Illumination Patents (Class 358/509)
  • Patent number: 8576460
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a light source; a light guiding member; an imaging optical system that reflects the light, which faces a first direction from the object, in a second direction intersecting the first direction by a reflective plane disposed in the first direction of the object, that makes the light, which is reflected by the reflective plane, converge toward the second direction by an emission portion disposed in the second direction of the reflective plane, and that images an erect equal-magnification image of the object in the second direction of the emission portion; and an optical sensor that is disposed in the second direction of the emission portion of the imaging optical system, and detects the erect equal-magnification image that is imaged by the imaging optical system, in which the light guiding member is disposed at an object side of the emission portion in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Takeda, Satoshi Kinoshita, Hidemitsu Sorimachi
  • Patent number: 8576459
    Abstract: An erecting equal-magnification lens array plate includes: a first lens array plate provided with a plurality of first lenses arranged on a first surface and a plurality of second lenses arranged on a second surface opposite to the first surface; and a second lens array plate provided with a plurality of third lenses arranged on a third surface and a plurality of fourth lenses arranged on a fourth surface opposite to the third surface. The first and second lens array plates form a stack such that the second surface and the third surface face each other. The erecting equal-magnification lens array plate receives light from a linear light source facing the first surface and forms an erect equal-magnification image of the linear light source on an image plane facing the fourth surface. An annular slope is formed around each second lens and each third lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company, Limited
    Inventor: Hideshi Nagata
  • Patent number: 8570625
    Abstract: A device for generating an image of an object is provided, comprising an illumination module, by means of which the object can be illuminated with a pattern whose phase is altered temporally, a recording module, by means of which a plurality of recordings of the object are carried out during the phase change of the pattern, and a processing module, which generates the image from the recordings, wherein the illumination module moves a light beam over the object and modulates its intensity synchronously with the movement such that the beam generates the pattern in scanning fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Kempe, Ralf Wolleschensky
  • Patent number: 8570616
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a lighting device includes: a light source configured to generate light used for reading of an image; and a light guide configured to extend in a predetermined direction and lead light, which is irradiated from the light source, town image reading region, the light guide having, at an end in the predetermined direction, an incident region where the light irradiated from the light source is made incident and a cutting trace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sasuke Endo
  • Publication number: 20130278979
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a light source to illuminate an original; a color sensor and a monochrome sensor to receive light reflected from the original illuminated by the light source to output an image signal; an amplifier to amplify the image signal from the color and monochrome sensors; a reflective reference member; and a control circuit to adjust a gain of the amplifier amplifying the image signal from the color sensor that receives light reflected from the reflective member illuminated by the light source, and holds the adjusted gain as a gain setting value for the color sensor, and the control circuit obtains a gain setting value for the monochrome sensor by calculation based on the gain setting value for the color sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventor: RYO MIKAMI
  • Patent number: 8564654
    Abstract: An image pick-up apparatus includes: a color imager having a color filter formed on a light receiving surface thereof; a monochrome imager not having a color filter formed on a light receiving surface thereof; a light guiding unit for guiding, to the color imager and/or the monochrome imager, light originating from a subject; and an image formation unit for forming an image from a signal based on an output from the color imager and/or the monochrome imager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoharu Ogihara
  • Patent number: 8559074
    Abstract: An illumination device for an image capture system according to one example embodiment includes an integrating light pipe having an input face and an output face. The integrating light pipe is positioned to receive light from a light source at the input face and transmit the light at the output face. A projection element is positioned to focus the light from the output face to a document plane to be imaged by an image sensor. A uniformity correction device is positioned to attenuate the light from the output face so that the light has a substantially uniform intensity at the image sensor and a less uniform intensity at the document plane than at the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Ryan Keniston, Paul Scott Nicholas Sherrill, Mark Eric Miller, William Michael Connors, Kevin Garcia
  • Patent number: 8559071
