52nd week of 2009 patent applcation highlights part 34 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20090317041 | PHOTONIC BANDGAP FIBER - A photonic bandgap fiber includes a first core having a refractive index equal to or smaller than a refractive index of a cladding, a second core that is provided to surround the first core and has a refractive index smaller than the refractive index of the first core, the cladding that surrounds the second core, and a periodic structure portion that is provided in the cladding around the second core, and in which high-refractive index portions having a refractive index larger than the refractive index of the cladding form a periodic structure. The periodic structure is configured such that at least the propagation constant of the fundamental mode at a wavelength to be used is in a photonic bandgap, and the propagation constant of a higher-order mode at the wavelength to be used is outside of the photonic bandgap. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317042 | RARE EARTH-DOPED CORE OPTICAL FIBER AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A rare earth-doped core optical fiber of the present invention includes a core comprising a silica glass containing at least aluminum and ytterbium, and a clad provided around the core and comprising a silica glass having a lower refraction index than that of the core, wherein the core has an aluminum concentration of 2% by mass or more, and ytterbium is doped into the core at such a concentration that the light absorption band which appears around a wavelength of 976 nm in the light absorption band by ytterbium contained in the core shows a peak light absorption rate of 800 dB/m or less. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317043 | DRY FILM FOR OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE BY USING THE DRY FILM - Provided is an optical waveguide manufacturing method that makes the thickness of a clad layer in the vicinity of a core portion uniform. A first lamination film is fabricated by forming a clad layer by forming a first curable resin layer for clad formation on a first base film and curing the first curable resin layer, and forming a core portion by forming a second curable resin layer for core formation having a higher refractive index than that of the clad layer after cured on the clad layer and selectively curing the second curable resin layer. A second lamination film is fabricated by forming a clad layer by forming a third curable resin layer for clad formation on a second base film and curing the third curable resin layer. In the optical waveguide manufacturing method, the first lamination film in which the core portion is formed and the second lamination film are bonded together with a fourth curable resin layer for clad formation interposed therebetween, and the curable resin layer interposed between the first lamination film and the second lamination film is cured to form a clad layer. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317044 | Nanocomposites - This invention provides composite materials comprising nanostructures (e.g., nanowires, branched nanowires, nanotetrapods, nanocrystals, and nanoparticles). Methods and compositions for making such nanocomposites are also provided, as are articles comprising such composites. Waveguides and light concentrators comprising nanostructures (not necessarily as part of a nanocomposite) are additional features of the invention. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317045 | FIBER DISTRIBUTION HUB WITH HALF-LOOP PIGTAIL STORAGE - A method for configuring an enclosure used in a communications network is described. The method may include providing a group of pigtails. The method may further include routing the group of pigtails circumferentially around a subscriber termination field, where the group of pigtails is associated with an optical splitter module used to convey optical signals to a destination, and where the routing is performed in a manner that does not substantially obstruct access to at least one of a group of subscriber terminations that are associated with the subscriber termination field. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317046 | CABLE ANCHORING DEVICE - The present disclosure relates to a cable anchoring device for anchoring a fiber optic cable to a building, wall, pole or other structure. The cable anchoring device includes a spool component about which the fiber optic cable is wrapped at least two times. The cable anchoring device also includes a clamping component that cooperates with the spool component to anchor the cable. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317047 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DISTRIBUTING FIBER OPTIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES TO LOCAL AREA - A fiber optic drop terminal assembly includes a housing, a spool and a fiber optic distribution cable. The housing has a first exterior surface and an oppositely disposed second exterior surface. A plurality of ruggedized adapters is mounted on the first exterior surface of the housing. The ruggedized adapters include a first port accessible from outside the housing and a second port accessible from inside the housing. The spool is engaged with the second exterior surface and includes a drum portion. The fiber distribution cable is coiled around the drum portion. The distribution cable includes a first end and an oppositely disposed second end. The second end is disposed inside the housing. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317048 | ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL HYBRID FILM, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS RECEIVING THE SAME - An electrical and optical hybrid film having high resistance to bending. The electrical and optical hybrid film has an optical waveguide film and an electrical wiring film on the optical waveguide film. The electrical and optical hybrid film has, between its opposite ends, a separated section where the electrical wiring film and the optical waveguide film are not secured to each other. The optical waveguide film has, at the separated section, a slit extending in the longitudinal direction, and the slit penetrates the optical waveguide film. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317049 | RECORDING/REPRODUCING SYSTEM, RECORDING DEVICE, AND REPRODUCTION DEVICE - To provide a recording/playback system capable of improving the accuracy of image adjustment for playing back a video content recorded in a recording medium. A recording/playback system relating to the present invention includes a recording unit and a playback unit. The recording unit determines, as adjustment parameters, control values for controlling values to be output in response to input of recorded pieces of video data included in a video stream each having a predetermined period and having a luminance level that has not yet been adjusted. The recording unit records the determined adjustment parameters and pieces of time information in correspondence with each other. The pieces of time information indicate timings for applying the adjustment parameters to the pieces of original video data. The playback unit outputs the values for playing back the pieces of original video data based on the adjustment parameters recorded in the recording unit. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317050 | SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING THE INTERACTIVE MOVING PICTURE CONTENTS AND THE METHOD THEREOF - The present invention relates to a system and method for providing interactive moving picture contents, and more particularly, to a system and method for providing moving picture contents, wherein moving picture contents provided by a user are divided into an original moving picture and additional contents to be stored separately, so that if another user makes a request for using one of previously registered moving picture contents, respective layers created from an original moving picture and additional contents of the relevant moving picture contents are combined and provided to the other user, and at the same time, a function of editing the additional contents for the relevant moving picture is provided to allow users of the moving picture contents other than a user who has initially provided the moving picture contents to easily modify the additional contents or add a variety of additional contents related to the original moving picture. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317051 | Mobile Timestamp Systems and Methods of Use - Computer-based systems and methods are disclosed for generating video clips for specific events. The system comprises at least a server, a video capture device, the video capture device being operatively coupled to the server, and one or more mobile timestamp devices, the one or more mobile timestamp device being removably coupled to the server. A first mobile timestamp device is a small device comprising a button and an interface that can reside in a user's hand. The button can be depressed to make timestamps after which it reverts back to its original extended position. A second mobile timestamp device can be a PDA having a software application adapted to collect a variety of data in conjunction with the timestamps. Video clips are generated by the system relating to event indications of specific events as identified by software. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317052 | Networked video devices - A collaborative information system. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317053 | PROVIDING INTERACTIVE CONTENT DURING TRICK MODE - A system may receive an enhanced media stream that includes media content and interactive content relating to the media content, present the media content for display on a video display device, detect initiation of a trick mode during presentation of the media content, and present information, relating to the interactive content, superimposed on the media content presented for display on the video display device during the trick mode. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317054 | DIGITAL BROADCAST RECEIVER AND DIGITAL DEVICE SYSTEM - “Reservation with a recorder” is decided by a remote control operation of a TV ( | 2009-12-24 |
