Synchronization Of Light With Medium Patents (Class 347/248)
  • Patent number: 11377706
    Abstract: This device scans a high-energy beam in a direction traversing a feed path of a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet having subjected to final annealing so as to irradiate a surface of the steel sheet being passed through with the high-energy beam to thereby perform magnetic domain refinement, the device including an irradiation mechanism for scanning the high-energy beam in a direction orthogonal to the feed direction of the steel sheet, in which the irradiation mechanism has a function of having the scanning direction of the high-energy beam oriented diagonally, relative to the orthogonal direction, toward the feed direction at an angle determined based on a sheet passing speed of the steel sheet on the feed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Okabe, Shigehiro Takajo, Yasushi Kitani
  • Patent number: 11307143
    Abstract: A system includes a light source to generate an optical signal having a set of pulses at a first repetition rate. The system also includes a multiplexer circuit to generate a multiplexed optical signal from the optical signal n sets of pulses at a second repetition rate, where the n sets of pulses have different polarization states and are at the first repetition rate. The system also includes a focusing unit to split the multiplexed optical signal into n excitation signals to excite a sample. The system also includes an objective to receive the n excitation signals and to illuminate the sample. The objective and the focusing unit collectively focus each excitation signal of the n excitation signals on a different focal plane of the sample to generate a response signal. The system also includes a demultiplexer circuit to generate n emission signals based on the response signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Allen Institute
    Inventors: Dmitri Tsyboulski, Natalia Orlova, Jerome Anthony Lecoq, Peter Saggau
  • Patent number: 11285670
    Abstract: A laser assembly for additive manufacturing which includes a first laser beam aligned in a first direction and a first partial reflecting fixed mirror positioned aligned with the first direction which reflects a first portion of the first laser beam in a second direction and an exponentially reduced remaining second portion of the first laser beam passes through the first partial reflecting fixed mirror in the first direction. The laser beam assembly further includes a first oscillating mirror positioned aligned with the second direction of the first portion of the first laser beam wherein the first portion of the first laser beam is refracted by the first oscillating mirror in a third direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Hayden S. Osborn, Michael T. Hilliard, Robert L. Kearney
  • Patent number: 11230058
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes a print head, a first light source array, a second light source array, and a controller. The print head includes a first rotatable reflector and a second rotatable reflector. The first light source array is configured to direct multiple first light beams toward a build medium via the first rotatable reflector. The second light source array is configured to direct multiple second light beams toward the build medium via the second rotatable reflector. The controller is coupled to the print head, the first light source array, and the second light source array. The controller is configured to control activation of the first light beams and activation of the second light beams to selectively fuse portions of the build medium to form one or more objects from the build medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: David Keith Mefford, Kevin Thomas Slattery
  • Patent number: 10943079
    Abstract: A detection device, which includes a scanning module, a detection module operated at a distance from the scanning module, and an evaluation unit. The scanning module includes a laser light source for generating a laser beam, a deflection unit to deflect the beam, and a control unit for controlling the laser light source and the deflection unit, so that the beam is moved in a scanning pattern. The detection module includes a light detector, with which the light of the beam reflected on an object in the beam path is detected and converted into a received signal. The first laser light source is controlled so that the beam is modulated as a function of its deflection and in this way is provided with synchronization marks. The evaluation unit identifies these synchronization marks in the received signal and synchronizes the received signal with the deflection of the beam based on them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Ehlert, Simon Lieb, Felix Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10545446
    Abstract: The present invention performs inplane uneven density correction that suppresses a number of tone correction properties and has few correction residuals. Accordingly, a holding unit of an apparatus of the present invention holds a plurality of tone correction properties respectively corresponding to a plurality of spot diameters that divide a range of a spot diameter of a light exposed on a surface of a photoreceptor by a predetermined interval. In addition a setting unit sets a tone correction property selected from the plurality of tone correction properties based on a spot diameter on the photoreceptor for a pixel corresponding to pixel data C. A correction unit corrects the pixel data C based on the set tone correction property, to generate tone correction data Cc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoichi Takikawa, Ryosuke Otani, Hidenori Kanazawa, Go Araki, Hisashi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 10139499
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus has a sensor that converts irradiated radiation into a charge in accordance with a radiation dose, a switching power supply for supplying power to at least the sensor, and a readout unit that reads out a signal corresponding to the charge from the sensor. The radiation imaging apparatus synchronizes the imaging synchronization signal and a control clock for a switching operation of the switching power supply, causes a readout of signal from the sensor by the readout unit to be executed, and adjusts the phase of the control clock in each cycle of the imaging synchronization signal so that a timing of the imaging synchronization signal that occurs cyclically is at the same phase of the control clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Katsuya Yachi
