Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Hideki Ohnishi

Fumio Shimazu

Yukikazu Kamei

Tomohiro Oikawa

Makoto Hayasaki

Seiichi Yoshida

Toshiaki Kagawa

Yoshie Iwakura

Kiyoshi Toizumi

Yasushi Adachi

Terumitsu Katougi

Gaku Furuichi

Hiroshi Kida

Yoshinobu Tateishi

Shirou Wakahara

Yoshiaki Masuda

Kouichi Yamauchi

Toshihiko Takaya

Hiroshi Doshoda

Yoshinobu Umetani

A display device () includes: an integrated control unit () that allows selection from among at least a high-luminance mode and a luminance-unevenness-suppression-preferred mode in accordance with an input instruction; and an unevenness correction unit () that performs color unevenness correction for each pixel in both the high-luminance mode and the luminance-unevenness-suppression-preferred mode. In the luminance-unevenness-suppression-preferred mode, the unevenness correction unit () performs a pixel value limitation process for uniformly shifting, for each pixel, a pixel value in image data to a lower pixel value to thereby decrease the pixel value to a pixel value lower than that in the high-luminance mode, and thereafter, performs the color unevenness correction. Accordingly, even if the use of the display device varies, image processing that is appropriate for various uses is implemented.

Image processing device, display device, position determining device, position determining method, and recording medium

A display calibration system includes: a display section subject to calibration; a correction data outputting section configured to perform a calibration process to determine, for each of the pixels of the display section, correction data for non-uniformity correction; and a first storage section configured to store reference data to be used in the calibration process. The reference data represents, for individual color patches of a first predetermined number, correspondences between RGB values and reference values. The correction data outputting section obtains, on a basis of the reference data and the measurement values of the color patches of a second predetermined number that is less than the first predetermined number, the pieces of correction data with respect to RGB values of the individual color patches of the predetermined second number. With this arrangement, it is possible to shorten a processing time of the calibration process.

Display calibration system and storage medium

The invention accomplishes an image capture apparatus capable of allowing a user to more easily attain, as compared to a conventional image capture apparatus, image data of a captured image which includes no blown-out highlights or loss of shadow detail throughout an entire image. A portable terminal apparatusincludes (i) an image capture sectioncapable of consecutively carrying out image capture of a same image capture object a plurality of times; and (ii) a captured image determination sectionfor determining whether or not blown-out highlights or loss of shadow detail is included in an image indicated by captured image data obtained by the image capture, and in a case where the captured image determination sectiondetermines that the blown-out highlights or loss of shadow detail is included in the image, the image capture sectionconsecutively carries out image capture of the image capture object under a plurality of exposure conditions different from the exposure condition in the image capture carried out to obtain the captured image data, and the communication sectiontransmits obtained captured image data to the image output apparatus

Portable terminal apparatus, image output apparatus, method of controlling portable terminal apparatus, and recording medium

A needle electrode having a pointed section is provided so as to face a charge-target object, and a voltage to be applied to the needle electrode is set so that 2&#x2266;(E&#xb7;S)/(ES)&#x2266;5 is satisfied, where an ionization area Aindicates an area where ionization occurs to oxygen molecules in an atmosphere; a dissociation area Aindicates an area where dissociation occurs to the oxygen molecules in the atmosphere (excluding the ionization area A); Eindicates an average electric field strength in the ionization area A; Eindicates an average electric field strength in the dissociation area A; Sindicates square measure of the ionization area Aon a plane which includes a straight line connecting the needle electrode and the charge-target object so that a distance between the needle electrode and the charge-target object becomes a shortest distance; and Sindicates square measure of the dissociation area Aof the plane. Thus, the electric charging device is capable of carrying out charging which (i) excels in charging uniformity, (ii) reduces products such as ozone and nitrogen oxide and (iii) stably continues for a long stretch of time.

Electric charging device, image forming apparatus, electric charging method, and manufacturing method of electric charging device

The present invention is made to provide a pretransfer charging device, which allows (i) reduction of generation of discharge products such as ozone and nitroxide, (ii) excellent uniform charging, (iii) continuous stable charging for a long period of time, and (iv) restraint of distortion of a toner image. The pretransfer charging device includes (i) ion generation needles each provided face to face with an image carrier such as a photoconductor drum or an intermediating transfer belt, and (ii) a high-voltage power supply for applying a negative voltage to each of the ion generation needles. The voltage to be applied from the high-voltage power supply is not less than an ion production threshold voltage but is less than a corona discharge threshold voltage. With this, no corona discharge occurs but negative ions can be generated. This makes it possible to solve various problems caused due to the corona discharge.

Pretransfer charging device and image forming apparatus including same

A transfer apparatus having a photoconductor drum for holding thereon an image formed by toner charged with a negative polarity and a transfer roller disposed opposite the photoconductor drum, in which paper is fed to an area where the photoconductor drum and the transfer roller face each other and the toner image on the photoconductor drum is transferred to the paper by using a unidirectional transfer electric field formed by the transfer roller. The transfer roller also serves as charge supply control device for supplying a charge to the toner held on the photoconductor drum to thereby substantially neutralize the charge of the toner while retaining the negative polarity of the toner.