20090317055 | RECORDING APPARATUS, TERMINAL APPARATUS AND RECORDING-VIEWING RESERVATION SYSTEM - The figure is a diagram showing a processing flow between a home recording apparatus | 2009-12-24 |
20090317056 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING SCHEDULES OF MONITORING DEVICE - A method for managing schedules of a monitoring device includes: editing schedules of a video camera; generating a display interface on which a plurality of schedules and corresponding attributes thereof can be displayed; checking the realizability of the schedules; and generating conflict indicating information for conflicting schedules according to a checking result. The present invention further provides a system for managing schedules of a monitoring device. The invention can be applied to display the schedules of the monitoring device intuitively and clearly to thereby simplify operations of determining a conflict and optimize operations of editing the schedules. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317057 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SELECTIVELY OUTPUTTING HD/SD SIGNALS AS HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO ACCORDING TO COPY PROTECTION - An apparatus for outputting standard definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) analog signals as high-definition (HD) video according to copy protection is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a determination block, for receiving a specific signal and determining whether the received specific signal has copy protection; and a scaling block, coupled to the determination block, for selectively scaling the received specific signal according to at least a copy protection determination result generated by the determination block. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317058 | INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM, INFORMATION RECORDING DEVICE AND METHOD, INFORMATION REPRODUCING DEVICE AND METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM - An optical disc ( | 2009-12-24 |
20090317059 | APPARATUS AND METHOD OF TRANSMITTING / RECEIVING MULTIMEDIA PLAYBACK ENHANCEMENT INFORMATION, VBI DATA, OR AUXILIARY DATA THROUGH DIGITAL TRANSMISSION MEANS SPECIFIED FOR MULTIMEDIA DATA TRANSMISSION - A data transmission interface apparatus is provided for communicating with another data transmission interface apparatus through a digital transmission means specified for multimedia data transmission. The data transmission interface apparatus has at least a processor for processing multimedia data; and a data converting circuit, coupled to the processor, for converting a plurality of first multimedia data sets into a plurality of second multimedia data sets; and for converting a plurality of first auxiliary data sets into a plurality of second auxiliary data sets. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317060 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING MULTIMEDIA - Provided are a method and an apparatus for processing multimedia to provide a simulated experience where a plurality of remote users simultaneously view the same content even though one of the users is viewing the content at a different time. The method includes reading out information regarding user reactions to content during playback of the content, displaying a history of user reactions according to the information regarding the user reactions, and playing back a portion of content corresponding to a selected time point from the history of the user reactions at which the user reactions occurred. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317061 | IMAGE GENERATING METHOD AND APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND APPARATUS - An image processing method and apparatus and an image generating method and apparatus, the image processing method to output a video data being a two-dimensional (2D) image as the 2D image or a three-dimensional (3D) image including: extracting information about the video data from metadata associated with the video data; and outputting the video data as the 2D image or the 3D image by using the extracted information about the video data. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317062 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND APPARATUS - An image processing method and apparatus to output video data, which is a two-dimensional (2D) image, as a three-dimensional (3D) image, the image processing method including: when a current frame of the video data is classified as a new shot that is different from a shot a previous frame of the video data that is output temporally before the current frame, estimating a motion of the current frame by using one or more next frames of the video data that are output temporally after the current frame and are classified as the new shot; and outputting the current frame as the 3D image by using the estimated motion. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317063 | Screen Recording Device, Screen Recording Method, And Information Storage Medium - Provided is a method capable of suppressing generation of data that needs to undergo a complicated copyright process for redistribution thereof. The method includes: executing a program and outputting and displaying a screen generated by the program; reproducing and outputting user-acquired audio acquired arbitrarily by a user; recording the screen output during a specified period along with the user-acquired audio, as video data; and restricting recording of the video data while the user-acquired audio is being output. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317064 | Playback apparatus, method, and program - The present invention relates to a playback apparatus, a method, and a program which can appropriately perform jump playback when content transmitted through a network is played back in real time. A terminal | 2009-12-24 |
20090317065 | EXTENDED DIGITAL VIDEO RECORDER - A device receives, from one of a set-top box/digital video recorder (STB/DVR) or a user device, a request to allocate an amount of storage, and allocates the amount of storage based on the allocation request, logically extending the user's available storage. The device also receives, from the one of a set-top box/digital video recorder (STB/DVR) or a user device, a request to record content, and records the content to one or more portions of the allocated storage based on the record request. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317066 | CONTENT PURCHASING AND DISTRIBUTING METHOD - The content reproducing apparatus ( | 2009-12-24 |
20090317067 | Recording apparatus, recording method, recording program, image pickup apparatus, image pickup method, and image pickup program - Recording of video data is enabled by a management structure of a clip which is compatible with a BD-ROM standard. In accordance with the recording starting operation, the recording of a stream in which the video data and audio data have time-divisionally been multiplexed on a packet unit basis onto a recording medium is started. In accordance with the recording stopping operation, the stream stored in a buffer is written as a stream file onto the recording medium and a clip information file corresponding to the stream file is formed. A play item showing the whole clip information file is formed and added to the existing play list on the recording medium. A mark is stamped to the play list at time corresponding to an IN point of the play item. Subsequently, the play item which is formed in association with the recording start and stop is similarly further added to the existing play list and the mark is further stamped at the time corresponding to the IN point. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317068 | WATER HEATING APPARATUS - A water heating apparatus includes a water tank and at least one heating member mounted inside the water tank. The heating member includes a heating body, at least a multi-layer conductive coating of nano-thickness deposited on the heating body, and electrodes coupled to the multi-layer conductive coating. The multi-layer conductive coating includes a structure and composition which stabilize performance of the heating member at high temperature. The heating body can be made of ceramic glass in the form of a flat plate. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317069 | USER-CONFIGURABLE WATERPROOF CAMERA CASE - A user-configurable waterproof camera case includes a housing for sealingly holding different models of camera therein, an actuating shaft extending through an opening of the housing, a probe-carrying member connected to an inner end of the actuating shaft, and an adjustable probe carried by the probe-carrying member at a position engageable with an on/off button or a shutter button of the camera. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317070 | Digital Image Copier For Photos, Films, And Slides - A digital image copier for photos, films and slides is provided. The digital image copier includes: a housing being a hollow body; a feeding slot disposed in the housing and bridged between a front side and a rear side of the housing, for feeding the photos, films and slides therein; a digital camera disposed inside the housing and facing to the feeding slot for shooting a picture of the photos, films and slides; and at least one light source disposed inside the housing for irradiating the photos, films and slides to provide the digital camera with a better shooting. The picture captured by the digital camera is converted into a digital image file that can be stored on an external storage device. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317071 | System for the Remote Control of Setting Up a Supporting Head for Optical and/or Photo-Cinematographic Equipment - This invention describes a system for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment comprising an adjustable head for mounting by adjustable setting-up of optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment, at least one servomechanism for locking and/or unlocking and/or setting up a movable part of the head in relation to a fixed part thereof, as well as remote control means of said servomechanism for setting up the head comprising at least one pushbutton control, remote in relation to the servomechanism, that can be operated by the user while he is holding said equipment. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317072 | FOCAL PLANE SHUTTER - A focal plane shutter includes: a shutter substrate having an opening; a blade for opening and closing the opening; a drive member swingably supported for driving the blade; a drive spring for driving the drive member; and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting an urging force of the drive spring. One end of the drive spring is engaged with the drive member. The adjustment mechanism includes: an adjustment member engaging the other end of the drive spring and rotatably supported to adjust the urging force of the drive spring; and an engagement member abutting the adjustment member to stop rotation of the adjustment member. The adjustment member has a clearance portion for avoiding abutment against the engagement member at a given rotational position. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317073 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ETHERNET EXTENSION AND DEMARCATION - The present invention provides Ethernet extension and demarcation functionality through a Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) pluggable transceiver in a customer or remote device. The pluggable transceiver is configured to frame an Ethernet client signal and to provide OAM&P functionality, such as with G.709 framing. The pluggable transceiver operates within existing multi-source agreement (MSA) specifications. Accordingly, the pluggable transceiver can operate in any customer device compliant to the MSA specifications. Additionally, the framing and OAM&P functionality are transparent to the customer device, but instead utilized by a service provider for demarcation functionality, eliminating the requirements for external demarcation equipment and for external transponders. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317074 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONFIRMING OPTICAL FIBERS CONNECTION IN OPTICAL CONNECTOR - Provided is a method for confirming optical fibers connection in a connection part in an optical connector, including: allowing light to pass through a first optical fiber and allowing cladding mode light to disappear; and detecting a difference in light intensity in the connection part between before and after the light from the first optical fiber enters a second optical fiber disposed in the optical connector. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317075 | Optical Balanced Receiver and IQ Receiver with Balanced Compensation - An optical balanced receiver including an optical coupler for combining input optical information signal and optical reference signal and outputting two optical interfering signals whose phases are opposite to each other, two photodetectors for receiving the two optical interfering signals and outputting detection signals as electrical signals having the amplitudes corresponding to the interference intensities of the received optical interfering signals, a balance compensation type difference device for compensating an intensity fluctuation component added to a difference signal of the two detection signals due to the difference in amplitude and/or delay between the detection signals output from the two photodetectors in accordance with an input control signal, and outputting the compensated difference signal of the two detection signals, and a control circuit for outputting the control signal to the balance compensation type difference device. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317076 | WDM TRANSMISSION APPARATUS - A WDM transmission apparatus to receive or relay WDM light in a WDM transmission system, includes a measuring unit configured to measure an optical level of each channel transmitted by the WDM light; an adjusting unit configured to adjust a resolution of the measuring unit; and a processing unit configured to obtain, for each channel, optical level information which represents an optical level respectively measured with a resolution corresponding to a bit rate of a transmission signal of each channel. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317077 | METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE OPTICAL SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO AND RECEIVER DEVICE FOR AN OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM - An optical noise signal is added to an optical data signal on the receiver side, and a signal quality of the data signal is determined. The magnitude of the added noise signal is varied, and a function of the signal quality of the data signal is determined in dependence on the added noise signal. Subsequently, a first straight line is approximated to the previously determined function for smaller values of the added noise signal, and a second straight line for larger values of the added noise signal. The optical signal-to-noise ratio is read from the intersecting point of the first straight line with the second straight line. Thus, the ASE present is derived from the controlled addition of additional ASEs, and the optical signal-to-noise ratio is determined. The process is particularly suited for DWDM systems because it works even with very narrow channel separations, or with narrowband optical filtration along the separation. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317078 | OPTICAL TRANSMISSION DEVICE AND OPTICAL TRANSMISSION METHOD - The signal quality of ultra high-speed signals such as 40 Gbit/s and 100 Gbit/s are significantly degraded due to wavelength dispersion and nonlinear effects in an optical fiber. Thus, there is provided a transponder unit in which a light source is polarization multiplexed in a direction mutually orthogonal to a signal direction, in order to reduce the nonlinear effects in the optical fiber and improve the signal quality. At the same time, it is possible to monitor an amount of the wavelength dispersion in the optical fiber, allowing for more precise dispersion compensation design. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317079 | DISPERSION DETERMINING APPARATUS AND AUTOMATIC DISPERSION COMPENSATING SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A dispersion determining apparatus comprises a received waveform monitoring part ( | 2009-12-24 |
20090317080 | METHOD AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR IMPROVING SIGNAL QUALITY - The invention relates to a bandpass filter (OFI) which is mounted downstream of an optical amplifier (OV) and allows noise to be largely reduced. In order for said bandpass filter to be able to optimally receive burst signals (BS | 2009-12-24 |
20090317081 | OPTICAL DIGITAL TRANSMISSION FOR MULTIPLE BEAM CROSS CONNECTION, ROUTING AND SWITCHING - The invention concerns an optical digital transmitting device for cross connecting, routing and switching at temporal, spatial and frequency level a plurality of electromagnetic beams. Said device uses a plurality of laser type or other low/medium power type magnetic sources, coupled to a plurality of matrix optical heads and specific delay lines of the structured waveguide type based, for example, on optical fibers, of natural crystalline or specific synthetic structure, of optical passive/active memory structure, of any combination thereof. The electromagnetic multiple beam cross connection, routing and switching function whether of the optical type or not enables it to be used in various fields in telecommunications (such as point-to-point, point-to-multipoint free-space transmission). | 2009-12-24 |