    Abstract: A pressing plate is used for an overhead scanner. The overhead scanner includes an imaging unit that images a medium to be read that is placed on a placement surface located under the imaging unit in the vertical direction and a light source that irradiates the medium to be read with light. The pressing plate includes a pressing plate main body for pressing the medium to be read from an upper side in the vertical direction and a plurality of anti-glare units arranged inside the pressing plate main body. The pressing plate main body is light transmissive. The anti-glare units block light reflected toward a side opposite to an incident light side from the light source, with respect to a vertical axis, among light reflected from the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventor: Kengo Kawata
  • Publication number: 20130265621
    Abstract: A scanning device includes a first scanning unit, a second scanning unit, and a light source corresponding to each of the first scanning unit and the second scanning unit. The light sources are arranged on the same side of the first and second scanning units with respect to the main scanning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventors: Satoshi KUBO, Yusuke Nakashima, Yasuhiko Kitagawa
  • Publication number: 20130242362
    Abstract: An image-forming lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first group having a negative power as a whole, the first group consisting of a positive meniscus lens having a convex surface on the object side and a negative meniscus lens having a convex surface on the object side, the positive meniscus lens and the negative meniscus lens being cemented, an aperture stop, a second group consisting of a positive meniscus lens having a convex surface on the image side, a third group consisting of a positive meniscus lens having a convex surface on the image side, a fourth group consisting of a lens having a negative power, and a fifth group consisting of a biconcave lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Inventors: Hirotoshi NAKAYAMA, Kiichiro NISHINA, Masahiro ITOH
  • Patent number: 8537434
    Abstract: An image reading device includes: a plurality of light sources that are arranged in a row and emit light; a light guide body that guides the light emitted from the plurality of light sources to a reading portion and transmits light reflected from the reading portion; a carriage having the plurality of light sources and the light guide body; and a reading unit that receives the light reflected from the reading portion and reads an image on the reading portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaoru Takahashi, Shusaku Yokota
  • Patent number: 8537442
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a light source that generates light by synthesizing light from different illuminants and irradiates an irradiated object with the generated light; a reading unit that reads light irradiated by the light source and reflected by the irradiated object and generates image information in a first color space on the irradiated object; a color conversion unit that converts the image information in the first color space into image information in a second color space with a color conversion factor group; and a color conversion factor group setting unit that acquires from the reading unit the image information generated by using, as the irradiated object, a color sample formed in a color of light emitted by one of the illuminants, determines the color conversion factor group to be used, according to the acquired image information, and sets the color conversion factor group to the color conversion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuko Hagio, Kosuke Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8537431
    Abstract: A light source driving device for driving plural light sources is provided. The light source driving device includes a voltage booster to boost a voltage from a power source to supply the boosted voltage to each of the plural light sources; a constant current driver to regularly hold driving current of each of the plural light sources constant; a load to consume substantially the same power as the plural light sources; and a switch to selectively connect either the load or the plural light sources with the voltage booster and the constant current driver so that the load or the plural light sources are interposed between the voltage booster and the constant current driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadaaki Oyama
  • Publication number: 20130229671
    Abstract: An image capturing unit includes a sensor section that images a predetermined range including a subject; a reference chart section that is imaged by the sensor section with the subject; and an illumination light source that illuminates the subject and the reference chart section. The illumination light source is arranged at a position where a mirror reflection region that mirror reflects light entering from the illumination light source to the sensor section is outside a region of the subject and the reference chart section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Inventors: Suguru YOKOZAWA, Nobuyuki Satoh, Yasuyuki Suzuki, Masato Kobayashi, Yuichi Sakurada, Mamoru Yorimoto, Tatsuhiko Okada, Daisaku Horikawa, Masahiro Shigemoto, Kazushi Takei, Hideaki Suzuki, Satoshi Iwanami
  • Patent number: 8520022
    Abstract: Display functions in an electronic device may comprise combining runtime color adjustments with brightness adjustments triggered by ambient light detection. Light sensors may be utilized to detect ambient lighting conditions, which may cause adjustment of brightness level applicable to a display (or screen) of the electronic device. The adjustment of brightness level may then be combined with adjustment of contrast level that may also be applicable to display functions. In this regard, a particular contrast level may be selected based on the detected ambient lighting conditions—e.g., by mapping various contrast levels to preconfigured ambient lighting levels. The contrast adjustment may comprise adjusting colors and/or sharpness. Using contrast adjustments, in conjunction with the brightness adjustments, may allow for achieving the same levels of readability with less brightness, and/or for increased readability with the same brightness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel Cohen, Michael A. Cleron
