48th week of 2011 patent applcation highlights part 37 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20110293242 | RECORDING APPARATUS, REPRODUCING APPARATUS, RECORDING/REPRODUCING SYSTEM, RECORDING MEDIUM, AND PROGRAM - There is provided a recording apparatus including an acquisition unit configured to acquire a video stream, a switch indication detecting unit configured to detect a switch indication with reference to the acquired video stream, the switch indication indicating switching of a content type between a 3D video content and a 2D video content, a switch information generating unit configured to, on the basis of the detected switch indication, generate switch information, the switch information indicating switching of the content type between the 3D video content and the 2D video content in the video stream, and a recording unit configured to record the switch information while correlating the switch information with the acquired video stream. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293243 | MULTIMEDIA PLAYING APPARATUS AND MULTIMEDIA DATA CONVERTER AND CONVERTING METHOD THEREOF - A multimedia data converter for converting a transport stream to a program stream is provided, which includes a storage unit and a recorder. The storage unit includes a plurality of storage blocks. The recorder selects a plurality of transport stream packets from the transport stream, and determines whether the selected transport stream packet includes the multimedia data. Besides, the recorder directly stores the multimedia data to the storage unit by using the divided storage blocks, so as to reduce a loading of system performance. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293244 | IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device includes a storage unit that sequentially stores a plurality of frame images based on an imaging signal from an imaging sensor that images light from a subject, a moving image data generation unit that generates slow motion moving image data that is to be played at a second frame rate lower than a first frame rate that represents the number of frame images stored per unit time in the storage unit, based on the plurality of frame images stored in the storage unit during a predetermined time period, a still image data generation unit that generates at least one piece of still image data based on at least one frame image of the plurality of frame images stored in the storage unit during the predetermined time period, and a record control unit that associates the slow motion moving image data generated by the moving image data generation unit and the still image data generated by the still image data generation unit and records the slow motion moving image data and the still image data in a recording medium. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293245 | REPRODUCTION APPARATUS - A reproduction apparatus includes a reproduction unit configured to reproduce a moving image signal from a recording medium, a reception unit configured to receive an instruction for switching between a normal reproduction mode and a highlight reproduction mode for reproducing a plurality of highlight reproduction periods in the moving image signal recorded in the recording medium, and a control unit configured to determine a reproduction start position of the moving image signal in response to the reception of the instruction for switching to the normal reproduction mode during reproduction of the moving image signal in the highlight reproduction mode, and control the reproduction unit to reproduce the moving image signal in the normal reproduction mode from the determined reproduction start position. The control unit determines a head position for the highlight reproduction period which includes a reproduction position of the moving image signal when the switching to the normal reproduction mode is instructed, as the reproduction start position. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293246 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF MANAGING NETWORK VIDEO RECORDING SYSTEMS - A system and method for managing a network video recording system are provided. The method includes interfacing a network video recording system with an end user operating system, and managing the network video recording system via the end user operating system. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293247 | Video matting based on foreground-background constraint propagation - A method for propagating user-provided foreground-background constraint information for a first video frame to subsequent frames allows extraction of moving foreground objects with minimal user interaction. Video matting is performed wherein constraints derived from user input with respect to a first frame are propagated to subsequent frames using the estimated alpha matte of each frame. The matte of a frame is processed in order to arrive at a rough foreground-background segmentation which is then used for estimating the matte of the next frame. At each frame, the propagated constraints are used by an image matting method for estimating the corresponding matte which is in turn used for propagating the constraints to the next frame, and so on. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293248 | IMAGE CONVERSION APPARATUS AND IMAGE CONVERSION METHOD - According to one embodiment, an image conversion apparatus includes a 3D conversion instruction module, a determination module, and a converter. The 3D conversion instruction module is configured to instruct execution of a 3D conversion required to convert an input image into a 3D image. The determination module is configured to determine validity or invalidity of the 3D conversion instruction based on whether the input image corresponds to a 3D image format or a 2D image format. The converter is configured to convert, based on validity determination of the 3D conversion instruction, the input image into the 3D image in response to the 3D conversion instruction. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293249 | IMAGE CONVERSION APPARATUS AND IMAGE CONVERSION METHOD - According to one embodiment, an image conversion apparatus includes a 3D conversion instruction module, a determination module, and a converter. The 3D conversion instruction module is configured to instruct execution of a 3D conversion required to convert an input image into a 3D image. The determination module is configured to determine validity or invalidity of the 3D conversion instruction based on a type of the input image. The converter is configured to convert, based on validity determination of the 3D conversion instruction, the input image into the 3D image in response to the 3D conversion instruction. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293250 | DETERMINING KEY VIDEO SNIPPETS USING SELECTION CRITERIA - A method for forming a video summary for a digital video having a time sequence of video frames, comprising using a processor to perform the steps of: determining a set of key video frames for the digital video; ranking the key video frames responsive to a predefined criterion; forming key video snippets corresponding to one or more highest-ranked key video frames according to a predefined set of criteria, including a criterion which specifies the total time duration for the video summary and a criterion which specifies the minimum time duration for each of the key video snippets; assembling the key video snippets to form a video summary; and storing a representation of the video summary in a processor-accessible memory. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293251 | Methods and Systems for Dynamically Balancing Storage of Recorded Media Content Data Between a Local Storage Device and a Network Storage Device - An exemplary method includes receiving a command input by a user to record media content, recording media content data representative of the media content in response to the command, automatically selecting at least one storage device from a local storage device and a network storage device for storage of the recorded media content data in accordance with at least one of a plurality of storage balancing factors, and storing the recorded media content data in the at least one selected storage device. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293252 | Automatic Playback Overshoot Control System and Method - An automatic overshoot control system and method can enable a user to more easily terminate a trick mode (e.g., fast forward or rewind) at an intended point in program material. For example, after a trick mode, a user can initiate display of audio or video at a particular intended point in the program material while minimizing a need to manually adjust. The system determines an offset and tracks a preview position within the program material displayed as a trick mode preview incorporating the offset. The system also tracks an actual position within the program material based on the preview position and offset. The actual position corresponds to a predicted location that the user desires upon terminating the preview trick mode. When the preview trick mode is terminated, normal playback of the program material is resumed at the actual location corresponding to the user's intended location in the program material. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293253 | SAUNA HEATING ELEMENT WITH HIGH EMISSIVITY COATING - A high emissivity coating applied to a sauna heating element and a method for fabricating a sauna heating element with a high emissivity coating is described. In one illustrative embodiment, a sauna heating element comprises a substrate, and a film coating applied to the substrate, the film coating applied as a first liquid layer and a second powder layer. In another illustrative embodiment, a process is provided for fabricating a sauna heating element with a high emissivity coating. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293254 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR HEATING A LAYER OF A PLATE BY PRIMING AND LIGHT FLOW - The invention relates to a method and to a device for at least locally heating a plate including at least one layer ( | 2011-12-01 |