  • Patent number: 10067697
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for archival storage of an image are disclosed. The image is converted into one or more bit plane images. Fiducial markers are generated and written onto digital optical tape concurrent with writing the one or more bit plane images onto the digital optical tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Group 47, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Scott Rosen
  • Patent number: 9929538
    Abstract: A first stepped structure configured to apply a reflectance difference and a second stepped structure configured to change a far field light intensity distribution are provided. A region in which a level difference of the first stepped structure is formed has a predetermined relationship with a region in which a level difference of the second stepped structure is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Ikuta
  • Patent number: 9848098
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus 1 obtains displacement amounts of patterns formed on front and back sides of a recording sheet respectively, and performs correction of an image formation position based on the displacement amounts. The image processing apparatus 1 calculates the lengths of the sides of each of the front and back sides of a recording sheet by detecting the intersection points of the surrounding edges of the recording sheet with reference to the image data of the each of the front and back sides. A magnification error is calculated based on the lengths of the sides corresponding between the front and back sides. A correction amount is then calculated based on the calculated magnification error in order to make the lengths of each side match each other. Displacement amounts of the positions of the patterns is obtained after correction based on the correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Mieko Mita
  • Patent number: 9508376
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for archival storage of an image are disclosed. The image may be separated into a plurality of bit plane images. The plurality of bit plane images may be written separately onto digital optical tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Group 47, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Scott Rosen
  • Patent number: 9451122
    Abstract: A method and system for sharing photographic content, the method comprising capturing an image on a processing device. A photograph is generated, via the processing device, from the image. Metadata of a user is associated with the photograph and a scannable code corresponding to the metadata is generated. The method further comprises printing, via the processing device, the photograph including the scannable code and an identification of the user on a given social networking site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Inventors: Antonio De Rosa, Artem Shishakin
  • Patent number: 9395644
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: specifying unit configured to specify, based on image data, a pixel to be subjected to correction from among pixels of an image to be formed from the image data; and a correction unit configured to correct an exposure amount of an exposure unit for the pixel to be subjected to correction from an exposure amount indicated by the image data. The correction unit is further configured to correct the exposure amount applied by the exposure unit to the pixel to be subjected to correction by not exposing at least a portion of a region of the pixel to be subjected to correction according to the distance between the pixel to be subjected to correction and an edge of the image to be formed from the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Go Araki, Hidenori Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 9349081
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section which forms an image on a sheet, a reading section which reads the image formed on the sheet by the image forming section, and a control section. The control section allows the image forming section to form a reference image for evaluation of image quality, allows the reading section to read the reference image at a resolution lower than a resolution at which the reference image is formed, obtains read values of the reference image, the resolution of which has been made higher than the resolution of the reference image read by the reading section using the read reference image, and creates evaluation data based on the obtained read values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Masanori Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 9348291
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus and an image forming system, the image forming apparatus including a memory to store first side position and second side position detected by a side end detector, a correction mechanism to movably support at least a registration roller of a first sheet conveyor and a second sheet conveyor in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction, and a controller to calculate a deviation between the first side position and the second side position, and to set the deviation as a correction amount of the correction mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9319593
    Abstract: The recognition and mounting apparatus including a zoom lens capable of changing imaging magnification, a chip camera, having a plurality of imaging pixels, capable of capturing an image an IC chip having a plurality of bumps arranged at at least one interval, through the zoom lens, a storage unit for storing shape information of the IC chip including at least information indicating an arrangement interval between the plurality of bumps, and a signal processor adjusting imaging magnification of the zoom lens based on a length of the imaging pixel and the information indicating the arrangement interval stored in the storage unit, and recognizing a position of the bump based on a plurality of pixel values in the image captured by the chip camera may be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ueyama Shinji, Kajinami Masato, Yukimori Yoshiaki