  • Patent number: 8520270
    Abstract: An elongate light guide includes a light incident portion provided at an end in the longitudinal direction of the guide, a light reflecting portion extending in the longitudinal direction, a light emitting portion extending in the longitudinal direction for emitting linear light, and a scatterer for scattering the light entering through the light incident portion. For instance, the scatterer is provided as a grained portion formed at least part of the reflecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Sawada, Yasuhiro Nagao
  • Patent number: 8520271
    Abstract: In one embodiment, in a state in which a first scanning unit is positioned at a reading position below an original reading glass and a second scanning unit is positioned such that an original is not caused to travel between the original reading glass and a reading guide plate of a first reading portion, control is performed to selectively turn on or turn off each LED of an illumination portion of the first scanning unit to produce a shadow of paper dust, and detection is performed on variation in an output of a CCD corresponding to the shadow of the paper dust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukihito Nishio
  • Publication number: 20130215482
    Abstract: A document illuminating system includes a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in an array, a reflective element which guides light emitted from the light emitting elements to a document read area of a certain width and length. The reflective element includes first to third reflective portions. The second reflective portion includes one or more planar reflective faces and is disposed so that the reflective faces reflect light from the light emitting elements to one or both of the first and third reflective portions without other reflective elements. The first and third reflective portions each include one or more planar reflective faces and are disposed so that their reflective faces oppositely illuminate the document read area together by reflecting light from one or both of the light emitting elements and the second reflective portion to the document read area without other reflective elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventors: Atsushi Takaura, Nobuaki Ono, Yasuo Sakurai, Yasunobu Youda, Kazuya Miyagaki, Masahiro Itoh
  • Patent number: 8508812
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a light source unit, an image sensor, and a light guiding unit at least including a light reflector. The light guiding unit may include a first masking shield and a second masking shield. The light source unit irradiates light toward an original. The image sensor picks up an image of the original based on reflected light of the light by the original. The light guiding unit is provided on an opposite side to the light source unit to cause a part of the light to directly enter into the image sensor, when the original is not fed to the image sensor. The light guiding unit reduces light incident to the image sensor, among the light and light having transmitted through the original, at the time of picking up the image of the original by the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventor: Akira Iwayama
  • Patent number: 8503050
    Abstract: An optical filter is provided on photoelectric conversion elements for monochrome reading. Each of a reflecting optical system and the optical filter has an end portion and a central portion in a predetermined direction. The optical filter suppresses light at a peak wavelength of a light source such that a difference between a sensitivity of optical path via the end portion of the reflecting optical system and the optical filter and a sensitivity of optical path via the central portion of the reflecting optical system and the optical filter fall within a range of 5% at the peak wavelength of light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Morikawa
  • Patent number: 8503047
    Abstract: A controller controls a scanner unit of an image reading device to read a section of an original document that corresponds to an image reading area specified by a user, when a user instruction for setting the image reading area is received. The controller causes the scanner unit to move to an image reading start position in a sub-scanning direction as specified by a user instruction. When a user instruction for starting image reading is received, the controller causes the scanner unit to start reading the section of the original document from the image reading start position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroki Shirado
  • Patent number: 8498030
    Abstract: An image sensor using three-color, e.g., R, G, and B light-emitting elements assures a period in which all the three colors are turned on and periods in each of which one light-emitting element is turned off during a scan period per pixel, and integrates and measures amounts of light of the respective periods. An amount of light based on the OFF light-emitting element is calculated based on a difference between the amounts of light during the full light-ON period and each light-OFF period to define an amount of light of the light-emitting element, and light intensity information corresponding to each light-emitting element is obtained based on a total amount of light during the entire scan period per pixel, and the amount of light of each light-emitting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Components, Inc.