20090317082 | Passive Optical Network System, Optical Network Unit, and Optical Line Terminal - An optical line terminal (OLT), an optical network unit (ONT) and a passive optical network (PON) system are provided. A user of the ONU or a terminal connected with the ONU can accurately recognize the amount of a bandwidth allocated to the ONU without estimating the communication bandwidth. The OLT notifies each ONU of the amount of the bandwidth allocated to the ONU in response to a request transmitted from the ONU to the OLT. Each ONU receives bandwidth information from the OLT and displays thereon the bandwidth information or notifies the terminal connected with the ONU of the bandwidth information. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317083 | OPTICAL REMOTE NODE DEVICE AND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT FOR CONSTRUCTING AND EXTENDING FIBER-OPTIC ACCESS NETWORKS - Optical remote node (NR) device which is situated at a remote point in a fibre-optic metropolitan or access network, carries out the functions of connecting, and transmitting information between, various sections of the network in a passive manner without a power supply using various optical components which extract the necessary optical signals and optical pumping power from the network to which the remote node is connected, and introduces the optical signals from the sections which it connects into said network, and support equipment which is situated at a point in the network with a power supply, uses the network to provide the pumping power required by the remote nodes and has the electronics needed to carry out functions of monitoring the operation of the remote nodes and regulating their activity. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317084 | PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORK SYSTEM AND OPTICAL SIGNAL RECEIVING METHOD THEREOF - A passive optical network system includes: a plurality of optical signal splitter receiving optical signals from a plurality of optical network units (ONUs) to provide a plurality of upstream optical signals having different wavelengths; a hybrid optical filter multiplexing the plurality of upstream optical signals in a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) scheme; and an optical line terminal (OLT) receiving the multiplexed upstream optical signals in a time division multiplexing (TDM) scheme. Therefore, the network system can be easily expanded when the number of subscribers increases, and the optical loss can be minimized. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317085 | Optical module and dispersion compensator - In an optical module, a lens collects input light to generate a collected beam. A VIPA plate includes a reflective surface for highly reflecting light and a transmissive surface on which a reflection film having a lower reflectivity than the reflective surface is deposited. The VIPA plate causes multiple reflection of the collected beam within an internal area between the reflective surface and the transmissive surface, and emits diffracted light via the transmissive surface. A reflection mirror reflects outgoing light emitted from the transmissive surface to generate return light which returns to the transmissive surface. The reflection film includes a high-reflection film deposited on a portion from which the outgoing light of a high light intensity is emitted and a low-reflection film deposited on a portion from which the outgoing light having a lower light intensity is emitted. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317086 | OPTICAL TRANSCEIVER MODULE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING OPTICAL TRANSCEIVER MODULE - An optical transceiver module for transmitting and receiving an optical signal with a plurality of channels includes timing generator for sequentially generating timing instructions defining different start-up time points, and powering controller for effecting a control such that power supply to at least a portion of circuit components associated with the respective channels is sequentially started in accordance with the timing instructions generated by the timing generator. Current to be instantaneously necessitated when a power switch is turned on or when a power restoration is made from power saving operation modes can be suppressed. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317087 | Configurable control for network device operation - A network device can encounter operating conditions that have potential to affect upstream communications adversely for another network device, as well as for the upstream communications or hardware of the network device itself. A network device according to an example embodiment of the present invention is configured to determine when such conditions occur, and, in response, modify the behavior of the device so as to maintain the integrity of upstream communications and the network device. Network robustness is improved through the example embodiment, and fewer service calls are experienced by service providers. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317088 | OPTICAL SPACE TRANSFER APPARATUS USING IMAGE SENSOR - A transmission device includes a first light emission unit having a light source for emitting one optical signal. A reception unit includes an X-Y address system image sensor, having a pixel region including a plurality of pixels, for receiving the optical signal by the pixel region; a classification unit for creating classification information representing a pixel group including pixels, among the plurality of pixels, which are irradiated with the optical signal; and a control unit for controlling the X-Y address system image sensor in accordance with the classification information to simultaneously read signals of the pixels belonging to the pixel group. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317089 | Distributable Quantum Relay Architecture - A distributed quantum relay architecture is disclosed. In one embodiment of this architecture, time and wavelength division multiplexing are used to enable a laser pump pulse, already used to create an initial entangled photon pair, to be distributed to a remote relay site, on the same optical fiber as a photon from that initial pair. At that remote site, the pump pulse is amplified and used to locally create the second entangled photon pair that is required for quantum teleportation. This embodiment enables the placement of quantum repeater stations at remote locations without complicated dedicated channels to distribute the pump or electronics. In addition, as lasers are generally among the most expensive components, a significant cost savings is gained, in this embodiment, by using only one pump laser instead of two (or more) as in previous quantum teleportation efforts. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317090 | Multichannel Optical Transport Network Skew Control - A system and method are provided for controlling time delay in a multichannel optical transport network transmission device. The method accepts a pair of 2 | 2009-12-24 |
20090317091 | LASER TRANSMITTING AT AUTOMATICALLY VARYING WAVELENGTHS, NETWORK INTERFACE UNIT AND SYSTEM INCLUDING THE LASER, AND METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY VARYING THE WAVELENGTH OF A LASER - A laser unit, usable in a network interface unit (NIU), that includes a laser adapted to generate an optical signal having a wavelength, a temperature control system for establishing a temperature of the laser and a controller functionally connected to the temperature control system for setting the temperature, the controller configured to automatically vary the temperature between a high temperature and a low temperature different than the high temperature. Also an NIU and a system of NIU's including the laser and an associated method of controlling the laser. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317092 | OPTICAL RECEIVING APPARATUS AND DIGITAL RECEIVING CIRCUIT - An optical receiving apparatus includes a combining unit that combines signal light and reference light; a optoelectric converting unit that converts, into electrical signals, two or more optical signals that enable reconstruction of a complex electric field signal of the signal light obtained by the combining unit; and a sampling clock generating unit that generates a sampling clock that has a frequency preset based on a symbol rate of the signal light and is asynchronous with the signal light. The optical receiving apparatus further includes a digital converting unit that samples at the frequency of the sampling clock signal, an electrical signal obtained by the optoelectric converting unit and converts the electrical signal into a digital signal; and a digital signal processing unit that demodulates a received signal based on a complex digital signal obtained from the digital signal obtained by the digital converting unit. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317093 | DPSK OPTICAL RECEIVER - A DPSK optical receiver includes a DPSK demodulation circuit, an optical bandpass filter, a first photodetector, and a first control circuit. The DPSK demodulation circuit demodulates a DPSK optical signal and outputs the DPSK demodulated optical signal. The optical bandpass filter extracts a demodulated optical signal near the center wavelength from the DPSK demodulated optical signal output from the DPSK demodulation circuit. The first photodetector detects the optical power level of the DPSK demodulated optical signal extracted by the optical bandpass filter. The first control circuit performs phase control on the DPSK demodulation circuit so as to optimize the DPSK demodulation circuit with respect to the center wavelength of the DPSK optical signal on the basis of the optical power level detected by the first photodetector. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317094 | Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation in Optical Fibre Communication Systems - A method of and a receiver( | 2009-12-24 |
