12th week of 2009 patent applcation highlights part 26 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20090073409 | EXPOSURE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - In an exposure system and semiconductor device manufacturing method relating to the present invention, an image of spatial image mark body through a reduction projection lens is projected onto a spatial image projection plate arranged on a wafer stage by irradiating the spatial image mark body arranged on a reticle stage with an exposure light. The spatial image mark body has a plurality of spatial image marks arranged in a same plane. At projection positions of images of each spatial image mark on the spatial image projection plate, spatial image openings are equipped with differing positions in an optical axis direction of the exposure light. A focus curve with a single exposure can be obtained, without moving the wafer stage in the optical axis direction, by respective measurements of optical intensities of images of each spatial image mark through each opening thereby enabling to calculate the best focus position. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073410 | ILLUMINATION SYSTEM PARTICULARLY FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY - There is provided a projection objective for a projection exposure apparatus that has a primary light source for emitting electromagnetic radiation having a chief ray with a wavelength ≦193 nm. The projection objective includes an object plane, a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror, a fourth mirror; and an image plane. The object plane, the first mirror, the second mirror, the third mirror, the fourth mirror and the image plane are arranged in a centered arrangement around a common optical axis. The first mirror, the second mirror, the third mirror, and the fourth mirror are situated between the object plane and the image plane. The chief ray, when incident on an object situated in the object plane, in a direction from the primary light source, is inclined away from the common optical axis. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073411 | ILLUMINATION OPTICAL SYSTEM, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, OPTICAL ELEMENT AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An illumination optical system which illuminates a surface to be illuminated on the basis of light from a light source has a first optical path in which a diffractive optical element can be arranged at a first position thereof; a second optical path in which a spatial light modulator with a plurality of optical elements arrayed two-dimensionally and controlled individually can be arranged at a second position thereof; and a third optical path which is an optical path of light having passed via at least one of the first optical path and the second optical path and in which a distribution forming optical system is arranged. The distribution forming optical system forms a predetermined light intensity distribution on an illumination pupil located in the third optical path, based on the light having passed via at least one of the first and second optical paths. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073412 | OFF-AXIS OBJECTIVES WITH ROTATABLE OPTICAL ELEMENT - An objective and a method for operating an objective, in particular a projection objective or an illumination objective for microlithography for imaging a reticle onto a wafer, with a plurality of optical elements that are arranged along a ray path, wherein at least one optical element of a first kind ( | 2009-03-19 |
20090073413 | Write-Pattern Determination for Maskless Lithography - A method for generating a write pattern to be used in a maskless-lithography process is described. During the method, a computer system determines a one-to-one correspondence between pixels in the write pattern and at least a subset of elements in a spatial-light modulator used in the maskless-lithography process. Furthermore, the computer system generates the write pattern. Note that the write pattern includes features corresponding to at least the subset of elements in the spatial-light modulator, and the generating is in accordance with a characteristic dimension of an element in the spatial-light modulator and a target pattern that is to be printed on a semiconductor wafer during the maskless-lithography process. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073414 | Polarization-modulating element, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method - There is disclosed a polarization-modulating element for modulating a polarization state of incident light into a predetermined polarization state, the polarization-modulating element being made of an optical material with optical activity and having a circumferentially varying thickness profile. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073415 | Apparatus and method for mounting pellicle - An apparatus and a method for mounting a pellicle includes a pellicle compression plate formed to apply a plurality of particular pressures to a plurality of points or areas of a region of the reticle where a pellicle frame of the pellicle contacts a reticle. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073416 | Range Finder - A range finder is provided. A light emitting unit emits a light pulse. A light receiving unit senses an incident light pulse. A reflective mirror reflects the light pulse emitted from the light emitting unit to an outside space and reflects the light pulse incident from the outside space to the light receiving unit. An actuator is configured to move the reflective mirror in a first direction rotating about a vertical axis and a second direction rotating about a horizontal axis. A controller controls the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit and driving the actuator. The actuator includes: a rotation motor unit supporting the reflective mirror to be rotated in the second direction and rotating the reflective mirror in the first direction; a bushing hinge-coupled with the reflective mirror to rotate in the first direction together with the reflective mirror and installed movably in a vertical direction; and a vertical driving unit moving the bushing in the vertical direction. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073417 | COHERENT DOPPLER LIDAR - A coherent Doppler lidar which can oscillate high energy pulses and output laser beams in a longer wavelength range of 1.5 μm to the atmosphere is provided. The coherent Doppler lidar has a pulse laser an oscillation wavelength of which is controlled by means of injection locking of a seed light output from a master laser, wherein the pulse laser is a type in which a laser medium is disposed in a resonator, a pulse light of a predetermined repetition frequency is input to the laser medium as an excitation light, whereby pulse laser oscillation is generated in the resonator to output pulse laser beams from the resonator, and the laser medium being a type which has at least a region having Tm, Ho:YAG ceramics, and is excited by the excitation light to output pulse laser beams in 2 μm wavelength band. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073418 | CELL COUNTING BOARD - [Problems] A disposable cell counting board in which a space formed by a counting board body and an upper plate is fixed in advance, and which does not require assembling by a cell counting worker, and which can be mass-produced at low costs, is provided. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073419 | DUAL RESOLUTION, DUAL RANGE SENSOR SYSTEM AND METHOD - A distance detecting arrangement employs at least two sensors having different ranges and resolutions of operation. Embodiments disclosed contemplate at least four modes of operation. In a first mode, only one sensor is employed. In a second mode, a longer range and lower resolution sensor is employed until a threshold value of distance is reached, at which point a shorter range and higher resolution sensor is employed. In a third mode, both the longer range and shorter range sensors are employed simultaneously. In a fourth mode, a low resolution profile is used to rescan the object with the high resolution sensor to provide a high resolution profile measurement. Embodiments facilitate the method disclosed by including a beam redirecting apparatus and preferably include a servo position system that can move the sensors and the object relative to each other. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073420 | Optical waveguide surface plasmon resonance sensor - An optical waveguide SPR sensor is adapted for differential measurement. The optical waveguide SPR sensor includes a base, a bottom layer, and at least one set of optical waveguide layers. The set of the optical waveguide layers includes a measuring optical waveguide channel and a reference optical waveguide channel. The measuring optical waveguide channel includes an SPR sensing film layer. The measuring optical waveguide channel and the reference optical waveguide channel are independently configured and substantially parallel one to another. The bottom layer has a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the optical waveguide layer. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073421 | Apparatus and method for measuring optical characteristics of an object - Optical characteristic measuring systems and methods such as for determining the color or other optical characteristics of teeth are disclosed. Perimeter receiver fiber optics preferably are spaced apart from a source fiber optic and receive light from the surface of the object/tooth being measured. Light from the perimeter fiber optics pass to a variety of filters. The system utilizes the perimeter receiver fiber optics to determine information regarding the height and angle of the probe with respect to the object/tooth being measured. Under processor control, the optical characteristics measurement may be made at a predetermined height and angle. Various color spectral photometer arrangements are disclosed. Translucency, fluorescence, gloss and/or surface texture data also may be obtained. Audio feedback may be provided to guide operator use of the system. The probe may have a removable or shielded tip for contamination prevention. A method of producing dental prostheses based on measured data also is disclosed. Measured data also may be stored and/or organized as part of a patient data base. Such methods and implements may be desirably utilized for purposes of detecting and preventing counterfeiting or the like. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073422 | Apparatus and method for measuring optical characteristics of an object - Color/optical characteristics measuring systems and methods are disclosed. Perimeter receiver fiber optics/elements are spaced apart from a central source fiber optic/element and received light reflected from the surface of the object is measured. Light from the perimeter fiber optics pass to a variety of filters. The system utilizes the perimeter receiver fiber optics to determine information regarding the height and angle of the probe with respect to the object being measured. Under processor control, the color measurement may be made at a predetermined height and angle. Various color spectral photometer arrangements are disclosed. Translucency, fluorescence and/or surface texture data also may be obtained. Audio feedback may be provided to guide operator use of the system. The probe may have a removable or shielded tip for contamination prevention. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073423 | Apparatus and method for measuring optical characteristics of an object - Optical characteristic measuring systems and methods such as for determining the color or other optical characteristics of teeth are disclosed. Perimeter receiver fiber optics preferably are spaced apart from a source fiber optic and receive light from the surface of the object/tooth being measured. Light from the perimeter fiber optics pass to a variety of filters. The system utilizes the perimeter receiver fiber optics to determine information regarding the height and angle of the probe with respect to the object/tooth being measured. Under processor control, the optical characteristics measurement may be made at a predetermined height and angle. Various color spectral photometer arrangements are disclosed. Translucency, fluorescence, gloss and/or surface texture data also may be obtained. Audio feedback may be provided to guide operator use of the system. The probe may have a removable or shielded tip for contamination prevention. A method of producing dental prostheses based on measured data also is disclosed. Measured data also may be stored and/or organized as part of a patient data base. Such methods and implements may be desirably utilized for purposes of detecting and preventing counterfeiting or the like. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073424 | FIBER RACK ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATED TESTING SYSTEM - A fiber rack assembly is provided. The assembly includes at least one patch panel having adapters configured to couple a first plurality of fibers to a second plurality of fibers and a test system for measuring the optical power lever of the fibers. The test system may include a base and a sensor. The base may define a plurality of test sites. Each test site is configured to support a portion of a fiber. The sensor is movable to one or more test sites and, at each test site, is configured to measure a macro-bending loss at the portion of the fiber supported at the test site as an indication of an optical power level of the fiber. The test system may also have interface panel that includes user inputs and a display. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073425 | Integrated circuit image sensor for wheel alignment systems - An integrated circuit (IC), for use in an imaging module of a wheel alignment system, incorporates an image sensor as well as a number of other features. Some of the added features are implemented within the integrated circuit. The IC also incorporates interfacing for signaling or communication with other devices in the imaging module or elsewhere in the wheel alignment system. Some examples of added internal features include a temperature sensor, unique chip ID, and chip power control. The addition of analog and/or digital I/O to the integrated circuit enables control of an image module illumination function, control of an imaging module positioning function, various cooling functions, and operator interface control. A communications hub may be added to the IC, to enable operation in a networked system environment. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073426 | Multiple Surface Inspection System and Method - A system for on-the-fly inspection of components is provided. The system includes a prism structure disposed below an inspection item transit path. An image data system is disposed below the prism structure. A lighting assembly provides a first lighting source to illuminate a plurality of sides of an inspection item and a second lighting source to illuminate a bottom of the inspection item. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073427 | PARTS MANIPULATION, INSPECTION, AND REPLACEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - Improved method and apparatus for machine vision. One embodiment provides automated imaging and analysis, optionally including Scheimpflug's condition on the pattern projector, telecentric imaging and projecting, an IR filter, a mask to constrain observed illumination, and/or a sine-wave projection pattern for more accurate results. Another embodiment provides circuitry for a machine-vision system. Another embodiment provides a machine-vision system, optionally including accommodation of random orientation of parts in trays, irregular location of features being inspected, crossed pattern projectors and detectors for shadow reduction, detection of substrate warpage as well as ball-top coplanarity, two discrete shutters (or flash brightnesses) interleaved (long shutter for dark features, short shutter for bright features). Another embodiment provides parts inspection, optionally including a tray elevator that lifts trays to an inspection surface, moves trays in short tray dimension, provides first tray inspection at a major surface of the elevator, and/or provides a tray flipper. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073428 | Rail measurement system - A system and method of continuously measuring the profile of a rail in real time is disclosed. The rail which the profile is obtained in position on a track bed, The system includes a means for transmitting a beam of light at a selected wavelength onto the rail to illuminate a portion of the rail. The light is preferably a beam of laser light. A digital image of said illuminated portion of said rail is recorded. The digital image is manipulated to filter all light except for the selected wavelength. Rail wear is determined from the digital image created by the selected wavelength of light. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073429 | ILLUMINATOR FOR DARKFIELD INSPECTION - Light from a single source is divided among several illumination arms, each of which directs light via a multimode fiber bundle from the source to the wafer location. The arms are arranged circumferentially around a common illumination region, so that the region is illuminated from several directions. For each arm, light exiting the fiber bundle enters a turning prism, reflects off the hypotenuse of the prism, and is diverged in one dimension by a negative cylindrical surface on the exiting face of the prism. The beam then reflects off an anamorphic mirror and propagates to the illumination region on the wafer. The beam has an asymmetric footprint, so that it illuminates a nearly circular region of the wafer when viewed at normal incidence. The fiber bundle is at the front focal plane in the meridional dimension. The illumination region is at the rear focal plane in both dimensions. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073430 | INSPECTION APPARATUS AND INSPECTION METHOD - An inspection apparatus includes: a first light source having a first plurality of surface emitting laser elements which emit fundamental waves, respectively; a first illumination optical system configured to illuminate a first plurality of fundamental waves emitted from the first plurality of surface emitting laser elements on an object to be inspected; and a stage on which the object to be inspected is placed. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073432 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY AND MICROSCOPY WITH TIME DOMAIN SPECTRAL ANALYSIS - An apparatus and method for measuring Raman-type spectra using optical dispersion to convert an optical spectrum into a waveform which can be detected directly in the time domain without the use of a conventional spectrometer. In the example of stimulated Raman spectroscopy, the apparatus and method exposes a sample to a chirped, pulsed probe beam and a Raman pump beam and the resulting Raman spectra is detected by an optical detector in the time domain, and analyzed. Alternatively, the Raman spectra from the probe and pump beams is chirped with a dispersive element prior to detection and analysis. Each probe pulse provides a snapshot of the Raman spectrum that is sampled in time so that neither repetitive waveforms nor static samples are required. Therefore, high speed acquisitions and high throughput assays can be conducted. To facilitate detection, these spectral signals can also be amplified using distributed Raman amplification directly in the dispersive element. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073433 | OPTICAL ANALYSIS SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR OPERATING MULTIVARIATE OPTICAL ELEMENTS IN A NORMAL INCIDENCE ORIENTATION - A method of arranging and utilizing a multivariate optical computing and analysis system includes transmitting a o first light from a light source; generating a second light by reflecting the first light from the sample; directing a portion of the second light with a beamsplitter; and arranging an optical filter mechanism in a normal incidence orientation to receive the portion of the second light, the optical filter mechanism being configured to optically filter data carried by the portion of the second light. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073434 | SURFACE PLASMON-ENHANCED NANO-OPTIC DEVICES AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME - A nanostructured optical device includes a metal film or a plurality of metal islands having an array of a plurality of openings having a width that is less than at least one first predetermined wavelength of incident radiation to be provided onto the film or the islands. The metal film or islands are configured such that the incident radiation is resonant with at least one plasmon mode on the metal film or metal islands. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073435 | OPTICAL MEASUREMENT DEVICE FOR TRACE LIQUID SAMPLE - In a spectrophotometer for measuring transmitted light of a trace liquid sample, four sample holders | 2009-03-19 |
