Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Socionext Inc.

Tyco Electronics Japan G.k.

Eiichi Sasaki

Kouichi Irie

Tadashi Shinohara

Yutaka Shio

Tsuyoshi Deki

Kouichi Noguchi

Koichi Suzuki

Takashi Mori

Noriyuki Kimura

Takatsugu Fujishiro

Hiroyuki Matsushiro

Koji Sakamoto

Takahiro Yoneda

Koichi Noguchi

Mitsugu Sugiyama

Chiyako Hatsuyama

Nobuo Iwata

Tetsuo Watanabe

Ryo Sawada

Fumio Kishi

Takashi Inoue

Takahiro Tamiya

Kenji Namie

Mitsuhisa Kanaya

Takeshi Motohashi

Tomonori Yabuta

Chiyako Kobayashi

Keiichi Setani

Kouji Sakamoto

Takayoshi Hori

Kouji Ichimiya

Yoshinori Arai

An encoding method includes a counting process of dividing a gray-scale range of pixels of a coding unit block into a plurality of classes each having a predetermined number of gray-scale levels, and counting a number of pixels belonging to each of the plurality of classes, a class addition process of selecting top n classes (n: an integer greater than or equal to 1) having a largest number of counted pixels, and adding offset values to pixel values of pixels belonging to the n selected classes; and a first signaling process of signaling SAO parameters including the added offset values.

Encoding and decoding with signaling of SAO parameters

A coding method by a computer is disclosed. The computer divides a block of a coding unit into a plurality of sub-blocks. The computer determines band positions of at least two first sub-blocks among the plurality of sub-blocks. The computer calculates among the plurality of sub-blocks, band positions of second sub-blocks other than the at least two first sub-blocks based on a positional relationship of the second sub-blocks with respect to the at least two first sub-blocks and the determined band positions for the at least two first sub-blocks in the block of the coding unit. A band offset is conducted for each of the sub-blocks by using the band positions determined or calculated for the at least two first sub-blocks and the second sub-blocks.

Coding method, decoding method, and coding device

An electrical connector includes a frame, a connector main body received in the frame, a lock, a lock receiving part, and a releasing tool. The lock is formed on the frame or the connector main body, while the lock receiving part is formed on the other of the frame or the connector main body, corresponding with and engaging the lock. The releasing tool releases the lock that is engaged with the lock receiving part when the releasing tool is inserted the frame and the connector main body. The releasing tool disengages the lock and the lock receiving part when inserted in to the frame and connector main body, and then pushes the releasing tool receiving surface to separate the connector main body from the frame.

Electrical connector

An electrical connector that can provide stable contact between a signal transmission terminal and a short-circuit terminal even if the connector is downsized. The connector includes a main body having a plurality of terminal receiving cavities provided with lances by which signal transmission terminals are secured and a plurality of short-circuit terminal receiving cavities adjacent to the terminal receiving cavities for receiving short-circuit terminals. Each short-circuit terminal includes a bent part at a forward position and a contact at a rearward position. The main body further includes a window that is formed at a position to the rear of the lances corresponding to the contacts of the short-circuit terminals and through which the terminal receiving cavities and the short-circuit terminal receiving cavities communicate with each other. The contacts of the short-circuit terminals are in contact with the female terminals through the window.

A novel image forming apparatus which makes gray-scale by performing at least one of operations including a manipulation of a plurality of dots arranged in a form of matrix, a single-dot-based density adjustment, or a single-dot-based size adjustment, includes a dot status detector and a density adjuster. The dot status detector detects an occurrence in which a dot exists at a focus dot position and no dot exists at positions immediately adjacent to the focus dot position in the main scanning direction. The density adjuster adjusts a writing level of the dot at the focus dot position so as to make the gray-scale smooth when the dot status detector detects the occurrence.

Method and apparatus for image processing capable of efficiently performing a gray-scale correction

A novel image forming apparatus which makes gray-scale by performing at least one of operations including a manipulation of a plurality of dots arranged in a form of matrix, a single-dot-based density adjustment, or a single-dot-based size adjustment, includes a dot status detector and a density adjuster. The dot status detector detects an occurrence in which a dot exists at a focus dot position and no dot exists at positions immediately adjacent to the focus dot position in the main scaning direction. The density adjuster adjusts a writing level of the dot at the focus dot position so as to make the gray-scale smooth when the dot status detector detects the occurrence.

