Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Shin Tsuda

Yukichi Niwa

Noriyuki Asano

Takaaki Yamagata

Asao Watanabe

Yuzo Kato

Sadasuke Kurahayashi

Hakaru Muto

Mitsutoshi Owada

Takehiro Yoshida

Ryozo Hiraga

Mitsutoshi Ohwada

Minoru Ogata

Sadasuke Kurabayashi

An image communication apparatus includes a reader for reading an original image, a memory circuit for storing image information read by the reader, a sending unit for sending the image information, and a controller for synthesizing image information read by the reader and the image information stored in the memory circuit, and causing the sending unit to send the synthesized image information.

Apparatus and method for facsimile transmission of synthesized images

The present invention is intended to binary process an image signal obtained by scanning image data by a plurality of threshold levels and to two-dimensionally encode a plurality of binary outputs derived in this way, thereby to telegraph-transmit an image at intermediate gradient. Then, by adopting the encoding by the Modified Read method which has a K parameter value coresponding to the number of such threshold levels, the intermediate gradient image can be telegraph-transmitted efficiently at a high speed. Furthermore, by merely increasing the threshold levels, the image at a variety of intermediate gradients of four, eight or sixteen values, or the like can be telegraph-transmitted and recorded, so that a degree of freedom is designing the apparatus is raised.

Image data processor

A memory for storing an image data is provided in a receiver of a facsimile apparatus and an information amount of the image data stored in the memory is informed to a transmitter of the facsimile apparatus. The transmission rate of the image data transmitted by the facsimile transmitter is controlled in accordance with the information amount of the image data stored in the memory of the facsimile receiver to efficiently transmit the image data. By providing the memory in the facsimile receiver, sending of a dummy bit by the facsimile transmitter is unnecessary and the transmission time of the image data is shortened.

Facsimile apparatus

In a facsimile apparatus, single control means functions to have a plurality of functions by detecting states of a plurality of elements mounted on the facsimile apparatus. The states of a hand-set of a telephone set, an original sheet and a record paper are detected and a single control button controls switching to a transmission mode, a reception mode, a copy mode or a record paper cut mode. The arrangement provides a small and inexpensive apparatus and improves the operability of the apparatus.

There is disclosed an operation device for facsimile in which an operating switch can be used commonly for the sending, receiving and copying modes of a facsimile apparatus. Also an operating switch is changed over to plural modes in response to the status of the transmitter-receiver and to the presence or absence of an original document or of a recording sheet. A display is provided to indicate the function or the mode currently performed by the operating switch.

Operation device for facsimile

The present invention is featured, in the transmission of pixel (picture element) signals grouped into blocks defined in a series of pixel signals, by sending a control signal instead of said pixel signals when the pixel signals contained in a block are all white signals or sending pixel signals after modulation when black signals are present in said block thereby compressing the time required for transmission, also by selecting the maximum amplitude of said control signal larger than the maximum amplitude of said modulated pixel signals thereby enabling identification of said control signals from said pixel signals, and by sending, when the final black pixel signal in a black signal containing block is followed by consecutive white pixel signals, a control signal instead of such white pixel signals thereby achieving further compression of the transmission time.

Information forming apparatus

A focus detecting device which performs focus detection in such a manner that an image of an object formed through an image forming lens is received by an array of many electric charge storing type photo-sensors and, under such a condition, the image is electrically scanned by extracting, in a time serial manner, the output of each photo-sensor, and then the sharpness of the image is detected from a scanning output thus obtained; or that two images of the object which are formed through a range-finding optical system with an apparent parallax corresponding to distance to the object are received by different arrays of such photo-sensors respectively and, under such a condition, the two images are electrically scanned separately from each other by extracting, in a time serial manner, the output of each of the photo-sensors and scanning outputs thus obtained are compared with each other to detect the relative parallax of the two images. In this device, for making the scanning output of the photo-sensor array or arrays always correct irrespective of variation in the brightness of the object, the scanning recycle time duration of the photo-sensor array or arrays is automatically adjusted according to the brightness of the object; and, accordingly, the electric charge storing time of each photo-sensor in the photo-sensor array or arrays are automatically adjusted thereby.

Focus detecting device with photo-sensor array

In the transmission of binary image signals obtained by scanning of an original document, a high signal compression ratio without deterioration in image quality is achieved by subjecting the binary image signals to a selective thinning process in which the signals of a run-length within a determined range are converted into signals of a determined length and by subsequently coding thus selectively thinned signals. A further improved signal compression is also established without deterioration of image quality by conducting, prior to the selective thinning process, preliminary processes such as elimination of isolated dots in the image or smoothing in the principal and auxiliary scanning directions. Furthermore signal compression ratios are increased by preparing state signals representing the correlation between the first image signals present on a first scan line and the second image signals present on a second scan line to encode and transmit the first image signals and the state signals, and still to allow regeneration of the second image signals at the reception end. Transmission of signals either with coding of a high compression or with a coding of a higher popularity can also be achieved through simple switching of the coding system. Furthermore there is also provided effective thinning on graphic information which could not be easily handled with the conventional thinning processes.

Information processing apparatus

This invention relates to the reduction in time required for signal transmission in facsimile apparatus, and consists of a transmitting apparatus adapted for eliminating the signal indicating the line thickness from the binary image signal obtained by scanning the original to be transmitted and transmitting thus obtained band-compressed transmission signal, and a receiving apparatus adapted for adding a signal approximately equal to the above-mentioned signal indicating the line thickness to the above-mentioned transmission signal thereby forming received image.

A range detecting method and apparatus of a construction, in which first and second images of an object to be formed by a range finding optical system with a relative positional parallax corresponding to the object distance are scanned purely electrically by the use of one or more photo-sensor arrays, then analog image element signals concerning these first and second images obtained at this time are sequentially converted into two-value signals, after which the two-value signals are stored, as inputs, in first and second digital storing device where the coincidence and non-coincidence of these digital image scanning signals stored in these first and second storing devices are detected by means of a coincidence detecting device, while one of these image scanning signals are relatively shifted bit by bit with respect to other image scanning signals, and the shift bit quantities required until the digital image scanning signals of the same bit numbers concerning these first and second images may become optimumly coincided, thereby finding out the object distance from the shift bit quantities.

Range detecting method and apparatus

A range detecting method and apparatus in which a first and a second image of an object each having a relative positional parallax corresponding to the object distance formed by a range finding optical system are purely electrically scanned by the use of one or more photosensor arrays and the resulting image scan signals in analog form relating to the first and second images are applied to first and second analog storing devices for storage therein, in which coincidence or non-coincidence between the analog image scan signals is detected by coincidence detecting drive while one of these image scan signals is shifted bit by bit relative to the other image scan signal, thereby counting an amount of shift bits required until the image scan signals of the same bit number relating to the first and second images are rendered most appropriately coincident with each other, whereby the object distance may be known from such amount of shift bits.

In a circuit for preventing breakdown of a load resulting from a wrong connection of a power source, there are provided a first load to which a DC voltage source should be applied at a predetermined polarity and to which a wrong polarity connection of the DC voltage source should be prevented, a second load to which the DC voltage should be applied, and a transistor having the base thereof connected to the second load and the collector thereof connected to one terminal for connection with the DC voltage source. The first load is connected between the base electrode and emitter electrode of the transistor. The junction of the first and second loads is connected to another terminal for connection to the DC voltage source.

Circuit for preventing breakdown of a load resulting from wrong

An electronic circuit test equipment generates signals indicative of electrical conditions of a desired point in a circuit under test. The signals may be audible. light signals or combination thereof.

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Yokohama, Japan

Shin Tsuda