  • Patent number: 9274476
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms a first image in an image region of printing paper and forms a second image in a non-image region of the printing paper that is outside the image region includes an enlargement/reduction ratio specification unit that enables an enlargement/reduction ratio to be specified for the second image; and an image forming unit that forms the first image in the image region of the printing paper without enlarging/reducing the first image and forms the second image and the non-image region on the printing paper after enlarging/reducing the second image and the non-image region by the enlargement/reduction ratio specified through the enlargement/reduction ratio specification unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norio Tomita
  • Patent number: 9178519
    Abstract: A clock generator suitable for use with memory devices enables generation of memory clock signals having odd or even division ratios, an optional phase shift and a 50% duty cycle. First and second clock gate circuits receive a base clock signal and an inverted version thereof, respectively, and are both gated by the output of two comparators that are set when a value of a down counter receiving the base clock signal reaches a predetermined value. The clock gate circuits each include a multiplexer and D-type flip-flop. The output from either flip-flop, or both their outputs ‘ORed’ together, may be used as a memory clock depending on the desired division ratio and phase shift. The generator is particularly suitable for DDR memory applications that require both edges of the clock signal are evenly placed for launching data on both rising and falling edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Prabhjot Singh, Sachin Miglani
  • Patent number: 9179083
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element comprises: a plurality of light-receiving elements that generates a charge for each pixel according to an amount of received light; and a plurality of pixel circuits that operates so as to derive the charge generated by the plurality of light-receiving elements from the plurality of light-receiving elements for each pixel. The plurality of light-receiving elements is arranged in a light-receiving area that receives light from outside, and the plurality of pixel circuits is provided in a non-light-receiving area that does not receive the light from outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventor: Masamoto Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 9132663
    Abstract: The invention relates to a marking apparatus for marking an object comprising a marking head having a plurality of receiving spaces for individual marking devices, wherein the receiving spaces are arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, such that a two-dimensional array of receiving spaces is formed, and a driving mechanism for providing a relative movement of the object relative to the marking head in an advance direction during a marking operation. The marking head is rotatable about an axis extending transversely to the advance direction, at least one detector device is arranged downstream of the receiving spaces in the advance direction, and a control marking, which has been applied by at least one marking device arranged in one of the receiving spaces during the movement of the object relative to the marking head, is detectable by the at least one detector device at different angles of rotation of the marking head. The invention further relates to a method for operating a marking apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Alltec Angewandte Laserlicht Technologie GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Joerg Kueckendahl, Daniel Joseph Ryan
  • Patent number: 9041756
    Abstract: An optical writing controller that controls a light source to expose a photoconductor and forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor calculates a correction value for correcting a superimposing position where the developed images for different colors developing each of the electrostatic latent images formed on each of the multiple photoconductors are superimposed based on the detection signal output by a pattern detection sensor that detects a pattern for correcting the superimposing position, controls the multiple light sources to draw a predetermined pattern repeatedly in the sub-scanning direction so that stepwise patterns whose width in the main scanning direction varies with repetition are formed, and determines the width in the main scanning direction of the patterns for correcting based on the strength of the detection signal output by the pattern detection sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Miyadera
  • Publication number: 20150080214
    Abstract: A disclosed marking control device controls a marking device to mark a target image on a thermoreversible recording medium by applying a laser beam includes a marking position determination unit dividing the image into plural marking lines, and determining their marking positions; a marking order determination unit determining a marking order to mark the marking lines in mutually opposite directions; an adjusting unit adjusting a distance between a first ending point and a second starting point to be longer than a distance between a first starting point and a second ending point, or adjusting laser power applied to a second starting point side of the second marking line to be lower than the laser power applied to a second ending point side of the second marking line; and a marking instruction generator unit generating marking instructions including the marking positions of the marking lines and the marking order thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Kazutaka YAMAMOTO, Tomomi ISHIMI, Shinya KAWAHARA, Toshiaki ASAI, Yoshihiko HOTTA
  • Patent number: 8947486
