Image processing method and image processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9757956-B2
Application number	US-201414777053-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2014
Priority date	Mar 25, 2013
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Provided is an image processing apparatus configured to perform by itself image erasing and image recording to a thermally reversible recording medium by irradiating it with laser light and heating it, including a laser light emitting unit, a laser light scanning unit, a focal length control unit, and an information setting unit. During image erasing, the focal length control unit performs control to defocus at the position of the thermally reversible recording medium. During image recording, the focal length control unit performs control to be at a focal length from the position of the thermally reversible recording medium. Immediately after image erasing based on image erasing information set by the information setting unit is completed, image recording is performed based on image recording information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image processing apparatus configured to perform by itself image erasing and image recording to a thermally reversible recording medium by irradiating the thermally reversible recording medium with laser light and heating it, comprising:
a laser light emitting unit configured to emit the laser light;
a laser light scanning unit configured to scan the laser light over a laser light irradiation surface of the thermally reversible recording medium;
a focal length control unit that comprises a position-shiftable lens system between the laser light emitting unit and the laser light scanning unit and is configured to control focal length of the laser light by adjusting a position of the lens system; and
an information setting unit configured to receive and set image erasing information, image recording information, and distance information representing a distance between the thermally reversible recording medium and a laser light emitting surface of the laser light emitting unit, which are input thereto,
wherein during image erasing, the focal length control unit performs control to defocus at a position of the thermally reversible recording medium,
wherein during image recording, the focal length control unit controls the position of the thermally reversible recording medium to be at a focal length,
wherein immediately after image erasing based on the image erasing information set by the information setting unit is completed, image recording is performed based on the image recording information, and
wherein the laser light emitting unit controls power output of the laser light by both of (i) a pulse control method of controlling the power output of the laser light based on pulse length and (ii) a peak power control method of controlling the power output of the laser light based on peak power, and varies peak power during image erasing from peak power during image recording.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image erasing information, the image recording information, and the distance information set by the information setting unit are used as one control file.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the focal length control unit defocuses at the position of the thermally reversible recording medium during image erasing to control a position in front of the position of the thermally reversible recording medium to be at a focal length.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a distance measuring unit configured to measure the distance between the thermally reversible recording medium and the laser light emitting surface of the laser light emitting unit,
wherein the distance information set by the information setting unit is corrected based on a result of measurement by the distance measuring unit.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature measuring unit configured to measure at least a temperature selected from the group consisting of a temperature of the thermally reversible recording medium and an ambient temperature around the thermally reversible recording medium,
wherein irradiation energy is controlled based on a result of measurement by the temperature measuring unit.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the peak power during image erasing is higher than the peak power during image recording.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a laser light source of the laser light emitting unit is a fiber-coupled laser.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the laser light to be emitted has a wavelength of from 700 nm to 1,600 nm.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the laser light emitting unit employs the peak power control method to control power output of the laser light for peak power change upon switching between image erasing and image recording, and
wherein the laser light emitting unit employs the pulse control method to control power output of the laser light for power control within image recording and image erasing.

10. An image processing method using an image processing apparatus configured to perform by itself image erasing and image recording to a thermally reversible recording medium by irradiating the thermally reversible recording medium with laser light and heating it, the image processing apparatus comprising:
a laser light emitting unit configured to emit the laser light;
a laser light scanning unit configured to scan the laser light over a laser light irradiation surface of the thermally reversible recording medium;
a focal length control unit that comprises a position-shiftable lens system between the laser light emitting unit and the laser light scanning unit and is configured to control focal length of the laser light by adjusting a position of the lens system; and
an information setting unit configured to receive and set image erasing information, image recording information, and distance information representing a distance between the thermally reversible recording medium and a laser light emitting surface of the laser light emitting unit, which are input thereto,
wherein during image erasing, the focal length control unit performs control to defocus at a position of the thermally reversible recording medium,
wherein during image recording, the focal length control unit controls the position of the thermally reversible recording medium to be at a focal length,
wherein immediately after image erasing based on the image erasing information set by the information setting unit is completed, image recording is performed based on the image recording information, and
wherein the image processing method performed by the image processing apparatus comprises:
performing image recording by at least any of irradiating the thermally reversible recording medium with laser light and heating the thermally reversible recording medium to thereby record thereon, a single-line drawn image to be formed by a single laser light drawn line, and irradiating the thermally reversible recording medium with laser light beams having certain intervals therebetween in parallel and heating the thermally reversible recording medium to thereby record thereon, a plural-line drawn image to be formed by a plurality of laser light drawn lines; and
performing image erasing by irradiating the thermally reversible recording medium with laser light and heating the thermally reversible recording medium to thereby erase at least any of the single-line drawn image and the plural-line drawn image,
wherein in the image recording after the image erasing is performed, the single-line drawn image is at least partially recorded before the plural-line drawn image is recorded.

11. The image processing method according to claim 10 ,
wherein in the image recording, the single-line drawn image is completely recorded before the plural-line drawn image is recorded.

12. The image processing method according to claim 10 ,
wherein of the plural-line drawn images, drawn images with smaller numbers of drawn lines are recorded earlier in the image recording.

13. The image processing method according to claim 10 ,
wherein of the plural-line drawn images, drawn images with smaller areas are recorded earlier in the image recording.

14. The image processing method according to claim 10 ,
wherein a time from when the image erasing is completed until when the image recording is started is 400 ms or longer.

15. A conveyor system, comprising

Assignees

• Ishimi Tomomi
• Kawahara Shinya
• Asai Toshiaki
• Ohi Katsuya
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishimi Tomomi
• Kawahara Shinya
• Asai Toshiaki
• Ohi Katsuya

Classifications

• B41M7/0009

  Obliterating the printed matter; Non-destructive removal of the ink pattern, e.g. for repetitive use of the support · CPC title

• B41J2/4753 Primary

  using thermosensitive substrates, e.g. paper · CPC title

• B41J2/442

  using lasers · CPC title

• B41J2002/4756

  Erasing by radiation · CPC title

• B41J2/32

  using thermal heads · CPC title