20090317095 | Automatic document feeder - An automatic document feeder includes a controller that compares an input original length that is received from a main operating unit and an actual original length that is calculated based on a detection result from a registration sensor arranged, on a conveying path, downstream of a separation feeding unit. The controller sets, when a result of the comparison indicates that the input original length and the actual original length are not equal, a larger value between the input original length and the actual original length as a jam determining value. The controller controls a jam detection based on the set jam determining value. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317096 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus capable of performing operation-checking and an operation for clearing a counter value for a replaced component at component replacement with a simple manipulation, and simple in construction and low in costs. After criterion values for jam detection by a recording-sheet-conveyance-state detection unit that detects sheet feed jam and/or conveyance jam are changed to new component judgment criterion values, whether a roller component has been replaced by a new roller is determined. When replacement to a new roller is determined, a counter value of a life counter for counting the number of times of use of a roller component for detection of replacement time is cleared. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317097 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, SHEET SUPPLY SUPPORTING METHOD AND CONTROL PROGRAM - An image forming apparatus comprises a sheet tray to store sheets to form an image thereon; a detecting section to detect a capacity of empty space of each of the sheet tray; and a sheet managing section to compare the capacity of empty space of the sheet tray with a capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to be stored in the sheet tray, wherein in the case that the capacity of empty space of the sheet tray is equal to or larger than the capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets, the sheet managing section notifies that it is possible to supply sheets by the one or plural bundle of sheets as a unit of supply to the sheet tray. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317098 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CARTRIDGE, STORAGE DEVICE AND DEVELOPER SUPPLYING METHOD - An image forming apparatus is provided which includes a developing apparatus configured to form a developer image; a supply apparatus configured to supply developer to the developing apparatus; a detector configured to detect an amount of developer consumed during an image forming process; and a controller configured to perform an addition calculation for the amount of developer consumed, and for employing a value obtained by the addition calculation and a supply threshold value to determine whether developer should be supplied to the developing apparatus, wherein the controller sets the supply threshold value in accordance with an operating state of the developing apparatus. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317099 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a replaceable unit in which a plurality of replaceable parts are installed, a storage section to store a replacement time count value, a life duration time count value and a use count value, a display section and a control section to update the use count value in the storage section by counting the number of times of use of each of the parts installed in the unit, to determine whether a part which reached the life duration time exists or not based on the use count value of each of the parts which are update and the life duration time count value, and to display information for urging a replacement of the part which reached the life duration time and a part in which the use count value reached between the replacement time count value and the life duration time count value in the display section when the control section determines that the part which reached the life duration time exists. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317100 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing roller, a pressure roller and a soaking roller. Temperature of the soaking roller, which contacts with the pressure roller, is measured by a temperature measurement section. This makes it possible to precisely estimate the temperature distribution of the fixing roller and the pressure roller including a non-paper feed area of paper sheets. Based on the temperature of the soaking roller, fixing operation is controlled by a fixing operation control section. Thereby, optimal control can be implemented to suppress the temperature rise in the non-paper feed area according to the estimated temperature distribution of the fixing roller and the pressure roller. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317101 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a belt, an image forming section, a displacement operation section and a displacement control section. The image forming section includes a color image forming unit and a monochrome image forming unit. The displacement operation section conducts a press-contact operation and a release operation. The press-contact operation brings into contact the image carrier and the belt. The release operation separates the image carrier from the belt. The displacement control section controls the displacement operation section to perform the press-contact operation when the cumulative number of color images is greater than the cumulative number of monochrome images after the image forming section forms a series of images. The displacement control section controls the displacement operation section to perform the release operation when the cumulative number of color images is less than the cumulative number of monochrome images after the image forming section forms a series of images. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317102 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - The image forming apparatus includes: an image former which, upon receiving a first instruction, feeds a sheet and performs an image forming operation to form an image on the sheet; a fixing part which (i) secures a fixing nip by bringing outer circumferential surfaces of first and second rotating bodies into contact with each other, (ii) upon receiving a second instruction, heats the first and second rotating bodies until a temperature thereof reaches a target temperature, and (iii) thermally fixes the image onto the sheet passing through the fixing nip; and a determiner which determines output timings of the first and second instructions such that a timing at which a leading end, in a sheet convey direction, of the image formed on the sheet reaches the fixing nip and a timing at which the temperature of the first and second rotating bodies reaches the target temperature match each other. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317103 | IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS AND PREPARATION OPERATION EXECUTION METHOD - Upon completing a preparation operation including different processes, an image formation apparatus shifts to ready state in which image formation is executable, the processes including at least one process executed using a corresponding motor. The image formation apparatus comprises: an obtainer for obtaining, for each process, an estimated time period between start and completion thereof; and a controller for starting execution of, out of the processes, (i) one process whose estimated time period is the longest, then (ii) any other process so that any other process is executed in parallel with said one process. When said one process is included in the at least one process, the controller initiates the motor by high-speed initiation by applying thereto first voltage that is higher than second voltage. When any other process is included in the at least one process, the controller initiates the motor by normal initiation by applying thereto first voltage. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317104 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism, a transfer mechanism including a first endless belt receiving a toner image formed on an image carrier and a second endless belt receiving the toner image formed on the first endless belt, a first detector to detect a speed of movement of the first endless belt or a toner image transferred at a predetermined position on the first endless belt, a belt speed adjustment unit to adjust a speed of movement of the first endless belt based on results obtained by the first detector, a second detector to detect the toner image transferred at a predetermined position on the second endless belt, and a transfer adjustment unit to adjust a speed of movement of the second endless belt based on results obtained by the second detector. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317105 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer is appropriately replenished at the desired toner concentration even with bare minimum stirring. A developer container ( | 2009-12-24 |
20090317106 | DEVELOPING DEVICE USING TWO-COMPONENT DEVELOPING AGENT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH SAME - A developing device capable of mixing and agitating toner and a developing agent efficiently and without applying unnecessary stress, efficiently adjusting the amount of charge on the developing agent without being affected by external disturbing conditions, and continuously supplying a developing agent having the appropriate toner concentration and amount of charge in just the necessary quantity. The amount of charge on the developing agent discharged from the developing unit is adjusted (reduced) by an ionized air flow, so that it is possible to improve the dispersability of the replenished toner, and quickly adjust the appropriate amount of charge without applying unnecessary stress. The developing agent that is raised from below upwards by a screw is moved downward by an agitation member, and again gathered in around the screw in a circulating flow. In this way, the developing agent within the whole developing agent agitation unit is uniformly mixed. This circulating flow of the developing agent increases the probability of contact, and decreases the amount of damage to the developing agent. When the amount of charge is reduced before agitation using the ionized air flow, the toner can be uniformly charged up to the appropriate value. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317107 | MULTIPLE-CHANNELED LAYER PRINTING BY ELECTROGRAPHY - Electrographic printing of one or more multi-channeled layers having a particular pattern by electrographic techniques. Such electrographic printing includes the steps of forming a desired print image, electrographically, on a receiver member utilizing predetermined sized marking particles; and, where desired, forming one or more final multi-channeled layers utilizing marking particles of a predetermined size or size distribution. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317108 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Bias correction control of an intermediate transfer belt | 2009-12-24 |
