Abstract: A method for testing a structure includes steps of: identifying a three-dimensional position of a surface of the structure relative to a reference frame; transmitting laser light from an output of a transmitter onto the surface of the structure to form ultrasonic waves in the structure and to detect a response to the ultrasonic waves; based on the three-dimensional position of the surface, moving the laser light over the structure along a scan path so that the output of the transmitter is located at a constant offset distance from the surface and that the laser light, transmitted from the output of the transmitter, is directed onto the surface at a constant angle of projection; and based on the response to the ultrasonic waves, determining whether an inconsistency is present in the structure.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material includes a photosensitive member; an optical scanning unit including a light source, an optical box, and a cover; and a fan. The fan is provided so that air from the fan directly impinges on the cover of the optical scanning unit. As seen in a direction perpendicular to a rotational axis of the rotatable polygonal mirror, a rib extending from a top plate of the cover toward an optical box side is provided at a portion of the cover in the neighborhood of a light beam emitting port of the optical scanning unit. The cover is provided with an extended portion extended from the rib in a light beam emitting direction.

Abstract: A developer bearing member including: a rotational shaft; and an elastic layer on an outer circumference surface of the rotational shaft, developer being borne on a surface of the elastic layer, wherein the elastic layer is configured such that a load per unit area of a contact portion between one surface of a flat glass plate and the surface of the elastic layer is to be 5.8 N/mm2 or more, in a state that the one surface of the flat glass plate being parallel with an axis direction of the rotational shaft and the one surface of the flat glass plate coming into contact with the surface of the elastic layer with a predetermined penetration level, and wherein a ten-point average roughness Rzjis on the surface of the elastic layer is greater than a volume-average particle diameter of a particle of the developer.

Abstract: An optical scanner includes a polygonal mirror; a mirror for reflecting the beam from the polygonal mirror; an optical box having a cap and containing the mirror; a first mirror regulating portion in a direction of a normal line of the mirror, the first regulating portion being provided opposed to such a surface of the reflecting surface and a back surface as is closer to the cap; and a second mirror regulating portion in a beam sub-scanning direction, the second regulating portion being provided opposed to such a surface of the mirror as is closer to the cap; wherein the mirror has a plurality of apex lines, and the first regulating portion and the second regulating portion are disposed at positions which are remoter from the cap than the apex line that is closest to the cap, with respect to a direction perpendicular to a main scan direction.

Abstract: An optical scanner includes a polygonal mirror; a mirror for reflecting the beam from the polygonal mirror; an optical box having a cap and containing the mirror;a first mirror regulating portion in a direction of a normal line of the mirror, the first regulating portion being provided opposed to such a surface of the reflecting surface and a back surface as is closer to the cap; and a second mirror regulating portion in a beam sub-scanning direction, the second regulating portion being provided opposed to such a surface of the mirror as is closer to the cap; wherein the mirror has a plurality of apex lines, and the first regulating portion and the second regulating portion are disposed at positions which are remoter from the cap than the apex line that is closest to the cap, with respect to a direction perpendicular to a main scan direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging device; an exposure device configured to expose intermittently for each unit area of the image bearing member charged by the charging device to form a latent image; a developing device configured to develop the latent image with developer; a signal output portion configured to output a first electric signal when the exposure device exposes a print area of the image bearing member, and output a second electric signal, which instructs the exposure device to shorten an exposure time per unit area more than an exposure time of the first electric signal, when the exposure device exposes a non-print area of the image bearing member; and a count portion, to which the first and the second electric signals are input from the signal output portion, configured to measure only the first electric signal without measuring the second electric signal.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image information retrieval unit that retrieves image information of an image to be formed on a recording material, a density information retrieval unit that retrieves information relating to an image density of the image to be formed in accordance with the image information through analysis of the image information retrieved by the image information retrieval unit, an exposure unit that exposes a rotating image carrier to light in response to the image information retrieved by the image information retrieval unit, and a setting unit that sets, in accordance with the information relating to the image density retrieved by the density information retrieval unit, an exposure period according to which the exposure unit exposes the rotating image carrier to light.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided that is capable of very accurately and efficiently reducing uneven color caused by variation in ejection characteristics among nozzles that eject ink and that occurs in a color image that is formed by mixing a plurality of different kinds of ink. A patch is printed by ejected ink from a plurality of nozzles, a region is specified so as to perform color correction in a test color image that is printed on a printing medium, a plurality of different color correction processing is performed on color signals that correspond to a color correction region, a plurality of color correction patches are printed, a color correction patch to be used is selected from among the plurality of different color correction patches and table parameters that correspond to the nozzles are created based on the selected color correction processing.

