Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Minolta Camera Co., Ltd.

Hirohisa Kitano

Ken Matsubara

Tomohiko Masuda

Itaru Saito

Kouichi Shingaki

Kenichi Wada

Tsukasa Yagi

Koji Wakamiya

Atsushi Fujita

Kohichi Shingaki

Shuji Iino

Makoto Jin

Shuji Ikenaga

Itaru Saitoh

Masazumi Morishita

Masaya Kinoshita

This aerial image display device is provided with an optical plate having a plurality of reflective surfaces orthogonal to each other in plan view, a projection device, a specular mirror, and a screen. The mirror includes a counter mirror disposed spaced apart from the optical plate at the opposite side of a focused image M across the optical plate. The projection device and the screen sandwich a light path between the counter mirror and the optical plate at the opposite side of the focused image (M) across the optical plate. The projection light emitted from the projection device is incident on the screen after reflecting from the counter mirror, and then incident on the optical plate after reflecting from the screen and then from the same counter mirror.

Aerial image display device

It is an object to provide an improved filter or illumination device. In order to achieve the above object, an illumination device is provided having multiple optical color filters wherein a first time period, required for at least one of the multiple optical color filters to pass across a light path, is different from a second time period, required for each of the other optical color filters to pass across the light path. According to another aspect of this invention, an illumination device has multiple optical color filters and an optical member wherein a boundary, which extends in a direction, is provided between one of the multiple optical color filters and another one of the multiple optical color filters, and the optical member includes an inlet for receiving light from the optical color filters, wherein the inlet extends in a first direction corresponding to the direction of the boundary when the boundary crosses the light path, for a greater distance than the inlet extends in a second direction.

Filter, illumination device and illumination method

An illumination device used in a printing head of a printer, which is capable of switching color of light emitted from a light source quickly. The illumination device has a color wheel that includes at least three grass panels having a fan-like shape and switches the color of light by rotating. The grass panels of the color wheel are supported by a circumferential ring at these exterior circumference. Thereby, the grass panels are hard to be damaged even when the color wheel is rotated at a high speed so as to switch the color of light quickly.

Illumination device

Disclosed are optical writing devices each of which has three arrays of light shutter elements for emitting light signals of red, green and blue, respectively. The arrays of light shutter elements of each optical writing device are adjustably provided in an image forming apparatus with respect to sub-scan direction.

Optical writing device

A light modulation apparatus having a light shutter element which has an electro-optic effect, such as a PLZT. A pair of electrodes are provided on the light shutter element, and a DC voltage applying circuit is connected to the electrodes. The top surface, where the electric field is applied, exhibits modified electrical characteristics.

Light modulation apparatus and method for making light modulation

The present invention relates to a light shutter array which has shutter elements made of an electro-optical material. The quantity of light transmitted by each shutter element in the array is measured, and a limit is set relative to the smallest measured value such that the transmitted light quantity distribution of the light shutter array would be regarded substantially even if all shutter elements transmitted light within the limit. To achieve such a substantially even distribution, shutter elements which transmit light over the limit are subjected to trimming. Since trimmed regions on a shutter element do not transmit light, the quantity of light transmitted through a trimmed shutter element is lowered in proportion to the area of the trimmed region. Alternatively, individual electrodes and/or portions of a common electrode corresponding to the shutter elements which transmit light over the limit are trimmed. As a result, electric fields generated in the shutter elements are weakened, and the polarizing effects of the shutter elements are weakened. Consequently, the quantity of light transmitted through those shutter elements is lowered.

Light shutter array with a substantially even distribution transmitted

An optical shutter device for use, e.g., in an optical printer includes a plurality of electrooptic chips each having a plurality of very small segments for optical modulation. The optical shutter device has a voltage adjusting circuit which individually supplies the driving voltage to the chips depending on the light transmitting characteristics intrinsic to the chips. Thus, even when the chips have different light transmitting characteristics, the image produced by the chips will have a uniform intensity.