    Inventor: Shoji Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 8493637
    Abstract: An image forming optical element is provided, in which a first lens, a second lens, and a light guiding unit that leads the light input from the first lens, to the second lens, the light guiding unit has a curved shape of a first curve portion and a second curve portion from the first lens to the second lens, a first reflection face that reflects the light input from the first lens, to the second curve portion, is formed on an outer peripheral face of the first curve portion, a second reflection face that reflects the reflected light to the second lens is formed on an outer peripheral face of the second curve portion, the light input to the first lens travels in the transparent medium until reading the second lens, is output from the second lens, and then forms an image at magnification of erection equal-magnification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Takeda
  • Patent number: 8488217
    Abstract: An image reading device including: plural point light sources, each point light source being disposed at a placement interval F in a first direction; a light guiding body having an exit surface, incident light from the plural light sources exiting from the exit surface to a surface to be read, and a width S of the exit surface, in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, being smaller than the placement interval F; a light diffusing portion which diffuses light exiting from the exit surface, at an angle that is greater in the first direction than in the second direction; and a reading portion which receives light reflected at the surface to be read, and reads an image at the surface to be read, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kaoru Takahashi, Shusaku Yokota
  • Patent number: 8488219
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a light source to illuminate an original; a color sensor and a monochrome sensor to receive light reflected from the original illuminated by the light source to output an image signal; an amplifier to amplify the image signal from the color and monochrome sensors; a reflective reference member; and a control circuit to adjust a gain of the amplifier amplifying the image signal from the color sensor that receives light reflected from the reflective member illuminated by the light source, and holds the adjusted gain as a gain setting value for the color sensor, and the control circuit obtains a gain setting value for the monochrome sensor by calculation based on the gain setting value for the color sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryo Mikami
  • Patent number: 8488216
    Abstract: An LED light source device installed in an image reading apparatus, includes an LED that is a light-emitting source; and a light guide for reflecting light of the LED by an inner surface thereof to diffuse along a main scanning line direction and irradiating the light reflected by the light guide to a surface of a sheet. The light guide has a plurality of reflecting surface bodies spaced at predetermined pitches in the main scanning line direction inside an inner surface reflection optical path to reflect the light from the LED toward an outside along the main scanning line direction. The plurality of reflecting surface bodies includes a first reflecting surface body and a second reflecting surface body, and a length in a perpendicular direction to the main scanning line direction of the second reflecting surface body is different from that of the first reflecting surface body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Fumihide Sakamoto, Yuichi Kagami, Satoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8488218
    Abstract: A document reading apparatus includes an irradiation unit configured to irradiate a document reading position with visible light and infrared light, a reading unit configured to read an image of visible light and an image of infrared light reflected from the document on the document reading position, and an extraction unit configured to extract a transparent toner image on a document based on the visible light image and the infrared light image read by the reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Ota
  • Patent number: 8488208
    Abstract: An optical module 100 includes an optical path unit 101 including a plurality of reflectors 104 for securing an optical path of reflected light from a manuscript, an image processing unit 102 including a reading device 105 which reads image information on the manuscript based on the reflected light from the manuscript entered via the optical path, and a connecting component 103 which connects the optical path unit 101 and the image processing unit 102 so that their positional relation will become a prescribed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Engineering, Ltd.