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.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, if it is designated by operation of a control panel that a printed halftone image for test is defective, a number of revolutions of a polygon mirror is finely adjusted by a predetermined rate and a frequency of a serial data signal is finely adjusted by the rate.

Abstract: A light source for a photo-reactive curing apparatus is provided, which includes a plurality of light source elements or modules, such as, UV or visible LEDs or LED arrays, arranged to provide a beam profile comprising irradiation zones separated by a dark zone. Photo-polymerization occurs during periods of irradiation and dark polymerization occurs during dark intervals between irradiation. The relative positioning or spacing of light source elements or modules is set to provide an exposure profile with a dark interval which matches the required dark reaction interval for optimal curing efficiency. In modular or adjustable light sources, the spacing is adjustable dependent on process parameters. For processes such as inkjet printing, the beam profile may be better matched to the ink chemistry, so as to control the polymerization reaction to meet a required process speed for single pass or multiple pass applications.

Abstract: An exposure device includes a mirror to reflect light used for exposure of an object, a holder to hold the mirror, an adhesive that bonds the mirror to the holder and elastically deforms, and an adjusting tool that pushes the mirror to change a direction of the mirror.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of light-emitting sources configured to irradiate a photosensitive member in a sub scanning direction with a plurality of light beams scanned in a main scanning direction of the photosensitive member via an optical system, a conversion unit configured to convert image data into pixel data constituting a pattern that expresses a density with a plurality of pixels, and a drive unit configured to cause the plurality of light-emitting sources to emit light based on the converted pixel data, wherein, where a number of light-emitting sources is B and a number of pixels of the pattern in the sub scanning direction is M, the number B and the number M have a relationship such that the number M is not divisible by the number B or the number B is not divisible by the number N.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus performs latent image rendering using a plurality of light sources. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a rendering time control unit that controls a latent image rendering start time for each of the light sources, a scanning time control unit that controls a scanning start time for each of the light sources, a pattern forming unit that forms a pixel pattern corresponding to pixel pattern data defined in advance on a photosensitive member, and a density detection unit that detects a density of the pixel pattern formed on the photosensitive member. The rendering time control unit and the scanning time control unit respectively control the rendering start time and the scanning start time for each of the light sources using a density value detected by the density detection unit.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a density detector that detects image density, and a memory that stores information relating image density to dot size. When a dot size is specified, the image forming device automatically obtains the corresponding image density from the information in the memory, prints a test pattern, compares its density with the density corresponding to the specified dot size, and adjusts an image forming parameter until the density corresponding to the specified dot size is obtained. Dot size can be accurately adjusted in this way without the need for elaborate measuring equipment. In particular, the size of dots used to embed invisible information in images can be accurately controlled.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including; an exposure section provided with, a light emitting element, a polygon mirror to receive light beams from the light emitting element, and to expose an image carrier using light beam via the polygon mirror based on image data; an image processing section to adjust image magnification by image processing of the image data; and, a control section configured to select at least either of a first magnification adjustment to change a rotation speed of the polygon mirror and a second magnification adjustment to carry out image processing of the image data by the image processing section, based on comparison results between a paper interval time during recording paper conveyance in image formation and the first magnification adjustment time required to stabilize polygon mirror rotation in the first magnification adjustment, when adjusting image magnification with respect to recording paper.

Abstract: In the image forming apparatus, the partial image data for gradation adjustment is threshold conversion data of a partial image, the partial image is a part of a base pattern image with a predetermined size and does not contain any sides of the base pattern image, and the base pattern image is an image generated in an error diffusion method; and the patch image generator unit generates an image of a toner pattern by arranging the partial image of the partial image data repeatedly, and forms the toner pattern.