Optical shutter device

An image forming apparatus which comprises a light shutter disposed between a source of light and an image carrier, which is electrostatically charged to a predetermined polarity, and capable of exhibiting a light transmissivity which varies according to a voltage applied to the light shutter. A first voltage of a predetermined direction is applied to the light shutter according to image information during a first period in which a first area of the image carrier passes across the light shutter, to form the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier. This electrostatic latent image is subsequently developed into a toner image. In order to substantially recover the light shutter from a light-induced fatigue, i.e., internal polarization of an electro-optical material forming the light shutter, a second voltage of a direction counter to the predetermined direction is applied to the light shutter during a second period in which a second area of the image carrier passes across the light shutter.

Image forming apparatus

A method and device for driving an electro-optical light shutter array including a plurality of shutter elements each having an electro-optical effect to polarize an incident light by setting up an electric field. The device includes a plurality of individual electrodes provided on the respective shutter elements and a common electrode provided on the respective shutter elements electrically in common. A square pulse is applied to the arbitrary individual electrode while a triangular pulse is applied to the common electrode to set up an electric field of which an intensity continuously varies within one driving period. Moreover, an alternating electric field may be set up in the electro-optical light shutter array in a recovery period. In this case, a first light amount when the positive electric field is set up and a second light amount when the negative electric field is set up are detected. A recovery operation is carried out until the first and second light amounts become substantially equal with each other.

Method and device for driving electro-optical light shutter

A recording apparatus including a memory for storing recording information input from an external device, and an optical printing head for recording the information read from the memory onto recording paper. A writing device writes the information into the memory in the order of input, and stops the writing operation when the information as stored in the memory reaches its capacity. A reading device reads the recording information from the memory in the order opposite to the order in which the information is written, and transmits the information to the printing head for recording. The writing operation is resumed after this information is recorded on the recording paper.

Recording apparatus including a memory into which information is written

A light printer with a light shutter having an array of electro-optical elements is disclosed. The light printer provides with a detection circuit for monitoring temperature and/or time dependent variations regarding the electro-optical elements of the light shutter and a driving voltage control circuit for controlling an optimum driving voltage of the light shutter according to results detected by the detection circuit.

Light printer with photoelectric light quantity control means

A light signal generating device having a plurality of electro-optical light shutter elements which are turned on and off individually in accordance with image data. The light shutter elements are connected to individual electrodes each, and also connected to a common electrode. The common electrode and a power source for supplying a voltage to the individual electrodes are connected with a grounding line. Discharge lines are disposed between the common electrode and the grounding line, and switching elements are disposed on the discharge lines so as to prevent discharge currents, which are drawn from the light shutter elements at falls of the driving voltage, from flowing into the grounding line.

Light signal generating device using electro-optical light shutter array

A method of and a device for driving a light shutter having an electrooptical effect to polarize an incident light by applying an electric field to the light shutter. When the light shutter is made activate, an excessive electric field in addition to a half-wave electric field which is a specific one to polarize an incident light at 90.degree. in the static characteristics of the light shutter is applied to the light shutter initially, and subsequently, the half-wave electric field only is applied to the light shutter. To discharge the electric charge accumulated in the light shutter, no voltage is applied to electrodes each of which is provided on the wall of the light shutter so as to oppose each other subsequent to the application of the electric field until the next application thereof.

Method and device for driving electrooptical light shutter

An image forming system carries out a simplex recording operation for forming an image on one side of recording paper and discharge the paper onto a discharge tray, and a composite or duplex recording operation in which image-carrying recording paper is formed with a further image on the same image-carrying side or a reverse side prior to discharge. This system includes a paper refeeding device for temporarily storing the recording paper after the simplex recording and refeeding the recording paper to an image forming device for recording a second image thereon, and a mode selector for selecting between a page arranging mode and a non-page arranging mode. The recording paper is discharged directly onto the discharge tray when the non-page arranging mode is selected. On the other hand, when the page arranging mode is selected, the recording paper is transported through the paper refeeding device and recording section and out to the discharge tray.

Image forming system for performing simplex and duplex recording

A method of driving an electro-optical light shutter for use in a recording apparatus. According to the method, an electric field of a predetermined direction is applied to the light shutter during a recording period and a further electric field having a direction opposite to the predetermined direction is applied to the light shutter during a waiting period.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Hirohisa Kitano