20090073436 | ATTENUATED TOTAL REFLECTION OPTICAL PROBE AND APPARATUS THEREWITH FOR SPECTROSCOPIC MEASUREMENT OF AQUEOUS SOLUTION - An optical probe consists of a first component made of a first optical material having a light transmission property in the far ultraviolet region, and a second component made of a second optical material arranged in contact with the surface of the first component. For example, the second optical material has a higher refractive index in the far ultraviolet region than the first optical material. The second component is provided, on a side in contact with a sample, with a surface totally reflecting light having incident angle equal to or larger than the critical angle. Alternatively, an optical probe has an optical material having a light transmission property in the far ultraviolet region, having a surface totally reflecting a ray of light of incident angle equal to or larger than the critical angle, at a side in contact with a sample, and the refractive index is higher near the surface than at the other parts in the far ultraviolet region. Consequently, a spectroscopic measurement becomes possible on very small solute components dissolved into water or the like in the far ultraviolet region. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073437 | PLURALITY OF SAMPLES AND METHOD FOR SELECTING A TARGET SAMPLE THEREFROM - The present invention provides a plurality of samples, each of which includes particles of a predetermined particle dimension, within narrow predetermined limits, dispersed in a carrier at a predetermined particle concentration. The predetermined particle dimension and the predetermined particle concentration are the same for each sample. However, advantageously, each sample has a different predetermined ratio of a value of an optical property of the particles to a value of the same optical property of the carrier. The present invention also provides a method for selecting a target sample from the plurality of samples to assess the measurement accuracy or the detection sensitivity of an optical particle analyzer as the predetermined ratio approaches 1. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073438 | PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION MEASURING DEVICE - This invention may measure the sprayed particle sprayed from the nozzle safely with the use of a conventional particle size distribution measuring device The particle size distribution measuring device may measure particle size distribution of a particle group, and may include a device body comprising a light source that irradiates light on the particle group and a light detector that detects intensity of diffracted light or/and scattered light generated by irradiation of the light, a spray measuring system that introduces a sprayed particle group as being the particle group sprayed from a nozzle into a measuring area between the light source and the light detector , and an ordinary measuring system that arranges a measuring cell that accommodates an ordinary particle group as being a particle group other than the sprayed particle group between the light source and the light detector are arranged to be exchangeable for each other. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073439 | APPARATUS, COMPUTER-ACCESSIBLE MEDIUM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING CHEMICAL AND/OR MOLECULAR COMPOSITIONS OF CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUES IN ANATOMICAL STRUCTURES - Exemplary apparatus and method can be provided for controlling at least one electro-magnetic radiation. For example, it is possible to rotate and/or translate at least one optical waveguide. At least one of the optical waveguide(s) can receive a first radiation at a first wavelength and transmit the first radiation to at least one sample. Such optical waveguide and/or another optical waveguide may receive a second radiation at a second wavelength that is different from the first wavelength. For example, the second radiation may be produced based on an inelastic scattering of the first radiation. In addition, exemplary apparatus and method can be provided which can also be used to receive data associated with the second radiation, determine at least one characteristic of the at least one sample based on the data, and generate the image and/or the map of a portion of the arterial sample based on the at least one characteristic. Further, exemplary computer-accessible medium can be provided which includes a software arrangement thereon. When a processing arrangement executes the software arrangement, the processing arrangement is configured to modify at least one characteristic of an arrangement using certain procedures. These exemplary procedures include simulating at least one electro-magnetic radiation provided into and out of the arrangement, simulating an inelastic scattering radiation from at least one simulated sample, receiving the simulated inelastic scattering radiation into and out of the simulated arrangement, and determining a simulated characteristic of the simulated arrangement as a function of the simulated inelastic scattering radiation. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073440 | System and method for detecting surface features on a semiconductor workpiece surface - A method and system for inspecting a surface of a semiconductor workpiece comprises providing a surface inspection system and using the surface inspection apparatus to cause laser light to impinge upon a test location on the workpiece surface and thereby cause the laser light to emerge from the surface as returned light comprising at least one of reflected light and scatter light; collecting the returned light and generating a signal from the returned and collected light, the signal comprising a signal value representative of a characteristic of the workpiece surface at the test location; providing a plurality of threshold candidates and causing the surface inspection system to select a threshold from among the plurality of threshold candidates; comparing the threshold to the signal value to obtain a difference value; using the difference value to assess the characteristic of the workpiece surface at the test location; and using the surface inspection system to automatically cause the method to be repeated for a plurality of test locations on the workpiece surface. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073441 | Polarization-modulating element, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method - There is disclosed a polarization-modulating element for modulating a polarization state of incident light into a predetermined polarization state, the polarization-modulating element being made of an optical material with optical activity and having a circumferentially varying thickness profile. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073442 | Local non-perturbative remote sensing devices and method for conducting diagnostic measurements of magnetic and electric fields of optically active mediums - Embodiments of the present invention are directed to pulsed polarimeters for conducting remote, non-perturbative diagnostic measurements of inducing fields of a medium demonstrating induced optical activity. In one aspect, a pulse polarimeter includes a light source emitting a polarized light pulse having sufficiently narrow spatial extent at a prescribed wavelength and a light gathering optical system including a light gathering optic having an optic axis directed toward the medium and positioned to collect and collimate a predetermined solid angle of an emission from the medium into a collimated emission beam, while preserving the polarization state of the emission. The pulse polarimeter includes a directional coupler that makes coincident the propagation direction of the polarized light pulse with the optic axis and a polarization detection system for measuring the intensity and determining the polarization state of the collimated emission beam continuously in time as the polarized light pulse transits the medium. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073443 | Method And Equipment For Detecting Pattern Defect - An inspection apparatus and method includes a light source which emits an ultraviolet laser beam, an illuminating unit having a polarization controller and an object lens for illuminating a specimen with light emitted from the light source and passed through the polarization controller and the object lens, a detection unit having a sensor for detecting light from the specimen illuminated by the illuminating unit, a processor which processes a signal output from the sensor so as to detect a defect on the specimen, and a display which displays information output from the processor. The processor processes an image formed from the signal output from the sensor in which the image is reduced in speckle pattern. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073444 | Optical measurements of properties in substances using propagation modes of light - This application describes designs, implementations, and techniques for controlling propagation mode or modes of light in a common optical path, which may include one or more waveguides, to sense a sample. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073445 | BONDING AGENT STICKING INSPECTION APPARATUS, MOUNTING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ELECTRICAL COMPONENT - A bonding agent sticking inspection apparatus includes a photographing section, a movement section, and a control section. The photographing section photographs an image of a substrate. The image includes a sticking expected range indicating a range in which a bonding agent should be positioned. The control section controls the photographing section and the movement section, sets an inspection region having a width equal to the pitch between electrodes in an entire edge part in a direction in which the electrodes are arranged in a peripheral edge part of the sticking expected range in the image, detects a ratio of a nicked part of the bonding agent to the inspection region, and judges whether or not an abnormality is present in the bonding agent on the basis of a comparison between the ratio of the nicked part and a threshold set in advance. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073446 | Lighting Subsystem for a Machine Vision System - According to one of the preferred embodiments, the invention includes a machine vision system | 2009-03-19 |