Abstract: Each of a plurality of pixels is formed with a group of a plurality of spots or a single spot. The barycentric position of each pixel is determined by the distribution of the spots or the position of the single spot. While the number of pixels on the exposure object is maintained in a first direction corresponding to the array direction of the light sources, an exposure feasible width on an exposure object can be adjusted in the first direction by setting the barycentric position at least in the first direction out of the first direction and a second direction that is the moving direction of the exposure object.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image bearing member; an exposure head having an imaging optical system and N light-emitting elements (where N is an integer) disposed in a first direction that emit light forming an image upon the latent image bearing member through the imaging optical system; an FM screen whose unit of processing is M in the first direction, M being greater than N; and a controller that performs a screening process on image data using the FM screen.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus capable of generating frequency-modulation halftone dots in high speed and belongs to the field of the digital image halftone. In the prior art, read-write operation is usually carried out many times in error rows during processing each pixel so that halftone dots are generated in low speed. In the method according to the present invention, the error generated by the current pixel is buffered in a register file and the final accumulated error values are written in the error rows only after all of the relative pixels are processed. Thus, read-write operation is carried out only once in the error rows for processing each pixel. The present invention also provides an apparatus to implement the method. The apparatus comprises an error row memory, an error buffer register file, a gray generation circuit, a threshold comparison circuit, an error generation circuit, an error buffer register file control circuit, and an error row control circuit.

Abstract: An image printing system which determines dot forming condition when printing an image containing a plurality of pixels by using dots of a plurality of sizes includes: a fine drawing detecting unit which detects a dot color fine drawing pixel having a dot color used for printing the image and positioned on a fine drawing portion having a drawing width equal to or smaller than a predetermined value; an edge area detecting unit which detects a dot color edge area pixel having a dot color used for printing the image and positioned at a distance equal to or shorter than a predetermined value from an edge of the image; a first dot allocating unit which allocates dots such that a dot of predetermined size in the dots of the plural sizes can be formed for the dot color fine drawing pixel during printing the image; and a second dot allocating unit which allocates dots such that a dot of a size determined according to the distance from the edge of the image in the dots of the plural sizes can be formed for the dot col

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of storing images on a medium able to be etched on the basis of a writing procedure using a laser beam, in which a substrate, preferably flexible, comprises a multiplicity of expanses of lateral dimensions less than 10 millimeters, each reserved for an image, and an expanse reserved for an image comprises as many elementary zones as there are image pixels to be stored, the image stored in an expanse being able to be read by optical magnification means. Each elementary zone comprises an engraved pattern whose diameter represents one respective grey level out of n possible levels.

Abstract: A printing image data generating device generates printing image data for a thermal transfer printer that heats a thermal head generating friction force depending on grayscale values to thermally transfer ink. The printing image data generating device includes: an image data acquirer configured to acquire image data as a printing subject; a density deviation line specifying section configured to specify density deviation lines at which density after printing is estimated to deviate from desired density attributed to sudden change in the friction force; a correction-subject pixel specifying section configured to specify, as a correction-subject pixel, a pixel whose variation degree of the grayscale value is lower than a predetermined value; a correcting section configured to correct the grayscale value of the specified correction-subject pixel in such a direction as to eliminate density deviation; and a generating section configured to generate the printing image data based on image data after correction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus switches a line of image data, to be read out from a storage unit, to another, depending on a position in the line in a scanning direction such that the curving of a scanning line is offset, and reducing trouble in reading out image data in units of rectangular image data blocks A data processing section performs image processing based on a plurality of rectangular image areas generated by dividing image data stored in a memory section. An image reading unit reads out the image data as the rectangular image areas, and transfers the rectangular image areas to the data processing section. A printer section forms an image by scanning a photosensitive member with irradiation light based on the rectangular image data areas. A DMA controller stores positional information indicative of line-switching positions. The rectangular image data areas are read out according to the positional information.

