Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Apls Electric Co., Ltd.

Minoru Takeuchi

Mitsuo Tsushima

Mitsuo Hirano

Takanobu Matsuura

A high-quality image is recorded in precise correspondence with the image information of a document sensed by an image scanner without producing an error in gray level. Control means performs a gray level correction on the image information sensed by the image scanner in accordance with the surface gray level information of a reference plate which has been sensed in advance by the image scanner thereby generating recording information corrected in gray level, wherein the gray level correction is performed when the recording information is generated from the image information thereby making compensation not only for the shading error but also for gray level errors due to other factors so that an image is recorded in exact correspondence with the sensed image information of the document without having an error in gray level. Correction values are set for each sensing element of the image scanner so that the corrected output value of each sensing element obtained in accordance with said correction values becomes proportional to the brightness. The image information sensed via the image sensing elements is corrected in accordance with the above correction values thereby generating a corrected output value.

Image sensing apparatus and shading correction method

An image scanner is provided which is capable of preventing decrease in image contrast and improving the reading accuracy and quality of color images to a greater extent. An image scanner includes a unit case having an opening formed on one end surface thereof; light-source lamps and light-source lenses which are disposed in the inner portion of the opening of the unit case in such a manner as to face the opening; holding plates which are disposed in the inner portion of the opening of the unit case and which have formed therein slits for extending the terminals of the light-source lamps to the inside of the unit case; and CCD sensors, disposed at the end portion of the inside of the unit case on the side opposite to the opening, for reading an image of the original document by receiving, via a lens unit, light which is radiated onto a given original document placed near the opening from the light-source lamps via the light-source lenses and reflected from this original document.

Image scanner

A thermal transfer printer wherein a desired ribbon cassette is identified and selected from among plural ribbon cassettes held by a cassette holding portion and is loaded automatically onto a cassette carrier disposed on a carriage. The carriage is provided with a photosensor for detecting an identification mark provided on each ribbon cassette and a control section which judges whether there is any ribbon cassette held by the holding portion and of which type the ribbon cassette is, in accordance with a signal provided from the photosensor as the carriage moves. The carriage is further provided with a mechanism for making control so as to prevent loosening of ink ribbon at the time of ribbon cassette replacement.

Thermal transfer printer

A motor control system of a printer of the type wherein a desired slow-up of a print head is effected by making use of the rotation of a stepping motor and printing is performed by the use of the head, which is characterized by a slow-up means for increasing gradually a drive frequency of the stepping motor from the stopped state of the head so as to provide a print speed required for the head to perform a print action thereby to result in a desired drive frequency, and a print processing means for instructing the head to perform printing, wherein the slow-up means effects slow-up over and beyond an inter-character space extending up to a next print character, and the print processing means instructs printing after passed over the inter-character space and even while slow-up is being effected, whereby the print speed can be enhanced while maintaining the quality of print.

Growing community of inventors

Iwate-ken, Japan

Minoru Takeuchi