20090317109 | Image forming apparatus and image forming method - A driving motor for a color black is shared between a photosensitive body for the color black and a driving roller that drives an intermediate transfer belt not shown. Furthermore, a driving motor for colors yellow, magenta, and cyan is shared between photosensitive bodies for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan. Driving of the driving motor for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan is controlled based on a first waveform as a speed fluctuation waveform of the photosensitive body for the color black obtained when the driving motor for the color black is driven at a predetermined speed and second waveforms as speed fluctuation waveforms of the photosensitive bodies for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan obtained when the driving motor for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan is driven at a predetermined speed. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317110 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier for carrying a toner image, a drive device for driving the image carrier at a predetermined speed, a control device for giving instruction to the drive device to perform predetermined operation, and a transfer device for nipping a recording sheet with a rotary member at the position opposed to the image carrier and for transferring the toner image on the image carrier onto the recording sheet, wherein the control device gives instruction to the drive device to generate a variation having a phase which is reverse to a phase of a variation given to the predetermined speed of the image carrier by a vibration produced at the time of passage of the recording sheet between the image carrier and the transfer device. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317111 | FIXING DEVICE USABLE WITH AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device usable with an image forming apparatus having a fixing roller to fix a toner on a recording medium, a heater to heat the fixing roller, and an alternating current (AC) power source to supply an AC electric power to the heater may include a power converting part to convert the AC electric power of the AC power source and to supply the converted power to the heater; a relay including a first relay contact point disposed on a first AC power supply line between the AC power source and the power converting part and a relay coil to open and close the first relay contact point, the relay selectively supplying the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater and the power converting part; a direct current (DC) power supplier to supply a DC power to the relay coil; and a thermoswitch interposed between the relay coil and the DC power supplier and mounted adjacent to the fixing roller so as to interrupt the DC power from the DC power supplier to the relay coil, when a temperature of the fixing roller exceeds a threshold temperature, causing the relay coil to open the first relay contact point. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317112 | FIXING DEVICE USABLE WITH AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing roller to fix a toner on a recording medium; a heater to heat the fixing roller; an alternating current (AC) power source to generate an AC electric power such that the heater heats the fixing roller according to the AC electric power; a unit interposed between the heater and the AC power source to selectively supply the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater so as to control the heater to heat the fixing roller; a relay including a first relay contact point disposed on a first AC power supply line between the AC power source and the unit and a relay coil to open and close the first relay contact point; the relay selectively supplying the AC electric power from AC power source to the heater and the power control switch; a direct current (DC) power supplier to supply a DC power to the relay coil; and a thermoswitch interposed on a DC power supply line between the DC power supplier and the relay coil to control the supply of the AC electric power from the AC power source to the heater and the unit according to an temperature of the fixing roller. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317113 | HEATER, FIXING UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A heater is operable with a main power supply unit and a chargeable auxiliary power supplying unit. The heater includes a heater part having one or a plurality of heater elements to receive power from the main and auxiliary power supplying units, a detecting part to detect information related to the heater part, and a controller to vary an amount of power supplied from the auxiliary power supply unit to the heater part per unit time based on the information detected by the detecting part. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317114 | Recording-medium positioning device and image forming apparatus employing the device - A recording-medium positioning device includes a gate, a roller pair, a roller-pair shift unit, a recording-medium detector, and a drive control device. The gate is disposed at an upstream side of a fixing device in a conveyance direction of a recording medium. The roller pair includes two roller members disposed at an upstream side of the gate. The roller-pair shift unit moves the roller pair in accordance with a first position of the recording medium in the conveyance direction to shift the recording medium in a width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The recording-medium detector is disposed between the fixing device and the gate to detect a second position of the recording medium in the width direction. The drive control device moves the recording medium to a reference position by driving the roller-pair shift unit in accordance with the second position and cyclically shifts the reference position. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317115 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus heating an image on a recording material and the image heating apparatus includes a rotatable belt member; a pressing member contacting to the belt member to nip and feed the recording material; a stretching member stretching the belt member; belt position detecting means detecting a position of the belt member with respect to a perpendicular to a rotational direction of the belt member; an executing portion capable of executing a first control mode for controlling a position of the belt member with respect to the direction by inclination of the stretching member on the basis of an output of the belt position detecting means, and a second control mode for controlling the position of the belt member with respect to the direction by inclination of the stretching member on the basis of the output of the belt position detecting means and for stabilizing the position of the belt member; an input portion inputting information relating to the recording material; and a selector for selecting the first control mode or the second control mode in accordance with the information inputted to the input portion. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317116 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PAPER EJECTION METHOD OF IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A drive unit for changing the driving rate of paper ejection rollers for ejecting sheets of paper after fixing is installed, and an image forming apparatus has an option, and when ejecting the sheets of paper to an intra-body paper ejection unit, after the sheets of paper pass a fixing device, the paper ejection rate of paper ejection rollers | 2009-12-24 |
20090317117 | IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMATION METHOD - A standby state is a state in which a pair of rotating bodies stops rotating, and temperature control is performed so that at least one of the rotating bodies reaches a standby temperature. A fixing state is a state in which the rotating bodies are rotating and temperature control is performed so that at least one of the rotating bodies reaches a fixing temperature that changes in accordance with a setting. An image formation apparatus includes a judgment part for judging whether to transition from the fixing state to the standby state, and a fixing controller for, upon a judgment by the judgment part to transition to the standby state, prior to performing temperature control to reach the standby temperature, causing the pair of rotating bodies to rotate, and performing temperature control so that the temperature of at least one of the rotating bodies reaches a predetermined transition temperature range including temperatures higher than a lowest temperature that can be set as the fixing temperature, and lower than a highest temperature that can be set as the fixing temperature. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317118 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color printer of the invention is controlled to select DC motors needed to be newly activated according to a print mode when a print job occurs, determine an activation start time of each selected DC motor by sequentially going back activation times stored in relation to the selected DC motors from an image start reference time, activate one or ones of the DC motors to be activated according to the determined activation start times, measure an actual activation time of the activated DC motor and update a stored content about the activation time based on a measurement result of the actual activation time, and determine an activation start time of each DC motor based on the updated activation time. An image forming apparatus capable of preventing the motors from rotating more than necessary and effectively utilizing the life of components to be driven by the motors can be provided. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317119 | TANDEM FINISHING - Systems and methods are described that facilitate permitting a high-speed marking system or printer to run at maximum speed without being impeded by a relatively slow, low-speed finisher. A plurality of low-speed finishers are coupled to the high-speed marking system in a tandem, and optionally parallel-tandem, arrangement, where the number of finishers is equal to or greater than the ration of the maximum operating speed of the marking system to individual finisher maximum operating speed. In this manner, a low-cost solution is provided to overcome bottleneck problems associated with low-speed finishers. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317120 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PRINTING CONTROL METHOD - Provided is an image forming apparatus comprising: mixed printing control unit that performs, in a situation where the job instruction to perform single-sided printing and the job instruction to perform double-sided printing coexist in a plurality of jobs continuously, double-sided printing process with a blank page set to be printed on one of the one side and the another side of the sheet of paper when performing printing corresponding to the job instruction to perform single-sided printing. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317121 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND JOB EXECUTION METHOD - An image forming apparatus is provided with a job storage portion that stores a print job relating to an image forming process and a command job relating to a control process of operation of the image forming apparatus, a job management portion that registers the print job and the command job in the job storage portion and manages the print job and the command job, an image formation portion that executes the print job, a command execution portion that executes the command job, and a controller that performs control such that the print job stored in the job storage portion is executed ahead of the command job. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317122 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming apparatus includes an input unit configured to input image data, an image processing unit configured to process the image data, a transfer unit configured to form a developer image corresponding to the processed image data and transfer the developer image onto a sheet, a fixing unit configured to fix the developer image, a conveyance unit configured to convey a plurality of sheets at predetermined conveying intervals to the transfer unit and the fixing unit, and a control unit configured to control the transfer unit and fixing unit such that a developer image corresponding to image data of a page is not transferred onto a sheet and the sheet is conveyed to the fixing unit if an image processing with respect to the image data of the page has not been completed. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317123 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - When a number of print pages, a driving time or a toner adhering amount exceeds a cleaning trigger value during no transfer operation, a circumferential speed of a secondary transfer roller is changed with respect to a circumferential speed of an intermediate transfer belt so as to clean the secondary transfer roller. Particularly, a surface of the secondary transfer roller is totally cleaned when the circumferential speed of the secondary transfer roller is made relatively faster and then slower or vice versa than the circumferential speed of the intermediate transfer belt because the surface of the secondary transfer roller is elastically deformed in both upstream and downstream directions so that the residual toner on the uneven foam surface of the secondary transfer roller is extruded. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317124 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING CLEANING DEVICE AND CLEANING DEVICE - A method for manufacturing a cleaning device of the image forming apparatus, the method includes: applying a liquid material to an area outer than an edge located at an end portion of a toner accommodating portion in the longitudinal direction of a toner removing member, wherein the liquid material is applied so as to satisfy one of the predetermined conditions. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317125 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - An image forming device having a frame, a door, and a movable image forming unit to be assembled in the frame when the door is open. The image forming unit has a support shaft, and frame has a hole on which the support shaft abuts for positioning of the image forming unit relative to the frame when the door is closed. A lock unit formed with a recessed portion is movable in association with the movement of the door. When the door is open, the lock unit is at its abutment position so that the support shaft abuts the recessed portion. When the door is closed the lock unit is moved so that the support shaft is brought into abutment with the hole. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317126 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - An image forming device having a frame, a door, and a movable image forming unit to be assembled in the frame when the door is open. Positioning of the image forming unit relative to the frame and a closing position of the door are maintainable when the door is closed. When the door is closed, a hook at the door side is engaged with a hook of a lock unit at the frame side. The lock unit is movable in association with the movement of the door to its closed position to move a pressure portion, so that a part of the image forming unit is pressed by the pressure portion for positioning. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317127 | Image Forming Apparatus Having Movable Drawer Detachably Supporting a Plurality of Process Cartridges - An image forming apparatus capable of easily performing exchange in a process cartridge with a new cartridge and performing removal of a jammed sheet without detachment of a drawer from a casing. The drawer detachably holds a plurality of process cartridges, and is movable in frontward/rearward direction to one of an operable position where each photosensitive drum is in direct confrontation with a conveyer belt, a cartridge exchangeable position where all of the cartridges are positioned out of the casing, and a jammed sheet processing position ahead of the cartridge exchangeable position for removing a jammed sheet. A regulation mechanism is provided for selectively regulating the movement of the drawer dependent on detachment of a rearmost process cartridge from the drawer. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317128 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus in which an exposing unit is mounted on a cover unit for improved space utilization. The image forming apparatus includes a body, a plurality of developing units arranged in the body along vertical direction of the body, a cover unit that opens or closes a side of the body an exposing unit provided at the cover unit so as to move in association with the closing or opening movement of the cover unit. The image forming apparatus may also include an engagement member to limit the movement of the exposing unit and a shutter unit to selectively open an optical path of the exposing unit upon closure of the cover unit. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317129 | PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND ELECTROSTATIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, which includes a rotating force applying portion. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a first frame unit supporting the drum, a second frame unit supporting the roller and swingably connected with the first frame unit, a coupling, mounted to the drum, for receiving a rotating force for rotating the drum from the rotating force applying portion when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly,first, second and third cartridge side portions to be positioned engageable respectively with first, second and third main assembly side positioning portions provided in the main assembly to regulate movement of the first frame unit in a longitudinal direction of the drum or to position the drum in a radial direction when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, and first unit side and drum side regulating portions. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317130 | Tandem Type Image Forming Apparatus - To facilitate replacing photosensitive drums and/or developing devices in an image forming apparatus, a photosensitive member unit including a plurality of photosensitive members is loaded in a main casing. A developing device unit including a plurality of developing devices is also loaded in the main casing. Both an intermediate transfer belt and the photosensitive member unit are configured to be movable toward and away from the developing device unit. Further, when the photosensitive member unit is separated from the developing device unit, the intermediate transfer belt and the plurality of photosensitive members are also separated from each other. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317131 | PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND ELECTROGRAPHIC PHOTOSENSITIVE DRUM UNIT - A process cartridge usable with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the process cartridge includes i) an electrophotographic photosensitive drum rotatable about an axis and having a photosensitive layer at its peripheral surface; ii) process means actable on the drum; iii) a coupling member for receiving an external force for rotating the drum, wherein the coupling member is capable of taking a first angular position for transmitting the external force to the drum, a second angular position inclined away from the axis of the drum from the first angular position, and a third angular position away from the axis of the drum from the first angle position; and iv) a regulating portion for regulating an inclination angle of the coupling member such that downward inclination angle of the coupling member is smaller than an inclination angle of the coupling member when the coupling member is at the second angular position. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317132 | PROCESS CARTRIDGE, ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND ELECTROGRAPHIC PHOTOSENSITIVE DRUM UNIT - A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a driving shaft having a rotational force applying portion by moving in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of the driving shaft. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a coupler engageable with the rotational force applying portion to receive a rotational force for rotating the drum and taking transmitting, pre-engagement, and disengaging positions, and a regulator regulating an inclination angle of the coupler. During cartridge mounting, the coupler moves from the pre-engagement to the transmitting position to oppose the driving shaft, and during cartridge dismounting, the coupler moves from the transmitting to the disengaging position to disengage from the driving shaft. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317133 | Image Forming Device Having Detachable Developing Device Unit - An image forming device includes a main casing, a photosensitive drum unit and a developing device unit. The photosensitive drum unit includes a plurality of photosensitive drums that forms electrostatic images thereon, each photosensitive drum having an axis, the plurality of photosensitive drums being juxtaposed along a line extending in a first direction orthogonal to the axis. The developing device unit includes a plurality of developing devices and a supporting member. The developing devices are disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of photosensitive drums, each developing device including a developing roller that supplies toner to corresponding photosensitive drum to develop the electrostatic images formed thereon and having a shaft extending in a second direction parallel to the axis of the photosensitive drum. The supporting member supports the plurality of developing devices to be movable between a first position for supplying toner to corresponding photosensitive drums and a second position retracted from the first position. The developing device unit is detachable from the main casing by moving the plurality of developing devices to the second position and drawing the supporting member. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317134 | CARTRIDGE, ASSEMBLING METHOD FOR CARTRIDGE, AND DISASSEMBLYING METHOD FOR CARTRIDGE - A cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer; a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum with the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion; a cartridge frame extended in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller; a bearing member, provided at one longitudinal end portion of the cartridge frame, for supporting a developing roller shaft portion at one longitudinal end portion of the developing roller; a rotational force receiving member for receiving, from the main assembly, a rotational force for rotating the developing roller, in a state in which the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly; a side cover provided outside the bearing member with respect to a longitudinal direction of the cartridge frame; a first fastening member fastening the bearing member to the cartridge frame to mount the bearing member to the cartridge frame; and a second fastening member fastening the side cover to the cartridge frame to mount the side cover to the cartridge frame. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317135 | CARTRIDGE, MOUNTING METHOD FOR COUPLING MEMBER, AND DISASSEMBLING METHOD FOR COUPLING MEMBER - A cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer; a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum with the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion; a coupling member for receiving a rotational force for rotating the developing roller from the main assembly, in a state in which the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly; a cylindrical member movably supporting one end portion of the coupling member inside of the cylindrical member; a cylindrical member side force receiving portion, provided inside the cylindrical member, for receiving the rotational force received from the main assembly by the coupling member; a gear, provided on an outer periphery of the cylindrical member, for transmitting the rotational force received by the cylindrical member side force receiving portion to the developing roller; a first regulating portion, provided inside of the cylindrical member and deformable in a radial direction of the cylindrical member, for preventing one end portion of the coupling member from disengaging in an axial direction of the cylindrical member; and a second regulating portion for regulating deformation of the first regulating portion in a state in which one end portion of the coupling is mounted to an inside of the cylindrical member with deformation of the first regulating portion. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317136 | MULTILAYERED ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTORECEPTOR AND IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH THE SAME - A multilayered electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising at least a charge generation layer containing a charge generation material and a charge transport layer containing a charge transport material in this order, on a conductive support, wherein the charge transport layer contains, as the charge transport material, an amine type compound represented by the following formula (I): | 2009-12-24 |
20090317137 | OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed is an optical scanning device including a light source including multiple light-emitting elements, the multiple light-emitting elements being arranged in a linear manner, a collimator lens to collimate a light beam from the light source, a light-deflecting device to deflect a light beam having passed through the collimator lens to a medium to be scanned and scan the medium with the light beam, and a rear optical system arranged in an optical path between the collimator lens and the medium to be scanned, wherein the collimator lens deviates an image surface in a direction opposite to an image surface deviation on the medium to be scanned by a nearly same amount as the image surface deviation, the image surface deviation being caused by a change of an image height of the light source, and the change being caused by the rear optical system. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317138 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotary for changing an attitude of a developing device to a first attitude in which developer in a developer accommodating chamber is feedable to a developer feeding member and to a second attitude in which the developer having been located above a nip between the developer feeding member and a developing roller drops from the nip. In the image attitude of the developing device, an electrostatic latent image is developed. In the second attitude of the developing device, detection of a remaining amount of the developer is carried out. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317139 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a developing apparatus for developing an electrostatic image with a developer comprising at least a toner and a first external additive, the developing apparatus including a plurality of developing devices, containing toners different in color or lightness from each other, in which at least two developing devices contain a dark color toner and a light color toner which have an identical hue and different lightnesses and the developing device containing the light color toner is subjected to a developing operation prior to another developing device; a first transfer apparatus for sequentially transferring toner images, which have been developed by the plurality of developing devices, onto an intermediary transfer member; and a second transfer apparatus for transferring the toner images from the intermediary transfer member all together onto a transfer medium The first external additive includes particles having an aspect ratio of not less than 1.0 and not more than 1.5 and a number-average particle size of not less than 0.06 μm and not more than 0.3 μm, and has a coverage thereof with respect to the light color toner larger than that with respect to the dark color toner in a transferred state on the intermediary transfer member. | 2009-12-24 |
20090317140 | TONER SUPPLYING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A toner supplying device which supplies toners contained in a toner container to a developing device is disclosed. The toner supplying device includes a toner tank which stores the toners discharged from the toner container, a toner carrying section which carries the toners stored in the toner tank, a toner dropping route which causes the toners carried by the toner carrying section to drop into the developing device by toner's own weight, a control unit which controls an amount of the toners to flow into the toner dropping route from the toner carrying section, and a stirring member which stirs the toners staying at a region between the toner tank and the toner carrying section. | 2009-12-24 |