20090073447 | Sensor chip with connected non-metallic particles comprising a metallic coating - The invention provides a chip comprising a substrate with at least one surface and a layer of particles having a non-metallic core and a coating made of a metal or a metal alloy, characterized in that each non-metallic core, on average, forms a metal-surrounded contact point with at least one other non-metallic core and/or the substrate surface. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073448 | Method of measuring the overlay error, an inspection apparatus and a lithographic apparatus - The reflected radiation from a target mark including, for example, a plurality of gratings is detected by an array of pixels. The overlay error of the gratings for each pixel is detected, and an array of overlay errors is determined. Rather than simply averaging the overlay error value for all the pixels, filtering is performed. Pixels may be filtered according to the detected value of the overlay error or the detected intensity of the pixel. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073449 | Application of digital light processor in scanning spectrometer and imaging ellipsometer and the like systems - Application of digital light processor (DLP) systems in monochromator, spectrophotometer or the like systems to mediate selection of individual wavelengths, and/or to image elected regions of a sample in an imaging ellipsometer, imaging polarimeter, imaging reflectometer, imaging spectrophotometer, and/or to provide chopped beams. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073450 | Apparatus and Methods Using Highly Optically Dispersive Media - Embodiments of the invention pertain to the optical phenomena of ‘slow-light’ and ‘fast-light’, provided by a highly optically dispersive medium; that is, one in which the absolute value of the group index of refraction of the medium is equal to or greater than four. Apparatus embodiments of the invention are directed to an optical spectroscopic parameter detection and/or measurement apparatus. In various non-limiting aspects, the apparatus may be in the form of an interferometer, a spectral interferometer, a spectrometer, a wavemeter, a tunable narrowband filter, and other such devices. Various non-limiting, exemplary apparatus may include a two-beam interferometer, a multiple-beam interferometer, a grating-based interferometer/spectrometer, a Fourier-Transform interferometer, and others. The embodied devices include a highly dispersive medium that appropriately can facilitate either a slow-light effect or a fast-light effect, which is disposed in a propagation path of an electromagnetic (EM) input field and, a detector disposed in a manner to detect an output field resulting from the input filed interaction with the highly dispersive medium. Method embodiments involve measuring a spectroscopic parameter with significantly enhanced bandwidth and/or sensitivity and/or resolving power and/or accuracy over currently available measurement techniques, using an embodied optical spectroscopic parameter detection and/or measurement apparatus that incorporates a highly dispersive medium. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073451 | Spectrally diverse, spatially sensitive apparatus and associated methods - A spectrometer for use with a desired wavelength range includes an array of filters. Each filter outputs at least two non-contiguous wavelength peaks within the desired wavelength range. The array of filters is spectrally diverse over the desired wavelength range, and each filter in the array of filters outputs a spectrum of a first resolution. An array of detectors has a detector for receiving an output of a corresponding filter. A processor receives signals from each detector, and outputs a reconstructed spectrum having a second resolution, the second resolution being higher than any of the first resolution of each filter. Filters and detectors may be arranged into a plurality of imaging units, each imaging unit including first and second filters and first and second photosensing regions. A processor receives signals from each imaging unit, and generates a reconstructed spatial image comprised of discrete spatial units corresponding to each imaging unit. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073452 | SEMICONDUCTOR SOLID-STATE LASER GYRO HAVING A VERTICAL STRUCTURE - The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros used in particular in inertia control systems. This type of equipment is used for example for aeronautical applications. It is possible to produce a solid-state laser gyro from optically or electrically pumped semiconductor media. Currently laser gyros of the latter type are monolithic and small in size. They do not make it possible, on the one hand, to achieve the precision comparable to that of gas laser gyros and, on the other hand, to implement optical methods for eliminating frequency coupling at low rotation speeds or temperature drifts. One subject of the invention is a solid-state laser gyro comprising a semiconductor medium and consisting of assembled discrete elements, thus offering the possibility of producing large cavities for achieving the desired precision. More precisely, the laser gyro comprises an optical ring cavity and a semiconductor amplifying medium with an external cavity having a vertical structure, comprising a stack of plane gain regions that are mutually parallel, the dimensions of the cavity being substantially larger than those of the amplifying medium, said amplifying medium being used in reflection. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073453 | ELASTICITY AND VISCOSITY MEASURING APPARATUS - Brillouin scattered light is used to measure the distribution of elasticity and viscosity in a measurement object without contact and in a noninvasive and simpler manner. Measuring light emitted from a light source is directed from a light probe onto a measurement object, and scattered light is received by the light probe. A control computer analyzes the light spectrum of scattered light received by the light probe, calculates at least one parameter selected from the center frequency and the linewidth of the elastic wave scattered components as viscoelastic information, matches the viscoelastic information with the position of a target area in the measurement object, and outputs image information. The position information of the target area in the measurement object is acquired by photographing light spots of guide light with a camera provided to the light probe. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073454 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING SYSTEM, CONTACT AREA DETECTING METHOD AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD USING THE SAME, AND OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGE OBTAINING METHOD - The optical tomography imaging system includes a light source, a branching section which branches a light beam into a measuring light beam and a reference beam, an optical probe having an optical fiber, a measurement section which irradiates a measurement target with the measuring beam and picks up a reflected beam, and a sheath which encloses the optical fiber and the measurement section, a multiplexing section which combines the reflected beam with the reference beam to create an interference beam, an interference beam detecting section which detects the interference beam as interference signals, and a contact detecting section which detects a contact area in which the optical probe and the measurement target are in contact with each other. The contact detecting section calculates from the detected interference signals a distance between the optical probe and the measurement target, and uses the calculated distance to detect the contact area. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073455 | Image Diagnostic Apparatus and Method - An image diagnostic apparatus includes a probe capable of light transmission and reception, wherein a reflection light in a coelom is obtained from the probe by scanning the probe rotatingly in the coelom, and a tomographic image in the coelom is formed and outputted based on the obtained reflection light. A light-shield is provided to shield the light transmitted to the probe, a connection detector detects whether or not the probe is connected, and a controller controls the light-shield based on a detected result by the connection detector. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073456 | APPARATUSES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR LOW-COHERENCE INTERFEROMETRY (LCI) - Embodiments described herein involve low-coherence interferometry (LCI) techniques which enable acquisition of structural and depth information regarding a sample of interest. In one embodiment, a “swept-source” (SS) light source is used in LCI to obtain structural and depth information about a sample. The swept-source light source can be used to generate a reference signal and a signal directed towards a sample. Light scattered from the sample is returned as a result and mixed with the reference signal to achieve interference and thus provide structural information regarding the sample. Depth information about the sample can be obtained using Fourier domain concepts as well as time domain techniques. Several LCI embodiments employing a swept-source light source are disclosed herein. In another embodiment disclosed herein, an a/LCI system and method is provided that is based on a time domain system and employs a broadband light source. The systems and processes disclosed herein can be used for biomedical applications, including measuring cellular morphology in tissues and in vitro as well as diagnosing intraepithelial neoplasia, and assessing the efficacy of chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073457 | Method and its apparatus for measuring displacement of a specimen - In measuring the displacement of an object using the phase-shifting light interference, since three beam splitters were used for generating the four phase-shifting optical paths, an interferometer was increased in size, whereby the application objects were limited. Also, to solve an essential problem that if there is a disturbance such as a temperature distribution, a humidity distribution, an air pressure distribution, a density distribution or an air flow change on the phase-shifting optical paths, a measurement error occurs, the four phase-shifting optical paths are produced spatially in parallel by combining a four division prism with a photonic crystal λ/4 element and a photonic crystal polarizing element arranged like an array, constructing a small light interference displacement sensor in the invention, whereby the application objects are expanded, and the microscopic displacement or surface roughness of the object can be measured at a resolution of sub nanometer or less and with high reproducibility without influence of the disturbance. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073458 | MEANS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE SPATIAL POSITION OF MOVING ELEMENTS OF A COORDINATE MEASURING MACHINE - A means and a method for determining the spatial position of at least one moving element ( | 2009-03-19 |