    Abstract: A light emitting element head includes a first light emitting element array, a second light emitting element array, and an optical device. The first light emitting element array includes a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a main scan direction. The second light emitting element array includes a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in the main scan direction. The optical device focuses a light output from the first light emitting element array and the second light emitting element array on a photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor. The first light emitting element array and the second light emitting element array are overlapped each other in a sub scan direction in an overlapping section. Interval between the light emitting elements of the first light emitting element array are different from interval between the light emitting elements of the second light emitting element array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ken Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 8922614
    Abstract: A light scanning unit and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus are provided. The light scanning unit includes a light source emitting the light beams according to an image signal, an incident optical system including a flux-limiting element limiting the flux of light beams emitted by the light source, an optical deflector deflecting the light beams emitted by the light source in a main scanning direction, and an image forming optical system including a scanning optical element imaging the light beams deflected by the optical deflector on a scanning target surface, the light scanning unit forming an electrostatic latent image by scanning the light beams to the scanning target surface of the image bearing member. The scanning optical element of the scanning optical elements of the image forming optical system is eccentrically arranged from a central optical axis of the image forming optical system in a sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wan-Chin Kim
  • Patent number: 8878885
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet-linear-velocity setting unit, an image-formation-rate changing unit, a detecting unit, and first and second correcting units. When printing is performed with a first sheet linear velocity, the first correcting unit performs misregistration correction according to a result of detection of a misregistration correction pattern image by the detecting unit. When the sheet-linear-velocity setting unit sets a second sheet linear velocity other than the first sheet linear velocity, the second correcting unit corrects an adjustment amount used in the misregistration correction performed by the first correcting unit, according to a ratio between first and second coefficients. The first coefficient indicates a ratio of an actual image formation rate at the first sheet linear velocity to an ideal image formation rate, and the second coefficient indicates a ratio of an actual image formation rate at the second sheet linear velocity to an ideal image formation rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Tatsuya Miyadera
  • Patent number: 8872871
    Abstract: A light scanning unit includes: a light source emitting a light beam according to an image signal; a light deflector deflecting and scanning the light beam emitted from the light source; and a synchronization detection optical system comprising a synchronization detection sensor detecting a synchronization signal by receiving a portion of the light beam that is deflected and scanned by the light deflector and a synchronization detection lens disposed between the light deflector and the synchronization detection sensor, wherein the synchronization detection lens is an anamorphic lens in which refractive power in a first direction and refractive power in a second direction different from the first direction are different, and wherein the first direction of the synchronization detection lens is inclined with respect to a main scanning direction in which a light beam incident on the synchronization detection lens is scanned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gi-sung Park
  • Patent number: 8836746
    Abstract: A pixel clock generator device includes a high frequency clock generator, a phase shift data generator to generate phase shift data for controlling a phase shift amount of a pixel clock, a phase shift data pattern generator to read the phase shift data from the phase shift data generator, generate a pattern of the phase shift data for output, and when outputting a same phase shift data pattern for consecutive scan lines, generate, for a next scan line, a phase shift data pattern in which a pixel clock at a position moved by a random number of pixel clocks from a phase-shift position of a pixel clock in a phase shift data pattern for a current scan line is phase-shifted, and a pixel clock generator to generate, on the basis of a high frequency clock, a pixel clock phase-shifted in accordance with the generated phase shift data pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shintaro Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20140247317
    Abstract: A clock signal generating circuit that generates a clock signal, the clock signal generating circuit including a clock signal generator configured to generate a reference clock signal; and a plurality of dividers to which the reference clock signal is to be input. A division ratio of at least one of the plurality of dividers varies based on division ratio data that defines the division ratio of the at least one of the plurality of dividers. The division ratio data represents a value that fluctuates around reference division ratio data with respect to time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Shintaro KAWAMURA
  • Patent number: 8823759
    Abstract: A method includes providing pixel data that comprises lines of pixel data and shared lines of pixel data, where the shared lines of pixel data are configured such that a first laser and a second laser of a plurality of lasers within a laser printing arrangement will print the shared lines of pixel data during printing of an image on a print medium. The shared lines of pixel data are split between the first laser and the second laser such that two shared lines of pixel data allow for printing of a single line of the image to be printed. During printing, the first and second lasers fire in accordance with lines of the shared lines of pixel data, where the firing of the second laser begins printing of lines of the image and the firing of the first laser completes printing of lines of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Douglas Gene Keithley, Gregory L Unruh
  • Patent number: 8823760
