All The Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an exposure component that is equipped with a plurality of independently drivable light emitting elements arrayed along a first direction and which exposes photoconductors by scanning, in a second direction intersecting the first direction, light that is emitted when the light emitting elements are driven by drive signals based on image data;
an output component that is equipped with output ends corresponding to each of the light emitting elements and which, at normal times, outputs, one line at a time, drive signals of plural lines when exposure is performed in one scan by the exposure component from each of the output ends and which, when correcting an amount of misalignment in the first direction, outputs drive signals of one line corresponding to a line on a most upstream side of drive signals of plural lines from the output ends that have been shifted by a number corresponding to the amount of misalignment in the first direction;
a plurality of connecting wires that interconnect each of the output ends of the output component and each of the light emitting elements of the exposure component;
a selection component that selects at least one of the connecting wires that is connected to output ends, from among the output ends, that output the drive signals corresponding to the line on the most upstream side and a line that is exposed by a same scanning as a scanning by which the line on the most upstream side is exposed, when correcting the amount of misalignment in the first direction; and
a judging component that is connected to each of the connecting wires, and judges whether or not the drive signals are being normally transmitted through the at least one of the connecting wires selected by the selection component.
2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the judging component includes a counting component that counts the drive signals that are transmitted through the at least one of the connecting wires that has been selected, and
when a count value is not to be counted by the counting component, or when a ratio between the number of pixels of the image data and the count value that has been counted by the counting component exceeds a threshold value determined beforehand, the judging component judges that the drive signals are not being normally transmitted through the connecting wires.
3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first direction
is a sub-scanning direction and the second direction is a main scanning direction.
4. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first direction is a main scanning direction and the second direction is a sub-scanning direction.
5. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light emitting elements are laser beam emitters.
6. An abnormality judging method comprising:
(a) controlling an output component, which is equipped with output ends corresponding to each of light emitting elements of an exposure component that is equipped with a plurality of independently drivable light emitting elements arrayed along a first direction and which exposure component exposes photoconductors by scanning, in a second direction intersecting the first direction, light that is emitted when the light emitting elements are driven by drive signals based on image data, at normal times outputs, one line at a time, drive signals of plural lines when exposure is performed in one scan by the exposure component from each of the output ends and, when correcting an amount of misalignment in the first direction, outputs drive signals of one line corresponding to a line on a most upstream side of drive signals of plural lines from the output ends that have been shifted by a number corresponding to the amount of misalignment in the first direction;
(b) selecting, from a plurality of connecting wires that interconnect each of the output ends of the output component and each of the light emitting elements of the exposure component, at least one of the connecting wires that is connected to output ends, from among the output ends, that output the drive signals corresponding to the line on the most upstream side and a line that is exposed by a same scanning as a scanning by which the line on the most upstream side is exposed, when correcting the amount of misalignment in the first direction; and
(c) judging, using a processor, whether or not the drive signals are being normally transmitted through the selected at least one of the connecting wires.
7. The abnormality judging method of claim 6, wherein in (c), the drive signals that are transmitted through the at least one of the connecting wires that has been selected are counted by a counting component, and when a count value is not to be counted by the counting component, or when a ratio between the number of pixels of the image data and the count value that has been counted by the counting component exceeds a threshold value determined beforehand, the method judges that the drive signals are not being normally transmitted through the connecting wires.
8. The abnormality judging method of claim 6, wherein the first direction is a sub-scanning direction and the second direction is a main scanning direction.
9. The abnormality judging method of claim 6, wherein the first direction is a main scanning direction and the second direction is a sub-scanning direction.
10. The abnormality judging method of claim 6, wherein the light emitting elements are laser beam emitters.
11. A storage medium readable by a computer, the storage medium storing a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a function for judging abnormality, the function comprising:
(a) controlling an output component, which is equipped with output ends corresponding to each of light emitting elements of an exposure component that is equipped with a plurality of independently drivable light emitting elements arrayed along a first direction and which exposure component exposes photoconductors by scanning, in a second direction intersecting the first direction, light that is emitted when the light emitting elements are driven by drive signals based on image data, at normal times outputs, one line at a time, drive signals of plural lines when exposure is performed in one scan by the exposure component from each of the output ends and, when correcting an amount of misalignment in the first direction, outputs drive signals of one line corresponding to a line on a most upstream side of drive signals of plural lines from the output ends that have been shifted by a number corresponding to the amount of misalignment in the first direction;
(b) selecting, from a plurality of connecting wires that interconnect each of the output ends of the output component and each of the light emitting elements of the exposure component, at least one of the connecting wires that is connected to output ends, from among the output ends, that output the drive signals corresponding to the line on the most upstream side and a line that is exposed by a same scanning as a scanning by which the line on the most upstream side is exposed, when correcting the amount of misalignment in the first direction; and
(c) judging whether or not the drive signals are being normally transmitted through the selected at least one of the connecting wires.
12. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein in (c), the drive signals that are transmitted through the at least one of the connecting wires that has been selected are counted by a counting component, and when a count value is not to be counted by the counting component, or when a ratio between the number of pixels of the image data and the count value that has been counted by the counting component exceeds a threshold value determined beforehand, the function judges that the drive signals are not being normally transmitted through the connecting wires.
13. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first direction is a sub-scanning direction and the second direction is a main scanning direction.
14. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first direction is a main scanning direction and the second direction is a sub-scanning direction.
15. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the light emitting elements are laser beam emitters.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. Particles of a polymer for ink-jet printing which contain a colorant,
wherein the polymer is in the form of a mixture, said polymer mixture comprising (A) a rosin ester in the form of an esterified product of a polyhydric alcohol with a polymeric rosin andor a crosslinked product thereof (B) and a vinyl polymer,
wherein the polyhydric alcohol is glycerol or pentaerythritol,
wherein the polymeric rosin is a dimer or a trimer of a natural rosin or modified rosin, and
wherein a weight ratio of the rosin esterified or crosslinked product (A) to the vinyl polymer (B) rosin (A)vinyl polymer (B) is from 0.02 to 10.
2. The particles according to claim 1, wherein the polymer mixture contains the rosin ester in the form of an esterified product (A).
3. The particles according to claim 1, wherein the rosin ester (A) has a softening point of from 300 to 600 K as measured according to JIS K-5902-1969.
4. The particles according to claim 1, wherein the rosin ester (A) has a weight-average molecular weight of from 500 to 20,000.
5. The particles according to claim 1, wherein the colorant is a pigment.
6. The particles according to claim 1, wherein the vinyl polymer (B) is a graft polymer containing a constitutional unit derived from (a) a salt-forming group-containing monomer and a constitutional unit derived from (c) a hydrophobic monomer in a main chain thereof, and a constitutional unit derived from (b) a macromer in a side chain thereof.
7. A water dispersion for ink jet printing comprising the particles of the polymer as defined in claim 1.
8. A water-based ink for ink-jet printing comprising the water dispersion as defined in claim 7.
9. A process for producing the water dispersion for ink-jet printing as defined in claim 7, comprising the following steps I-V:
Step I: dissolving the rosin ester (A) and vinyl polymer (B) in an organic solvent wherein a weight ratio of dissolving the rosin ester (A) to the vinyl polymer (B) rosin (A)vinyl polymer (B) is from 0.02 to 10;
Step II: mixing the thus obtained organic solvent solution with a colorant;
Step III: adding a neutralizing agent and water to the resultant mixture, thereby obtaining a further mixture;
Step IV: dispersing the further mixture containing the rosin ester (A), the vinyl polymer (B), the colorant, the organic solvent and water obtained in Step III to obtain a dispersion of colorant-containing polymer particles; and
Step V: removing the organic solvent from the dispersion obtained in the step I,
wherein the rosin ester (A) is the esterified product of a polyhydric alcohol with a polymeric rosin andor a crosslinked product thereof ,
wherein the polyhydric alcohol is glycerol or pentaerythritol, and
wherein the polymeric rosin is the dimer or the trimer of a natural rosin or modified rosin.

1. A measuring probe comprising:
a holder portion attached to a subject; and
an optical fiber for at least one of irradiation and detection whose distal end portion on a subject side is retained by the holder portion,
wherein the optical fiber is led out from a side surface of the holder portion and is bent inside the holder portion such that the distal end portion is directed to the subject when the holder portion is attached to the subject.
2. A measuring probe according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral coating is removed from a bent portion of the optical fiber inside the holder portion.
3. A measuring probe according to claim 1, wherein the holder portion has a first member to be brought into contact with the subject and a second member combined with the first member.
4. A measuring probe according to claim 3, wherein the first member is more flexible than the second member, and wherein the second member is more rigid than the first member.
5. A measuring probe according to claim 3, wherein a protecting groove into which the optical fiber is inserted is formed in at least one of the first member and the second member.
6. A measuring probe according to claim 1, wherein the holder portion is provided with a through-hole through which the distal end portion of the optical fiber is exposed and an annular protrusion protruding so as to surround the distal end portion of the optical fiber.
7. A measuring probe according to claim 1, wherein a space portion for accommodating the bent portion of the optical fiber is provided inside the holder portion.
8. A measuring probe according to claim 7, wherein the holder portion has a first member to be brought into contact with the subject and a second member combined with the first member, and wherein the space portion is formed by combining recesses respectively provided in the first and second members.
9. A measuring probe according to claim 1, wherein an optical fiber fixing member for fixing the distal end portion of the optical fiber is arranged in the holder portion.
10. A measuring probe according to claim 9, wherein a space portion for accommodating the bent portion of the optical fiber and the optical fiber fixing member is provided in the holder portion, and wherein a diameter of the space portion is of the same size as an outer peripheral diameter of the optical fiber fixing member.
11. A measuring probe according to claim 8, wherein the optical fiber fixing member has a spring mechanism which extrudes the optical fiber by a minute amount to an exterior of the holder portion while retaining the optical fiber.
12. A measuring probe according to claim 1, wherein an optical fiber protecting member for protecting the bent portion of the optical fiber is arranged inside the holder portion.
13. A measuring probe according to claim 1, wherein a height adjustment jig for adjusting an amount by which the optical fiber protrudes from the holder portion is arranged inside the holder portion.