Transfer apparatus

When a grounded conductive roller touches a transfer drum through a transfer material while a voltage is applied to a conductor layer, charges having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the voltage applied to the conductor layer are generated over the transfer material, thereby making it possible to attract the transfer material to the dielectric layer. Since the voltage is applied to the conductor layer, the electrostatic attraction of the transfer material and the toner transfer can be carried out using a single power source. Moreover, since the attraction of the transfer material and the toner transfer are carried out by the charge injection, a lower voltage can be used. Thus, the voltage can be readily controlled while reducing the ozone emission to a relatively low level. Furthermore, since the toner transfer and electrostatic attraction of the transfer material can be carried out using a single power source, the apparatus can be downsized and less expensive. In addition, when a semiconductor layer is made of a solid elastic body, a high-quality transferred toner image can be obtained without image quality deterioration.

Image forming method and apparatus

The object of the invention is to provide a transfer apparatus including a transfer drum which carries a transfer material by electrostatic attraction with reliability, and can prevent the transfer nonuniformity of the image. The transfer drum is so formed that on the surface of a dielectric layer made of cylinder-shaped aluminium, are formed side by side two semiconductor layers each formed by a foamed elastic member, and on the surface of the semiconductor layers are stacked a conductive layer formed by PVDF. The first semiconductor layer is formed under the transfer region within the surface of the transfer drum, and the diameter of cell is set to be in a range of over 0 .mu.m to 50 .mu.m. Also, the second semiconductor layer is formed under the non-transfer region within the surface of the transfer drum, and the diameter of cell is set to a size of 500 .mu.m or more.

Transfer apparatus having a transfer drum

An image-forming apparatus is provided with: a photoconductor drum having a surface on which a toner image is formed, a transfer drum for transferring the toner image onto a copying material by allowing the copying material to contact the photoconductor drum, and a ground roller for electrostatically attracting the copying material onto the transfer drum prior to transferring the toner image onto the copying material. He transfer drum is constituted by a semi-conductive layer and a dielectric layer that are stacked on a conductive layer. [Supposing that] The nip width between the photoconductor drum and the transfer drum is L1, the rotation speed of the two drums is Vp, and the time constant, which is represented by a product of the resistance and the capacitance between the two drums, is .tau., the relationship represented by L1/Vp&lt;.tau. is satisfied. By defining the time constant of the transfer drum [as described above], it becomes possible to stabilize an electric field made by the transfer drum, and consequently to carry out a desired transferring operation.

Image-forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus is provided with a photosensitive drum on whose surface a toner image is formed, and image formation is carried out by transferring the toner image onto a transfer material such as paper or OHP sheet which is caused to electrostatically adhere to a surface of a transfer drum while being guided to the photosensitive drum. Alternatively, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum may be once transferred onto an intermediate transfer drum, then transferred from the intermediate transfer drum onto the transfer material. In the image forming apparatus, a light projecting device for projecting light onto the photosensitive drum is provided on an upstream side to a toner image transfer position and on a downstream side to a development position on the photosensitive drum. Execution and suspension of the light projecting operation of the light projecting device is controlled depending on a toner type.

Image forming apparatus having light projecting unit for projecting

A transfer device which transfers a developer image formed on a surface of a photoreceptor drum to a transfer sheet is arranged so as to include a transfer drum for carrying the transfer sheet on a peripheral surface thereof, an electrode roller which can be moved to contact the transfer drum via the transfer sheet, and which can be moved apart from the transfer drum, and a control section for controlling contact start conditions between the transfer drum and the electrode roller. When the transfer sheet passes a spacing between the transfer drum and the electrode roller, the control section controls the contact start conditions in such a manner that a force is not exerted to a leading end portion of the transfer sheet from the electrode roller so as to separate the leading end portion from the transfer drum.

Transfer device having a controlling section for controlling contact

Enabling to perform the pressurization release and the fixture release simultaneously by one action when taking out the fixing device from the image forming device for removing the jammed paper and the like. In a fixing device comprising a pressurization roll being pressurized by the act of a pressurization lever and a spring against a heat roll, a release lever is further mounted rotatably which comprises a cam for rotating the pressurization lever against the direction of force from the spring. On the release lever is mounted a connecting pin, and the connecting pin is linked to and rotates the fixing lever which is also mounted rotatably. The fixing lever is forced toward the fixing direction by a spring, wherein a fixing piece is inserted to a fixing slit of a mounting stage formed on the image forming device body for positioning thereto. By rotating the release lever, the pressurization lever could be rotated to the direction for releasing the pressure, and simultaneously, the fixing lever is linked thereto and rotated to the direction for releasing the fixing piece from the fixing slit, thereby performing the pressurization release and fixture release by a single operation.

Image forming device equipped with fixing device

A toner image fixing device realizes a stabilized fixing process by smoothly controlling a surface temperature of its heating roller, preventing peeling-off of a layer of the roller core. The toner image fixing device comprises a heating roller consisting of a core covered with a layer of, e.g., a silicon rubber, a heat lamp mounted in the heating roller and a pressure roller for pressing a sheet of paper against the heating roller. The toner image fixing device is provided with a temperature sensor for sensing a surface temperature of the heat roller and for operating the heater lamp at a preset ON-OFF ratio (e.g., 1:3) to elevate the heating roller surface temperature from a first preset value to a second preset value and thereafter to maintain it at the second preset temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Hideki Ohnishi