    Abstract: In the present invention, a detection timing of a density correction pattern is determined by correcting a timing that is determined in advance as a detection timing of the density correction pattern, based on a ratio between a conveying speed of a recording medium to which a developed image is transferred and a conveying speed of a conveying belt for conveying the image and based on a detection result of the positional deviation correction pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Tatsuya Miyadera
  • Patent number: 8803935
    Abstract: An apparatus to form plural images on an image conveyor includes plural photoconductor bodies, a light exposure device, a development device, a transfer device, and a pattern detection device, wherein the light exposure device includes an optical scanning part, a first light detection part having a first light receiving face, a second light detection part having a second light receiving face being non-parallel to the first light receiving face, a third light detection part having a third light receiving face being non-parallel to the first light receiving face, the optical scanning part, the first light detection part, and the second light detection part being provided inside a housing of the light exposure device, the third light detection part being provided outside the housing, and a light exposure timing control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Miyadera, Kunihiro Komai
  • Patent number: 8786652
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus that generates positional information relating to an energy transmitting position includes a shape information obtaining unit that obtains shape information of a region, a circumscribed rectangle generating unit that generates a circumscribed rectangle of the region, a parallel line generating unit that generates parallel lines extending across the region at a predetermined interval, an intersection calculating unit that calculates a first intersection point between a parallel line of the parallel lines and a line segment of an outline defining the region that is generated based on the shape information, and a data generating unit that generates parallel line data by dividing the parallel line at the first intersection point and removing a divided line that overlaps with the circumscribed rectangle, or by shortening an edge point of the parallel line to the first intersection point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Furukawa, Daisuke Tezuka
  • Patent number: 8724163
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source, rotational polygonal mirror, correction data calculating unit, modification computing unit, and adjustment unit. The adjustment unit adjusts drive current supplied to the light source using the correction data calculated by the correction data calculating unit when a first of a plurality of modes is selected or using the correction data calculated by the modification computing unit when a second of the plurality of modes is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichi Seki
  • Patent number: 8670013
    Abstract: A light scanning device includes a semiconductor laser which emits a laser beam in response to an image forming signal, an optical deflector which scans the laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser in a main scanning direction, and a liquid crystal deflecting element which changes the scanning position of the laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser while desynchronized with output of the image forming signal, thereby to correct the scanning position of the laser beam in a sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8659629
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes an optical writing device for applying light corresponding to image data to form a first image of the image data includes: a temperature detecting unit that detects temperature at a plurality of positions in the optical writing device; and an adjustment processing unit that, when a temperature difference between the positions detected by the temperature detecting unit is out of a predetermined range, forms a second image for quality verification and performs a process for adjusting color registration of the first image by using the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Makoto Higashiyama
  • Patent number: 8614841
    Abstract: In an image-reader, the first counter is configured to count a first count value based on a first clock. The second counter is configured to count a second count value based on a second clock. The first reading unit is configured to read a first surface of a document sheet based on the first count value. The second reading unit is configured to read a second surface of the document sheet based on the second count value. The second surface is opposite surface of the first surface. When the first count value reaches a prescribed first value, both the first counter value and the second count value are reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideyuki Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8587627
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having an exposure unit configured to irradiate each of a plurality of photosensitive members with a corresponding light beam, a light amount control unit configured to control a light amount of the light beams, a plurality of developing units configured to develop electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive members by exposure with the light beams, and a transfer unit configured to transfer toner images formed on the photosensitive members onto an image carrier; a pattern forming unit configured to control the image forming unit to form a misalignment detection pattern for detecting a relative misalignment between the toner images transferred onto the image carrier; a pattern reading unit configured to read the misalignment detection pattern; and a correction unit configured to correct the relative misalignment between the toner images based on the reading result obtained by the pattern reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsumi Takahashi, Shinya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8587626