20090073459 | WAVEFRONT MEASURING APPARATUS FOR OPTICAL PICKUP - A wavefront measuring apparatus for optical pickup includes: a beam splitting section; a wavefront shaping section; a beam combining section that generate interference light; an interference fringe image-acquiring section that acquires an interference fringe image including wavefront information of the light beam; and an analyzing section that analyzes a wavefront of the light beam on the basis of the interference fringe image. The analyzing section includes: an image processing section that performs a filtering process on the interference fringe image to eliminate a frequency component corresponding to the sub beam, so as to acquire the filtering-processed interference fringe image, and a wavefront analyzing section that analyzes a wavefront of the main beam on the basis of the filtering-processed interference fringe image. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073460 | SUBSTRATE MEASURING STAGE - To improve position reproducibility of support pins | 2009-03-19 |
20090073461 | Waveguide and Optical Motion Sensor Using Optical Power Modulation - An optical motion sensing device included a sensor frame defining an opening, a sensor pad disposed in the opening, an optical sensing system adapted to detect an amount of movement of the sensor pad in the sensor frame, and an output unit. The optical sensing system includes an optical waveguide, an optical source device, and an optical detector. The optical waveguide is positioned within the sensor frame such that the movement of the sensor pad results in the flexing or compressing of the optical waveguide. The optical source device supplies optical energy to the optical waveguide. The optical detector detects an amount of optical energy exiting the optical waveguide. The output unit is configured to receive a signal indicative of the amount of optical energy exiting the optical waveguide and to generate a measure of the amount of movement of the sensor pad from the received signal. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073462 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - The image processing apparatus is provided with: a reception unit that receives image information; an acquisition unit that acquires target information on a targeted level of an image forming material used at image formation based on the image information received by the reception unit; and a determination unit that determines a content of processing for reducing the image forming material for each portion of the image information received by the reception unit in accordance with the target information acquired by the acquisition unit. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073463 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM - An image processing apparatus that processes an input image to generate an output image to be recorded on a recording medium includes a first obtaining unit configured to obtain a size of the input image, a second obtaining unit configured to obtain a size of the recording medium, a setting unit configured to set, in two directions orthogonal to each other, an overrunning amount caused if the input image were recorded on the recording medium without a margin, a calculating unit configured to calculate a scaling factor in each of the two directions using the size of the recording medium, the overrunning amount, and the size of the input image, and a generating unit configured to perform a scaling operation on the input image in the two directions based on the respective scaling factors to generate an output image. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073464 | Selective Color Replacement - One embodiment is directed to a method that includes inspecting a frame of image data transmitted as a stream of pixels. At least one of the pixels in the stream is selected and the color of selected pixels is changed. The steps of inspecting, selecting, and changing the color of selected pixels may be performed as the data is transmitted. The frame may be transmitted for storing in a memory and the steps may be performed as the frame is stored in the memory. Alternatively, the frame may be transmitted from a memory and the steps may be performed as the frame is fetched from in the memory. The selected pixels may be pixels within a particular region of the frame or the selected pixels may have a particular color component value. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073465 | NATURAL LANGUAGE COLOR COMMUNICATION AND SYSTEM INTERFACE - A method and system for controlling color output includes receiving a document containing a color image, producing a first output copy of the document using a first color processing path, receiving at least one natural language request to adjust the color output of the device, adjusting the color output of the device, and producing a second output copy of the document. The method and system further includes presenting natural language descriptions of the effects of color processing paths with or without sample palettes to the user either to solicit a suggestion from the user or present the user with choices based upon the natural language request received. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073466 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM, DATA PROCESSOR AND DATA PROCESSING METHOD - The image forming system is provided with: a printer that superposes and transfers plural images formed by use of plural image forming materials to a medium; and a data processor that supplies data of the images to the printer. The data processor includes: a data generation unit that generates data of image components corresponding to the respective kinds of the image forming materials; a data forwarding unit that forwards the generated data to the printer; and an assigning unit that assigns the image components in accordance with the data amount of the forwarded data. The printer includes: an output controller that controls an image forming mechanism to form an image by use of the image forming materials; and a switch processing unit that transmits the data received from the data processor, to the output controller corresponding to the image components of the received data. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073467 | COLOR PRINTING CONTROL DEVICE, COLOR PRINTING CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM STORED WITH COLOR PRINTING CONTROL PROGRAM - The color printing control device outputs color material reduction processed data generated by applying a color material reduction process to each pixel of bitmaps converted to color material colors to be used in printing, when it is judged that the color material reduction printing mode is specified. The color material reduction process includes chroma conversion that reduces chroma and under-color removal/black generation that replaces at least a portion of achromatic components generated by overlaying of a plurality of color materials. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073468 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image processing apparatus includes a contour pixel extraction unit configured to extract a contour pixel component from a bit plane. The bit plane is a set of bits, the number of which is equal to the number of pixels, and each of which is 1 bit of a plurality of bits representing an intensity of each of pixels. Also provided is a connectedness detection unit configured to detect equivalent bits adjacent to each other in a window including a bit corresponding to a target pixel on the bit plane. Also provided is a filter unit configured to reduce an intensity of the target pixel by a reduction amount determined in accordance with the contour pixel component extracted by the contour pixel extraction unit and the equivalent bits adjacent to each other detected by the connectedness detection unit. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073469 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND COLOR ADJUSTMENT METHOD - A color image forming apparatus specifies print mode (media), forms a test image based on gradation levels of a plurality of colors according to the specified print mode (media), and detects the test image with a color sensor. The color image forming apparatus performs gray axis correction calculation based on detection result obtained by the color sensor. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073470 | Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and recording medium - A preprocessing unit determines a feature of a brush pattern for each line of a background setting command to set a background, and selects a drawing processing method that enables a high speed drawing process from among a plurality of drawing processing methods based on the determined feature of the brush pattern. A post-processing unit performs a drawing process based on the drawing processing method selected by the preprocessing unit. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073471 | DATA TRANSFER SYSTEM FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE, A MEDIA PROCESSING DEVICE, AND A CONTROL METHOD FOR A MEDIA PROCESSING DEVICE - The number of signal lines needed to communicate a plurality of data types and a plurality of data status levels is reduced and the system cost thereby reduced. A first function unit | 2009-03-19 |