20110293255 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus comprising: a lens apparatus having: an image pickup optical system including a focus lens unit and a zoom lens unit; a zoom state detector; and a controller; a camera apparatus having: a light receiving unit; and an image display unit; an AF frame operation unit; and a distance measuring unit installed with a parallax with respect to an optical axis of the image pickup optical system, in which the controller is configured to: select, from among measured distances obtained by the distance measuring unit, a measured distance obtained in an angle of field of the AF frame, based on a position of the zoom lens unit detected by the zoom state detector and a position of the AF frame set in the display; and perform the focusing by driving the focus lens unit based on the selected measured distance. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293256 | FOCUS CONTROL DEVICE, FOCUS CONTROL METHOD, LENS SYSTEM, FOCUS LENS DRIVING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - A focus control device includes: an in-detection-range focal depth number calculation section that calculates the number of in-detection-range focal depths as the number of focal depths, which are divided as division units and each of which depends on a position of a focus lens, in accordance with a detection range in which the focus lens is shifted in order to detect the contrast of a captured image signal; a detection interval determination section that determines the number of in-detection-interval focal depths, which represents the number of focal depths as the division units, as a detection interval in the detection range, in accordance with the calculated number of in-detection-range focal depths; and a focus lens shift instruction section that instructs a lens section to perform a focus search which shifts the focus lens by specifying the detection range and the number of in-detection-interval focal depths determined as the detection interval. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293257 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image pickup apparatus capable of generating a strobe emission signal in a proper timing even when an electronic front curtain shutter is used in strobe photographing. The image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device having pixels arranged in matrix and configured to store charges generated according to a received amount of light. A vertical scanning circuit controls travel of the electronic front curtain shutter such that the image pickup device sequentially receives light on a per line basis, starting from a first scan line. When it is detected that the electronic front curtain shutter reaches a predetermined scan line, a NOR gate outputs a light emission timing signal, whereby light is emitted from a light emission unit such as a strobe. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293258 | OPTICAL APPARATUS INCLUDING LIGHT AMOUNT ADJUSTING APPARATUS - An optical apparatus includes a stop having an aperture, two filter members each including a first area that includes a transmissive part and a gradation part having a transmittance that is lower than the transmittance of the transmissive part and that is changed in a moving direction of the filter member, an actuator that drives the two filter members, and a controller that controls the actuator. The two filter members are disposed so that both changing directions of densities of the gradation part and moving directions are opposite and the first area has a size capable of covering a whole of a first aperture. The controller controls the actuator so as to always move in an area between a first position and a second position. The transmissive part has a size that is incapable of covering the whole of the first aperture. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293259 | Scene Adaptive Auto Exposure - Systems, methods, and a computer readable medium for an improved automatic exposure algorithm attempt to classify an image into a particular “scene category,” and, based on the determined scene category, meter the scene according to a generated metering weighting matrix. In one embodiment, the average luminance is calculated for a central exposure metering region of the image and a plurality of peripheral exposure metering regions surrounding the central exposure metering region. Based on comparisons of the average luminance values of the peripheral exposure regions to the average luminance of the central exposure region, a target metering weighting matrix may be generated. In another embodiment, the scene category corresponds to a predetermined metering weighting matrix. In video applications, it may be desirable to reduce oscillations in metering parameter values to limit any visually jarring effects on the camera's preview screen by only adjusting metering parameter values when predetermined criteria are met. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293260 | POSITIONAL INFORMATION RECORDER, IMAGING DEVICE HAVING THE SAME, AND POSITIONAL INFORMATION RECORDING METHOD - A positional information recorder includes a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal, an operation section configured to indicate a sign for recording positioning information, a positional information calculator configured to measure a geographical position based on the wireless signal and calculate positioning information according to the position, a positioning information recorder configured to record the calculated positioning information, a movement locus information calculator configured to calculate displacement information including a moving distance and a direction from a standard position, a relative positional information recorder configured to calculate relative positional information according to a relative position from the standard position by the displacement information when the positioning information is not obtained, and record the relative positional information associated with information according to the sign, and a positional information convertor configured to covert into positioning information the relative positional information already recorded in the relative positional information recorder when the positioning information is obtained. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293261 | LIGHT AMOUNT ADJUSTING DEVICE, AND PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS AND METHOD - A light amount adjusting device including a support plate comprising a first through hole through which light passes; a first slider that comprises a second through hole corresponding to the first through hole, and linearly moves with respect to the support plate along a first direction; a first driver for generating a driving force for moving the first slider with respect to the supporting plate; and a light amount adjuster installed on the first slider and for adjusting an amount of light passing through the light amount adjuster. By using such a simple and compact light amount adjusting device, a two-dimensional (2D) photographing or a three-dimensional photographing is conveniently selected and performed. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293262 | PHOTO ARM SYSTEM - A photo arm is proposed here. A revolving handwheel is equipped for driving a transmission mechanism to bring the photo arm to rotate, so that a camera fixed on the photo arm can shoot from different angles along a circular path. The photo arm is also equipped with a power and signal connecting box for supplying power to the camera and transmitting image information and control instructions. Furthermore, a hoist handwheel is equipped for adjusting the height of the rotation center of the photo arm. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293263 | CENTRAL SHUTTER FOR CAMERA OBJECTIVES - A central shutter for camera objectives, said central shutter having a ring-shaped leaf carrier ( | 2011-12-01 |
20110293264 | CAMERA MODULE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CAMERA MODULE - A camera module includes a camera unit, a board, and a driving unit mounted on the board and configured to drive the camera unit. The camera module also includes an elastic camera-side connecting part configured to connect a terminal of the camera unit with wiring on a first surface of the board. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293265 | Optical Access Network, Secondary Network Side Termination Node of an Optical Access Network, and Method for Operating a Network Side Termination Node - An optical access network has a first and a second network-side termination node, the first including a first transceiver arrangement connected to a first optical link, configured to send a first signal to a customer side termination node including a transceiver for receiving the first signal, and the second including a second transceiver arrangement connected to a second optical link and configured for sending a second signal to a transceiver of a customer-side termination node via the second link. The transceiver of the customer side termination node has a loopback element emitting a monitoring signal back to the network side termination nodes. Both network-side termination nodes have a link failure detector receiving the monitoring signal. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293266 | OPTICAL TRANSMITTING DEVICE AND OPTICAL RECEIVING DEVICE - There is provided an optical transmitting device including a detector to detect a transmission rate of a transmission signal, a transmission method selector to determine a transmission method of the transmission signal, based on the transmission rate detected by the detector, a modulation signal generator circuit to generate a modulation signal from the transmission signal, based on the transmission method determined by the transmission method selector, and an optical modulator to generate a modulated optical signal from the modulation signal generated by the modulation signal generator circuit. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293267 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING TRANSMISSION LINES NORMALLY PROPAGATING OPTICAL SIGNALS - Portable apparatus for measuring parameters of optical signals propagating concurrently in opposite directions in an optical transmission path between two elements, at least one of the elements being operative to transmit a first optical signal (S | 2011-12-01 |