Abstract: It is determined whether a low density area in which pixels having density less than a predetermined density exist in succession is included in an image signal or not, and if the low density area exists, an image is formed by irradiating the laser light in a first condition for a pixel to be interested in each pixel area within the low density area and irradiating the laser light in a second condition being different from the first condition for other pixels in the pixel area. In this way, it is possible to improve reproducibility of a highlight area in a high resolution image and improve reproducibility of characters and line images or the like.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for minimizing dot visibility in color marking devices capable of dot-on-dot printing. The present method achieves minimum dot visibility for a given dispersed-dot screen by performing a CMYK to CMYKRGB conversion which uses less visible dots as much as possible before more visible dots are introduced. The output color dot coverages are calculated sequentially to minimize the coverage of more visible dots in a decreasing order of brightness. Resulting images have noticeably reduced halftone graininess, particularly in the mid to darker tone areas. The present method is also computationally efficient.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes: an emission unit which emits a light beam; an oscillating mirror which deflects the light beam to reciprocate on a scanning surface; and a controller which controls the emission unit to be on and off to form a pattern of dots in each cell of a plurality of cells defined on the scanning surface, the pattern being formed according to a gradation of the cell and based on a dot-concentrated threshold matrix. The threshold matrix is defined such that the pattern of dots to be formed in the cell includes a plurality of pairs of adjacent dots in a sub-scanning direction. Among the plurality of pairs of adjacent dots to be formed, a number of pairs of adjacent dots which are closer than an interval of adjacent ideal scanning lines is equal to a number of pairs of adjacent dots which are further than the interval.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a printing method that can utilize a lightly pigmented toner along with a darkly pigmented toner to improve the image quality. The method can include receiving a dataset corresponding to a printing of a printing system using a darkly pigmented toner. The printing system may have an undesirable optical density printing range for the darkly pigmented toner. Further, the method can include converting the dataset to a first dataset corresponding to a first printing of the printing system using the darkly pigmented toner, and a second dataset corresponding to a second printing of the printing system using a lightly pigmented toner. The first dataset can avoid the undesirable optical density printing range for the darkly pigmented toner, and a combination of the first printing and the second printing providing a substantially same printed optical density corresponding to the received dataset.

Abstract: A first process unit replaces a portion of pixels in a pixel sequence forming a first scanning line of a first color by a different portion of pixels in a pixel sequence forming a second scanning line of the first color. A second process unit performs a thicken process to a pixel sequence of a scanning line of a second color superimposed on the first line of the first color to thicken the pixel sequence of the scanning line of the second color. The pixel sequence of the scanning line to be thickened corresponds a replacement point of the replaced pixel of the first color.

Abstract: A method of, and apparatus for, reducing the visibility of banding artifacts on a printed medium comprising producing synthetic artifacts on the printed medium, overlapping scan lines at swath boundaries and controlling exposure along a scan line to reduce the visibility of the banding artifacts.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a light source; a light source driving unit configured to modulate/drive the light source; a pulse width information holding unit configured to hold pulse width information items of predetermined pixels corresponding to scanning positions on a scan target surface; a deflecting unit including a reflection surface configured to deflect/scan a light beam from the light source; and a scan-imaging optical system configured to image the light beam deflected by the deflecting unit on the scan target surface. The pulse width information holding unit holds the pulse width information items which cancel out deviations of main scanning beam spot diameters among the scanning positions on the scan target surface; and the light source driving unit drives the light source based on the pulse width information items held by the pulse width information holding unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus with a saving mode in which imaging materials to be used are reduced, includes: an image processing part that converts image data from which an image will be formed into corresponding image data in an output color space; and an image forming part that forms the image from the image data converted by the image processing part, using the imaging materials, the image processing part reducing a color component of non-dominant (n+m)-component color mixed into a dominant n-component color in the image data converted, where n and m are integers of 1 or greater.

Abstract: A light emitting device includes a plurality of light emitting elements, a first storage unit that stores first correction values corresponding to the light emitting elements, a counting unit that counts the number of pixels whose gray-scale values designated by image data are within a predetermined range included in an image, a selection unit that selects a first mode or a second mode according to the relationship between the number counted by the counting unit and a threshold value, and a driving unit that drives the light emitting elements corresponding to the predetermined number of pixels to emit amounts of light corresponding to the first correction values when the first mode is selected by the selection unit, and drives the light emitting elements corresponding to the predetermined number of pixels to emit amounts of light corresponding to the image data when the second mode is selected by the selection unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first unit for converting primary color data into color data for outputting a dark color material only in a first mode, and a second unit for converting the primary color data into color data for outputting both the dark color material and a light color material in a second mode.

