied from the given width, and data loading bandwidth is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Shawn E. O'Hara, Denis P. Reilly
  • Patent number: 7230637
    Abstract: A system for driving a torsion oscillator based on frequency, amplitude and offset control signals includes a pulse width modulator subsystem configured to generate a stream of repetitive pulse signals which encodes the frequency, amplitude and offset control signals, a low pass filter for filtering the stream of repetitive pulse signals to provide a filtered output, and a driver circuit for driving the torsion oscillator based on the filtered output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Jeffrey Harris, Martin Christopher Klement
  • Patent number: 7224378
    Abstract: An optical recording apparatus includes a light source, a scanner, and a phase shift controller. The light source emits a light beam controlled to be lit on and off in synchronism with a pixel clock signal according to input image data. The scanner reforms the light beam emitted by the light source into a cyclic scanning light beam scanning in a main scanning direction a photosensitive surface moving in a sub-scanning direction. The phase shift controller performs an image magnification correction by a phase change for changing a phase of the pixel clock signal in units of one nth of a cycle of the pixel clock signal at one or more positions on the photoconductive surface in the main scanning direction, in which n is an integer greater than one. A method and apparatus of optical image forming is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Maeda
  • Patent number: 7224380
    Abstract: A light-emitting device driver that includes a driver unit that drives a light-emitting device, a compensator that compensates for at least one of the rising and falling responses of the driver unit, a switching unit that switches on and off the compensator, and a control unit that performs on/off control on the switching unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiko Yamaguchi, Chikaho Ikeda, Hideki Moriya, Masao Ohmori
  • Patent number: 7215348
    Abstract: Image data are inputted from a data processing means (23) into storage means (24) so that light emitting elements on one line (28a) of a light emitting element (yellow) line head (28) are actuated according to signal outputted from a shift resistor (24a) so as to expose pixels on an image carrier. At a point of time when the pixels reach a position corresponding to the light emitting elements in a next line (28b) by moving the image carrier in a direction of arrow X, the image data are transmitted to a shift resistor (24b) and then outputted to the line (28b) so as to expose the pixels again. The image data are transmitted among the shift resistors sequentially by moving the image carrier, thereby achieving the multiple exposure of the same pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yujiro Nomura, Mitsukazu Kurose, Kiyoshi Tsujino
  • Patent number: 7206015
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a light emitting device and a light emitting device driver coupled to the light emitting device. The light emitting device driver is for generating a drive signal to drive the light emitting device to emit light. A light emitting device driver includes a transistor having a first terminal coupled to a light emitting device; a resistor having a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the transistor, and a second terminal coupled to a supply node; and a comparator having a first input terminal coupled to a reference voltage, a second input terminal coupled to the second terminal of the transistor, and an output terminal coupled to a control terminal of the transistor. The light emitting device driver controls an electrical current flowing through the transistor for driving the light emitting device to emit light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: ADDtek Corp.
    Inventors: Yih-Wey Tang, Yung-Hsin Chiang
  • Patent number: 7170543
    Abstract: An image formation device changes the rotational rate of a polygon motor, i.e. the main-scanning rate, and selects one of pulse width conversion tables when an image formation is performed multiple times on a single sheet of transfer paper. The changing of the main-scanning rate is for preventing inconsistent sizes between a first recorded image and a second recorded image caused by shrinkage of transfer paper. The pulse width conversion tables allow the pulse widths to be modulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Yamada, Hajime Kaji, Yoshitaka Yamazaki, Junichi Noguchi, Takayuki Kawakami, Hajime Motoyama, Satoshi Ogawara, Yushi Oka, Akihito Mori
  • Patent number: 7164506
    Abstract: In a photosensitive imaging apparatus having multiple chips, each chip having a set of photosensors, chips of a single basic design can be instructed to operate consistently with either parallel or serial readout of the apparatus. Signals on a shift register line associated with each chip are recognized, by on-chip circuitry, as an instruction to operate the chip in either a parallel or a serial manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Scott L. TeWinkle
  • Patent number: 7145588
    Abstract: A printing apparatus 10 exposes an image onto a photosensitive medium 14, having a printhead 20 with a linear array of exposure sources 40, each exposure source 12 operable at a variable intensity. A shuttle mechanism 16 moves the printhead 20 over the photosensitive medium 14 in a reciprocating motion between one end of a carriage assembly 72 and the other. An encoder 38 is coupled to the shuttle mechanism (16) for providing an index encoder pulse 60 at each of a plurality of increments of position of the shuttle mechanism 16 along the carriage assembly 72. Exposure control logic calculates a shuttle velocity according to index signal timing and adjusts the variable intensity of each exposure source 12 according to the shuttle velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Jeffery R. Hawver
  • Patent number: 7142229
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a light emitting device array in which a plurality of light emitting devices comprising light emitting sections formed onto a transparent substrate with a predetermined pattern and capable of being controlled and driven independently are arranged in a primary scanning direction to form a device row and a plurality of the device rows are arranged in a secondary scanning direction intersecting with the primary scanning direction. Further, the plurality of light emitting devices are aligned in the secondary direction with respect to a photosensitive material, and the plurality of device rows are sequentially illuminated on a time-division basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunobu Ohkubo, Hiroaki Hyuga