20110293268 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING COMMUNICATION USING A TERAHERTZ LINK - A method and apparatus for establishing a terahertz link using a multi-element lens array that comprises a liquid lens are disclosed. For example, the method receives detected terahertz signals from one or more detectors, where a liquid lens is deployed with each of the one or more detectors. The method determines, for each of the detected signals, if the detected signal is out of focus, and applies a corrective voltage to each liquid lens that corresponds to a detected terahertz signal that is out of focus, wherein the corrective voltage adjusts a focus of the detected signal. The method measures a signal-to-noise ratio of the detected signals, and establishing a terahertz link via at least one of the detected terahertz signals with a highest signal-to-noise ratio. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293269 | RELAY STATION ARRANGEMENT METHOD AND RELAY STATION ARRANGEMENT DEVICE - A method for arranging relay stations in an optical transmission system including relay stations arranged so that optical signals at a first transmission speed can be transmitted from a transmission end to a reception end, includes: judging whether a transmission of optical signals at a second transmission speed different from the first transmission speed in a section connecting arbitrary two of the relay stations where a regenerative repeater station capable of regenerating optical signals can be arranged is possible; determining a combination of sections judged to be capable of performing transmission that enables a transmission of optical signals from the transmission end to the reception end; and making both ends of respective sections of the determined combination be the relay stations where the regenerative repeater station is arranged, wherein the judging includes a judgment condition which is satisfied in a section including sections but unsatisfied in one of the sections. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293270 | OPTICAL RECEIVER AND OPTICAL TRANSFER APPARATUS - It is provided an optical receiver comprising a compensator, a compensation controller and a clock extractor. The optical receiver selects first and second values, and obtains a stabilization time necessary to change the dispersion value and a transition time shorter than the stabilization time, compensates the received optical signal using the selected first value, changes the dispersion value from the first value into the second value, compensates the received optical signal using the dispersion value when the transition time has passed since starting to change the dispersion value, creates second extraction information of the dispersion value after the transition time, compensates for dispersion of the optical signal using an dispersion value calculated based on the second value and the difference between the dispersion value after the transition time and the second value in a case where the created second extraction information indicates that the clock extraction is available. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293271 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENABLING DIFFERENT NETWORK NODES OF A NETWORK ACESS SYSTEM TO SHARE A BACKHAUL COMMUNICATIONS LINK - Systems and methods for enabling different network nodes of a network access system to share a backhaul communication link are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes: connecting a first modem to a first node of the network access system; connecting a second modem to a second node of the network access system; connecting the first modem to a first port of a splitter filter; connecting the second modem to a second port of the splitter filter; and connecting a backhaul communication link to a third port of the splitter filter, which is configured to multiplex signals transmitted by the modems onto the backhaul communication link, wherein the frequency spectrum of the signal transmitted by the first modem does not overlap substantially with the frequency spectrum of the signal transmitted by the second modem. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293272 | OPTICAL SWITCH WITH POWER EQUALIZATION - An optical intensity control system for use with an optical switch providing individual signal paths between input and output ports. The system has a optical splitters connectable to output multiplexers of the switch and also has variable optical intensity controllers (VOICs) for insertion into the individual signal paths. The VOICs individually control the intensity of optical signals present in the signal paths in accordance with intensity control signals. An equalizer is connected to the splitters and to the VOICs, for producing an estimate of the optical power of each individual switched optical signal and generating the intensity control signals. The equalizer is adapted to controllably isolate individual switched optical signals. In this way, individual and independent control of the power on each optical channel is provided, wavelength-dependent losses introduced by all the devices in the switch including the WDM devices at the output of the switch are accounted for and one optical coupler is required for each output optical fiber. Coarse equalization may be provided for each multiplexed optical signal either at the switch input or output, permitting a reduction in the dynamic range over which the VOICs inside the switch are required to operate. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293273 | WAVELENGTH CONVERSION APPARATUS, WAVELENGTH CONVERSION METHOD, AND OPTICAL ADD/DROP MULTIPLEXER USING THE SAME - There is provides a wavelength conversion apparatus for converting a wavelength of input signal light and for outputting output signal light of the converted wavelength. The apparatus includes a first and a second nonlinear mediums. The first nonlinear medium receives a first input light and outputs a first output light having a wavelength which is longer than that of the first input light, the wavelength being dependent on optical power of the first input light. The second nonlinear medium receives a second input light and a light output by a light source and outputs a second output light having a wavelength dependent on the wavelengths of the second input light and the light. The first output light is input as the second input light to the second nonlinear medium or the second output light is input as the first input light to the first nonlinear medium. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293274 | PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORK SYSTEM AND OPTICAL LINE TERMINAL - In order to be able to moderate the inclination of the PON burst reception characteristics and to improve the FEC effect, a first offset is used in a ranging window field, and a second offset, which is lower than the first offset value, is used in a burst data field other than the ranging window field. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293275 | Polarization Control in a Photonic Integrated Circuit - The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method to maintain the polarization state of an optical signal propagating within a photonic integrated circuit, or from a first photonic integrated circuit to a second photonic integrated circuit. According to various embodiments of the invention, an optical circuit is provided which includes an optical coupler configured to accept a first optical signal on a first input and a second optical signal on a second input, the second optical signal having a polarization state. The optical coupler may combine the first and second optical signals into an optical output signal. A principle axis of a first end of an optical fiber is may be configured to align with the polarization state of the second optical signal, such that a polarization maintaining connection is established. The polarization state may be a TM polarization state, a TE polarization state, or another polarization state. The optical circuit may include birefringent structures, such as birefringent waveguides and birefringent wavelength selective couplers, to further maintain the polarization of optical signals propagating through the photonic integrated circuits. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293276 | OPTICAL TRANSMITTER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - An optical transmitter includes: a first modulator that modulates a first optical signal with a first data signal; a second modulator that modulates a second optical signal with a second data signal; a multiplexer that multiplexes the first optical signal and the modulated second optical signal to output a multiplexed signal; a phase difference data generator that generates a phase difference signal corresponding to a phase difference between the modulated first optical signal and the modulated second optical signal from the multiplexed signal; and a controller that controls the phase difference between the modulated first optical signal and the modulated second optical signal based on the phase difference signal. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293277 | RECONFIGURABLE MULTI-ZONED FIBER OPTIC NETWORK ARCHITECTURE HAVING FIBER OPTIC DEVICES - A fiber optic network having one or more zones is disclosed. Each zone of the fiber optic network includes one or more zone terminals or devices. Such zone terminals or devices may be located at a mid-span access point of a distribution cable optically connected to a service provider's feeder cable. The zone terminal has a plurality of connector ports with at least one adapter positioned within one of the plurality of connector ports. The adapter is configured to establish an optical connection with one or more optical fibers of the distribution cable. The second multi-fiber optical connector is suitable for outside-plant installation, and the terminal is configured to extend optical service from a service provider toward at least one subscriber premises in a zone. The fiber optic terminal is reconfigurable based on at least one of, a number of subscriber premises in the zone, a geographical relationship of the subscriber premises in the zone, and a demographic make-up of the subscriber premises in the zone. