Seiko Epson Corporation

Yoshiki Minowa

Kunihiko Matsuhashi

Zenta Kosaka

Kazuaki Morozumi

Ayao Ogawa

Yukio Yokozawa

In a card-making method and system, an authentication card is made from a raw card having a readable and writable information-storing portion formed therein, by forming the image on the front surface and/or back surface of the raw card and writing individual authentication information in the information-storing portion. Processing information of the raw card is written in the information-storing portion. The image is formed based on the processing information read from the information-storing portion. Individual authentication information of the authentication card is written in the information-storing portion after forming the image. In a heat treatment mechanism for cards, heat treatment is applied to a card having an information-storing portion arranged in part of a surface of a card body of a card, by using a light source as a heating source, to thereby fix an image to the card. A light-blocking plate is arranged such that the light-blocking plate is positioned between the card and the light source to block irradiated light to the information-storing portion. An image-forming apparatus incorporating the heat treatment mechanism is also provided.

Card-making method and system as well as heat treatment mechanism for cards and image-forming apparatus incorporating the same

There are provided a method of forming an image on a card and an apparatus therefor, which are capable of properly carrying out printing of an image on a card and protection of the printed image in a simplified manner without changing the size of the card. A card is used which has an ink-fixing layer laminated on a surface of a substrate layer and an ink image-receiving layer peelably laminated on a surface of the ink-fixing layer. An image is printed on the card, while feeding the card, by an ink jet printing method using a sublimable dye ink. The card printed with the image is conveyed to a heating source, and subjected to heat treatment by the heating source to cause diffusion of the sublimable dye ink held in the ink image-receiving layer in the ink-fixing layer, and color development to form an image. The ink image-receiving layer is peeled off the card after the heat treatment.

Method of forming image on card and apparatus therefor

There is provided an image-forming method which is capable of carrying out edge-to-edge properly on a medium such as a card, and a print medium and a sheet cartridge for use in the image-forming method. An image is printed on an ink image-receiving sheet by using a sublimable dye ink, thereby causing the sublimable dye ink to be held by the ink image-receiving sheet. The image is fixed on the medium body by heating the ink image-receiving sheet and a medium body overlaid to each other and thereby causing diffusion of the sublimable dye ink held in the ink image-receiving sheet on a surface of the medium body for color development. Then, the ink image-receiving sheet is removed from the medium body having the image fixed thereon. In this image-forming method, the ink image-receiving sheet is formed to have a larger size than the medium body.

Image-forming method and printing medium and sheet cartridge therefor

An electronic timepiece which corrects time automatically in response to external time information signals. The timepiece includes a first timekeeping circuit for keeping a standard time and a receiver for selectively receiving external signals. A checking circuit checks the external signal to determine whether it contains a time information signal and which provides a current time signal in response to receipt of a time information signal. A second timekeeping circuit receives and stores the current time signal and a setting circuit sets the second timekeeping circuit to the current time in accordance with the current time signal. A correction circuit provides a correction signal and corrects the first timekeeping circuit to the current time in accordance with the correction signal and the current time signal. The correction is applied periodically at a rate which is a function of the error and the time between sucessive reciepts of the time information signal.

Automatically correcting electronic timepiece for selected signal

A receiver with timekeeping function for maintaining and displaying at least two different times of day which are each updated based on an external signal. The receiver includes first timekeeping circuitry for generating first time related information and second timekeeping circuitry for generating second time related information. Each time of day is represented by hours, minutes and seconds. The second time of day is further adjusted based on the adjustments made to the first time of day to insure that the second time of day does not gain or lose a minute of time.

Growing community of inventors

Okaya, Japan

Yoshiki Minowa