Abstract: Data-processing systems and methods include a rendering device which renders documents based upon the timing and duration of a laser beam associated with particular pixel data. Additionally, a controlling mechanism for controlling and adjusting the particular pixel data can be provided, wherein the controlling mechanism is subject to pixel clock signal in order to optimize a performance of the rendering device under varying rendering parameters and thereby enhance the quality of data rendered via the rendering device. Such a controlling mechanism can be implemented as a programmable phase locked loop circuit to which a pixel clock signal and a frequency are applied in order to provide at least one output signal for controlling the laser beam.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus previewing on a display screen ink-character information and braille information which are printed and embossed on the same process sheet, the apparatus including: an ink-character previewing device for previewing the ink-character information; a braille previewing device for previewing the braille information; and a preview switching device controlling the ink-character previewing device and the braille previewing device and capable of selectively switching a display mode among a display of only the ink-character information, that of only the braille information, and that of the ink-character information and the braille information when printing and embossing operations are performed in a manner in which the ink-character information and the braille information are at least partially overlapped with each other on the process sheet.

Abstract: An area signal generation unit and a logical operation circuit control a dot pattern forming unit which forms a dispersed dots image by dispersing dot developer images each having the area of at least one dot, so as not to form a dot pattern in the area of a patch image to be formed by a patch image forming unit or the sensing area of the patch image. An image forming apparatus capable of avoiding the influence of a dispersed dots image on a patch image with suppressing nonuniformity caused by a line-like image when forming a patch image for color stabilization control, is provided.

Abstract: A method for printing with a laser printer includes obtaining data representative of the bow and tilt characteristics of the printer. Data representing an image to be printed is loaded and analyzed. A control signal is determined from the image data and modified based on the known bow and tilt characteristics of this printer, such that the printed image is free of bow and tilt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus receives halftone print data through an inputting section. A dot forming section irradiates the charged surface of an image bearing body with light to form a plurality of lines of dots in accordance with the halftone data. Dots on a same line have the same exposure energy and dots on different lines in a same pixel have different exposure energies. The plurality of lines may include as many lines as there are bits in the halftone print data. The plurality of lines may include a first predetermined number of lines and the halftone print data includes a second predetermined number of bits different from the first predetermined number. A conversion table converts halftone print data having a first number of bits into corresponding energy data having a second number of bits.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, forming an image by two-dimensionally fast and slow-scanning and exposing with light that has been modulated in accordance with image data representing an image and visualizing an electrostatic latent image with toner, includes a calculating unit that divides an image region in a fast-scanning direction into plural regions and calculates image data amounts to be used for image formation in the image data per each of the plural regions, and a correcting unit that corrects, on the basis of the calculation result of the calculating unit, unevenness of density in the fast-scanning direction in the toner image resulting from a distance between a position where the toner is supplied to a developing roll and a position where the toner is supplied to each of the plural regions.

Abstract: A line head includes light-emitting element lines formed by arranging a plurality of light sources in a line shape in a main scanning direction. Each of the light sources is turned on/off corresponding to image data. Light beams emitted from the light sources pass through a lens array to form imaged spots on an exposed surface. The imaged spots generated by making the light beams emitted from the plurality of light sources imaged on the exposed surface are shifted by inches in the main scanning direction or a sub-scanning direction so as to overlap each other, thereby forming images. A gray-scale image of the images has a screen structure displayed on the basis of an area of dots or lines having a predetermined pitch. A diameter of each of the imaged spots formed on the exposed surface is set to be larger than a pitch between pixels and smaller than a pitch between lines or dots forming the screen. Gradation of an image is displayed by a combination of binary states of ON/OFF of each of the light sources.

Abstract: A method of producing an image that can eliminate an f? lens is provided. This method of producing an image includes producing the image from a plurality of dots with varying intervals that are to be formed by linearly scanning an image forming surface with light that has been modulated using image data for producing by a polygon mirror that rotates at a constant angular velocity, and generating, before the producing the image, the image data for producing to form the image with the plurality of dots with varying intervals from original image data that forms a target output image with a plurality of dots with constant intervals. The step of generating the image data for producing includes setting a state of a first dot included in the plurality of dots with varying intervals at a state of a second dot that is included in the plurality of dots with constant intervals obtained from the original data and is at a position that is close to a position of the first dot.

Abstract: A first process unit replaces a portion of pixels in a pixel sequence forming a first scanning line of a first color by a different portion of pixels in a pixel sequence forming a second scanning line of the first color. A second process unit performs a thicken process to a pixel sequence of a scanning line of a second color superimposed on the first line of the first color to thicken the pixel sequence of the scanning line of the second color. The pixel sequence of the scanning line to be thickened corresponds a replacement point of the replaced pixel of the first color.