    Abstract: A light source control circuit of an optical writing device, admitting connection of light sources and forming an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive element by controlling a connected light source, includes: a skew correction unit that corrects a skew of a main scanning line of an electrostatic latent image formed by the light source relative to the photosensitive element; a pattern generating unit that outputs image data for forming a predetermined pattern in an electrostatic latent image; a local deviation correction unit that corrects a local deviation of an electrostatic latent image formed by the light source on the main scanning line by acquiring image data processed to form the pattern and by performing a predetermined process; a light source control unit that causes the light source to emit light based on image data in which the local deviation has been corrected; and a setting value input unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kunihiro Komai, Izumi Kinoshita, Tatsuya Miyadera
  • Publication number: 20130258035
    Abstract: The optical scanning device includes a photoreceptor, a light source unit, a plurality of correction value storage units and a light quantity correction unit. The scanning position in the photoreceptor is divided into a plurality of areas. The target correction amount of the light quantity is predetermined so as to change according to the scanning position. The correction value storage unit stores the light quantity correction value that is associated with each of the areas. The light quantity correction unit corrects the light quantity during scanning by using the light quantity correction value corresponding to the scanning position. The length of each of the areas is shorter in an area in which the variation in the target correction amount per unit length is greater. The light quantity correction value is determined based on the target correction amount according to the area corresponding to the light quantity correction value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Shota Hattori, Hiroshi Abe
  • Patent number: 8547409
    Abstract: A light emission control device images an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive element by a plurality of light emitting elements corresponding to a line in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction which is a rotational direction the photosensitive element. The light emission control device includes: a detecting unit that detects a rotational position of the photosensitive element, in the first direction, corresponding to a line in the second direction; an acquiring unit that acquires a distance between the light emitting elements and the rotational position of the photosensitive element in the first direction detected by the detecting unit; and a control unit that controls light emission by the light emitting elements according to the distance acquired by the acquiring unit and corrects a fluctuation in a density of a visible image converted from the electrostatic latent image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takuhei Yokoyama, Izumi Kinoshita, Kunihiro Komai, Tatsuya Miyadera, Yoshinori Shirasaki, Takeshi Shikama, Akinori Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8537416
    Abstract: The technology disclosed relates to translating between a Cartesian grid and a curved scanning path that produces varying exposure doses as the scanning head traces the curved scanning path. It can be applied to writing to or reading from a workpiece. In particular, we teach use of varying exposure dose that compensates for the time it takes for the curved scan path to transit a straight axis. This simplifies either modulation of a modulator, from which data is projected onto the workpiece, or analysis of data collected by a detector, onto which partial images of the workpiece are projected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Micronic Laser Systems AB
    Inventors: Torbjörn Sandström, Per Askebjer
  • Patent number: 8531497
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light beam output unit configured to output a light beam, a deflection unit for deflection scanning in a main scanning direction of a photosensitive member by reflecting the light beam from the light beam output unit, a timing information detection unit configured to detect timing information of the deflection scanning by the deflection unit, a calculation unit configured to calculate a correction amount of the main scanning direction for a next scan based on the timing information, a light beam modulation control unit configured to generate a light beam modulation signal based on image data and the correction amount, and a drive unit configured to drive the light beam output unit based on the light beam modulation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanao Motoyama
  • Patent number: 8531499
    Abstract: An optical scanner includes a light source, a scan-deflecting portion including a resonance mirror to scan and deflect along a scan line, a plurality of light receiving sensors for synchronous detection provided on the scan line, a phase controller, an amplitude controller, and an offset controller. The phase controller obtains a difference between a true phase and a target phase, and generates a drive signal incorporating the difference between the true phase and the target phase. The amplitude controller incorporates the difference between a value equivalent of a true amplitude and a value equivalent of a target amplitude into the drive signal generated by the phase controller. The offset controller calculates an offset value by obtaining the difference between each of the time intervals, incorporates the difference between the offset value and a target offset value in the amplitude-controlled drive signal, and supply the drive signal to a driving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaki Satoh
  • Patent number: 8514259
    Abstract: Positions in a main scanning direction of points of exposure are determined by emission of light from two light-emitting points of each exposure device near predetermined endmost light-emitting points. A first exposure device of which a distance between the two light-emitting points is greatest is identified based on the determined positions of the points of exposure. A subset of usable light-emitting points of a second exposure device other than the first exposure device, located in positions corresponding to a range of exposure which coincides in a width direction with a range of exposure defined by the two light-emitting points of the first exposure device, is specified The number n of pairs of adjacent usable light-emitting points of the second exposure device each associated with one pixel is obtained by subtracting the number of usable light-emitting points of the first exposure device from that of the second exposure device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junichi Yokoi