    Inventors: Namie Sugiyama, Keisuke Hatomi, Hiroyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 8482824
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a sheet table including a placement surface on which a sheet is placed; a light emitting device including light sources; a light emitting unit including a plurality of light emitting devices for emitting light to the placement surface; a light receiving unit; a read image conversion unit converting the received light into read image information; a pulse signal output unit that outputs a pulse signal; a plurality of drive current supply units supplying drive currents to the plurality of light emitting devices; a light emission control unit; a first light emission parameter determination unit; and a second light emission parameter determination unit. The light emission control unit controls the light sources to emit the same color light in sequence based on a drive current value of a first and second light emitting devices and a light emission time of the light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideaki Nagasaka
  • Patent number: 8482817
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus capable of reading documents includes a reading unit including a light emitting element, a mechanism configured to move the reading unit, and a control unit configured to control the reading unit and the mechanism both to carry out reading by turning on the light emitting element and moving the reading unit and to temporarily stop moving the reading unit upon occurrence of a predetermined factor. The control unit sets a first current value which is caused to flow through the light emitting element when reading is carried out and sets a second current value which is less than the first current value and which is caused to flow through the light emitting element when the reading unit is temporarily stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Kubozono, Yasuyuki Shinada
  • Patent number: 8482813
    Abstract: An image-scanning device wherein plural images of an object are picked up inverted and reduced in size by image-forming optical systems arranged to be adjacent to each other, and then restored by an image processing system. Each optical system includes a first optical element having a first focal length; an aperture member located at a focus position in a rear side of the first optical element; and a second optical element provided in a rear side of the aperture member and having a second focal length shorter than the first focal length, respectively disposed from a side of the object being picked up to a side of the image pickup device. In between optical systems, corresponding image pick up devices thereof are arranged to be adjacent to each other, the image pickup devices including a region in which the images picked up by the image pickup devices are overlapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawano, Tatsuki Okamoto, Tomotaka Katsura, Junichi Nishimae
  • Patent number: 8467110
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus of the present invention includes a document placing unit on which a document is placed, a light source unit in which light sources are arrayed in a depth direction, a light source drive unit that drives the light sources, and a light source control unit that controls so that the light sources are divided into a plurality of groups to be driven. An image sensor is provided at a position capable of receiving light emitted from the light sources and reflected by the document on the document placing unit. Further, the document size is detected through detection of a position of an edge of the document from an output signal from the image sensor. Then, the light source drive unit is controlled so that, when the image is to be read, the light sources are activated to illuminate the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yoko Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8462401
    Abstract: In one embodiment of a semiconductor apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of light-emitting elements provided with a light-emitting face are disposed at intervals in a line on a surface of a substrate, and serve as a light source apparatus that emits irradiating light forward from the light-emitting face along the surface of the substrate, and on a forward side of the light-emitting face in the surface of the substrate, a light reflection suppression area is formed extending forward with a width less than the width of the light-emitting face from a lower edge of the light-emitting face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Imoto, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto, Yasuhiro Suto, Shohichi Fukutome, Hisashi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8462405
    Abstract: An image-reading apparatus includes a light dividing unit that divides irradiated light so that a part of the light having a first wavelength is diffracted, and a part of the light having a second wavelength is transmitted; a first light measuring unit that measures an intensity of light entering into a first measuring area, and outputs first measurement information indicating the measured intensity; a second light measuring unit that measures an intensity of light entering into a second measuring area, and outputs second measurement information indicating the measured intensity; an image-forming unit that forms an image of a subject for reading in the first measurement area, and that forms a virtual image in the second measurement area using light diffracted by the light dividing unit; and a generation unit that corrects the first measurement information on the basis of the second measurement information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsunori Kawano, Shin Yasuda, Akihiko Naya, Kazuo Baba
  • Patent number: 8462406
    Abstract: A spectral colorimetric apparatus for detecting a color of an image of a subject, including: an illumination optical system illuminating the subject on a detection surface; a spectral optical system including a spectral element spectrally separating the beam diffused by the subject and a light receiving element array detecting a spectral intensity distribution; and a guiding optical system for guiding a beam diffused by the subject, wherein: the detection surface is parallel to a spectral plane including a principal ray of a beam entering the spectral optical system and a principal ray of a beam spectrally separated; the principal ray of the beam enters the spectral optical system within the spectral plane obliquely to a line joining a center of the light receiving element array with a surface vertex of the spectral element; and a light receiving surface of the light receiving element array is orthogonal to the spectral plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tokuji Takizawa, Kazumi Kimura, Nobuyuki Tochigi, Masayasu Teramura