  • Patent number: 7136086
    Abstract: A driving IC 1 having n output terminals for outputting drive currents to the individual electrodes of a light emitting element (22), and a selecting IC 2 having every n/m output terminals for every m groups with respect to the common electrode of the light emitting element (22) are respectively provided on the opposite sides of the light emitting element (22) with one-to-one correspondence with respect to the element (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Tottori Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Omae
  • Patent number: 7129965
    Abstract: An emissive element array of a plurality of organic EL elements is arranged linearly on a single-crystal silicon substrate or polycrystalline silicon substrate with a drive circuit including an element switching its respective emissive element. The organic EL emissive elements have an edge emitting structure utilizing light emitted in an edge direction perpendicular to the direction of deposition of electrode layers and organic compound layers, and is constructed such that the emitting area of one emisive element, S, as viewed in the direction of deposition, and the period of emissive elements disposed side by side, d, have the relationship of S>d2. In this way, organic EL techniques can be applied to provide the required amount of light exposure and to produce an exposure device that is small and inexpensive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tadashi Iwamatsu, Shigeru Nishio, Tetsuya Inui
  • Patent number: 7126622
    Abstract: A data signal which is output from a latch circuit (12) having five stages of latch circuits each storing one-line data signal to a drive circuit (16) for lighting each light emission unit is selected by a selection circuit (15) according to a 9-bit correction data signal for each of the light emission units stored in a Y-position correction data storage circuit (13). Thus, lighting timing of each light emission unit is adjusted, thereby performing printing having a preferable linearity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Tottori Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Omae, Osamu Nishikori
  • Patent number: 7126623
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a serially connected LED lamps control circuit device, which is applicable for an integrated circuit and has the following three features: using a buffer circuit to increase the DATA and Clock lines to extend the distance between a plurality of serially connected devices, delaying half cycle of the timing of the DATA line to enhance overall system stability, and adding an internal latch signal generate circuit to simplify the requirements for external connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Star-Reach Corporation
    Inventor: George Yen
  • Patent number: 7102662
    Abstract: Disclosed is a data sequence conversion circuit for converting a plurality of input data sequences having different data widths into output data sequences having a prescribed data width without converting the input data sequences into serial data. The data sequence conversion circuit, which takes as an input any one of a plurality of input data sequences having different data widths and converts the input data sequence into an output data sequence having a prescribed data width for output, includes: a first parallel shift register for holding the input data sequence; a switch matrix for taking the data held in the first parallel shift register as input data, and for outputting the input data in distributing fashion in accordance with a rule selected by a control signal from a plurality of predetermined rules; and a second parallel shift register for taking the data output from the switch matrix as input data, and for outputting the input data as a data sequence having the prescribed data width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaru Iida
  • Patent number: 7071959
    Abstract: After measurement, light-emitting elements are temporarily numbered (1), . . . in measuring order and arranged successively on a temporary palette. In parallel with this operation, measured light intensity data are input to a computer system in association with the temporary numbers (1), . . . In the computer system, the measured light intensity data are rearranged according to predetermined algorithm to make the light intensity values of adjacent light-emitting elements substantially equal, so that the temporary numbers (1), . . . are rearranged on a memory in accordance with the rearranged data. The rearranged data are sent from the computer system to a robot, so that the light-emitting elements on the temporary palette are arranged on a taping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Kato, Koichi Kaga, Kanae Matsumura
  • Patent number: 7044583
    Abstract: A method for exposing a printing form includes providing a plurality of exposure channels disposed in a two-dimensional array, and inputting energy, by the exposure channels of a column of the array, for an image element on the printing form. Further included are steps for activating a first row of the array of exposure channels for producing a first component of the input of energy assigned to each column of the array in one row of image elements, moving the printing form relative to the exposure channels, and activating a second row of the array of exposure channels for producing a second component of the input of energy assigned to each column of the array when a point of projection of the exposure channel of a second row of the array comes to lie on the image element of the row already exposed by the exposure channel of the first row and the same column. A device for implementing the method and a printing unit and a printing press including the device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Peter Marten, Gotthard Schmid
  • Patent number: 7045771
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, a light beam scanning apparatus comprises light emitting unit for emitting a light beam, scanning control unit for controlling scanning of the light beam, light quantity detecting unit for detecting the quantity of light in the light beam, light quantity control signal output unit for outputting a light quantity control signal that performs control such that the quantity of light in the light beam is kept fixed on the basis of a result of detection of the quantity of light in the light beam, and light emission control unit for controlling a light emission timing for the light beam on the basis of image data and controlling the quantity of light in the light beam on the basis of the light quantity control signal while the light emission timing is being controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Ishikawa, Koji Tanimoto, Kenichi Komiya, Yuji Inagawa