An image forming apparatus corrects pixel data subjected to various dither processes by using correction table information. The image forming apparatus forms a dot image having density gradation represented by a plurality of dots. Conditions of dots surrounding each dot in the dot image is detected. A correction of pixel data corresponding to each dot is performed in accordance with a difference in a density level of the pixel data between each dot and the dots surrounding each dot.

Image forming apparatus and method for correcting density level of pixel data corresponding to each dot in a dot image

A color image forming apparatus capable of superposing toner images of respective colors in accurate register by preventing an exposing position from being displaced in the subscanning direction. The rotation phase of a polygonal mirror is controlled on the basis of the mark detection timing of a mark sensor. Hence, the exposing position in the subscanning direction is prevented from being displaced without regard to irregularities in the circumferential length and feed speed of an intermediate image transfer belt.

Color image forming apparatus with polygonal mirror rotation phase control

In a color image forming apparatus, a test pattern is formed by a color toner and provided with multiple tones by a dither method. The toner density of the test pattern is accurately read by a simple structure and faithfully corresponds to the actual toner density.

Color image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus which forms an image by dot images. The invention includes a halftoning device for processing of halftone for inputted image data, a judging device for judging characteristics in the neighborhood of a target dot output from the halftoning means, gamma correcting means for correcting the gamma characteristic of image data of the target dot according to the judging by the judging device. Therefore, it is possible to prevent image degradation and to decrease a number of levels of halftone of the printed image.

Image forming apparatus which forms an image by dot images

A method and a system for optically detecting an empty condition in a toner cartridge has a light reflector placed on an outside surface of a toner cartridge wall. A light source emits light directly or ultimately towards the light reflector and the reflected light is detected by a light detection device if the toner cartridge is sufficiently empty.

Toner cartridge with an external reflector for a developer apparatus

In a color image forming apparatus, a plurality of color images of component colors are combined to form a full color image. These images of the component colors are overlapped on an intermediate recording medium, and are then transferred to a transfer medium. Control circuitry reduces the amount of time required to form the component color images on the intermediate transfer medium, and to prevent an abnormality such as an out-of-phase or pull-out of a closed loop control circuit for controlling such a formation of the component color images. This may be achieved by abruptly changing a phase of a motor synchronizing signal. Further, for a period of time after the motor synchronizing signal is abruptly changed, a gain of an amplifier in the motor control circuit can be reduced, an abnormality detection in the motor control circuit can be reduced, the motor control circuit can be placed in an open loop state, or an addition or subtraction signal can be input to the closed loop motor control circuit. This specified period can also be detected based on a feedback including a rotational phase of a polygon motor formed as part of a unit for writing the individual component color image signals.

A determination unit is used for a functional apparatus, for determining whether or not an external object will use the functional apparatus. The determining unit comprises a detecting unit, a determining sub-unit, a service providing unit. The detecting unit detects movement of an external object. The determining sub-unit determines, based on the result of the detection by the detection unit, whether or not the external object will use the functional apparatus. The service providing unit provides a service which is appropriate based on the determination performed by the determining sub-unit.

Determination unit for determining, through detecting information

An image forming apparatus which automatically adjusts an image density when at least one of conditions of an optical writing operation, including a size of a dot image, a light strength of a laser beam, a mode of image resolution, and a scanning speed of the laser beam, is changed. When an instruction by an operator for changing the conditions of the optical writing operation is input, an optical writing controller executes a change of the conditions and a process controller then executes an operation of determining a development potential and associated bias potentials on the basis of the changed conditions of the optical writing operation. In the operation of determining a development potential and associated bias potentials, a predetermined reference dot image is written on a photoconductor by a laser beam under the changed condition of the optical writing operation and is developed with color toner under the determined development potential and associated bias potentials. The created reference dot image is then measured by a photosensor to calculate a degree of image density. On the basis of the measurement of the image density, the determined development potential and associated bias potentials are corrected to be appropriate.

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Sagamihara, Japan

Eiichi Sasaki