  • Patent number: 8448079
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided. The image processing apparatus includes: a display unit which displays an image; a detection unit which detects a position on the display unit designated from an outside; an original image display unit which displays an original image based on original image data in a first display area on the display unit; a specifying unit which, when a position within the first display area is designated from the outside, specifies a designated region corresponding to the designated position in the first display area based on a detection result of the detection unit; and a combining unit which displays at least a part of an additional image in the designated region in the first display area to display a combined image, in which the original image and the additional image are combined, on the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuro Matsutani, Tetsuya Kato
  • Patent number: 8446649
    Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source, a rotating polygonal mirror, a scanning optical system, a detector, and a light emission controller. The light source includes plural light emitting elements. The rotating polygonal mirror is irradiated with light beams. While rotating, the rotating polygonal mirror reflects and deflects, in a deflecting direction, light beams emitted from light emitting elements in a first direction to propagate through one point in the deflecting direction substantially at the same time. The scanning optical system causes the reflected and deflected light beams to scan over an object. The detector detects the timing at which a light beam propagates through a detection point. When the light beams propagate through the detection point, the light emission controller causes light emitting elements in a row in the first direction other than light emitting elements at both ends of a projection plane to emit light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Sakita, Fumiya Hisa, Toshiharu Orui
  • Patent number: 8446647
    Abstract: An image reading device includes: a line illuminator for irradiating a document G; an erecting equal-magnification lens array operative to condense light reflected by the document G and including a stack of a first lens array plate and a second lens array plate each provided with an arrangement of a plurality of lenses on both sides thereof; a line image sensor operative to receive the light condensed by the erecting equal-magnification lens array; a housing for securing the line illuminator, the erecting equal-magnification lens array, and the line image sensor in their places; and a first light shielding member, a second light shielding member, and a third light shielding member operative to prevent light not contributing to imaging from entering the lenses. The first light shielding member, the second light shielding member, and the third light shielding member are formed as one piece with the main part of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruhiko Mamada, Shiro Sato, Katsuhide Shimmo
  • Patent number: 8441700
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for use with a printed substrate is disclosed. The image processing apparatus comprises an imaging device configured to receive light reflected from a portion of multiple patches of a colorbar on the printed substrate and configured to process color data from the light reflected from the portion of multiple patches of the colorbar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Quad/Tech, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick James Noffke
  • Publication number: 20130100508
    Abstract: An image sensor unit has a first light guide that emits light to a bill, a second light guide that emits light to the bill, a rod-lens array that receives the light emitted by the first light guide and reflected by the bill and the light emitted by the second light guide and transmitted through the bill, and a background member that provides a background color for the bill. The bill can pass through the gap between the rod-lens array and the background member and second light guide. The background member is disposed on the optical axis of the rod-lens array to face the rod-lens array. The second light guide is disposed at a position shifted from the optical axis of the rod-lens array in the conveyance direction of the bill.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: CANON COMPONENTS, INC.
    Inventor: CANON COMPONENTS,INC.
  • Patent number: 8427718
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes an image reader with an original document table. An image reading part has a light source, a light-receiving part, a reflection part, and a carriage that supports the light source or the reflection part. A cover covers a replacement member and is opened/closed integrally with the image reader. A main body accommodates an operation part for performing operations based on image data. An axis connects the image reader to the main body and turnably supports the image reader and the cover in approaching/separating directions with respect to the main body. An open/close detector detects an open/closed state of the image reader and the cover and a movement controller moves the carriage in a sub-scanning direction. When the image reader and the cover are open, the movement controller moves the carriage to a retreat position that is outside the original document table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Omoya
  • Patent number: 8422095
    Abstract: An image scanner includes a light-pervious supporting plate, an enclosure, an image sensor, several light sources, and two or four light guide plates. The supporting plate supports an original to be scanned. The enclosure and the supporting plate cooperatively define a receiving space. The image sensor is received in the receiving space, and has a receiving surface. The two, four, or six light sources emit light. The light guide plates each include a light incident surface and an output surface. The light incident surface is configured for receiving light from the respective light sources. The output surface is configured for emission of surface light to scan the original on the supporting plate. In this manner, the surface light is reflected by the original to the receiving surface of the image sensor, thus an image of the original is captured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yung-Lun Huang