  • Publication number: 20130182060
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus that generates positional information relating to an energy transmitting position includes a shape information obtaining unit that obtains shape information of a region, a circumscribed rectangle generating unit that generates a circumscribed rectangle of the region, a parallel line generating unit that generates parallel lines extending across the region at a predetermined interval, an intersection calculating unit that calculates a first intersection point between a parallel line of the parallel lines and a line segment of an outline defining the region that is generated based on the shape information, and a data generating unit that generates parallel line data by dividing the parallel line at the first intersection point and removing a divided line that overlaps with the circumscribed rectangle, or by shortening an edge point of the parallel line to the first intersection point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Inventors: Takahiro FURUKAWA, Daisuke TEZUKA
  • Patent number: 8482588
    Abstract: An optical writing device that forms an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor. The device includes a pixel-information acquiring unit, a line-pixel-information storage unit that stores the acquired pixel information corresponding to a plurality of lines for each main scanning line, a light source device that exposes the photoreceptor with a period corresponding to an N-fold sub-scanning direction resolution of the pixel information, a positional-shift-information storage unit that stores a positional shift information, a sub-line counting unit that counts a sub-line period, a reading-line selecting unit that performs N times of selection that determines which main scanning line is selected as the line from which the pixel information is read out, on the basis of a calculated value from the counted value of the sub-line period and the positional shift information, and a pixel-information reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tatsuya Miyadera, Kunihiro Komai, Izumi Kinoshita, Yoshinori Shirasaki, Takeshi Shikama, Takuhei Yokoyama, Akinori Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8471881
    Abstract: An apparatus to form plural images on an image conveyor includes plural photoconductor bodies, a light exposure device, a development device, a transfer device, and a pattern detection device, wherein the light exposure device includes an optical scanning part, a first light detection part having a first light receiving face, a second light detection part having a second light receiving face being non-parallel to the first light receiving face, a third light detection part having a third light receiving face being non-parallel to the first light receiving face, the optical scanning part, the first light detection part, and the second light detection part being provided inside a housing of the light exposure device, the third light detection part being provided outside the housing, and a light exposure timing control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Miyadera, Kunihiro Komai
  • Patent number: 8451308
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an optical scanning unit, a measurement unit, a first adjustment unit and a second adjustment unit. The optical scanning unit includes a plurality of light sources to emit laser beams, a single oscillating mirror deflector to deflect the laser beams used for scan processing in a main scanning direction, and a scan-focusing member to focus the deflected laser beams onto a plurality of photoconductors. The measurement unit measures a resonance frequency of the oscillating mirror deflector. The first adjustment unit adjusts a speed of the photoconductors in a sub-scanning direction. The second adjustment unit adjusts a magnification ratio of image data in the sub-scanning direction. The first adjustment unit and the second adjustment unit adjust the image magnification ratio of image data in the sub-scanning direction depending on the resonance frequency as measured by the measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Suzuki, Haruyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8446601
    Abstract: A disclosed control device includes a first unit configured to generate image data of multiple images to be superposed one on the other to form a single image and transmit the image data. The second control unit transmits to the first control unit a horizontal sync reference signal for achieving synchronization of the images in a horizontal direction. Based on the horizontal sync reference signal, the first control unit transmits to the second control unit a transfer clock signal that indicates transmission timing of the image data and an effective area signal that indicates an effective area of the image data. The first control unit asserts the effective area signal for an effective-area-signal assertion period that occurs between two consecutive reference-signal assertion periods during which the horizontal sync reference signal is asserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Eiji Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 8436886
    Abstract: In an optical scanning device, a light-source driving unit drives a light source to modulate a light beam in units of single dot, a deflecting unit deflects the light beam, and a scanning optical system guides the deflected light beam to a scanning surface having an active writing area for forming an image. A static beam spot size, which is a beam spot size of the light beam on the scanning surface when the light beam passes a predetermined image height, is set such that a scanning beam spot size, which is a beam spot size of the light beam on the scanning surface when the light beam is moved to scan during the light beam exposes a single dot, is kept substantially constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Nakamura