Abstract: An image forming method using an image forming apparatus including: a latent image carrier whose surface is driven in a sub scanning direction; a deflector which scans a beam spot reciprocally in a main scanning direction substantially perpendicular to the sub scanning direction on the surface of the latent image carrier in the use of an oscillating deflect mirror so as to form spot latent images each of which formed on a pixel; developer which develops each of the spot latent images as a pixel-dot, the method includes of: halftoning for a tone reproduction in which a halftone-dot constituted by the pixel-dot(s) is formed on a cell consisting plural pixels according to a fattening type threshold matrix, wherein a plurality of cells are contiguously arranged in the main scanning direction so as to form a plurality of contiguous locations at each of which the cells adjoin mutually in the main scanning direction, each cell includes a larger-than-four even number of pixels in the sub scanning direction, and the c

Abstract: The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to pulse laser printing. In general, in one implementation, an apparatus includes: a laser operable to produce a pulsed printing beam; an optics assembly operable to focus and direct the pulsed printing beam; and electronics communicatively coupled with the laser and the optics assembly, the electronics being operable to control the laser and the optics assembly to generate power pulses of the pulsed printing beam in synchronization with a series of moves that steer the pulsed printing beam in a non-raster scanning pattern to predefined locations on a material to alter an optical characteristic of the material at the predefined locations, which are arranged to form at least a portion of a symbol. The electronics may deliver the power pulses in synchronization with arrival at the predefined locations, and the electronics may be configured to receive sensed feedback in a closed loop.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a submodule that causes non-uniformity in density in a slow-scanning direction in accordance with rotation, includes a correction image forming unit that forms an image for density correction, in cooperation with the submodule, a density detector that detects a density of the image for density correction, a correction data generation unit that generates correction data to correct a density distribution based on a density distribution of the image for density correction in a slow-scanning direction detected by the density detector, a phase detector that detects a phase of the submodule, and a mark image forming unit that forms a mark image in synchronization with the phase of the submodule detected by the phase detector, in the image for density correction formed by the correction image forming unit.

Abstract: A method for automatically selecting a print job parameter including the steps of ascertaining a first print job parameter and automatically selecting a second print job parameter based upon the first print job parameter. In one embodiment the method includes the steps of automatically ascertaining a pre-selected toner density setting and automatically selecting a print media based upon the pre-selected toner density setting. Alternately, the method for automatically selecting a print job parameter may include the steps of ascertaining a pre-selected print media and automatically selecting a toner density setting based upon the pre-selected print media.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a fabrication method for pattern-formed structure having a smooth three-dimensional structure through a fewer processes. To achieve the object, the present invention provides a fabrication method for pattern-formed structure comprising: a dot modulation pattern forming process of binarizing a shape of a targeted three-dimensional structure to form a dot modulation pattern, a writing process of using the dot modulation pattern to write directly by a writer on a photosensitive resin layer formed on a substrate, and a developing process of developing the photosensitive resin layer after the writing to form a resin layer with three-dimensional structure, wherein the writing process is performed by a writing energy supplying method in which writing energy is supplied to the photosensitive resin layer by an area larger than a minimum dot area in the dot modulation pattern.

Abstract: A halftone processing method for correcting the variation in light intensity on a photoconductive drum and an apparatus using the same, wherein the method includes the steps of preparing a plurality of dithering functions, detecting the position where image data for forming an electrostatic latent image is scanned on the photoconductive drum, selecting one of the plurality of dithering functions according to the detected scanning position, and halftone-processing the image data using the selected dithering function. Accordingly, the halftone processing method improves print quality by increasing light intensity at the edges of a photoconductive drum by permitting the laser printer to be halftone-processed using dithering functions whose critical values are different for the center and the edges of the photoconductive drum.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus records an image on a photosensitive material by controlling a light emission amount from a plurality of light emission elements that each emit light in accordance with a supplied light emission control signal. The apparatus has a control signal generation unit and a first and second signal generation sections and a signal switching section. The control signal generation unit generates a first light amount control signal from a density modulation. The second signal generation section generates an ON/OFF control signal and a second light amount control signal as a pair of signals from a combination of a density modulation and an area modulation. The signal switching section generates a light emission control signal by performing signal switching between the first light amount control signal and the pair of the signals. The exposure by the light emission is overlaid.