  • Patent number: 8421910
    Abstract: R, G and B LEDs are used as a light source of an electronic flash. Electric energy is supplied to a capacitor to the LEDs. A system controller controls light emitting amounts of the LEDs so that a color temperature of the electronic flash light becomes a color temperature that has been manually set with a color temperature setting switch or a color temperature of a light source determined by color temperature sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Chikuni Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8422094
    Abstract: An illumination device comprising: an optical guide for receiving light emitted from a light source and guiding the light by repetitive transmission and reflection; a reflective member for reflecting light transmitting in the optical guide to an outside of the optical guide within the optical guide; a supplemental reflective member for reflecting light transmitting the reflective member and light leaked from the optical guide while evading the optical guide to an inside of the optical guide, transmitting the reflective member and light leak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kouhei Suyama, Junichi Suematsu, Yuuzou Kawano
  • Patent number: 8421813
    Abstract: A display device includes a light modulating unit configured to modulate light based on a video signal, a light source configured to supply light to the light modulating unit, a detecting unit configured to detect a light amount of the light source, and a control unit configured to perform control for correcting the video signal based on the detected light amount so as to attain a color temperature and brightness that had already been set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Takase
  • Patent number: 8422093
    Abstract: A light projection unit includes a substrate, a plurality of light emitting elements arrayed on the substrate in a main scanning direction and including light emitting surfaces, a light guide facing the light emitting surfaces to direct light projected from the light emitting elements onto an illumination target and including a first positioning portion, and a holder including a second positioning portion that engages the first positioning portion of the light guide to position the light guide on the holder. The first positioning portion of the light guide is positioned between centers of light emission of adjacent light emitting elements in the main scanning direction of the substrate when the first positioning portion engages the second positioning portion of the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Ishida
  • Patent number: 8416477
    Abstract: A method and systems for calibrating a document scanner are provided. The scanner calibration method includes providing a geometrically operative black absorption device having a structural geometry that is capable of receiving light and limiting propagation of the received light, where the black calibration target has a total light reflectance of less than one percent. The method further includes powering on a light source of a document scanner to provide light toward the black absorption device, where the light source generates a noise signal when providing the light. The method further includes detecting, by a sensor of the document scanner, light reflected from the black absorption device and generating calibration signals based on the reflected light and the noise signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: R. Victor Klassen, Martin Edward Banton
  • Patent number: 8411332
    Abstract: A power saving mode includes a plurality of levels that are different in recovery time to a normal mode and in power consumption of a main body system. The plurality of levels are set to correspond to remaining heat temperature of a fixing device so that the recovery time to the normal mode becomes shorter as the remaining heat temperature is higher, and the power consumption of the main body system becomes lower as the remaining heat temperature is lower. Depending on a change in the remaining heat temperature, a power control section switches to a level corresponding to the remaining heat temperature, of the plurality of levels of the power saving mode of the main body system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Katsushi Saiki
  • Patent number: 8411333
    Abstract: An image capturing device includes: a first base, including a first side edge and a second side edge opposite to each other; a first light-emitting element, located at the first side edge, for emitting a first light source to illuminate a document; a first compensator, located at the second side edge; a first sensing element, located between the first light-emitting element and the first compensator; a first transparent sheet, covering the first compensator; a second base, including a third side edge and a fourth side edge opposite to each other; a second light-emitting element, located at the third side edge, for emitting a second light source to illuminate the document; a second compensator, located at the fourth side edge; a second sensing element, located between the second light-emitting element and the second compensator; and a second transparent sheet, covering the second compensator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: TECO Image System Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Ming Te Yeh
  • Patent number: 8405884
    Abstract: A scanner including: a transparent plate; a light emitting unit that emits light to an object on the transparent plate; a sensor to form an image of the object; a focusing lens unit that is arranged on a light path between the transparent plate and the sensor, to focus light from the object onto the sensor; and a controller to determine whether a foreign substance is disposed in the light path, using the image, calculates a position of the foreign substance, and corrects the image on the basis of the calculated position of the foreign substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-kyung Hong, Jonghyon Yi