20090073472 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus which is capable of correctly and accurately detecting a sheet leading edge position and carrying out image formation in appropriate image write timing. a detection device is disposed at a reference position upstream from the transfer position and detects the recording medium being conveyed. A determining device determines image write timing for forming the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum based on a difference in position between a leading edge position of the recording medium detected by the detection device and the reference position. The detection device respectively include a plurality of light detecting pixels disposed in a recording medium conveying direction, and the leading edge position of the recording medium detected by the respective light detecting pixels. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073473 | PRINTING SYSTEM, IMAGE OPERATING SYSTEM, PRINTING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A printing system includes: a camera unit for performing an electro-optic conversion on an image from a subject, generating image data storable in a storage unit, and storing print instruction information as associated with the image data according to the capture information relating to the capture of the image; an image editing unit for performing image editing on the image data; an information rewriting unit for rewriting the print instruction information stored as associated with the image data corresponding to the contents of image editing by the image editing unit; and a printing unit for performing a printing process after performing a predetermined image processing on the image data corresponding to the print instruction information. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073474 | COLOR RESOLUTION METHOD AND VIDEO IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE - In a case wherein a color separation table is prepared, color separation is provided, so that the density characteristic to be output is maintained, and the total colorant amount is not beyond the limit value of the total colorant amount. Further, the optimal color separation is performed while taking into account the colorant amount, and the colorant amount of a light color is adjusted in the entire color range to control granularity and consumption of the colorant amount. A color separation method comprising: a step of calculating the total colorant amount by employing a relationship between a total colorant amount limit value and a colorant amount, that includes a colorant amount for a colorant other than the dark colorant and the light colorant; a step of calculating a density; and a step of employing the total colorant amount and the density to calculate the colorant value signals. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073475 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF UTILIZING PRINT DEVICE CONSUMPTION INFORMATION FOR PRICING AND SERVICE - A method of providing a discount may include monitoring at least one resource via a communication network. A usage profile may be received from the at least one resource. The usage profile may include a measurement of consumption of a consumable over a period of time for the at least one resource. A first factor may be determined based on the usage profile. A second factor may be determined based on one or more of an ownership level and a participation level of the at least one resource. A discount for a future purchase may be provided based on the first factor and the second factor. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073476 | PRINTING APPRATUS AND SYSTEM - A printing system includes a print device having a paper tray and a sensor disposed adjacent to the paper tray, the sensor being configured to sense a feature formed on a paper that resides in the paper tray; and a computer connected to the print device, the computer including a printer driver for driving the print device, the printer driver processing data provided from the sensor and generating positional information indicating a position of the feature on the paper, the computer system further including a display monitor to display the position of the feature on the paper so that the position of the feature on the paper can be discerned before printing operation. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073477 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND IMAGE READING APPARATUS - An image processing apparatus includes a first log conversion unit configured to execute gradation conversion processing for copying on an image signal generated by reading an original, an output-signal converting unit configured to generate an output signal from the image signal subjected to the gradation conversion processing for copying and output the output signal to an output apparatus, a second log conversion unit configured to be provided independently from the first log conversion unit and execute gradation conversion processing for specific original detection on the image signal generated by reading the original, and a specific-original detecting unit configured to detect whether the original is a specific original from the image signal subjected to the gradation conversion processing for specific original detection. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073478 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - According to an embodiment of the present invention, in an apparatus in which an operation panel is provided from a main body via a column, the column is located on a side of the main body and is hollow, and a harness from the main body is located in the column. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073479 | IMAGE SCANNING APPARATUS - A digital copying apparatus includes a scanner, a monochrome converting unit, an out-of-original detecting unit, a deleting unit, and a printer. The scanner scans an image of an original as color image data. The monochrome converting unit converts the color image data scanned by the scanner into monochrome image data. The out-of-original detecting unit detects an out-of-original area in the monochrome image data provided by the monochrome converting unit. The deleting unit deletes an image of the area determined as out-of-original by the out-of-original detecting unit, in the color image data scanned by the scanner. The printer prints the image from which the image of the out-of-original area is deleted by the deleting unit, onto a recording medium. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073480 | Image Reading Apparatus and Image Forming Apparatus - An image reading apparatus includes a reading unit, a first guide member, a second guide member, a light adjusting member and a light adjusting control unit. The reading unit reads an original document. The first guide member places the original document thereon when the reading unit reads the original document. The second guide member is disposed opposite to the first guide member. The light adjusting member is disposed between the first guide member and the second guide member and adjusts permeation of light irradiated from the reading unit. The light adjusting control unit controls in such a manner to adjust the light permeating through the light adjusting member when the reading unit reads the original document. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073481 | Method and system for external preprocessing of service requests directed to a sleeping node - Methods and systems for external preprocessing of service requests to avoid unnecessary wakeup of a sleeping node and improve power savings. An exemplary method comprises receiving from a sleep capable node a redirected service request; and selecting, depending on a service request type of the service request, among transmitting to the sleep capable node a wakeup request and providing to a client node a service requested in the service request without transmitting to the sleep capable node a wakeup request. In some embodiments, the selecting step comprises selecting among transmitting to the sleep capable node a full wakeup request, transmitting to the sleep capable node a partial wakeup request and providing to the client node a service requested in the service request without transmitting to the sleep capable node a wakeup request. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073482 | IMAGE-PROCESSING DEVICE, RECORDING MEDIUM, AND METHOD - There is provided an image-processing device having a receiving unit that receives first variable print data including a plurality of records and designation information designating a rendering program; an image generation unit that performs the image generation process in which the rendering program is executed with regard to the plurality of records included in the first variable print data to generate output images corresponding to each of the plurality of records, wherein when an error occurs because of a first record of the plurality of records during generation of an output image corresponding to the first record, the image generation unit continues the image generation process by changing a record to be processed from the first record to a record which is to be processed later than the first record; and a variable print data generation unit that generates second variable print data including the first record. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073483 | PRINT INSTRUCTION APPARATUS, PRINTING APPARATUS, PRINTING SYSTEM, PRINT INSTRUCTION METHOD AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - The print instruction apparatus is provided with: a reception unit that receives a print request for printing an electronic document; a determination unit that determines whether or not particular information is associated with the electronic document; and an instruction unit that instructs a printing apparatus to temporarily store print information about the electronic document and impose restriction on printing on the basis of the print information until an operation device of the printing apparatus is operated, in the case where the determination unit determines that the particular information is associated with the electronic document. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073484 | Hospitality Digital Photo Processing - A process for providing printed photos from memory cards via network from a hotel room using a memory card reader, device to display photo(s), and a display. The on screen menu system of the photo viewer or PPV system allows for selection, processing, and billing of the photos. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073485 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming system according to the present invention includes plural image forming apparatuses equipped with control panels and a server that is connected to the respective image forming apparatuses through a network and manages data of a user interface commonly usable in the respective control panels of the respective image forming apparatuses and supplies the user interface to the respective image forming apparatuses. In this image forming system, even when user interfaces of the respective image forming apparatuses are originally different from each other, it is possible to realizes, for each user or for each department, a common user interface on the control panels. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073486 | Method and system for adaptive control of imaging node - Methods and systems for adaptive control of an imaging node allow subsystems of the imaging node to dynamically register authorized commands with a pre-parser after which the pre-parser authorizes inbound line commands for execution by reference to the dynamic registrations. The methods and systems permit highly extensible and granular control over the imaging node, for example, by allowing a user to dynamically unlock and control registered options of the imaging node that are not otherwise controllable, for example, via a standard management protocol or proprietary Web interface. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073487 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND JOB CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus executing a job based on authority of an account and capable of controlling a job instructed by an authorized user is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a certification ticket generation unit generating a certification ticket corresponding to the job and account information of the account instructing the execution of the job; a job information generation unit generating job information of the job; a certification ticket validity determination unit determining whether the certification ticket is valid; a job validity determination unit determining whether the execution of the job by the account is valid based on the job information corresponding to the certification ticket that has been determined valid by the certification ticket validity determination unit; and a job control unit executing the job, the execution of the job having been determined valid by the job validity determination unit. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073488 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, OPERATION SUPPORTING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - An information storing unit stores file information on an electronic file on which a user's operation is to be performed. An operation-candidate storing unit stores content information on contents of the operation. A selection-probability storing unit stores a probability value of selecting the operation. A similarity storing unit stores a similarity value of the operation between different users. A probability calculating unit calculates a function-selection-probability value for selecting an operation candidate for the electronic file, by using the file information, the content information, the probability value, and the similarity value. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073489 | Communication apparatus - A communication apparatus for transmitting a document to a recipient address specified out of multiple address-book addresses displayed based on address-book data stored in an address book includes a controller configured to control a display order of the address-book addresses displayed in accordance with one transmission-address specifying mode selected out of a plurality of transmission-address specifying modes. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073490 | COMMUNICATION INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM - A communication information processing device that includes a reception component, an image processing component, a memory component and a control component is provided. The reception component receives communication information through an external communication line. The image processing component performs image processing on image information. The memory component is provided for memorizing image information for image processing by the image processing component, and that memorizes image information and the communication information received by the reception component. The control component, when a pre-specified setting condition is satisfied, controls the memory component so as to delete the communication information memorized in the memory component and to memorize image information to be used by the image processing component as a priority. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073491 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - A storage unit stores therein license information that indicates whether an application is licensed and permission information that indicates whether an application is allowed to start. A starting unit starts an application for which the permission information is stored in the storage unit. A determining unit acquires license information of a running application from the storage unit and determines whether acquired license information indicates that the application is licensed. An outputting unit outputs error information when the acquired license information does not indicate that the running application is licensed. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073492 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - A storage medium is inserted in a storage-medium drive unit in a removable manner, storing information including setting information on a target program, identification information for identifying the storage medium, and electronic signature information generated from the setting information and the identification information. A launching unit performs an authentication of the setting information using the identification information and the electronic signature information read by a reading unit, and when the authentication is successful, reads the target program from a storage unit and launches the target program according to the setting information. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073493 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - In an image forming system for an image forming apparatus for forming an image according to the image forming system under an instruction of a terminal unit connected thereto by way of a network to instruct a formation of an image according to output data, the terminal unit sets an access information such as permitting a particular person to access the output data. The image forming apparatus compares the user information with the access information and outputs an image only when the output user conforms to the particular person. The terminal unit further changes the access information so that a second particular user other than the particular user can temporarily access to the output data and the image forming apparatus can output an image by the use of the output data also when the access information conforms to the second particular user. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073494 | Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer-readable recording medium storing information processing program - An information processing apparatus which converts input image data having a data format before conversion into image data having a data format after conversion is disclosed. The information processing apparatus includes a data format storing unit which stores processing capability information of the information processing apparatus and information of the data formats after conversion by correlating the processing capability information with the information of the data formats after conversion, a processing capability information determining unit which determines the processing capability information of the information processing apparatus, and a data format conversion controlling unit which converts the input image data having the data format before conversion into the image data having the data format after conversion based on the determined result by the processing capability information determining unit by referring to the data format storing unit. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073495 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - An image processing apparatus quantizes multi-level image data of M gray levels into N-level image data (M>N>2) by using one of a multi-level error diffusion method to form an image by using a dot corresponding to each pixel included in the N-level image data, and includes various image processing units to obtain a correction value based on error values of neighboring pixels a target pixel, store quantized states of the neighboring pixels to set a threshold, compare the threshold with the correction value to determine the N-level image data, weight and diffuse an error generated with the N-level image data to the neighboring pixels of the target pixel. The image processing apparatus also includes an N-level processing unit to execute N-level processing and a binary processing unit configured to execute binary processing according to a dot type, and uses a weight matrix. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073496 | ERROR DIFFUSION METHOD AND HARDWARE ARCHITECTURE - A system and method for performing threshold stamping are disclosed. First and second threshold values corresponding to first and second pixels may be retrieved from a threshold memory. A plurality of upscaled threshold values may optionally be computed based on the first threshold value and the second threshold value. An (upscaled) threshold value may be updated at each of one or more first register blocks. A binary pixel value may be computed based at least in part on the first updated threshold value. The first updated threshold value may be updated at each of one or more second register blocks. A downscaled threshold value may optionally be computed based on a plurality of second updated threshold values. The downscaled threshold value or second updated threshold value may be damped in a damping circuit, and the damped threshold value may be stored in the threshold memory. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073497 | Image Processing Apparatus, Printer Including the Same, and Image Processing Method - An image processing apparatus, includes: a first extractor, configured to extract compression data items of a plurality of images to extraction image data items; a corrector, configured to correct the extraction image data items, when the images are printed on a print medium; a second extractor, configured to extract one of the compression data items to a sample image data item; an acquirer, configured to acquire, from the sample image data item, a characteristic information item indicative of image characteristic to be corrected by the correction, in a case where at least parts of the images to be printed are to be overlapped when viewed from a first direction; and a calculator, configured to calculate correction amounts each of which is to be applied to an associated one of the extraction image data items based on the characteristic information item. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073498 | Printing method for open page surface of book - The present invention provides a method and apparatus for printing an image to an open end surface of bound document during the printing process. The method and apparatus slices an open edge image to the outer edges of the obverse surface of a select number of pages. The image is crept incrementally increasingly inward through a registered window with each consecutive page sheet. The amount of each increment is equivalent to the height of the open edge image divided by the number of page sheets the image will occupy on the open surface of the bound document. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073499 | Facsimile Methods, Apparatuses and Systems - A facsimile method, system and apparatus for sending and receiving facsimiles over one or more networks including a fax sender connected to a network and the PSTN for sending facsimiles, an administrator connected to a network having a processor and at least one database for verifying the identity of the one or more fax receivers and fax senders, at least one fax receiver connected to at least one network for receiving facsimiles wherein the fax sender establishes a connection with the administrator, queries the database to determine the capabilities of the one or more fax receivers, and uses the capability information to send one or more facsimile transmissions to the one or more fax receivers. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073500 | System and Process for Real Time Monitoring of Mail and Print Jobs and Providing Real Time Verification of Mail Piece Completion - The present application relates to a system and method for tracking individual pieces within a printing or mailing job, as well as tracking completed trays, skids, or containers of printed documents. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073501 | EXTRACTING METADATA FROM A DIGITALLY SCANNED DOCUMENT - Presented are techniques for extracting metadata from a digitally scanned document. The text of the digitally scanned document is obtained and a first algorithm is provided to identify various numbers found within the text, determine which numbers correspond to the page numbers of the document, and associate the determined numbers with the pages of the document. Furthermore, a second algorithm is provided that uses the text to determine the page type of the pages within the document. The second algorithm is configured to determine if a page is a table of contents page, an index page, or a title page. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073502 | Print data generation apparatus - A print data generation apparatus includes a pattern data registration unit, a pattern data conversion unit and an image conversion unit. The pattern data registration unit registers pattern data corresponding to a print image readable by an electronic pen printed on a recording medium. The pattern data conversion unit converts the print image into the pattern data registered in the pattern data registration unit. The image conversion unit converts the pattern data converted by the pattern data conversion unit into drawing data of the print image. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073503 | Imaging device and method for concurrent imaging of opposite sides of an identification card or document - A device and method for imaging dual sided documents for authentification of the document. A document such as a driver's license traverses a linear flowpath into and out of a housing having a darkened interior. The document is segmentally imaged under a plurality of different light spectrums during travel along the flowpath. A data processor and software engaged to an imager capturing the segmented images assembles complete images of the document under one or a plurality of the light spectrums employed to yield a viewable rendition of both sides of the document to ascertain the presence of proper indica to validate the document. Also provided are a magnetic strip reader and bar code reader engaged to the data processor wherein data may be extracted therefrom for comparison to the images reviewed. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073504 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming apparatus and a control method thereof are disclosed. The disclosed image forming apparatus includes a white reference sheet provided at one side of a flat bed, for scanning an object, an image sensor module including an image sensor to detect light reflected from the white reference sheet in a scanning operation for the white reference sheet and light reflected from an image on the object in a scanning operation for the object, and to output analog image signals respectively corresponding to the reflected lights, an analog front end (AFE) to convert each analog image signal output from the image sensor to a digital image signal, a shading memory to store shading data obtained in the scanning operation for the white reference sheet, and a controller to calculate differences among outputs from R, G, and B channels of the image sensor, using the stored shading data, to correct the stored shading data, based on the calculated output differences, and to correct image data outputs generated from the R, G, and B channels in the scanning operation for the object, based on the calculated output differences. The image forming apparatus can correct different physical offset values possibly present at different color channels in a color scanning operation. Accordingly, it is possible to adjust the color balance of a scanned image, and thus to achieve an enhancement in the color quality of the image. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073505 | IMAGE RECORDING APPARATUS AND IMAGE RECORDING METHOD - The array pitch between image recording element dots, the swath tilt angle, the image recording pitch between image recording dots in a direction y, or the phase difference between image recording positions in the direction y of adjacent image recording dots that are formed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction y is adjusted according to an image pattern, so that a jaggy pitch or a jaggy amplitude of jaggies may be of a predetermined value or less to produce a good image. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073506 | METHOD OF SETTING SCANNER-CONTROLLING INPUT SIGNAL AND DISPLAY APPARATUS APPLIED WITH THE SAME - A scanner having a linear driving property and a scanning display apparatus using the scanner are disclosed. More particularly, a method of setting an input signal controlling a scanner can include measuring a driving property of the scanner; computing a driving property function according to the driving property; computing an inverse function of the driving property function; determining an index of an input signal corresponding to a node within a display picture based on the inverse function, the input signal being the signal controlling an angle of the scanner, and the node partitioning the display picture by a same distance in a scanning direction; and generating and storing an input signal reference table related to the relationship between the node and the index. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073507 | DOCUMENT READING APPARATUS AND DOCUMENT READING SYSTEM - It is intended to perform area specification to carry out arbitrary image processing by an easy operation without spoiling a document. An document reading apparatus includes a heater for heating the document in a document transport path in the upstream side of a document reading portion. By comparing image data read by the image reading portion without performing heating by the heater and image data read by the image reading portion after performing the heating by the heater, drawn image data drawn by a coloring material which gets denatured and decolorizes when heated is extracted. Then, a specified area surrounded by the extracted drawn image data is determined and specific image processing based on an operation input by a user is applied to image data in the specified area. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073508 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A scanner scans an image of an original document as first image data. A first image processor processes the first image data scanned by the scanner. The first image processor stores the processed first image data to a memory in a state of compressed code data. A second image processor reads the first image data stored in the memory as the code data. The second image processor process the first image data read from the memory for printing. An image synthesizer synthesizes pixel data of the second image data with respective pixel data of the first image data after the image processing for printing by the calculation processing. A printer prints the synthesized image data. | 2009-03-19 |
20090073509 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND IMAGE READING DEVICE - An image processing device includes a histogram generation unit configured to generate a density histogram on the basis of image data of an original document, a white-reference value detection unit configured to acquire as a white reference value a density value at a density distribution peak in a predetermined white side range of the density histogram, a background-removal level determination unit configured to determine a background-removal level value having the maximum density to remove a background component by using a reference table on the basis of the white reference value, and a background removal unit configured to remove the background component from the image data by using the white reference value and the background-removal level value. | 2009-03-19 |