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293278 | DYNAMIC INTELLIGENT BIDIRECTIONAL OPTICAL AND WIRELESS ACCESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM - According to one embodiment of the present invention, a wavelength-shifted dynamic intelligent bidirectional access optical system utilizes key optical elements such as: a quantum dot enabled semiconductor optical amplifier, a phase modulator and an intensity modulator to provide upstream optical signals. These key optical elements reduce the Rayleigh backscattering effect on the transmission of optical signals. Reduced Rayleigh backscattering effect enables a longer-reach access network topology (more than any other current access network topology) between a subscriber unit and a super node (e.g., many local nodes collapsed into one super node). Such a longer-reach access network topology eliminates operational costs and capital costs related to a vast array of middle equipment such as routers and switches, which would otherwise be needed between super nodes and many remote nodes. Furthermore, a wavelength to a subscriber unit may be protected and dynamically varied for on-Demand bandwidth, information and services and also a subscriber's unit may be configured with any array of connectivity options. Integrated micro-processors, wireless devices, wireless sensors, RFID sensors, and batteries incorporated into an intelligent device may be used to sense the environment, to process information, to initiate action and to communicate with other similar devices. Data interpretation, pattern recognition and reasoning technologies may be utilized to allow these devices to communicate with and/or without human intervention and to operate independently and intelligently. Such independent interactions with other similar devices (integrated with micro-processors, wireless devices, wireless sensors, RFID sensors and batteries) can enable the Internet of Things and/or machine-to-machine communication via an embedded algorithm/software. Such an intelligent device can also act as the remote-control for life and health. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293279 | Tunable Multi-Wavelength Optical Transmitter and Transceiver for Optical Communications Based on Wavelength Division Multiplexing - Techniques, devices and systems for optical communications based on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) that use tunable multi-wavelength laser transmitter modules. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293280 | Control of an Interferometric Optical Polarization Beam Splitter - The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method to control an optical polarization beam splitter. A portion of an optical output of the polarization beam splitter is converted into a corresponding electrical signal. The electrical signal is then provided to the polarization beam splitter as a control signal via a feedback loop. The polarization beam splitter controls a characteristic of the optical output of the polarization beam splitter in response to the received control signal. The characteristic, for example, may be controlled through thermo-optically or electro-optically. The control system may be used over a period of time to maintain the characteristic at a desired value, for example as the components of the polarization beam splitter, or other elements used in the control of the polarization beam splitter, age. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293281 | OPTICALLY VARIABLE FILTER ARRAY APPARATUS - In an optically variable filter array apparatus, WDM-signal light beams of m channels ranging in wavelength from λ | 2011-12-01 |
20110293282 | OUT OF BAND DATA TRANSFER OVER OPTICAL CONNECTIONS - Provided herein are various schemes for transmitting out of band (OOB) signals over optical connections that may not support the transmission of such signals. One scheme may involve converting the OOB signals to different types of signals that are supported by the optical connection, while another scheme may utilize a separate parallel connection that supports the transmission of out of band signals in order to extend the optical connection. Yet another scheme modulates the reference clock of the original (in-band) signal to transmit and receive the OOB information. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293283 | Dual Rate Receiving Device - A dual rate receiving device is provided, which is applicable to an optical transceiver module, and includes a dual rate optical receiving component, a channel switching circuit, a low-speed limiting amplifier data path, and a high-speed limiting amplifier data path. The dual rate optical receiving component further includes a photodetector and a dual rate trans-impedance amplifier, the channel switching circuit further includes a first controllable switch, a second controllable switch, a third controllable switch, and a fourth controllable switch, the low-speed limiting amplifier data path further includes a low-speed limiting amplifier, and the high-speed limiting amplifier data path further includes a high-speed limiting amplifier. The technical solution is adopted, so that while an optical receiving component is working at the most suitable rate, a limiting amplifier data path at a corresponding working rate can be selected, so as to implement a high sensitivity. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293284 | OPTICAL MODULE AND OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM - The present disclosure discloses an optical module and optical communication system. The optical module includes an upper housing ( | 2011-12-01 |
20110293285 | TRANSCEIVER MODULE AND INTEGRATED CIRCUIT WITH DUAL EYE OPENERS - A transceiver module having integrated eye diagram opening functionality for reducing jitter is described. The transceiver module may include a transmitter eye opener and a receiver eye opener integrated in a single circuit. The transceiver module may also include serial control and various other integrated components. Other functionalities that may be integrated on the transceiver module include loopback modes, bypass features, bit error rate testing, and power down modes. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293286 | Method for optical data transmission using existing indicator or illumination lamp - A method is described for the transmission of data using LEDs or other light sources without interfering with the standard use of the lighting source. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293287 | OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND OPTICAL COMMUNICATION METHOD - An optical communication system in which optical transmitter | 2011-12-01 |
20110293288 | OPTICAL LINE TERMINAL, OPTICAL NETWORK UNIT, OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, ERROR CORRECTION METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - In conventional technology, if a frame itself is discarded as being invalid when a sync header has an error, an error correction cannot be performed on a frame that does not fall out of synchronization even at such a low error rate that an error correction can satisfactorily be performed. According to the present invention, each of an optical line terminal and an optical network unit includes a synchronization detection part for detecting whether or not received data converted into frame form falls out of synchronization, and an error correction part for performing an error correction on a frame of the received data that has been detected not falling out of synchronization by the synchronization detection means, irrespective of existence of an error in a sync header of that frame. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293289 | METHOD, SYSTEM, AND APPARATUS FOR BLIND EQUALIZATION OF BPSK SIGNALS - A system, method, and apparatus is disclosed for enabling a constant modulus algorithm (CMA) to be reliably used for blind equalization training of an equalizer. According to one embodiment, received signals in a binary phase shift keying (BPSK) format are converted to a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) format, to which CMA processing can be reliably applied for equalization. According to another aspect of this embodiment, the equalized QPSK signals are rotated to convert the signals to an equalized BPSK format for output. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293290 | Multimode Optical Fibers - A multimode optical fiber has an equivalent modal dispersion value (DMD | 2011-12-01 |
20110293291 | System and Method for Acquiring Data of Multi-Channel Signal - A system for acquiring data of a multi-channel signal includes a channel-voltage transmission module disposed in a shield room blocking electromagnetic waves, connected with a plurality of channels from which analog signals are output, and configured to generate a serial digital signal having information about an analog signal and information about a channel from which the analog signal is output, and an optical fiber cable through which the serial digital signal is transmitted from the channel-voltage transmission module to the outside of the shield room. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293292 | Mitigating Signal Offsets in Optical Receivers - An optical receiver circuit is disclosed in which a number of electrical signals are processed to extract data encoded therein. The electrical signals may be compared during the process to selectively remove one or more waveforms from one or more corresponding electrical signals. Various data signals, each including one or more waveforms, may then be processed to extract the encoded data. The optical receiver circuit reduces, or eliminates, electrical offsets which may be present in one or more of the electrical signals to reduce corresponding errors in the encoded data signals. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293293 | TRANS-IMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER WITH VARIABLE BANDWIDTH AND DIGITAL COHERENT OPTICAL RECEIVER INSTALLING THE SAME - A trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) with an adjustable bandwidth is disclosed. The TIA of the present invention includes the amplifying stage and the emitter follower stage arranged in the downstream of the amplifying stage. The transistor in the amplifying stage includes a diode in the emitter thereof to provide a substantial emitter level to the transistor. This diode is biased by another current source with a variable function. The operating point of the diode, in particular, the differential resistance thereof, is variable by the current source, which adjusts the bandwidth of the TIA without affecting the phase characteristic of the TIA. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293294 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The present invention provides a detection unit that detects, regarding a toner supply device loaded into an installation space of an apparatus main body, a type of the toner supply device or detects improper loading of the toner supply device and a notification unit that notifies loading of the toner supply device of a wrong type or improper loading of the toner supply device based on a result of detection by the detection unit. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293295 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a first unit including means contributable to image formation; a second unit constituting a pair with the first unit and including means contributable to the image formation; a detecting device for detecting a degree of use of each of the first unit and the second unit, wherein limits of usability are predetermined for the first unit and the second unit, respectively; and a control device capable of outputting information signals for notifying states near the limits of usability on the basis of preset thresholds of degrees of use, respectively, wherein a number of capable image formations from an output of the signal indicating the near state for the first unit to the limit of usability of the first unit is larger than a number of capable image formations from an output of the signal indicating the near state for said second unit to the limit of usability of the second unit, and wherein the control device outputs the signal for the second unit when the degree of the second unit reaches a second threshold of degree, and the control device outputs the signal for the first unit when a condition that the degree of the first unit reaches a first threshold of degree of the first unit and a condition that the degree of the second unit reaches a second threshold of degree are satisfied. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293296 | Optical Sensor Arrangement for an Imaging Apparatus - An imaging apparatus includes a toner cartridge within a housing having a rotatable shaft, a cam rotatably mounted on the shaft, an optical sensor mounted on the housing having an emitter and a receiver forming an optical path therebetween, and a flag mounted on the housing having a first arm and a second arm. The optical sensor has an output that changes when the optical path changes from blocked to unblocked and from unblocked to blocked. The flag has a home position where the first arm is disposed in the rotational path of the cam and the second arm either blocks the optical path or unblocks the optical path. Rotation of the rotatable shaft causes the cam to engage and disengage the first arm causing the second arm to change from blocking the optical path to unblocking the optical path or vice versa. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293297 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND HEAT GENERATING ROTATIONAL BODY - The present invention provides a fixing device that can interrupt power supply to the resistive heat layer more reliably than the conventional technology, for example, at occurrence of abnormality. Electrodes | 2011-12-01 |
20110293298 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND MAINTENANCE CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME - An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes a solar panel, an electric storage unit which is supplied with electric power from the solar panel and a commercial power supply and stores electricity, a power supply disconnection detecting unit which detects power supply disconnection from the commercial power supply, and a maintenance control unit for power supply disconnection which carries out maintenance control using stored electricity from the solar panel if the power supply disconnection from the commercial power supply is detected by the power supply disconnection detecting unit. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293299 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CONTROL DEVICE, DETECTING METHOD OF REFERENCE INDEX ON TRANSFER BODY, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image forming unit forming a latent image; a transfer body on which a reference index for setting an output start time point of image data is formed; a detecting unit facing the reference index and outputting a detection signal changing in accordance with passing of the reference index; a measuring unit measuring change duration time; and a controller controlling the output start time point with the detection signal. The controller starts a first period during which change of the detection signal is ignored, according to first change of the detection signal, starts a second period after the first period, regards change of the detection signal occurring first in the second period as a reference of the output start time point if the change duration time is longer than a predetermined period, and ignores change of the detection signal after the change occurring first. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293300 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member; a developing device for developing with toner an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; a humidity sensor for providing information on ambient humidity of said image forming apparatus; and a controller for controlling a parameter on a density of an image to be formed on a recording material on the basis of pieces of the information provided by the humidity sensor at different times. The controller is capable of controlling the parameter so that, when a first image forming job is ended at an ending time and then a second image forming job is executed after a lapse of a predetermined time from the ending time and in a period in which a detection result of the humidity sensor changes and then is constant, a difference between a first set value which is the parameter set during formation of a final image in a first image forming job and a second set value which is the parameter set during image formation on a first sheet in the second image forming job after the lapse of the predetermined time from the ending time, increases with an increase of proportion of a time in which the developing device is driven during the lapse of the predetermined time. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293301 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus for printing an image on a medium, comprising: a first image carrier; a second image carrier disposed downstream of the first image carrier in a traveling direction of the medium; a first charging member configured to charge the first image carrier; a second charging member configured to charge the second image carrier; and a control unit configured to execute a monochrome printing mode in which a monochromic image is formed on the medium using the first image carrier and the first charging member and a color printing mode in which a color image is formed on the medium using the second image carrier and the second charging member. In the monochrome printing mode, the control unit makes an absolute value of an electric surface potential of the second image carrier larger than an absolute value of the electric surface potential of the first image carrier. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293302 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, PRINTING APPARATUS, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD - One aspect of the present invention provides an information processing apparatus for determining a height of a toner image formed on a carrier, the apparatus comprising: a control unit configured to control an amount of irradiation light based on whether laser light irradiated by an irradiation unit is irradiated onto the toner image; an acquisition unit configured to acquire an image obtained by capturing reflected light of the laser light irradiated by the irradiation unit; and a determination unit configured to determine the height of the toner image based on the acquired image. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293303 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A multifunction peripheral includes: development units of respective colors; an intermediate transfer belt; a transfer roller; a movement mechanism that moves the intermediate transfer belt in a direction of coming in contact with and separating from a magenta development unit and the like; a concentration sensor; a control part that causes the magenta development unit and the transfer roller to form a toner pattern on the intermediate transfer belt; and a determination unit that determines that the pressing state of the magenta development unit and the like and the intermediate transfer belt is normal when the toner pattern concentration detected by the concentration sensor after the toner pattern is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt has reached a predetermined concentration value. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293304 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus is capable of more directly solving a problem of unevenly formed line images. The image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, a light emission unit configured to emit a laser beam based on image information, and a transfer unit configured to transfer a toner image developed on the photosensitive member. The image forming apparatus acquires variable speed information, which indicates a variable rotation speed of the photosensitive member. In addition, the image forming apparatus executes image position correction on the image information based on the acquired variable speed information. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293305 | Development method, method of manufacturing photomask, method of manufacturing semiconductor device and development device - A development method according to an embodiment includes exposing a photosensitive film formed on a substrate at a predetermined exposure amount, carrying out a first development process that develops the exposed photosensitive film at a predetermined first development condition so as to leave the photosensitive film, obtaining a sensitivity information of the photosensitive film from a film thickness reduction of the photosensitive film developed by the first development process and the exposure amount, predicting pattern dimensions of multiple types of patterns to be formed when a second development process is carried out following the first development process from the sensitivity information, and determining a first acceptable range of a development condition in the second development process, determining a second acceptable range of the development condition in the second development process from the first acceptable range and a variation amount of the pattern dimension after the development process between the multiple types of patterns and determining a second development condition in the second development process so as to satisfy both of the first and second acceptable ranges. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293306 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a rotatable intermediary transfer member onto which the toner image is to be primary-transferred from the image bearing member; a contact member movable toward and away from the intermediary transfer member; a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the contact member; a current detecting circuit for detecting a current passing through the contact member to which the voltage is applied by the voltage applying unit; and a control portion for effecting control so that the contact member is contacted to or separated from the intermediary transfer member. The control portion is capable of executing an operation in a measuring mode in which a contact time required to bring the contact member into contact to the intermediary transfer member is calculated, based on a change in current detected by the current detecting circuit, when the contact member to which an initial voltage is applied by the voltage applying unit is contacted to the intermediary transfer member by being moved from a separated state so as to be contacted to the intermediary transfer member. The control portion brings, during image formation, the contact member into contact to a non-image region on the intermediary transfer member based on the contact time. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293307 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a transfer section, which is pressed against, and is separated from, the image bearing member, for transferring a toner image on the image bearing member onto a recording medium when being pressed against the image bearing member, a transfer section drive section for driving the transfer section to rotate; and a control section configured to control the transfer section drive section to carry out constant speed control and constant torque control, to drive said transfer section to rotate at a constant speed, and at a constant torque, respectively, wherein the control section carries out the constant torque control while the transfer section is pressed against the image bearing member, in accordance with a drive torque detected when the constant speed control is carried out while the transfer section is separated from the image bearing member. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293308 | Fixing Device Having Heat Roller Reinforced By Coil - A fixing device includes a heat roller and an opposing component. The heat roller extends in an axial direction and includes a cylindrical-shaped roller section and a coil. The heat roller section has an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface. The coil is spirally wound along the inner circumferential surface and including a first portion and a second portion other than the first portion, the first portion being configured of such a number of turns of the coil, the number being a natural number greater than zero, the first portion having a first coil pitch length in the axial direction, and the second portion being configured of at least one turn of the coil and having a second coil pitch length in the axial direction greater than the first coil pitch length. The opposing component confronts the outer circumferential surface of the roller section and is exclusively superposed with an entire first portion via the roller section. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293309 | FIXATION DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixation device includes a fixation member including a heating member, a pressure-application member press-contacting the fixation member forming a nip portion, an exciting coil induction-heating the heating member, a first temperature detection unit detecting a first temperature of the pressure-application member or a first ambient temperature of the fixation member, a second temperature detection unit detecting a second temperature of the fixation member, and a control unit selecting a temperature control mode or power control mode controlling power to the exciting coil. When the first temperature exceeds a first threshold temperature or the first ambient temperature exceeds a first ambient threshold temperature, the control unit selects the temperature control mode, and while the first temperature is equal to or lower than the first threshold temperature or the first ambient temperature is equal to or lower than the first ambient threshold temperature, the control unit selects the power control mode. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293310 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a control unit arranged to control an image forming unit so as to form images based on image information and to form maintenance images for maintaining the image forming unit. The control unit is arranged to control the image forming unit so as to form images on the second side of the sheet after forming images on the first side of the sheet, and so as to form the maintenance images on the second side at positions such that the maintenance images do not overlap with the images based on the image information formed on the first side. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293311 | PIEZOELECTRIC TRANSFORMER TYPE HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A high-voltage power supply device comprises: a piezoelectric transformer; a driving unit of the piezoelectric transformer; a detection unit configured to detect the output of the piezoelectric transformer; and a control unit configured to control the output of the piezoelectric transformer by giving a driving signal to the driving unit so that the output detected by the detection unit reaches a target value, wherein the control unit changes a frequency of the driving signal without changing a duty of the driving signal so as to set the frequency of the driving signal such that the output falls within a predetermined range including the target value, and after setting the frequency for the output within the predetermined range, changes the duty of the driving signal so that the output reaches the target value. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293312 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image foaming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer unit, and a pressing mechanism. The image bearing member bears a toner image. The transfer unit is disposed opposite the image bearing member and is swingably and detachably held within a main body of the image forming apparatus. The transfer unit includes a transfer member and a power receiving electrode. The transfer member is disposed opposite the image bearing member, to contact the image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween and transfer the toner image on the image bearing member onto a recording medium in the transfer nip. The power receiving electrode receives power from the main body of the image forming apparatus. The pressing mechanism presses the transfer unit against the image bearing member and includes a power supply electrode that contacts the power receiving electrode of the transfer unit to supply power thereto. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293313 | CURRENT RESONANCE POWER SUPPLY - A current resonance power supply includes a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, two switching elements connected to one end of the primary winding of the transformer and arranged in series, a resonance capacitor connected to the other end of the primary winding, and a voltage detection unit connected between the one end of the primary winding and the two switching elements and configured to detect that AC voltage input to a primary side of the transformer becomes lower, wherein operations of the switching elements are controlled based on a detection result of the voltage detection unit. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293314 | POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer member, a power supply unit including a first voltage generation circuit and a control unit that controls the power supply unit, wherein in the case where a voltage whose magnitude cannot be output by the first voltage generation circuit is output from the power supply unit to the transfer member in spite of driving the first piezoelectric transformer at the drive frequency in the first drive frequency area, the control unit controls the power supply unit to output the voltage to the transfer member by superposing a voltage output from the first voltage generation circuit by driving the first piezoelectric transformer at a frequency in the first drive frequency area with a voltage output from the second voltage generation circuit by driving the second piezoelectric transformer at a frequency in the second drive frequency area. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293315 | SHEET CONVEYING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An upper conveyance guide is provided at an apparatus main body. A guide surface of a lower conveyance guide is provided facing a guide surface of the upper conveyance guide, and can be drawn out in the direction intersecting the sheet conveyance direction with respect to the apparatus main body. A cleaning unit is provided on the back side in the drawing-out direction of the lower conveyance guide, moves together with the lower conveyance guide when the lower conveyance guide is drawn out from the apparatus main body, and cleans the guide surface of the upper conveyance guide. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293316 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a chassis having an opening, a cover, photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt, a primary-transfer member, a secondary-transfer roller, a cleaner device, an external-sheet inlet, a waste toner container, a connector, and a conveying roller, which is arranged within the feeding path to feed the recording sheet inserted through the external-sheet inlet in the feeding path. The conveying roller is mounted on the waste toner container and removable from the chassis along with the waste toner container. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293317 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a chassis, a cover, photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt, primary-transfer members, a secondary-transfer roller, a first feed roller, a cleaner device, a waste toner container, which is movable along the predetermined direction to be removably installed in the chassis through a first opening and stores residual toner, a connector, a first feeding path, a second feeding path being a path for a recording sheet inserted through a sheet inlet and includes a sheet guide to guide the recording sheet, and a second feed roller. The second feed roller is movable along with at least a part of the sheet guide. The waste toner container is movable through space, which is occupied by the second feed roller in an upper position, and the first opening when the second feed roller is in a lower position. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293318 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a chassis having an opening, a cover, photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt, a primary-transfer member, a secondary-transfer roller, a cleaner device, a waste toner container, which is movable along a predetermined direction to be removably installed in the chassis through the opening and stores residual toner, a connector, and a feed roller, which is arranged within the feeding path to feed the recording sheet in the feeding path. The feed roller is arranged in a position to at least partially fall within a vertical range of the waste toner container and to be aligned with the waste toner container along an axial direction of the second feed roller. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293319 | Tubular Skiving Seal for a Rotary Toner Metering Mechanism - A toner container system includes a reservoir for containing toner having a rotatable member positioned within an opening through the reservoir and a skiving seal for blocking toner from entering a gap between the opening and the rotatable member. The skiving seal is positioned along the length of the rotatable member and is adhesively affixed adjacent to the rotatable member along the gap in the skiving direction of rotation of the rotatable member. The skiving seal includes a flexible sheet having a length corresponding to the length of the gap and a tubular portion adjacent to the gap formed by folding the flexible sheet over itself from an edge extending along the length of the flexible sheet, without creasing the fold, and adhering a portion of the folded portion of the flexible sheet to the surface of the flexible sheet along the length of the flexible sheet. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293320 | STOPPER FOR DEVELOPER FILLING PORT AND DEVELOPING DEVICE - A stopper for plugging a developer filling port includes a stopper main body and a lock member engageable with the stopper main body. The stopper main body is configured to be fitted to the filling port and shaped like a tube with a bottom. The lock member has a rigidity greater than that of the stopper main body, the lock member engaged with the stopper main body serves to restrict deformation of the stopper main body. A developing device for use in an image forming apparatus includes the stopper configured as described above to be fitted to its developer filling port. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293321 | Laser Printer Cartridge with Increased Toner Storage Capacity - Remanufactured laser printer toner cartridges and methods of manufacture by which predetermined structures internal to the toner hopper section are removed preferably by a robotic laser cutter, a volume increasing cap is provided for the modified toner hopper section and the cartridge is re-assembled to yield a remanufactured toner cartridge that has a capacity to store toner that is significantly increased in comparison to the storage capacity of the OEM toner cartridge. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293322 | Remanufactured Laser Printer Toner Cartridge having Resilient Module Attachment, and Methods - A remanufactured laser printer toner cartridge has a used magnetic roller section chassis and a used toner hopper assembly, both obtained by splitting toner cartridges along ultrasonic welds. The used magnetic roller section chassis and the used toner hopper assembly are joined with a resilient adhesive along the remnants of the ultrasonic welds. The remanufactured cartridge may include a new pull seal to close the opening between the toner hopper assembly and magnetic roller section chassis. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293323 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOSENSITIVE MEMBER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS - An electrophotographic photosensitive member is provided in which both a long-term potential variation and a short-term potential variation are suppressed, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each having the electrophotographic photosensitive member are also provided. The intermediate layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member includes an organic resin and rutile-type titanium oxide crystal particles which contain tin and have an average primary particle diameter of 3 nm or more and 9 nm or less. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293324 | COLOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which a cartridge tray supporting a plurality of cartridges is movable through a plurality of opening portions to respective outside positions outside an apparatus main body. In the color electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the plurality of cartridges are removably mounted to the apparatus main body to form an image on a recording medium. The color electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes: a cartridge tray ( | 2011-12-01 |
20110293325 | Drum Unit, Development Cartridge Detachably Attachable to the Drum Unit, and Image Forming Apparatus Having the Drum Unit and the Development Cartridge - A drum unit is provided, which includes a frame configured such that a development cartridge including a pressed portion is detachably attached thereto, and a pressing member. The development cartridge is movable between a pressed state where the pressed portion is pressed by the pressing member when attached to the frame and a released state where the pressed portion is released from pressing of the pressing member when the development cartridge is attached to the frame. The pressing member includes a pressing section that contacts and presses the pressed portion when the development cartridge is in the pressed state, and a restriction section configured to, when the development cartridge is in the pressing state, restrict movement of the pressed portion in a released direction, in which the pressed portion moves when the development cartridge moves from the pressing state to the released state. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293326 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly; a door member which supports one of roller members constituting a feeding nip for a recording material and which is rotatable about an axis parallel with said roller members in a sidewise direction of said main assembly to open said feeding nip; a pair of urging mechanisms which are provided at opposite end portions of said door member with respect to a front-rear direction of said main assembly and which fix said door member to said main assembly so as to be capable of opening and closing said door member, said urging mechanism urging said door member toward said main assembly in a state that said door member is closed; and an operating member provided with a grip for manual opening of said door member, said grip being disposed in a position nearer to a front side than a center portion position of said door member with respect to the front-rear direction, and said operating member being rotatably supported in a position nearer to a rear side than a center position between urging mechanisms. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293327 | Method for Increasing Useful Life of an Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photoconductive drums, each photoconductive drum transferring a portion of a toner image to an intermediate transfer member. The photoconductive drums are individually rotated to a printing speed such that a downstream photoconductive drum starts rotating prior to an adjacent upstream photoconductive drum starts image transfer. Similarly, an upstream photoconductive drum starts deceleration when its following downstream station has transferred image. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293328 | Rotary drive device and image forming apparatus including same - A rotary drive device to drive a rotary body included in an image forming apparatus. The rotary drive device includes a drive source and a planetary gear mechanism to control torque from the drive source. The planetary gear mechanism includes a sun gear rotated by the torque, an annular gear coaxial to the sun gear and having inward-facing teeth, multiple planetary gears provided within the annular gear, and a carrier rotatable coaxially to the sun gear and the annular gear to rotatably support the multiple planetary gears. The annular gear is formed by injecting molten resin into a mold having a cylindrical cavity with teeth shapes along an inner circumference of the cavity from multiple pin gates provided to the mold at equal intervals along a circumference of the cavity. A number of pin gates is a non-integer multiple of a number of planetary gears. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293329 | DRIVING MECHANISM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS COMPRISING THE SAME - A driving mechanism includes: a looped metallic transmission belt; a first shaft member; a second shaft member; and a pulley that is connected to the second shaft member so as to be rotatable about a second rotational axis, in which the first shaft member includes: a rotatably supported portion that is disposed at one end; and an extended portion that is disposed at another end so as to be continuous with the rotatably supported portion, in which a portion between the contact portion and the rotatably supported portion is flexurally deformed, the extended portion being rotatable about a diagonal rotational axis that is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the first rotational axis, and the pulley includes a inclined outer surface that is inclined, such that a portion that is most separated from the first shaft member is substantially parallel with the extended portion. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293330 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND GAP MAINTAINING METHOD OF CHARGING ROLLER - An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor that rotates about a first rotation axis; and a charging roller that rotates about a second rotation axis which is parallel to the first rotation axis, wherein the charging roller includes a conductive roller portion that extends in parallel with the first rotation axis and contains an ion-conductive agent, a flange portion that is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the conductive roller portion further to the outside than an image forming area of the photoconductor in the second rotation axis direction so as to protrude outward from the outer peripheral surface in the radial direction of the conductive roller portion into a flange shape, and an insulating elastic layer that coats the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion and has an elasticity higher than that of a photoconductive surface of the photoconductor. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293331 | SURFACE-EMITTING LASER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - This invention provides a surface-emitting laser that can prevent delamination at the interface of a selective oxidation layer and a spacer layer, while suppressing any rise of voltage, to improve the reliability of operation. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293332 | DEVELOPER STIRRING MEMBER, DEVELOPING APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE - A developer stirring member for stirring a developer in a developer accommodating portion, the developer stirring member includes a supporting shaft; a sheet-like member for stirring the developer, the sheet-like member having a first lateral end which is a free end and having a second lateral end which is fixed on the supporting shaft, wherein the sheet-like member is waved at the second lateral end, and waving is greater in the second lateral end than in the first lateral end. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293333 | TONER SUPPLYING DEVICE - A toner supplying device includes a toner storing portion for storing toner; a toner feeding path in which the toner fed from the toner storing portion is to be fed; a toner feeding member for feeding the toner in the toner feeding path; and an executing portion for executing an operation in a filling mode in which the toner is filled in the toner feeding path by intermittently driving the toner feeding member in a preparatory period before image formation. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293334 | TONER CARTRIDGE CONVERTING DEVICE - A toner cartridge converting device is provided with a driving module to change gaps between a photoreceptor drum and respective toner cartridges using a positioning groove formed in a radial direction of the photoreceptor drum. Each fixing rod of the toner cartridges can slide into the positioning groove and slide out of the positioning groove with following the displacement of the groove, so that the converting operation to the toner cartridges can be finished. Due to the configuration space required by the driving module is smaller, and the quantity of elements is less than the conventional driving unit and easy in repair and maintenance, so that the structure of the driving module is simplified and the repair cost is reduced. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293335 | DEVELOPER SUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A developer supply device is provided, which includes a developer retrieving member disposed to face a developer holding surface of a developer holding member across a predetermined distance in a position downstream relative to a developer supply position where the developer holding member faces an intended device to be supplied with development agent in a direction perpendicular to a main scanning direction parallel to an axial direction of the developer holding member. The developer retrieving member is driven to rotate around an axis parallel to the main scanning direction and configured to retrieve the development agent from the developer holding surface under a retrieving electric field that is generated when a retrieving voltage is applied between the developer retrieving member and the developer holding member. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293336 | CAM DRIVING MECHANISM, AND BELT TRANSPORTING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THEREWITH - A cam driving mechanism has: a cam; a motor which drives the cam; a gear train which transmits, while reducing the speed of, the output of the motor to the cam; a pulse disk which is formed integrally with a gear coupled in the gear train and in which a plurality of slits are formed at equal intervals; a home position detecting member which is arranged coaxially with the pulse disk so as to be rotatable independently thereof and which, by meshing with another gear coupled in the gear train, rotates at a lower rotation speed than the pulse disk; and a cam position detecting sensor which has a detecting portion including a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion, the cam position detecting sensor detecting the amount of driving of the cam based on the number of slits of the pulse disk that have passed through the detecting portion, the cam position detecting sensor detecting the home position of the cam based on the timing with which the home position detecting member shields the detecting portion. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293337 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a toner image forming portion for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; a rotatable belt member, stretched by a plurality of stretching members, for carrying and conveying a recording material; a transfer member for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto the recording material carried on the belt member by pressing the belt member against the image bearing member; a bias applying portion for applying to the transfer member a transfer bias for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto the recording material; a push-up member for locally pushing up the belt member from an inner surface side of the belt member, in a direction perpendicular to a recording material conveyance direction, at a downstream-side position of the transfer member with respect to the recording material conveyance direction; and an execution portion for executing an operation in a mode in which the recording material is separated from the belt member by a push-up operation for the belt member by the push-up member. In the mode, the push-up operation of the push-up member is performed, during rotation of the belt member, before the transfer bias is applied to the transfer member. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293338 | Induction heating type fusing device and image forming apparatus employing the same - An induction heating type fusing device and an image forming apparatus including the fusing device. The fusing device includes a magnetic flux generator and a compressing roller outside a fusing belt, first and second fusing rollers and a nip guide inside the fusing belt. The compressing roller compresses against the first and second fusing rollers and the nip guide to form nips, while the fusing belt is disposed between the compressing roller and the first and second fusing rollers and the nip guide. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293339 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A novel fixing device including a fixing member to fix a toner image on a sheet by application of heat and pressure and a pressing member to press the sheet against the fixing member. The pressing member is rotatable. A height difference is circumferentially provided to the pressing member, and is tapered from an end portion toward a portion contacting an edge of a small-size sheet. The pressing member has a greater hardness than the fixing member. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293340 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device for thermally fixing an unfixed image onto a recording sheet by causing the sheet to pass through a fixing nip. The fixing device includes: heat belt formed in an endless shape and provided with a resistance heat layer; first pressure member provided inside a running path of the heat belt; and second pressure member pressing the first pressure member from over the running path to form the fixing nip. At least one of the first and second pressure members is rotating body. The heat belt has a pressure-receiving area and two non-pressure areas. The pressure-receiving area receives pressures from both the first and second pressure members. The non-pressure areas have been arranged at outside of the pressure-receiving area in an axis direction of the rotating body. Two ring-like electrodes have been formed on circumferential surfaces of the non-pressure areas and are used to supply power to the resistance heat layer. | 2011-12-01 |
20110293341 | Fixing Device - A fixing device includes a heat roller and a heater. The heat roller extends in an axial direction and includes a cylindrical-shaped roller section and a coil, the roller section having an inner peripheral surface defining an internal space therewithin and the coil being wound along the inner peripheral surface, the heat roller being configured of a plurality of zones in the axial direction, the plurality of zones including a low zone whose heat capacity is less than a predetermined value and a high zone whose heat capacity is not less than the predetermined value. The heater is disposed within the internal space of the roller section and has a heating wire configured to generate heat, the heating wire having at least a first portion which is in confrontation with the high zone and a second portion which is in confrontation with the low zone, and the heating wire being configured such that the first portion has an amount of heat generation greater than an amount of heat generation at the second portion. | 2011-12-01 |