14. A measuring probe according to claim 1, further comprising a curving means provided on the holder portion, for maintaining the holder portion in a configuration curved along the subject.
15. A measuring probe according to Claim 14, wherein the curving means is mounted to the subject side of the holder portion and is a base plate curved in advance.
16. A measuring probe according to Claim 14, wherein the curving means is replaceable with respect to the holder portion.
17. A measuring probe according to Claim 14, wherein the curving means is provided with a connecting portion for connection with an adjacent curving means.
18. A living body optical measuring device comprising a measuring probe having a plurality of optical fibers that irradiate a subject with measurement light and receive the measurement light returning from the subject, the measuring probe being attached to the subject,
wherein the optical fibers are led out from a side surface of the measuring probe and are bent inside the measuring probe portion such that their distal end portions are directed towards the subject when the measuring probe is attached to the subject.
19. A living body optical measuring device according to claim 18, wherein the measuring probe has a plurality of holder portions,
wherein, in each of the holder portions, the distal end portions of the plurality of optical fibers are arranged at intervals, and
wherein the optical fibers are led out from a side surface of the holder portion.
20. A living body optical measuring device according to claim 18, further comprising a fastening fixing member which is put on the subject from above the measuring probe so as to surround the subject and which prevents the measuring probe from being detached from the subject.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method of transmitting an identity of a calling subscriber to a mobile station assigned to a called subscriber, wherein the called subscriber is a mobile subscriber in a mobile communication system comprising switching centers for establishing a speech connection between a mobile station assigned to the calling subscriber and the mobile station assigned to the called subscriber, wherein one of the switching centers is associated with the mobile station assigned to the called subscriber, the method comprising:
storing permanent subscriber data in a home location register and storing temporary subscriber data in a visitor location register, and
transmitting the identity of the calling subscriber to the switching center associated with the mobile station assigned to the called subscriber from the home location register in connection with a request for routing information, wherein the transmitting further comprises using MAP signaling of the mobile communication system, the home location register transmitting a roaming number request message to the visitor location register, wherein the identity of the calling subscriber is added to the roaming number request message.
2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising
transmitting the identity of the calling subscriber to the switching center associated with the mobile station assigned to the called subscriber in a MAP PROVIDE_ROAMING_NUMBER message.
3. A mobile communication system comprising:
switching centers for establishing a speech connection between a mobile station assigned to a calling subscriber and a mobile station assigned to a called subscriber, wherein one of the switching centers is associated with the mobile station assigned the called subscriber,
a home location register for permanent storage of subscriber data, and
at least one visitor location register for temporary storage of subscriber data on subscribers located in a geographical area monitored by the visitor location register,
transmitting means for transmitting an identity of the calling subscriber to the switching center associated with the mobile station assigned to the called subscriber from the home location register in connection with a request for routing info information, wherein the transmitting further comprises using MAP signaling of the mobile communication system, the home location register transmitting a roaming number request message to the visitor location register, wherein the identity of the calling subscriber is added to the roaming number request message.
4. A combination of a visitor location register plus mobile switching center comprising:
a first interface toward a gateway switching center for receiving a request to establish a speech connection between a mobile station assigned to a calling subscriber and a mobile station assigned to a called subscriber,
a second interface toward a home location register for receiving an identity of the calling subscriber from the home location register in connection with a request for routing information relating to the mobile station assigned to the called subscriber, the second interface being located at the visitor location register; and
a third interface toward the mobile station assigned to the called subscriber for establishing the requested speech connection between the mobile station assigned to the calling subscriber and the mobile station assigned to the called subscriber, and for transmitting the identity of the calling subscriber obtained from the home location register to the mobile station assigned to the called subscriber, wherein the transmitting further comprises using MAP signaling of a mobile communication system, the home location register transmitting a roaming number request message to the visitor location register, wherein the identity of the calling subscriber is added to the roaming number request message.
5. A combination of a visitor location register plus mobile switching center according to claim 4, wherein the second interface is operable to receive the identity of the calling subscriber in a MAP PROVIDE ROAMING_NUMBER message.
6. A home location register for permanent storage of subscriber data in a mobile communication system, the mobile communication system comprising switching centers for establishing a speech connection between a mobile station assigned to a calling subscriber and a mobile station assigned to a called subscriber, wherein one of the switching centers is associated with the mobile station assigned to the called subscriber;
the home location register comprising:
a first interface toward a network element serving the mobile station assigned to the calling subscriber for receiving an identity of the calling subscriber;
a second interface toward a combination of a visitor location register plus mobile switching center for requesting routing information relating to the mobile station assigned to the called subscriber and for transmitting the identity of the calling subscriber to said combination of a visitor location register plus mobile switching center in connection with a request for routing information, wherein the transmitting further comprises using MAP signaling of the mobile communication system, the home location register transmitting a roaming number request message to the visitor location register, wherein the identity of the calling subscriber is added to the roaming number request message.
7. A home location register according to claim 6, wherein the second interface is operable to transmit the identity of the calling subscriber in a MAP PROVIDE ROAMING_NUMBER message.