| KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120128393 | IMAGE FORMING METHOD AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming method including steps of forming a clear toner layer on a photoreceptor, transferring the clear toner layer onto a transfer member, transferring the clear toner layer on the transfer member onto an image support, heating the image support having the clear toner layer, bringing the clear toner layer into close contact with a belt to cool the image support, and separating the image support from the belt are provided, in this order; and the clear toner layer is formed with a plurality of independent linear protrusion portions and the independent linear protrusion portions are formed parallel or diagonally to the conveyance direction of an image support. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120128386 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CONTROLLING OPERATION NOISE VOLUME - An image forming apparatus has a moving part that operates for forming an image on recording paper. When an instruction to make a transition to a silent mode is input to an input unit, first control is executed so that operation noise of the moving part is reduced. When an instruction to cancel the silent mode is input to the input unit, second control is executed so that the operation noise of the moving part is increased stepwise to return to the state before the first control. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120128384 | MOUNTING METHOD OF CLEANING BLADE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING CLEANING BLADE - A cleaning blade mounting method includes the steps of: moving a toner image carrier on which a toner layer is formed so that the toner layer reaches a cleaning position by a cleaning device; after bringing a tip of a cleaning blade into contact with the toner layer, bringing the tip into contact with the toner image carrier, mounting the cleaning blade to a temporary position with a second load lower than a first load that is a contact load at a time of an image formation; moving the cleaning blade with the second load from the temporary position to a final position at which a cleaning operation is carried out; bringing the cleaning blade with the first load into contact with the toner image carrier; and mounting the cleaning blade to the final position at the time of the image formation. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127530 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD OF DATA WRITING - An image processing apparatus for executing an image processing of print data and instructing a printing to a printing apparatus having a consumable supply, comprising:
| 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127520 | OPERATION PANEL AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is an operation panel using a touch panel method disposed on an image forming apparatus, wherein a CPU judges whether the same coordinate of an input section is in a pressurization when the operation panel is turned on and whether the first time period has elapsed while the above pressurization continues at the same coordinate, makes a display section to display a massage that the input section is unusable and a message to prompt a user to switch the input section to a substitution device, judges whether the pressurization continues after the second time period and the first time period have elapsed and makes the display section to display a warning to indicate that a malfunction occurs at the input section of the operation panel in case the input section is judged to be in the pressurization after the second time period elapsed. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120123075 | TONER FOR DEVELOPING ELECTROSTATIC IMAGE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF TONER FOR DEVELOPING ELECTROSTATIC IMAGE - Disclosed are a toner for developing an electrostatic image and its manufacturing method, the toner being comprised of toner particles, wherein the toner particles contain as a resin a polymer having a structural unit represented by the following formula 1, | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120122021 | METHOD OF FORMING HOLOGRAM IMAGE, ELECTROSTATIC IMAGE DEVELOPING TONER AND HOLOGRAM IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A method of forming a hologram image comprising the steps of forming an electrophotographic image by forming an electrophotographic image area on an image support via an electrophotographic image forming method using a toner containing at least a thermoplastic resin; laminating an emboss hologram transferring member over the electrophotographic image so that a surface on which a corrugation profile is formed of the emboss hologram transferring member is in contact with the electrophotographic image area heating the electrophotographic image and the emboss hologram transferring member at a temperature not lower than a softening temperature of the toner while pressurizing the emboss hologram transferring member onto the electrophotographic image; cooling the electrophotographic image and the emboss hologram transferring member, and peeling the emboss hologram transferring member from the electrophotographic image, whereby the corrugation profile of the emboss hologram transferring member is transferred onto the electrophotographic image area. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120121301 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is a fixing device successively pressurizing and heating a toner image on a recording member being conveyed to fix the toner image onto the recording member, including a pressure roller, a heating roller arranged opposite to the pressure roller and sandwiching, with the pressure roller, the recording member with the toner image formed thereon to pressurize and heat the toner image on the recording member, thereby fixing the toner image onto the recording member, and a housing storing the pressure roller and the heating roller. The housing has a region covered with an emission reducing member smaller in emission rate than the housing. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120448 | IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing server in charge of a first image processing operation determines a reference value for a reference item; generates first reference information; calculates its charge; generates first charge information indicating its calculated amount of charge; and transmits the first reference information and the first charge information to the next location, separately from image data obtained by the first image processing operation. An image processing server in charge of a second image processing operation calculates its charge based on the reference value determined by the image processing server in charge of the first image processing operation; generates second charge information indicating its calculated charge; and transmits this second charge information, the first reference information and first charge information generated by the image processing server in charge of the first image processing operation, to the next location, separately from image data obtained by the second image processing operation. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120447 | IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM, IMAGE PROCESSING SERVER, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An image processing system comprising an image forming apparatus and first and second image processing servers connected to the image forming apparatus via a network, the first image processing server comprising: a first image processor which performs a first image processing operation on target image data received from the image forming apparatus; and a protected area calculator which calculates a protected area to be prohibited from being processed next, which is related to the area processed by the first image processor, and generates image protection information including information of the protected area, and the second image processing server comprising a second image processor which performs a second image processing operation on the areas excluding the protected area whose information is included in the image protection information generated by the protected area calculator. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120424 | COLOR CONVERSION METHOD, COLOR CONVERSION APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - A color conversion method that converts a spot color into a combination of a plurality of output-color values corresponding to output colors generated by an image forming apparatus, the method including: acquiring a name of the spot color; a category of the spot color, the category being one of a plurality of categories into which spot colors are classified; and an input-color value of the spot color; for each spot color; selecting a color conversion table corresponding to the acquired category out of a plurality of color conversion tables stored beforehand in a storage unit for the respective categories, each of the color conversion tables indicating a correspondence relationship between the input-color value and the combination of the output-color values; and converting the acquired input-color value into the combination of the output-color values based upon the selected color conversion table. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120423 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a plurality of photoreceptors; a plurality of developing devices for forming toner patterns on the plurality of photoreceptors; an intermediate transfer medium for receiving the toner patterns transferred from the plurality of photoreceptors; a controller for controlling the plurality of developing devices to form first toner patterns that are lines extending in a main-scanning direction and second toner patterns that are lines slanting from the main-scanning direction on the plurality of photoreceptors such that the first toner pattern and the second toner pattern transferred from the same photoreceptor will be arranged on the intermediate transfer medium at an interval in a sub-scanning direction of a circumferential length of the photoreceptor from which the first toner pattern and the second tone pattern are transferred; and a sensor for detecting the toner patterns transferred onto the intermediate transfer medium. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120422 | IMAGING FORMING SYSTEM - Disclosed is an image forming system including a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus, the first image forming apparatus including: a first image forming section which performs image formation on a sheet; a first fixing section which performs image fixation on the sheet on which the first image forming section performs the image formation; and a first control section which makes, when the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus perform the image formation and the image fixation on different sides of a sheet to perform double-sided printing, thereby performing tandem outputting, a tandem-outputting target fixing temperature of the first fixing section lower than a first fudicial temperature which is a non-tandem-outputting target fixing temperature of the first fixing section for when the first image forming performs the image formation and the image fixation alone. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120420 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - An image forming system includes: a plurality of image forming apparatus each having a storage section; a density conversion data registering section obtaining density conversion data composed of a combination of a voltage value and a density value as colorimetry results of a color sensor and an external colorimeter, respectively, and storing the data into the storage section of the apparatus which forms a density correcting chart to be used for the colorimetry; a paper setting section storing a tray paper profile or a paper profile into a paper setting storage section, with the profiles correlated with at least one piece of the data obtained by the density conversion data registering section; and a correction controlling section making the plurality of image forming apparatus perform printer γ correction based on the data correlated with the paper profile or the tray paper profile at a time of the image formation. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120419 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TONE CORRECTION METHOD OF IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed is an image forming apparatus which forms an image on paper, the image forming apparatus including: an image forming section which forms the image on the paper; a correcting section which corrects tone of the image formed by the image forming section; and a control section which manages forming the image on a predetermined number of sheets of paper as print output of one unit, and which allows the correcting section to correct tone each time print output of the predetermined number of units is complete. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119437 | PAPER SHEET CONVEYANCE DEVICE FOR CONVEYING PAPER SHEET TO IMAGE FORMING SECTION AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING PAPER SHEET CONVEYANCE DEVICE FOR CONVEYING PAPER SHEET TO IMAGE FORMING SECTION - A paper sheet conveyance device for conveying a paper sheet to an image forming apparatus includes a corrugation roller for imparting corrugation onto both the left and right sides of a paper sheet, onto which an image has not been formed, with respect to a conveyance direction, by forming a curved portion along the conveyance direction. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119435 | SHEET ALIGNMENT APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A sheet alignment apparatus includes: a sheet storage section for storing sheets; a sheet push-up section for conveying the sheets in the sheet discharge direction; a sheet discharge section having a pair of forward and reverse rotatable rollers configured to align sheet between the rollers and the sheet push-up section and to then discharge the sheets by sandwiching the sheet in the nip portion between the pair of rollers; and a sheet width direction alignment section located between the sheet storage section and the sheet discharge section and configured to align the sheets in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet discharge direction, wherein the sheet discharge section causes the pair of rollers in the reverse direction so as to separate the sheet edge in the sheet discharge section from the nip portion before the lateral alignment performed by the sheet width direction alignment section. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120114401 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes: a rotating fixing body including a resistance heating layer disposed throughout an entire periphery; and a pressure-applying member pressed against an outer peripheral surface of the rotating fixing body to form a fixing nip. The rotating fixing body further includes: a pair of electrodes each of which is a layer disposed along a different one of edges of the resistance heating layer throughout an entire periphery; and a pair of resistor layers each of which is disposed between the resistance heating layer and a different one of the electrodes. An inner edge of each resistor layer is positioned at a location corresponding to or axially more inwardly of an inner edge of the electrode. The resistor layers are higher in volume resistivity than the electrodes. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120113486 | IMAGE READER - A control unit | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120113480 | FLAT DISPLAY DEVICE, DISPLAY CONTROL METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH DISPLAY CONTROL PROGRAM - A flat display device that can be placed on an image reading apparatus includes: a display surface to display an image; a light detection portion provided on the display surface to detect light; a read region detection portion to, if scanning light emitted by the image reading apparatus is detected by the light detection portion, determine a read region in the display surface based on the detected scanning light; and a display control portion to display an image in the determined read region in the display surface. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120113470 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS, AND RECORDING MEDIUM RECORDED WITH CONTROL PROGRAM FOR INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS - When an input of a setting execution instruction of test printing at the setting screen is accepted, a setting screen of finalized printing differing from the test printing is displayed at the display. When an input of a setting execution instruction at the setting screen of finalized printing is accepted, a first print job including first print data that is a version of image data converted based on an input of a setting execution instruction of test printing is generated. The generated first print job is transmitted to an image formation apparatus through a transmitter. After the first print job is transmitted, a second print job including second print data that is a version of image data converted based on an input of a setting execution instruction of finalized printing is generated. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120108411 | SHEET EJECTING DEVICE - A sheet ejecting device for ejecting printed sheets to a stacker one by one, the sheet ejecting device including a pair of ejection rollers; a strengthener, located in a sheet ejection route, for providing a force for a sheet; a bender, arranged to be capable of advancing into and retreating from the sheet ejection route, for canceling out the force provided for the sheet by the strengthener; a driver for moving the bender to advance into and retreat from the sheet ejection route; a sensor for detecting a currently ejected sheet; and a controller for controlling the driver based on a signal sent from the sensor so that the bender can cancel out the force provided for the sheet by the strengthener. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120107741 | ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE IMAGE DEVELOPING TONER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - Provided is a method of manufacturing toner by which the toner capable of forming high quality images and reproducing high density gradation, which exhibits an excellent high-temperature offsetting property together with excellent low-temperature fixability, and provides appropriate gloss with respect to images to be formed, can be stably prepared; and also provided is the toner. After conducting a step in which particles made of at least a crystalline polyester resin are coagulated to form core coagulated particles, and an unsaturated amorphous polyester resin particle is attached onto the surface of each of the core coagulated particles to form core-shell type coagulated particles, radical polymerization reaction is conducted by acting a radical polymerization initiator on the foregoing core-shell type coagulated particles to conduct a step in which a layer made of a crosslinking amorphous polyester resin is formed on the surface of each of the core coagulated particles. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120107028 | INDUCTION HEATING UNIT, FIXING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A magnetizing coil and a demagnetizing coil are disposed in a fixing apparatus that uses electromagnetic induction to heat a conductive heat-producing rotating body and thermally fixes a toner image onto a recording sheet in one of a plurality of sizes. The magnetizing coil is arranged along the outer surface of the rotating body and heats the rotating body through electromagnetic induction heating. The demagnetizing coil is arranged in partially-overlapping proximity to the magnetizing coil and suppresses overheating in a non-sheet-passing region of the rotating body by partially canceling out the flux produced by the magnetizing coil when fixing is performed on a small sheet. The demagnetizing coil is a coil pattern printed on a flexible substrate, and the wire width thereof is wider than the inter-wire distance of neighboring portions of the wire. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120106986 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, TONER CONTAINER USED IN THE SAME, AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING SUITABILITY OF TONER CONTAINER - An image forming apparatus is configured to receive supply of toner from a toner container. The toner container contains the toner and is rotated to supply the toner. The image forming apparatus includes a developer, a container mountable unit, a toner detector, a rotation counter, and a controller. The developer develops an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier using the toner. To the container mountable unit, the toner container is exchangeably mounted. The toner detector detects an amount of the toner supplied from the toner container. The rotation counter counts a number of rotations of the toner container during the supply of the toner. The controller determines whether the toner container is suitable for the image forming apparatus based on a result of detection by the toner detector and based on a result of counting by the rotation counter. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105909 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM - An image processing apparatus includes an execution portion configured to execute a job, a providing portion configured to provide a Web page in response to a request, a determination portion configured to determine a time-out period, which is a period during which a response from the providing portion to the request is acceptable, depending on conditions of a job that is being executed by the execution portion and conditions of a job that waits to be executed by the execution portion, and a management portion configured to manage execution of a process by the execution portion and a process by the providing portion in such a manner that the former is executed before the latter. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105897 | PRINTING SYSTEM - A printing system that performs printout based on encrypted, submitted data includes a printing apparatus including a decrypting unit that decrypts the submitted data; and an editing apparatus that accepts an editing operation to be performed on the submitted data. The editing apparatus transmits an execution instruction for performing a process of creating an image for editing used for the editing operation, to the printing apparatus. In response to the execution instruction, the printing apparatus performs a process on an image obtained by decrypting the submitted data using the decrypting unit, and thereby creates a non-equivalent decrypted image as the image for editing, and transmits the non-equivalent decrypted image to the editing apparatus, the non-equivalent decrypted image being a decrypted image non-equivalent to a printed material related to the submitted data. The editing apparatus displays the non-equivalent decrypted image as the image for editing. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120104689 | SHEET DISCHARGING TRAY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM PROVIDED THEREWITH - A sheet discharging tray device includes: a discharging section from which a sheet is discharged; a discharging tray on which the sheet discharged from the discharging section is stacked sequentially; a tray drive section which drives the discharging tray in a tray shift direction that is perpendicular to a sheet discharging direction from the discharging section with reference to a sheet surface; a controller which conducts a tray shift operation that shifts a position of the discharging tray under a condition of the number of sheets stacked on the discharging tray, and a sheet detection section which detects an alignment deviation in the tray shift direction. The controller changes an operation status of the discharging tray when a tray shift operation is conducted and changes a discharging operation of a sheet to the discharging tray, based on a detected result of the sheet detection section. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120100478 | ELECTROSTATIC IMAGE DEVELOPING TONER AND PRODUCING METHOD OF THE SAME - A method of producing an electrostatic image developing toner comprising toner particles comprising a binder resin containing at least a non-crystalline polyester resin having a crosslinking structure and a crystalline polyester resin, the method comprising the steps of (a-1) preparing a crystalline polyester resin particle aqueous dispersion liquid; (a-2) preparing a polymerizable unsaturated non-crystalline polyester resin aqueous dispersion liquid; (b) preparing crosslinking non-crystalline polyester resin particles by adding a radical polymerization initiator to the aqueous dispersion liquid of particles containing the non-crystalline polyester resin having a polymerizable unsaturated bond; (c) preparing core particles by aggregating at least the particles containing the crystalline polyester resin in an aqueous medium; and (d) preparing a shell layer containing the non-crystalline polyester resin having a crosslinking structure by fusing the particles containing the non-crystalline polyester resin having a crosslinking structure on surfaces of the core particles in an aqueous medium. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120099158 | DATA PROCESSING DEVICE AND DATA PROCESSING METHOD - A data processing device for incorporating one or more scanned data files generated by an image scanning device for storage into a file in a specified format (e.g. an Excel file) equipped with a plurality of display areas (e.g. spreadsheets), which is capable of receiving user's designation of one of the display areas to which each of the scanned data files is allocated to (S | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120099152 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - A tandem-type image forming system comprises: a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected in series, the image forming apparatuses which respectively perform image formation on sides of a sheet, thereby performing a job, the image forming apparatuses including: a first image forming apparatus; and a second image forming apparatus provided upper than the first image forming apparatus in a sheet conveying direction, wherein the first image forming apparatus includes: a controlling section which controls transmission of image data generated based on printing data of the job received by the first image forming apparatus to the second image forming apparatus, and the second image forming apparatus includes: a controlling section which controls feeding of a sheet on which the image formation is performed based on the image data received from the first image forming apparatus. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120099151 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming system includes a first image forming apparatus located upstream and a second image forming apparatus located downstream in a sheet conveying direction to perform a both-side printing operation. The system further includes a control section for judging whether a predetermined processing step serving as a judgment criterion has been completed with respect to an image to be formed on a subsequent sheet in each of the apparatuses, and for performing a control to start image forming operation on the subsequent sheet when judging that the predetermined processing step has been completed, and a processing step serving as the judgment criterion for the image to be formed in the second image forming apparatus is located in a step prior to a processing step serving as the judgment criterion for the image to be formed in the first image forming apparatus. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120099136 | LOG INFORMATION MANAGEMENT APPARATUS FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, WHICH MANAGES JOB HISTORY PERFORMED BY USER - A log information management apparatus acquires a card ID from an IC card to set a remaining processing flag to the IC card. The log information management apparatus determines whether the remaining processing flag is set to the IC card before the remaining processing flag is set after the card ID is acquired. The log information management apparatus cause an image forming apparatus to perform a job, and causes a storage device to store a job history based on completion of the performance of the job. The log information management apparatus writes a job history relating to the card ID in the IC card in which the remaining processing flag is determined to be set. The log information management apparatus releases the remaining processing flag after writing the job history. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120098917 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is an image forming apparatus to form an image by scanning with a light beam through a polygon mirror, having a motor drive section to rotate and drive the polygon mirror based on a polygon drive clock pulse and an image processing section capable of adjusting image magnification through image processing, and a control section to control that at least image magnification adjustment by changing revolution of the polygon mirror or image magnification adjustment through the image processing in the image processing section is selected in accordance with an output form of the image when the image magnification is adjusted. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120095129 | RESIN COMPOSITION - Disclosed is a resin composition comprising (A) a polyester resin or a polycarbonate resin, (B) a polyethylene resin, (C) an aromatic compound other than the polyester resin and the polycarbonate resin, the aromatic compound having a residual carbon rate of not less than 20% by mass, and (D) a flame retardant, wherein the polyethylene resin is dispersed as crystal particles in the resin composition, and the content of the polyethylene resin crystal particles having a major axis diameter of 0.1 to 10 μm and an aspect ratio of 1 to 10 is not less than 60% by number based on the total polyethylene resin crystal particle number. The resin composition has high mechanical strength and excellent non-flammability | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120094229 | TONER FOR ELECTROSTATIC LATENT IMAGE DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREOF - A toner comprising toner particles containing a binder resin comprising a crystalline polyester resin, a non-crystalline polyester resin and an acryl resin having a cross-link structure, and the acryl resin having a cross-link structure has a cross-link site derived from a crosslinking agent represented by the following formula (1): | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120094227 | TONER FOR DEVELOPING ELECTROSTATIC LATENT IMAGE - A toner for developing an electrostatic latent image is disclosed, the toner being composed of toner particles which comprises toner mother particles containing a binding resin having a hydrophilic polar group, a coloring agent and a releasing agent, and an external additive, wherein a mass of Na atoms in a neighborhood of surface of the toner particles measured by the measuring method described below is 50 to 750μg in 1 g of toner particles. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120093613 | BOOKBINDING APPARATUS AND BOOKBINDING SYSTEM - A bookbinding apparatus including: a stacking section for stacking sheets to form a bundle of sheets; a sheet-conveyance shifting section for conveying a sheet, or a cover sheet to become a cover of a booklet to a predetermined position; a melt tank for storing a hot-melt adhesive, and a bookbinding control section configured to execute a bookbinding mode in which a booklet is formed by coating adhesive inside the melt tank onto an edge surface of a bundle of sheets and adhering the cover sheet to the edge surface, onto which the adhesive has been coated, of the bundle of sheets, and an adhesive discharging mode in which the adhesive inside the melt tank is discharged outside the melt tank. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120093537 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PERFORMING CONTROL OF CHANGING TARGETS OF POWER SUPPLY FROM CHARGING DEVICE - An image forming apparatus includes a charging device for performing charging and discharging using a power storage device, and a plurality of loads each serving as a target of power supply from said charging device and being used in operation of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus obtains information about an operation status of the image forming apparatus and sets priorities for being a target of power supply from the charging device for the plurality of loads, according to the obtained information. The image forming apparatus controls power supply operation of the charging device according to the information about the remaining capacity of the power storage device and the set priorities. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120093536 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - An image forming system of a series-connected tandem configuration includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected in series, and when a job in a both-side mode in which images are formed on both sides of a sheet is executed, one of the image forming apparatuses forms an image on one side of the sheet, and an image forming apparatus different from the image forming apparatus forming the image on the one side forms an image on the other side of the sheet. The image forming system comprising a control section for managing execution of a job of each of the image forming apparatuses, receiving an execution reservation of each of a plurality of jobs, managing the received jobs as reservation jobs, selecting a reservation job for which the image forming apparatuses operate concurrently among the reservation jobs, and preferentially executing the selected reservation job. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120093527 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus including an image carrier, a developing device which uses a developer including a toner and a carrier and to develop the electrostatic latent image and forms a visible toner image, plural toner supplying devices each of which supplies the toner in which mass ratio of an additive against the toner is different, and a control section which controls a ratio of a toner supplying amount to be supplied from each of the plural toner supplying devices, under a condition that toner consumption per a single print is low, the control section is configured to increase the toner supplying ratio of the toner including a high ratio of the additive, and under a condition that the toner consumption per the single print is high, the control section is configured to decrease the toner supplying ratio of the toner including a high ratio of the additive. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120092715 | IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM WITH EASE OF OPERATION - The position and orientation at a time of shooting by a shooting unit of a portable terminal is transmitted to an information processing apparatus. Based on the transmitted position and orientation of the portable terminal and the stored position of an image processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus extracts an image processing apparatus from the shot image and transmits information about the extracted image processing apparatus to the portable terminal. The portable terminal combines the shot image with an option for selecting a function available in the image processing apparatus and displays the combined image on a display unit, based on the information transmitted from the information processing apparatus. When selection of a function is accepted, a screen for operating the selected function is displayed on the display unit of the portable terminal. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120092691 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, INFORMATION DEVICE, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM - An image forming apparatus connected to an information processing apparatus over a network is provided. When being accessed from the information processing apparatus, the image forming apparatus obtains user information on a user of the information processing apparatus and device information on a functional configuration of the information processing apparatus from data received through communication involved in the access, and stores the user information and the device information. When the operator using an operating panel to operate the image forming apparatus corresponds to the user, the image forming apparatus makes settings a function thereof to be provided to the operator in such a manner that the function is made similar to a function of the information processing apparatus indicated in the device information. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120087690 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed is a tandem-type image forming system performing single-sided printing and double-sided printing on a sheet, the image forming system including: a first image forming apparatus; and a second image forming apparatus connected with the first image forming apparatus in series, wherein when the single-sided printing is performed, either the first image forming apparatus or the second image forming apparatus performs printing on a sheet, and when the double-sided printing is performed, both the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus performs the printing on a sheet, the image forming system further including: a control section which controls a sheet-passing image forming apparatus which is either the first image forming apparatus or the second image forming apparatus, and does not perform the printing but performs sheet-passing in the single-sided printing. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086964 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - Disclosed is an image processing apparatus, comprising: a control section including a plurality of operation units; and a nonvolatile storage section to store a program to execute analysis processing and rendering processing by a control of the control section, the analysis processing analyzing page description language format data to generate intermediate language format data by the band, and the rendering processing generating rendering data based on the generated intermediate language format data, wherein the control section assigns the operation units the analysis and rendering processing to be executed, based on the stored program, wherein at least one of the operation units is capable of executing the analysis and rendering processing, and wherein when the operation unit is executing one of the analysis and rendering processing, and when an event which suspends the processing being executed occurs, the operation unit executes the other processing. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086960 | COLOR MATERIAL AMOUNT CONTROL METHOD AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR LIMITING AN AMOUNT OF THE COLOR MATERIAL TO BE USED FOR IMAGE FORMATION - A color material amount control method having the steps of: setting a weighting factor of each color material to be used for image formation; and for each pixel, obtaining a color material amount summation by product sum of color material amount and the weighting factor of each color material, obtaining a required reduction amount for the color material amount summation from a predetermined target limit value with respect to the color material amount summation, and correcting the color material amount for each color material so as to reduce the required reduction amount from the color material amount summation. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120085411 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT AND SOLAR CELL - Provided is a photoelectric conversion element containing at least: a semiconductor layer containing a semiconductor and a dye which is supported by the semiconductor, and a hole transport layer containing a hole transport compound, wherein the dye is a compound represented by Formula (1), and the hole transport compound is a polymer made from 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene: | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120082493 | METHOD OF GLOSSY IMAGE FORMATION - A method of forming a glossy image is disclosed, comprising the steps of (a) forming a clear toner particle layer with clear toner particles on an image support, (b) heating and pressing the clear toner particle layer formed on the image support, while bringing the surface of the clear toner particle layer into contact with a belt, and (c) cooling the clear toner particle layer to form a clear toner layer, wherein the clear toner particles contain a binder resin and a releasing agent and exhibit a heat quantity of fusion of not less than 3.0 J/g and not more than 9.5 J/g, and the clear toner particles meeting the following requirement: | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120082486 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a developing device that allows a developer to be retained on a developer carrier having a magnet member equipped with a plurality of magnetic poles mounted on an inner periphery thereof and rotates the developer carrier to deliver the developer to an image carrier and that forms a toner image by supplying the toner of the developer to the image carrier by applying a developing bias voltage from a bias voltage source between the developer carrier and the image carrier; a transfer device for transferring the toner image formed on the image carrier to a transfer receiving material; a toner recovery device for recovering the toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier after the transfer of the toner image; and a toner return device for returning to the developing device the toner recovered by the toner recovery device. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120082474 | FIXING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS IN WHICH TEMPERATURE OF HEATING ROTATING MEMBER IS DETECTED IN NON-CONTACT MANNER - In a fixing apparatus, a first detection portion detects a temperature of an atmosphere (a first detected temperature) attained by heat conduction from a heating rotating member for fixing a toner image on a sheet of paper by heating, at a position above the heating rotating member. A second detection portion detects a quantity of infrared rays radiated from the heating rotating member, to thereby detect a temperature at a position below the heating rotating member. A heating portion heats the heating rotating member. A control portion controls heating by the heating portion based on a second detected temperature corresponding to the quantity of infrared rays and the first detected temperature. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081732 | INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, SETTING ITEM SETTING METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH SETTING ITEM SETTING PROGRAM - An information processing system includes a peripheral device at least having a printer function and an information processing apparatus controlling the peripheral device. The peripheral device includes: a display portion; a process execution portion to execute prescribed processing; a storage portion to store user-specific data; and a metadata return portion to refer to the user-specific data in response to reception of a metadata request from the information processing apparatus and to extract and return metadata associated with user identification information included in the received metadata request. The information processing apparatus includes: a first authentication portion to authenticate a user; an execution portion to execute an execution application selected from a plurality of application programs; a metadata request portion to transmit a metadata request; and a reference setting portion to set whether to display a plurality of execution setting items that can be set in the execution application program. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120077116 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTORECEPTOR AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An organic photoreceptor comprising a cylindrical support having thereon at least a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer, the cylindrical support having a corrugation processing profile along a central axis direction of the cylindrical support provided on a circumferential surface of the cylindrical support, wherein the corrugation processing profile meets Formula 1: | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076618 | POST-PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - A sheet finisher which binds a booklet by adhering a cover sheet to a sheet bundle composed of plurality of sheets with adhesive, includes: a coating section which coats adhesive to a spine of the sheet bundle; an adhesive container which stores the adhesive to be supplied to the coating section; a heating section which heats the adhesive stored in the adhesive container to melt the adhesive; and a degradation judging section which judges whether the adhesive stored in the adhesive container is degraded by the heating of the heating section or not. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076616 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM HAVING RING BINDING FUNCTION - An image forming system including a control section provides control in such a way that, the ring binder of the size determined for the first set of copies is adopted so that ring binding is performed for a second set of copies or copies thereafter in a case of executing a job for ring binding of a plurality of copies. When at least one of a status change in the sheet feed section, a main power source being turned off, or a change in a job ticket is occurred from a suspension to a resumption of the job, since the thickness of a bundle of sheets may change, the thickness measuring section is caused to measure the thickness of the bundle in a first set of copies subsequent to resumption. And the control section judges continuation or suspension of a job. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076564 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING PREREGISTRATION MECHANISM - A first conveyance path is a path for conveying paper from a paper feed unit to a registration roller. Passage of paper on the first conveyance path is detected by a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor detects passage of paper upstream from the second sensor. A second conveyance path is connected to the first conveyance path downstream from a detection position of the second sensor. In response to the first sensor detecting passage of paper, first preregistration correction is performed. In response to the second sensor detecting passage of paper, second preregistration correction is performed. If a first sheet of paper is supplied from the paper feed unit, the first preregistration correction is performed on a second sheet of paper conveyed following the first sheet. If the first sheet is conveyed from the second conveyance path, the second preregistration correction is performed on the second sheet. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076521 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS - A fixing device for fixing an unfixed toner image on a recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through a fixing nip and applying heat and pressure to the recording sheet, the fixing device comprising: a heater including a resistance heater part and a supporting member, the resistance heater part having a positive resistance-temperature characteristic in a temperature range above a predetermined level, and the supporting member being insulative and supporting the resistance heater part such that the resistance heater part applies heat to the recording sheet; a current detector detecting a current supplied to the resistance heater part; and an abnormality determiner determining whether the resistance heater part has an abnormality, based on an initial current detected by the current detector at a predetermined time after a beginning of power supply to the resistance heater part and before the temperature of the resistance heater part reaches the predetermined level. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120076510 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - An image forming apparatus including: an image formation section for forming a toner image based on image data on a recording medium; a first fixing device for fixing the toner image formed by the image formation section; an accommodation section for storing the first fixing device or a second fixing device having different specifications than those of the first fixing device; and a peripheral member arranged on the periphery of the accommodation section to operate synchronously with the first fixing device or second fixing device; wherein, when the first fixing device accommodated in the accommodation section has been replaced by the second fixing device, a status of the peripheral member is switched in conformity to specifications of the second fixing device. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075651 | MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - Disclose is a management system in which a reason why the user has selected an image forming apparatus that is currently in the power saving mode can be analyzed. The management system includes: plural image forming apparatuses, each of which is provided with a normal consumption mode and a power saving mode; a communication network through which the image forming apparatuses are communicatively coupled to each other; and a storage section that serves as a part of a management server coupled to the communication network or is included in at least one of the image forming apparatuses or another apparatus coupled to the communication network. When one of the image forming apparatuses resumes the normal consumption mode from the power saving mode to implement a job, the storage section acquires information in regard to an operating status of the other image forming apparatus so as to store the information therein. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075311 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING INFORMATION ON SCREEN - An image forming apparatus includes an operation panel serving as a display apparatus and an input apparatus for accepting a request for performing processing and a control unit for controlling display on the operation panel. The control unit performs determination processing for determining whether a time period required for the processing requested to be performed is predictable or not, provides animation display by continuously displaying two or more windows relating to the processing when it is determined that the time period required for the processing is predictable, and provides pop-up display by displaying one window relating to the processing when it is determined that the time period required for the processing is not predictable. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120074639 | SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet feeding apparatus which includes: a sheet loading tray for stacking sheets; a suction and conveyance section placed above stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and sucks and conveys a sheet in the sheet conveying direction; an air blowing section which blows air at the stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and causes the sheet to float up; a skew correction section which is provided with a pair of conveyance rollers, and corrects a skew of the sheet being conveyed by the suction and conveyance section; and a control section which controls a force of sucking the sheet, wherein the control section changes the force of sucking the sheet from a first level to a second level that is lower than the first level, before a leading edge of the sheet butts against a pair of conveyance rollers of the skew correction section. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120073661 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT AND SOLAR CELL - Provided is a photoelectric conversion element composed of a highly durable sensitizing dye, exhibiting high photoelectric conversion efficiency, and also a solar cell fitted with the photoelectric conversion element. A photoelectric conversion element comprising a substrate provided thereon a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer having a semiconductor and a sensitizing dye, a charge transporting layer and a second electrode, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer comprising a compound represented by Formula (1), Formula (1): R | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120072888 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, LOGGING METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH LOGGING PROGRAM - An information processing apparatus includes an application executing portion which executes an application program, a setting portion which sets whether to keep a log of the application program executed by the application executing portion, and a logging portion which, in the case where it has been set to keep the log by the setting portion, keeps a log of the application program executed, wherein the logging portion includes a determination portion which determines whether the execution of the application program is assured externally, and a forced logging portion which keeps a log of the application program executed, in the case where it is determined that the execution of the application program is not assured externally, even if it has been set not to keep the log by the setting portion. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120070215 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus comprises: a pair of first sheet ejecting rollers and a pair of second sheet ejecting rollers that eject a sheet on which an image is formed; a guide member that guides the sheet to the pair of first sheet ejecting rollers or the pair of second sheet ejecting rollers; a controller that performs control so that, while a sheet that is to be ejected by the pair of first sheet ejecting rollers onto an ejected-sheet tray is being held by the pair of first sheet ejecting rollers in a stopped state, the pair of second sheet ejecting rollers is in a stopped state and hold an immediately subsequent sheet above the ejected-sheet tray; and a fan that moves air toward the sheet held by the pair of first sheet ejecting rollers and the immediately subsequent sheet held by the pair of second sheet ejecting rollers. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120070194 | Developing Device and Image Forming Apparatus - Developing device supplying developer to developing roller, while causing developer to circulate in passage including first and second conveying passages in parallel, and while ejecting part of developer to outside via ejection passage formed as extension of first conveying passage on downstream side in developer conveying direction, developing roller being provided along first conveying passage. Developing device includes: first communication path provided as branch of first conveying passage on downstream side, allowing first passage to communicate with second passage; first conveying part conveying developer in first passage toward first communication path; and entrance allowance unit allowing developer to enter ejection passage from first passage depending on pressure of developer in first passage, first conveying part including main and sub-conveying parts, main conveying part being provided in region corresponding to roller, sub-conveying part, provided downstream of main conveying part, conveying smaller amount of developer per unit time than main conveying part. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120070179 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, including an upper section including an image forming section to form an image on a recording sheet, a lower section arranged below the upper section including a sheet supplying tray to stack a plurality of recording sheets, a partitioning body to separate the upper section and the lower section in a vertical direction, wherein the lower section includes a dehumidification device to heat the inside of the lower section and to dehumidify the recording sheets stacked on the sheet supplying tray, the partitioning body includes a first shielding member to shield a bottom portion of the upper section, a second shielding member separated from the first shielding member to shield a top portion of the lower section, a clearance formed between the first shielding member and the second shielding member, and an air blowing section to blow air into the clearance. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069396 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, DISPLAY METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM STORING DISPLAY PROGRAM - An image forming apparatus is provided that includes a display, a memory storing a plurality of functions in such a manner that associates the functions each with one of a plurality of categories, and a controller for causing the display to array and display objects representing respective functions that are a part of a plurality of functions. In response to a command to change the displayed objects, the controller changes the displayed objects on category basis. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069394 | PULL PRINTING SYSTEM, METHOD FOR PROCESSING PRINT JOB, PULL PRINTING SERVER, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM - In a pull printing system, a plurality of information devices configured to create print jobs individually, a pull printing server, and a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to one another via a network. Each of the information devices acquires, from the pull printing server, port information used for communication with the image forming apparatuses, stores the port information therein. If the pull printing server can perform communication with the subject information device at a time point when the port information is stored and onward, each of the information devices sends a print job created after the time point to the pull printing server. Otherwise, each of the information devices sends the print job to any one of the image forming apparatuses based on the port information. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069380 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, DISPLAY CONTROL METHOD, AND A NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH DISPLAY CONTROL PROGRAM - An image forming apparatus includes a communication portion to communicate with a portable information device, an operation accepting portion into which an operation by a user is inputted, a display portion to display an image, an operation screen transmission portion to transmit, in response to a request being received from the portable information device, an operation screen corresponding to the request received among a plurality of operation screens for accepting an operation to the portable information device via the communication portion, and a display control portion to display at the display portion in response to transmission of the operation screen an operation unnecessary image which does not require the user to input an operation into the operation accepting portion. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069377 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS DISPLAYING KEY FOR SETTING ITS OWN FUNCTION - An image processing apparatus implements a plurality of functions and includes a display device. The plurality of functions include a function belonging to a first group and a function belonging to a second group. A selection accepting unit accepts selection of any of the first group and the second group. A first display control unit causes the display device to display on a display screen, a plurality of first keys corresponding to respective functions belonging to the first group, regardless of which of the first group and the second group has been selected. A second display control unit causes, when the second group is selected, the display device to display in a second region of the display screen other than a first region where the first keys are displayed, second keys corresponding to respective functions belonging to the second group. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069373 | Image Formation Apparatus, Display Method, And Computer Readable Recording Medium Storing Display Program - An image formation apparatus is configured to display a category object indicating each of a plurality of categories in a selectable manner, accept selection of a first category among the plurality of categories, display a function object indicating each of functions corresponding to the selected first category among the plurality of functions in a selectable manner, accepting a setting related to a first function among functions corresponding to the first category, determining whether the setting of a second function corresponding to a second category other than the first category has changed or not in response to a setting entered related to the first function, and when a setting of the second function corresponding to the second category has changed, displaying information indicating that the setting of the second function has changed. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069371 | IMAGE INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM - An image information processing apparatus including an operating panel on which an operating screen is displayed is provided. The image information processing apparatus includes a storage to store, therein, a first type application and a second type application. The first type application implements a process that includes capturing information from the image information processing apparatus or an external device. The second type application implements a process excluding the capturing. The image information processing apparatus also includes a determination portion to determine, when an information device capable of displaying the operating screen is communicably connected to the image information processing apparatus, whether or not the information device corresponds to a predetermined operational device, and a program transfer portion to download the first type application onto the predetermined operational device, and to download the second type application onto the information device not corresponding to the predetermined operational device. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069364 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING PLURALITY OF SCREENS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SAME, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image processing apparatus includes a display unit and a control unit. The control unit displays, on the display unit, a first window for inputting a setting concerned with a plurality of functions. Further, the control unit stepwisely displays at least a portion of a second window over the first window in a manner corresponding to a type of the second window when the first window is displayed, the second window being for inputting a setting concerned with the plurality of functions. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120066743 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, SCREEN TRANSMITTING METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH SCREEN TRANSMITTING PROGRAM - An information processing apparatus includes a storing portion, an authentication portion to authenticate a user using one of the one or more user apparatuses on the basis of identification information received from the user apparatus; a selecting portion to select, as main data, a piece of data from among one or more pieces of data stored in a presentation area which is a predetermined one of the plurality of storage areas; a screen generating portion to generate an access screen including an image of the selected main data; an access detecting portion to detect an access to the presentation area; and a screen transmitting portion, when the access detecting portion detects an access to the presentation area by the authenticated user, to transmit the generated access screen to the one of the one or more user apparatuses that is used by the authenticated user. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120064454 | PRODUCING METHOD OF TONER FOR DEVELOPING STATIC IMAGE - A method of producing a toner comprising toner particles containing a binder resin composed of a non-crystalline polyester resin having a crosslinking structure and a crystalline polyester resin is disclosed, the method comparing steps of;
| 03-15-2012 |
| 20120064350 | INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER BELT, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER BELT - An intermediate transfer belt for use in an image forming apparatus of an electro-photographing type, includes a substrate; and a surface-cured layer provided on the substrate; wherein the surface-cured layer contains a reaction product of at least an active energy ray curable monomer, reactive metal oxide particles, and a graft copolymer of a polymerizable fluorine resin and a polymerizable siloxane. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063822 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED THEREWITH - A fixing device includes: a heating section which heats a recording material; a pressing section which presses the recording material toward the heating section; a separation claw which separates the recording material from the heating section or the pressing section; a fixing unit moving section which reciprocates the heating section, the pressing section and the separation claw in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording material; and a separation claw moving section which reciprocates the separation claw in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, wherein the separation claw moving section moves the separation claw toward a direction opposite to a moving direction toward which the heating section, the pressing section and the separation claw move in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063821 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes: a fixing belt which is supported by one or more rollers; and a fixing roller which is in pressed contact with at least one of the rollers across the fixing belt, wherein the fixing roller includes a core portion which is rotatably provided, an elastic portion which covers the core portion so as to form a cylindrical shape with a rotation axis of the core portion being defined as a center, and a release portion which covers a cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the elastic portion, and an end of the elastic portion in a direction along the rotation axis and an end of the release portion in the direction along the rotation axis project from an end of the core portion, in the direction along the rotation axis, at a part where the core portion and the elastic portion are in contact with each other. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063801 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS DISPLAYING GUIDANCE IMAGE - In an image forming apparatus, an image is formed on a sheet, a guidance image for guiding an operation procedure is displayed, and a state of the image forming apparatus related to the operation procedure is detected. In the image forming apparatus, a supplemental image for indicating a difference between the operation procedure displayed by the guidance image and an operation procedure required in the detected state is displayed together with the guidance image. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063793 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING CLEANING BLADE - An image forming apparatus includes photoconductors capable of carrying toner images of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), developing rollers capable of developing toner images of Y, M, C, and K, and a blade for removing toner adhering to each of the developing rollers. The photoconductors are driven in synchronization with each other when at least one of the developing rollers develops a toner image. When a print job of a monochrome image is accepted and if there is a likelihood of damage to the blade, at least one of the developing rollers adheres toner to at least one of the driven photoconductors during execution of the print job. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063688 | IMAGE SEARCH APPARATUS, IMAGE SCANNING APPARATUS, IMAGE SEARCH SYSTEM, DATABASE CREATION METHOD, AND DATABASE CREATION PROGRAM - An image search apparatus capable of communicating with an image scanning apparatus includes: a common area extraction portion to compare a plurality of registration images stored in the storage portion and to extract a common area including an identical or similar image among a plurality of registration images; a search area determination portion to determine a non-common area excluding the common area, as a search area; a transmission request portion to request transmission of a document image if, as a result of comparison by the comparison portion, a registration image in which the reference image is identical or similar to the partial image does not exist in the plurality of registration images; and a registration portion to, in response to a request by the transmission request portion, store a document image received from the image scanning apparatus as a registration image into the storage portion. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062947 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, DISPLAY CONTROL METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH DISPLAY CONTROL PROGRAM - An image forming apparatus includes: a communication portion to communicate with a portable information device; an operation accepting portion to accept an operation by a user; an operation state switching portion to switch an operation state between an operating state showing a state in which a user is inputting an operation to the operation accepting portion and a non-operating state that is not the operating state; a display portion to display an image; an operation screen transmission portion to, in response to a request being received from the portable information device when an operation state is being switched to the non-operating state, transmit an operation screen corresponding to the received request to the portable information device through the communication portion; and a display control portion to, in response to transmission of the operation screen, display an image different from the operation screen on the display portion. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062925 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - Disclosed is an image forming system including: a plurality of image forming apparatuses provided in a series so that each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses form an image on a sheet of paper, wherein the plurality of image forming apparatuses each include: an image forming section; and a control section which, when a predetermined adjustment condition occurs, stops an image forming operation, performs a predetermined adjustment, resumes the image forming operation after the adjustment is complete, and performs a notification that the adjustment is performed to the other image forming apparatus when the adjustment is performed, and when there is a notification that the adjustment is performed from the other image forming apparatus, the control section stops the driving of the image forming section and puts the image forming section in a driving stopped state while the adjustment is performed in the other image forming apparatus. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062683 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus having: a light source for emitting a beam; a deflector for deflecting the beam; a light receiving element for receiving the beam and generating a detection signal; a converter for converting electric potentials of the detection signal into data values and generating time data associated with the data values; and a first calculator for calculating a position of center of the beam from the data values and the time data. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060927 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT AND SOLAR CELL - The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion element exhibiting excellent photoelectric conversion efficiency and excellent stability in photoelectric conversion function; a method of manufacturing the photoelectric conversion element; and a solar cell thereof in order to solve the current problems. Disclosed is a photoelectric conversion element possessing a substrate and provided thereon, a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer containing a semiconductor and a sensitizing dye, a hole transport layer and a second electrode, wherein the hole transport layer possesses a polymer having a repeating unit represented by Formula (1) or Formula (2): | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120057913 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A control section controls the rotation of a registration roller that corrects the skew of a sheet and conveys the sheet, and the rotation of a loop forming roller which forms a loop of the sheet, as well as the nipping and releasing of the nip of the loop forming roller: This control section controls so that the sheet with a loop formed between the registration roller and loop forming roller is conveyed downstream in the sheet conveyance direction, and the sheet is released from the nipping of the loop forming roller during the conveyance. This control section further controls so that the total number of rotations of the registration roller from the start of sheet conveyance till releasing of the sheet from nipping of the loop forming roller is kept at a prescribed total number of rotations preset in conformance to the paper type. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057201 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - Disclosed is an image forming system including a series tandem configuration in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses are linked and the plurality of image forming apparatuses each form an image of a different printing face to perform a job, the system including: a storage section which is provided in each of the image forming apparatuses and which stores job data and image data regarding all pages of the job; and a control section which is provided in each of the image forming apparatuses, and which reads out job data and image data of an already performed job from the storage section, and performs control of performing the job again based on the read out job data and image data. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057186 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR MANAGING IMAGE DATA, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM - An image forming apparatus is provided with a mass storage that stores a file of an image read with a scanner in association with a file name for distinguishing the file from other files, a file search portion that carries out a search for files of images containing a keyword specified by a user, and a file name updating portion that updates a file name of a file selected, by the user, from among files found out by the search to the keyword. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120045718 | CYAN TONER FOR DEVELOPING ELECTROSTATIC IMAGE - Disclosed is a cyan toner for developing an electrostatic image containing a cyan colorant, and the cyan colorant comprises colorant compound X represented by Formula (1) and colorant compound Y represented by Formula (2). | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120045240 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device including a fixing rotational body and fixing images on sheets of various sizes, comprising: a main excitation coil heating the rotational body by electromagnetic induction and having an effective heating length L | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120044534 | NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM STORED WITH PRINTER DRIVER UPDATING PROGRAM AND PRINTER DRIVER UPDATING METHOD - The printer driver updating program according to the invention causes a computer to execute a process comprising steps of confirming printer drivers for various different operating systems existing in the computer, acquiring versions of the printer drivers whose existences are confirmed, selecting an appropriate updating method corresponding to the acquired versions, and updating the printer driver according to the selected updating method. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120044531 | SETTING INFORMATION REGISTRATION APPARATUS, SETTING INFORMATION REGISTRATION METHOD THEREFOR, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - A setting information registration apparatus is provided with: a determiner which determines the target among a plurality of first image processing apparatuses connected to the setting information registration apparatus via a network and the target among setting information objects registered on the target first image processing apparatus; a setting information obtainer which obtains the target setting information object from the target first image processing apparatus; an additional information obtainer which obtains an additional information object which is associated with the target setting information object, from the target first image processing apparatus; and a register which associates the target setting information object obtained by the setting information obtainer and the additional information object obtained by the additional information obtainer with each other, and registers them on a second image processing apparatus via the network. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120044529 | PROCESSING ORDER DETERMINING APPARATUS, PROCESSING ORDER DETERMINING METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH PROCESSING ORDER DETERMINING PROGRAM - A processing order determining apparatus for managing delivery deadlines of jobs includes: a setting portion to set, for each of the jobs, two or more process steps, a process step order according to which the two or more process steps are to be executed, operators who are in charge of the respective process steps, and a delivery deadline; a remaining period calculating portion to calculate a remaining period for each of the jobs, on the basis of a period up to the delivery deadline and an expected processing period which is a sum of processing times for uncompleted process steps included therein; a job allocating portion to allocate each of the jobs to an operator who is in charge of a first uncompleted process step included therein; and a processing order determining portion to determine, for each operator, the order of one or more process target jobs in each of which the operator is in charge of a first uncompleted process step, the order being set in ascending order of the remaining period calculated for each of the process target jobs. The processing order determining portion includes a selecting portion to select one of the process target jobs that has not been assigned a rank yet and for which the calculated remaining period is the shortest, a rank assigning portion to assign a rank to the selected process target job, an updating portion to update the remaining period of each of outstanding process target jobs which have not been assigned ranks yet, to a value obtained by subtracting therefrom a process step processing time for the process step which is included in the process target job that has been assigned the rank and which is to be performed by the operator, and a rank changing portion, in the case where the process target jobs that have not been assigned ranks yet include a process target job whose updated remaining period takes a negative value, to assign the same rank as the one that had been assigned to the selected process target job to the process target job whose remaining period takes a negative value, and to cancel the rank that had been assigned to the selected process target job. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120044528 | Material Printing System for Distributing Updated Meeting Material to Participants - A material printing system includes a reference setting unit for setting any given version of material data as reference material data, among plural versions of material data concerning a particular meeting, in accordance with a user's instruction, a printing history search unit for obtaining a printing history of material data concerning the particular meeting for a participant in the particular meeting, and an operation unit for calculating the difference between material data printed by a participant in the particular meeting and the reference material data concerning the particular meeting, and a printing unit for printing differential data corresponding to the difference. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120043716 | ROTATION TRANSMISSION MECHANISM AND PAPER FEEDER - A one-way clutch is mounted on an outer periphery of a rotary shaft in a manner to place a clutch needle bearing in contact with the outer periphery of the rotary shaft. A rotary member is disposed on one side of the one-way clutch and engaged with the one-way clutch to be subjected to the rotation of the rotary shaft transmitted thereto. A retaining member is mounted on the outer periphery of the rotary shaft and located on the opposite side of the one-way clutch from the rotary member, while an urging unit is provided for urging the one-way clutch to abut against the retaining member. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120042953 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT AND SOLAR CELL - A photoelectric conversion element comprising a substrate, a first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer comprising a semiconductor and a sensitizing dye, a hole transport layer and a second electrode, wherein the hole transport layer comprises a polymer having a repeat unit represented by Formula (1) or (2), | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120039634 | TWO COMPONENT DEVELOPER STORAGE PRODUCT AND METHOD OF FILLING TWO COMPONENT DEVELOPER - A two component developer storage product to replenish a two component developer containing at least toner and carrier includes: a cylindrical container having an opening at one end thereof; a lid to close the opening; a toner layer stored in the cylindrical container; and a carrier layer stored in the cylindrical container; wherein the toner layer and the carrier layer are stacked, and the cylindrical container has a spiral projection on an inner spherical surface thereof, and is configured such that when the cylindrical container is rotated, the toner layer and the carrier layer are conveyed by the spiral projection and toner and carrier are discharged from the opening. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120034007 | SHEET MOISTURIZING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A sheet moisturizing device including paired moisturizing rollers, which are configured to be in contact with each other and to apply liquids onto a recording sheet while nipping to convey the recording sheet, wherein the paired moisturizing rollers are configured to include a mandrel, and a moisturizing layer which is formed on the mandrel and is formed of a porous body carrying independent cells which are not interconnected with each other, and a liquid supplying member which is configured to supply the liquid onto surfaces of the paired moisturizing rollers. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120032873 | MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND MANAGEMENT METHOD - Disclosed is a management apparatus, which makes it possible to use an information viewing apparatus without considering the residual amount of the buttery, provided therein. The apparatus includes: a plurality of slots to support a plurality of information viewing apparatuses, each of which is activated by an electric power fed from a buttery provided therein and is to be inserted into each of the slots in a detachable manner; and a controlling section to control the plurality of information viewing apparatuses, respectively inserted into the slots. When a predetermined information viewing apparatus is inserted into one of the plurality of slots, the controlling section moves data stored in the predetermined information viewing apparatus to another information viewing apparatus, which is currently inserted into another one of the plurality of slots, depending on a residual amount of the buttery provided in the predetermined information viewing apparatus. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120028186 | PRODUCTION METHOD OF TWO-COMPONENT DEVELOPER - Disclosed is a production method of a two-component developer for developing an electrostatic image comprising a toner and a resin coated carrier having a porous magnetic core particle and a resin coated layer, wherein the porous magnetic core particle are composed of a porous ferrite material and have pit apertures on a surface of the particle, and the method comprises steps of blocking the pit apertures of the porous magnetic core particle with rubber particles by dry mixing of the porous magnetic core particle and the rubber particles, forming the resin coated carrier by forming a resin layer on the porous magnetic core particle whose pore openings have been blocked, and mixing the resin coated carrier and the toner. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120028175 | FOIL TRANSFERRING FACE FORMING TONER AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - A method for forming an image at least comprising steps of forming an electrostatic latent image by exposing an electrophotographic photoreceptor, forming a foil transferring face by supplying a toner onto the electrophotographic photoreceptor having the electrostatic latent image, transferring the foil transferring face formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor to a base substance, fixing the foil transferring face transferred on the base substance, supplying a transfer foil to the base substance fixed with the foil transferring face, adhering the transfer foil onto the foil transferring face by heating under a condition of contacting the transfer foil with the foil transferring face; and removing the transfer foil from the base substance while leaving the foil adhered onto the foil transferring face, wherein the toner comprises a binder resin having a softening temperature in the range of from not less than 105° C. to not more than 140° C., and having a molecular weight of not less than 60,000 in a ratio of not less than 10% and not more than 30% based on the total binder resin constituting the toner. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120027424 | REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - A replacement toner cartridge management apparatus is provided with: a receiver which receives first information indicating that a toner cartridge has been replaced with a new one and second information indicating that the remaining amount of toner contained in a toner cartridge reaches a predetermined value, from one or more than one image forming apparatus which the replacement toner cartridge management apparatus can access via a communication circuit; a determiner which determines the right type of a replacement toner cartridge to be loaded in place of the toner cartridge causing the first information or the second information, depending on which is received by the receiver, the first information or the second information; and a transmitter which outputs an instruction to deliver a replacement toner cartridge of the type determined by the determiner. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120027423 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus is provided with: an obtainer which obtains first information indicating a new toner cartridge having just been loaded thereon or a toner cartridge to be replaced with a new one and second information indicating the current condition under which a fusing process is performed for image forming; a determiner which determines the right type of a replacement toner cartridge to be loaded in place of the toner cartridge causing the first information obtained by the obtainer, based on the second information also obtained by the obtainer; an output portion which outputs an instruction to deliver a replacement toner cartridge of the type determined by the determiner; a detector which detects a new toner cartridge having just been loaded thereon; and a fusing processor which performs a fusing process under the optimal condition based on the amount of the toner supplied from the detector's detected new toner cartridge which is a replacement toner cartridge delivered according to the delivery instruction outputted by the output portion. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120026689 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRIVING AND CONTROLLING FANS IN THE APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of fans; a drive part for driving each of the fans; and a controller for controlling the drive part in such a way that while the apparatus is operated, a part of the plurality of fans are stopped and the fan to be stopped is changed and the amount of change in a noise level of all the fans before and after the change of the fan to be stopped is limited to within a specified range. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120026543 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - Provided is an image processing apparatus previously storing information in which an executable output process is associated with a region on an image on which the output process is to be performed, and executing the processes of acquiring a first image, discriminating whether or not the executable output process has been performed on the first image by determining the region on the first image associated with the executable output process, and determining the executable output process discriminated as having been performed on the first image, as a setting for the output process on a second image different from the first image. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120026525 | IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING DISPLAY OF FUNCTION SETTING SCREEN, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An image processing system includes an information processing apparatus and one or a plurality of image processing apparatuses that can be connected to the information processing apparatus via a network. A function whose function set value is to be displayed on a function setting screen is identified from identifying information included in screen information made by the information processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus includes an identifying information storage part in which identifying information of a function is stored, and of the functions whose identifying information is stored, all function set values of the identified function are displayed on a display part in a mode that can be selected by a user. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120026522 | GUI-IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM, GUI-IMPLEMENTATION APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF GUI-IMPLEMENTATION - A GUI implementation program stored in a non-transitory computer readable recording medium is a program for presenting at least one page of image on a preview screen based on a printing setup for a document comprising a plurality of pages be printed, and causing a computer to execute a process comprising the steps of determining a page turning direction based on a binding position specified as the print setup, which is a position for binding said document as a printed material; and implementing a GUI to the preview screen display, the GUI comprising the page forward turning button with a form to turn a page forward as well as the page backward turning button with a form to turn a page backward, and the GUI being positioned relative to each other according to said page turning directions. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120025440 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - An image forming system includes: a ring bookbinding section which perform a ring bookbinding to a bundle of sheets by using a binder provided with a spine portion and a plurality of finger portions; and a judging section, wherein a last page is firstly fed immediately after job initiation and, subsequently after having fed the last page, image formation based on the image data is initiated, when the judging section judges that an image is not formed on the last page, and wherein all of the image data is firstly acquired completely after job initiation, subsequently the last page is fed and formed image thereon, and then image formation of remaining pages is carried out, when the judging section judges that image is formed on the last page. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120021353 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING TONER - Disclosed is a method for producing toner, comprising (1) mixing, with an aqueous medium, a resin solution of an organic solvent in which amorphous polyester resin having unsaturated dicarboxylic acid monomer units is dissolved, and forming an amorphous polyester resin particle dispersion; (2) adding a radical polymerization initiator to the amorphous polyester resin particle dispersion obtained in (1), cross-linking the amorphous polyester resin, and forming a cross-linked amorphous polyester resin particle dispersion; and (3) mixing at least the cross-linked amorphous polyester resin particle dispersion obtained in (2), with a crystalline polyester resin particle dispersion, aggregating cross-linked amorphous polyester resin particles and crystalline polyester resin particles, and forming toner particles. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120021352 | TONER MANUFACTURING METHOD - Disclosed is a manufacturing method of toner which includes at least polyester resin and colorant, comprising the steps of: (A) dissolving, into an organic solvent, the polyester resin and ultrahigh molecular weight styrene resin in which a peak is present in a range larger than 500 thousands and smaller than 3 million in a molecular weight distribution, and preparing a binder resin solution; (B) dispersing the binder resin solution as binder resin solution droplets into an aqueous medium; (C) removing the organic solvent from the binder resin solution droplets, and preparing a resin particle dispersion; and (D) aggregating resin particles from which the organic solvent is removed and colorant particles containing the colorant with each other, and forming toner particles. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120020693 | CLEANING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A cleaning device for cleaning a belt member, includes a cleaning blade; a removing member coming in contact with the surface of the belt member so as to remove foreign matter adhering on the surface of the belt member; and a contact pressure changing section to change a contact pressure between the removing member to the belt member, wherein, when the contact pressure between the removing member and a region of the belt member corresponding in position to a toner image to be not transferred to a paper sheet is made P | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120020682 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND MANAGEMENT METHOD EMPLOYED BY IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a plurality of replaceable parts and a control section which manages an accumulated amount of work of each of the parts; wherein the control section comprises reference values for replacement of each of the parts and performs, a first mode which carries out a prescribed control in case where an accumulated amount of work of any one of parts of the plurality of parts reaches one of the reference values for replacement; and, a second mode which carries out the prescribed control in case where an accumulated amount of work of a specific part of the plurality of parts reaches one of the reference values for replacement. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120019554 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR DISPLAYING POP-UP WINDOW, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM - An image processing apparatus includes a display device that displays a plurality of windows having hierarchy levels in such a manner that a low-level window overlaps a high-level window, each of the plurality of windows containing a first object to close the subject window and one or more second objects to select items; an extraction portion that extracts, from one or more second objects in the high-level window, a selection candidate object that is likely to be selected by a user after the low-level window is closed; and a control portion that controls, when the extraction portion extracts the selection candidate object, the display device in such a manner that the first object in the low-level window overlaps the selection candidate object, or the first object in the low-level window is disposed close to the selection candidate object. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120018948 | POST-PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM HAVING THEREOF - A post-processing apparatus including: a conveyance unit which conveys a sheet, having been carried-in, to a selected conveying destination among a plurality of conveying destinations; a stiffness imparting unit which imparts stiffness to the sheet being conveyed by the conveyance unit; and a control section which controls the stiffness imparting by the stiffness imparting unit, wherein the control section controls whether to impart or not to impart stiffness to the sheet, according to the selected conveying destination. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120014727 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a fixing device thermally fixing toner images on recording sheets of various sizes, (i) a conductive heat generating rotational body configured to heat toner images, (ii) an excitation coil positioned along a part of an outer circumferential surface of the heat generating rotational body and configured to generate a magnetic flux to heat the heat generating rotational body by electromagnetic induction, and (iii) a demagnetization coil positioned close to the excitation coil so as to cover a part of the excitation coil and configured to cancel, when a toner image is being fixed on a smaller-sized recording sheet, a part of the magnetic flux generated by the excitation coil so that overheating is prevented in a non sheet-passing region, are provided. The demagnetization coil has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the excitation coil in an axis direction of the coils. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120014724 | INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEMBER - In order to provide a highly durable intermediate transfer member utilized for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, with which generation of rubbing scratches and cracks is suppressed, and no filming is generated, and a method of manufacturing the intermediate transfer member, disclosed is an intermediate transfer member for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, possessing a support and provided thereon, an elastic layer and a surface layer in this order, wherein the elastic layer has an elastic modulus of 10-200 MPa, and the thickness thereof is 50 μm to 500 μm. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120014701 | REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - A replacement toner cartridge management apparatus is provided with: a receiver which receives toner cartridge replacement information indicating a toner cartridge loaded on an image forming apparatus which the replacement toner cartridge management apparatus can access via a communication circuit, has been replaced with a new one; an information obtainer which obtains remaining toner information of the toner cartridge removed from the image forming apparatus, when the toner cartridge replacement information is received by the receiver; a time determiner which, if the remaining toner information obtained by the information obtainer indicates a value smaller than a predetermined value, determines that an instruction to deliver a replacement toner cartridge should be outputted when the toner cartridge replacement information is received, or if the remaining toner information indicates a value larger than or equal to a predetermined value, determines that an instruction to deliver a replacement toner cartridge should be outputted at a different time; and a transmitter which outputs a delivery instruction according to the determination made by the time determiner. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120014700 | REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - A replacement toner cartridge management apparatus is provided with: a receiver which receives toner cartridge replacement information indicating a toner cartridge loaded on one or more than one image forming apparatus which the replacement toner cartridge management apparatus can access via a communication circuit has been replaced or needs to be replaced with a new one; a life information obtainer which obtains the life information of a consumable unit other than the toner cartridge causing the toner cartridge replacement information received by the receiver, a replacement consumable unit for which will be delivered to the same delivery address as a replacement toner cartridge for the toner cartridge causing the toner cartridge replacement information; a determiner which determines a right type of replacement toner cartridge for the toner cartridge causing the toner cartridge replacement information, based on the life information obtained by the life information obtainer; and a transmitter which outputs an instruction to deliver the right type of replacement toner cartridge determined by the determiner. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013957 | DOCUMENT READING DEVICE WHICH INCLUDES AUTOMATIC DOCUMENT CONVEYING MECHANISM AND READS PLURAL DOCUMENTS ONE BY ONE - A digital multi function peripheral includes a scanner for reading an image in a document read position; a document retaining cover for being able to change an opening and closing state between a state in which the scanner is closed and a state in which the scanner is opened, and conveying a document to the scanner when the scanner is closed; a registration sensor for detecting a leading end portion and a rear end portion of the document conveyed by the document retaining cover; and a controller for determining the opening and closing state of the document retaining cover based on a state of the leading end portion and the rear end portion of the document in the image read by an IR module at a time when a predetermined time frame elapses since a detection state of the registration sensor changes. Therefore, the opening and closing state of the conveyance unit for conveying the document can accurately be detected. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013950 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING GRADATION LEVEL OF IMAGE - An image processing apparatus includes a first generation portion that generates a first low-gradation image by performing a first process on an input image to reduce the number of gradations of the input image, a second generation portion that generates a second low-gradation image by performing a second process on the input image to reduce the number of gradations of the input image, a density detector that detects a density of the input image, a determination portion that determines, based on the density, a ratio at which the first low-gradation image and the second low-gradation image are blended together, and a mixing portion that blends the first low-gradation image and the second low-gradation image in accordance with the ratio. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013947 | PRINT DATA RECEIVING APPARATUS, PRINT DATA RECEIVING METHOD AND PRINT DATA RECEIVING PROGRAM - A print data receiving apparatus for receiving pint data from an external, equipped with a first arithmetic unit for controlling at least a first storage device for storing the print data, and a second arithmetic unit for issuing an activation command to the first arithmetic unit and controlling a second storage device for temporarily storing the received print data when the print data is received from the external under a power saving mode that stops operation of the first arithmetic unit. The second arithmetic unit consumes less power than the first arithmetic unit and controls receiving speed of the print data in such a manner as to cause a free space of the second storage device to be used up when an activation of the first arithmetic unit is completed. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013704 | TELECONFERENCE SYSTEM - A teleconference system for connecting a plurality of conference bases via a network, each of the conference bases having: a display device for displaying an image on a screen; a video camera that is capable of measuring a depth; a person identifying section for identifying a participant who has made a specified gesture as a speaker, from a video picture taken by the video camera; an image input/display control section that usually keeps the display device displaying predetermined conference material on the screen and that turns the screen blank triggered by the person identifying section's identifying a speaker; a motion identifying section for identifying and digitalizing a motion of the speaker's hand to make motion data; and an image generating section for making a line drawing in accordance with the motion data made by the motion identifying section; wherein the image input/display control section controls the display device to display the line drawing made by the image generating section on the screen. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120011585 | AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM FOR INSTRUCTION PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AUTHENTICATION CONTROL METHOD, AND AUTHENTICATION CONTROL PROGRAM - An authentication system for an instruction processing apparatus includes first and second authentication portions each for performing user authentication at the time of using the instruction processing apparatus, and a controller which makes the first authentication portion execute the user authentication and switches from the first authentication portion to the second authentication portion when the user authentication by the first authentication portion cannot be established. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120009515 | DEVELOPER FOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY - The present invention provides a developer for electrophotography which is superior in property of build up of electrification and in charge stability even in environments of high temperature and high humidity or in an environment of low temperature and low humidity where it is difficult for a developer to retain its electrostatic charge performance, and which can provide an image free from fogging and decrease in density for a long term, that is, a developer for electrophotography containing composite oxide particles which include metal titanate particles containing titanium as a first metal atom and a second metal atom and containing therein 0.009 to 0.350% by weight of a third metal atom selected from the group consisting of the metal atoms belonging to Group 5A of the long form of the periodic table of elements. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008997 | SHEET FEEDING DEVICE, AUTOMATIC SHEET TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - A sheet feeding device comprising a supply roller for feeding sheets mounted on a tray, a drive shaft for supporting the supply roller and rotationally driving the same, first and second supporting arms swingably supported on the drive shaft, a feed roller rotatably supported on the first and second supporting arms, a feed roller transmission mechanism for rotating the feed roller in conjunction with the rotation of the supply roller, first and second transmission mechanisms for swinging the first and second supporting arms, and first and second resilient retaining members which are capable of retaining the first and second supporting arms, the first and second transmission mechanisms shifting the timings that the respective first and second supporting arms are swung against the corresponding resilient retaining members. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008993 | IMAGE FORMATION DEVICE AND IMAGE CORRECTION METHOD - An image formation device comprises imaging units creating toner images in a corresponding color; an intermediate transfer body where the toner images are overlaid in a primary transfer; a secondary transfer unit performing secondary transfers of the overlaid toner images onto a recording sheet; a first misregistration correction unit operable to cause each imaging unit to form a reference pattern, execute a first misalignment reading acquisition process of acquiring a misalignment reading for each pattern, and adjust the imaging units to correct the readings; a storage unit storing the readings; and a second misregistration correction unit operable to cause an imaging unit subset to form reference patterns, execute a second misalignment reading acquisition process of acquiring readings for the subset of patterns and estimating readings in colors for which no pattern is formed from the acquired readings and the stored readings, and adjust the imaging units to correct all readings. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008967 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STOPPING DRIVING IMAGE CARRIER - An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier to carry a toner image; a driving unit to drive the image carrier to rotate; a transfer unit to transfer the toner image at a transfer position; a cleaner at a cleaning position to remove toner remaining on the image carrier after transfer; an obtaining unit to obtain information indicating a likelihood of the remaining toner adhering to the image carrier; a judging unit to judge whether or not the likelihood is equal to or lower than a predetermined value; and a controller to control the driving unit (i) to stop driving the image carrier before a rear end of an area of the image carrier on which the toner remains reaches the cleaning position, when the judging unit judges affirmatively, and, (ii) to stop driving the image carrier after the cleaner removes the remaining toner, when the judging unit judges negatively. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008165 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND HIBERNATION START-UP METHOD - An image processing apparatus includes a volatile main memory, a first non-volatile memory for storing a plurality of types of partial snap shot images, a second non-volatile memory from which information can be read faster than from the first non-volatile memory, for storing an entire snap shot image, and a processor. The processor reads a partial snap shot image corresponding to a state after change from the first non-volatile memory and updates a corresponding portion of the entire snap shot image in the second non-volatile memory. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120006173 | SHEET PUNCHING DEVICE, SHEET FINISHER HAVING THE SHEET PUNCHING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM EQUIPPED THEREWITH - A punching device includes: plural punches and a die having plural punching holes with each of which each punch is engaged and arranged to be spaced apart; a support member which supports rotatably each punch and movably in a direction of each rotation axis, on which a fixed cam member including a first cam hole having a first vertical and inclined portions, is provided; and a movable cam member including a second cam hole having a second inclined portion, provided on the fixed cam member, movable in an orthogonal direction; wherein each punch has a pin passing through each of the first and second cam holes, and when each pin is regulated by the first vertical and second inclined portions, each punch moves toward the die, and when each pin is regulated by the first and the second inclined portions, each punch moves toward the die and rotates about each axis. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120003014 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - A two-component developing device using a developer containing toner and magnetic carrier particles. The developing device comprises a housing, a developing roller, a magnetic field generator mounted inside the developing roller, and a developer restricting member, and further comprises a developer guide member providing a developer guide path for guiding the developer to the developer amount restricting clearance, providing a developer circulation path for circulating the developer to an upstream end of the guide member, and providing a communication path for bringing the developer guide path into communication with the developer circulation path, an upstream end of the guide member being positioned above the position of a peak of magnetic flux density of the magnetic pole of the magnetic field generator which is closest to a low-magnetic force area downstream of the low-magnetic force area or positioned upstream of such a position and downstream of the low-magnetic force area. An image forming device in which such a two-component developing device is employed as at least one developing device. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120002992 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is a low cost color image forming apparatus in which the density of the image having been fixed is optimally adjusted and jamming in the fixing device is prohibited. The toner adhering amount of each single color toner image to form a color toner image is controlled based on the density detection result of the yellow test toner image having been fixed and the degree of fixation is controlled base on the density detection result of the black test toner image having been fixed | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120002983 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DEVELOPING DEVICE - An image forming apparatus comprises: a developing device having an outlet from which a two-component developer is partially discharged while the two-component developer is conveyed; a hopper to which (i) a first cartridge containing a first developer including carriers and (ii) a second cartridge containing a second developer including toner and not carriers are attachable, and operable, when the first cartridge is attached thereto, to supply the first developer to the developing device, and when the second cartridge is attached thereto, to supply the second developer to the developing device; and a switching part operable, when the first developer is supplied, to switch the developing device to a first state in which the two-component developer is partially discharged from the outlet, and when the second developer is supplied, to switch the developing device to a second state in which the two-component developer is not discharged from the outlet. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120002262 | OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE - An optical scanning device having: a light source for emitting a light beam; a deflector having a plurality of flat reflecting surfaces; a first optical system disposed between the light source and the deflector; and a second optical system disposed between the deflector and a photoreceptor surface, and configured such that the reflecting surfaces of the deflector and the photoreceptor surface are conjugated in a sub-scanning direction at every deflection angle in a main-scanning range. In the optical scanning device, the light beam traveling from the first optical system to the deflector has a width greater than a dimension in a main-scanning direction of each reflecting surface of the deflector, and the light beam passes through different portions of the first optical system depending on whether the light beam is to be deflected by the deflector to be directed to an edge portion of the main-scanning range or to be directed to a center portion of the main-scanning range such that the light beam traveling to the deflector has a smaller average wavefront curvature in a sub-scanning direction when the light beam is to be deflected by the deflector to be directed to an edge portion of the main-scanning range than when the light beam is to be deflected by the deflector to be directed to the center portion of the main-scanning range. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20110319244 | PAPER FOLDING DEVICE FOR THREE-FOLDING SHEET OF PAPER - In a paper folding device, a first driving unit for forming a first folding line on the paper moves a first folding plate member to the paper fed to a first feeding position until load on the first folding plate member reaches a prescribed value or higher. A time period from the start of driving of the first folding unit by the first driving unit to the start of driving of a second folding unit by a second driving unit is determined based on characteristic of paper. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110318681 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTORECEPTOR - An electrophotographic photoreceptor is disclosed, comprising, on an electrically conductive substrate, a photosensitive layer and a surface layer provided sequentially in that order, in which the surface layer is a layer formed by polymerizing a polymerizable compound (I) containing seven to ten functional groups and exhibiting a reactive group equivalent of not more than 140 and not less than 100. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110318077 | HEAT-PRODUCING ELEMENT FOR FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A heat-producing element for fixing a toner image on an image support, in which the heat-producing element comprises a heat-resistant resin and electrically-conductive fiber having a shape stipulated by conditions 1, 2 and 3.
| 12-29-2011 |
| 20110317192 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR DISPLAYING INTERFACE SCREEN, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM - An image processing apparatus having a plurality of functions includes a scroll display portion that displays a row of markers and a slider for specifying one or more markers sequentially by moving along the row, an image display portion that displays functional images for representing functions corresponding to the markers specified by the slider, a setting portion that receives setting item details for a function specified by one of the functional images selected, and an extraction portion that extracts a function having the setting item details received by the setting portion different from an initial value. The image display portion displays a functional image for a longer time when the functional image represents the function extracted by the extraction portion than when the functional image does not represent the function extracted by the extraction portion. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110314311 | COMMUNICATION CONTROL DEVICE, COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A communication control device capable of performing data communication with an information processing device connected through a network, for performing data communication corresponding to a command from an application part which requests data communication with the information processing device, comprises: a communication control part for outputting response information obtained through the data communication corresponding to the command from the application part; and a virtually response part and for generating virtual response information, containing information as to the information processing device, responding to the command from the application part. The communication control part manages registration information including at least one command for requesting virtual data communication performed hypothetically with the virtually response part registered. The communication control part obtains the virtual response information from the virtually response part and outputs to the application part when the command received from the application part is registered in the registration information. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110314102 | CONTENT COLLECTING APPARATUS, CONTENT COLLECTING METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH CONTENT COLLECTING PROGRAM - A content collecting apparatus, capable of accessing a plurality of electronic communities which each exchange contents among users via a network, includes a content accepting portion to accept a content input by a user as a question content, a selecting portion to select at least one of the electronic communities for posting the question content thereon, a posting portion to post the question content on the selected electronic community, and an evaluating portion to evaluate the electronic community on which the question content was posted, on the basis of an answer content posted in correspondence with the question content on that electronic community. The selecting portion, on the basis of the evaluation result by the evaluating portion, selects a second electronic community from among the plurality of electronic communities that is different from the first electronic community on which the question content was posted. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110314053 | PRESENTATION SUPPORT DEVICE AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A presentation support device, comprises: a storage part for storing the presentation data and search filter information in which a keyword to specify the content of the presentation is registered; a data projection part for reading the presentation data in the storage part and causes the presentation data to be projected; a data distribution part for causing the information processing terminal to display the presentation data; and an answer generation part for obtaining an answer to a request on question toward the presentation and generating answer information in response to the request on question. The answer generation part reads the keyword registered in the search filter information and searches a predetermined database by a combination of the read keyword and a search keyword contained in the request on question, thereby obtaining the answer to the request on question and generating the answer information when the request on question is received. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110311907 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTORECEPTOR AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - Reduced are interferential streaks in a halftone image, which are produced when using a cylindrical photoreceptor conductive substrate having been subjected to tool bit cutting processing, and provided are an electrophotographic photoreceptor capable of obtaining high image quality in response to a light printing field or the like and an image forming method employing the electrophotographic photoreceptor. Disclosed is an electrophotographic photoreceptor possessing a cylindrical substrate having been finished via cutting processing and provided thereon, a photosensitive layer, wherein among peaks other than at a lag of 0 in a correlogram of a substrate surface profile in a direction along a central axis of the substrate, a mean value from a maximum peak in height to a third peak in height is 0.3-0.8, each of the peaks in height corresponding to an autocorrelation coefficient. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110311279 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS - A developing device comprising: a first transport member disposed in a first transport passage and configured to rotate and thereby transport developer; a second transport member disposed in a second transport passage and configured to rotate and thereby transport the developer; and a developer carrier configured to carry the developer supplied from the first transport passage, wherein the second transport passage is composed of an upstream section and a downstream section, the second transport passage communicates with the first transport passage via a first communication passage and a second communication passage, the upstream section is configured to receive refill toner, and V | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110311250 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device for thermally fixing image onto recording sheet by causing recording sheet to pass through fixing nip, while heating electromagnetic induction heating layer provided in heating rotation body by flux generated by flux generator including exciting coil located a distance away from circumferential surface of heating rotation body along width direction of heating rotation body. The flux generator includes: magnetic cores arranged to be separated from each other in width direction, to face heating rotation body via exciting coil; holder holding predetermined magnetic cores, arranged in correspondence with non-paper-pass area of heating rotation body, in displaceable state; displacement unit displacing predetermined magnetic cores in predetermined move unit, which is a unit of one magnetic core or a unit of a predetermined number of consecutively placed magnetic cores; and controller controlling displacement unit to displace predetermined magnetic cores in sequence in predetermined move unit. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110311245 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE DENSITY CORRECTION METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes: sensor detecting light intensity and output voltage based on the light intensity; data acquisition part setting reference voltages for the sensor to detect light intensity of bare surface of intermediate transfer member, acquiring, at set reference voltage, voltage output by the sensor on the bare surface as detection data; storage storing the detection data corresponding to the reference voltages; judgment part judging whether to perform image density correction processing; voltage calibration part adjusting output level at light intensity detection; density acquisition part forming toner pattern, and acquiring density data of the toner pattern by causing the sensor having adjusted output level to detect its light intensity; density data correction part reading one piece of detection data referring to output level, and correcting the density data based on the detection data; and image density correction part performing the processing based on the density data. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110311243 | REPLACEMENT CONSUMABLE UNIT MANAGEMENT APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A replacement consumable unit management apparatus is provided with: a receiver which receives consumable unit replacement information indicating that one consumable unit of one color or more than one consumable unit of different colors has been replaced with a new one, from one or more than one image forming apparatus which the replacement consumable unit management apparatus can access via a communication circuit; a consumable unit manager which manages the remaining amount information or the life information of the one or more than one consumable unit, and stock information indicating the states of the stocks of replacement consumable units for the one or more than one consumable unit; a determiner which, if the receiver receives the consumable unit replacement information while a consumable unit which cannot be replaced with a new one because of no stock and a consumable unit whose remaining amount information or life information is smaller than a first predetermined value are both used at the same place as the new consumable unit most recently loaded, makes a first determination that a first replacement consumable unit of the same color as the consumable unit which cannot be replaced with a new one because of no stock and a second consumable unit of the same color as the consumable unit whose remaining amount information or life information is smaller than the first predetermined value should be delivered together; and a transmitter which outputs a delivery instruction as determined by the determiner. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110311239 | REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGE MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUMS - A replacement toner cartridge management apparatus comprising: a remaining toner information obtainer that obtains remaining toner information of a toner cartridge loaded on an image forming apparatus which the replacement toner cartridge management apparatus can access via a communication circuit; a life information obtainer that obtains life information of an expendable item for image forming which receives toner supply from the toner cartridge loaded on the image forming apparatus, when there is a need to replace a toner cartridge, based on the remaining toner information obtained by the remaining toner information obtainer; a determiner that determines a right type of replacement toner cartridge based on the life information obtained by the life information obtainer; and an output portion that outputs an instruction to deliver a replacement toner cartridge of the type determined by the determiner. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310456 | OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE - An optical scanning device for scanning a photoreceptor surface with a beam, said optical scanning device having: a light source for emitting the beam; an optical system for causing the beam emitted from the light source to converge; and a deflector that includes a polygon mirror with a plurality of reflecting surfaces and that deflects the beam that has passed through the optical system by rotations of the polygon mirror. Between the deflector and the photoreceptor surface, no optical system for causing the beam to converge or diverge is disposed. The optical system for causing the beam emitted from the light source to converge generates spherical aberration depending on which part of the optical system in a main-scanning direction the beam passes through. The beam enters into three or more adjacent reflecting surfaces of the polygon mirror at a time. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310454 | OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An optical scanning device for scanning a photoreceptor surface with beams, said optical scanning device comprising: a light source that emits a plurality of beams in one direction; a deflector for deflecting the beams; a detector for detecting light intensities of the beams; and a switch for switching travel routes of the beams between a first route leading from the light source to the deflector and a second route leading from the light source to the detector. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310432 | COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM STORING PRINT SETTING PROGRAM, PRINT SETTING APPARATUS, COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM STORING CONTROL PROGRAM OF PRINTING APPARATUS, AND PRINTING APPARATUS - The printer driver according to the present invention causes the PC to execute steps of: determining whether or not the printer for executing print data is equipped with a Japanese device font based on information acquired from the printer (S | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310413 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS PERFORMING POWER-SAVING OPERATION - An image processing apparatus includes a CPU, a memory, and a bus connecting the CPU and the memory, and performs a process for printing print data. The image processing apparatus includes an input unit for inputting print data from an external device, a conversion unit for converting print data into raster data, and a measuring unit for measuring a time required for conversion in the conversion unit. Measurement is performed by the measuring unit, and based on the measurement result, the setting for slowing down the speed of conversion processing in the conversion unit is made (for example, the setting for reducing at least one of the operating frequency of the CPU, the power supply voltage of the CPU, and the operating frequency of the bus). Thus, an effective power saving process can be performed. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310412 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, NOISE CANCELLATION METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus comprising: a sound-level meter that measures operating noise of a rotating portion; a sound data generator that generates a noise control sound data object with the same amplitude but with the inverted phase to the operating noise; a speaker that emits sound based on the noise control sound data object; a memory that stores in advance a noise control sound data object generated to cancel out operating noise measured while the rotation frequency of the rotating portion is changed from a first rate to a second rate; and a controller that measures operating noise of the rotating portion and generates a noise control sound data object to cancel out the operating noise, then emits sound based on the noise control sound data object, while the rotating portion runs in steady state, meanwhile reads out from the memory, a suitable noise control sound data object from the memory and emit sound based on the noise control sound data object, during the transition of the rotation frequency of the rotating portion. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110309573 | SHEET DISCHARGE ROLLER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a sheet discharge roller, a transportation roller includes a roller portion formed integrally on a rotation shaft, and an annular elastic member attached to a surface of the roller portion, each of rigidity increasing portions includes a plurality of plate members axially spaced from each other by a predetermined distance, and the plurality of plate members have forms each obtained by circumferentially dividing a circular plate, respectively, are arranged in positions circumferentially shifted from each other, respectively, and thereby exhibit an outer periphery of a substantially circular form when viewed in the axial direction. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110309563 | POST FINISHING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A post finishing device for attaching a binder into punched holes of bundled sheets to bind the bundled sheets, and producing a booklet bound with the binder, including: a stacking section for stacking the booklet produced; and a position adjusting section for adjusting a stacking position of the booklet on the stacking section, in such a way that when the booklet is stacked on the stacking section, the binder to bound the booklet does not come into contact with a binder of another booklet having been stacked on the stacking section. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110307575 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, DATA TRANSMISSION METHOD, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH DATA TRANSMISSION PROGRAM - An information processing apparatus includes: a content obtaining portion to obtain content written in a markup language; an extraction portion to extract destination information by analyzing the obtained content; a content display portion to display the obtained content; a generation portion to generate a set of destination information by successively adding a plurality of destination information extracted from a plurality of contents displayed by the content display portion; and a transmission portion to transmit data based on the generated set of destination information. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110305487 | INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER BELT AND IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS - An intermediate transfer belt has an elastic layer and a modified layer formed by a surface-modifying treatment of a surface of the elastic layer, wherein the surface of the elastic layer with the modified layer has a surface hardness of 0.01 GPa or more and exhibits 50 nm or more of displacement at the time of pushing the surface at a load of 20 μN by means of a cube corner tip having a tip sharp angle of 90 degree. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110305477 | DEVELOPER CONTAINING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developer containing device for containing a developer includes a partition arranged between an outer space and an inner space for containing the developer, a bearing arranged on the partition, a rotation shaft carried by the bearing and extending from the outer space to the inner space, a sealing member arranged on the inner space side, having one end side fixed to the partition and the other end side being in contact with a surface of the rotation shaft, and thereby isolating the bearing from the inner space, a communication groove arranged at the surface of the rotation shaft, and connecting the outer space to a closed space isolated from the inner space by the sealing member, and a communication passage arranged on the partition for connecting the outer space to the closed space. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110304871 | IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS, PRINTING DATA GENERATION APPARATUS, COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM, AND PRINTING DATA GENERATION METHOD - Disclosed is an image formation apparatus, comprising: a reception section to receive PDL data; an image processing section including a plurality of operation sections, each of which executing a task performing processing by a page or a task performing processing by a band to generate printing data based on the PDL data; a control section to analyze the PDL data to obtain the number of printing pages, the control section dynamically setting the number of the operation sections assigned to each of the task performing the processing by the page and the task performing the processing by the band in accordance with the obtained number of the printing pages; and a printing section to form an image on a printing medium based on the generated printing data. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110303114 | SLIDE RAIL AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH THE SAME - A slide rail includes an outer rail and an inner rail. The inner rail includes a top face portion, main-portion side walls, outer deck portions, and end-portion side walls. The outer rail includes a bottom wall and a storage portion. The main-portion side walls and the end-portion side walls are both provided adjacently on both sides of the top face portion in a width direction thereof, and bent toward outer rail. The main-portion side walls are provided in a portion other than one end portion in the longitudinal direction. The end-portion side walls are provided in the one end portion. Each outer deck portion extends outward in the width direction to be continuous to an edge of each main-portion side wall opposite the top face portion. The storage portions are provided adjacently on both sides of the bottom wall in the width direction and bent toward the inner rail to cover the outer edge portions. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110300481 | PYRAZOLOTRIAZOLE COMPOUND AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC TONER - A compound represented by Formula (X-1) is disclosed. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299903 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed is a fixing device for thermally fixing an unfixed image onto the recording sheet, the fixing device comprising: a fixing belt; and a meander regulation member provided adjacent to an edge of the fixing belt in a width direction thereof, and operable to prevent meandering of the fixing belt, wherein the fixing belt includes: a resistive heat layer that is tubular and generates heat when an electric current is applied thereto; and first and second electrodes that are provided circumferentially on an outer circumferential surface of the resistive heat layer, and that receive and apply the electric current to the resistive heat layer, and the first electrode is provided closer to the meander regulation member than to the second electrode, and is at a distance from the edge of the fixing belt in the width direction thereof. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299902 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device for thermally fixing an unfixed image formed on a recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through a fixing nip. The fixing device has a heat-generating endless belt that includes: a resistive heat layer that generates heat upon receiving electric current; and a pair of electrode layers each disposed along a different one of widthwise edges of the heat-generating endless belt. The resistive heat layer has (i) reduced thickness portions each along a widthwise edge thereof and (ii) a middle portion between the reduced thickness portions. Each reduced thickness portion is thinner than the middle portion and connected to the middle portion with a wall surface upright in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the heat-generating endless belt to define a stair shape. Each electrode layer is disposed on the resistive heat layer to be in contact with a corresponding one of the wall surfaces. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299901 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device for thermally fixing an unfixed image formed on a recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through a fixing nip. The fixing device has: a heat-generating endless belt having, on a circumferential surface thereof, a sheet passing area through which the recording sheet passes; a first pressure member disposed inside a running path of the endless belt; and a second pressure member disposed to press the endless belt against the first pressure member from outside the running path to form the fixing nip. The endless belt includes: a resistive heat layer that generates heat upon receiving electric current; and a pair of electrode layers that receive electric current. The electrode layers flank the sheet passing area. The resistive heat layer is in contact with the electrode layers at a different one of end faces opposing each other in a width direction of the resistive heat layer. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299900 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device thermally fixes an unfixed image on a recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through a fixing nip. The fixing device has: a heat-generating endless belt; a first pressure member inside a running path of the endless belt; a second pressure member pressing the endless belt against the first pressure member from outside the running path to form the fixing nip, and a pair of power feeders. The endless belt includes: a circumferential resistive heat layer that generates heat upon receiving electric current; and a first electrode and a second electrode flanking a sheet passing area of the circumferential surface of the endless belt. Each electrode is composed of a pair of electrode layers, one on the inner and another on the outer circumferential surface of the resistive heat layer. Each power feeder is in contact with both the electrode layers of a different electrode. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299898 | FUSING APPARATUS USED TO FUSE TONER IMAGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fusing apparatus allows a recording member to pass through between a heat member and a pressure member, to transport and heat the recording member, and thereby fuses a toner image on the recording member. The fusing apparatus includes a temperature detector for detecting a surface temperature of the heat member in a non-contact manner. A surface of the heat member is configured such that a region of the surface all around a cylindrical configuration that faces a temperature detection area of the temperature detector has a higher emissivity than other regions. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299897 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CLEANING METHOD - An image forming apparatus, capable of cleaning a fixing member by conveying a blank sheet, including: an image forming section for forming a toner image on a sheet; a feeding section for feeding a sheet to the image forming section; a fixing section for fixing a toner image onto a sheet at a nip formed between a fixing member and a pressure member; and a control section for controlling the image forming section and the fixing section to feed a sheet from the feeding section, wherein, when a toner is adhered to a fixing section, the control section controls to feed a sheet from the feeding section, convey to the fixing section without forming a toner image thereon, and transfer a toner, having been adhered onto the fixing member, onto a downstream side of the sheet from a leading edge area of the sheet in a sheet conveying direction. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299893 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND DEVELOPING METHOD - A developing device having a plurality of toner carrying members for carrying toner on their outer peripheral surfaces, the plurality of toner carrying members being placed along a rotating direction of an image carrying member and out of contact with the image carrying member; and a developer carrying member for carrying a developer composed of toner and carriers and for supplying the toner to the plurality of toner carrying members. In the developing device, AC bias voltages are applied to the toner carrying members so as to cause the toner carried by the toner carrying members to stick to an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrying member by the effect of electric fields induced by a voltage of the electrostatic latent image and the AC bias voltages applied to the toner carrying members. The amount of developing toner sticking on the image carrying member immediately after the image carrying member has passed a development area in an upstream side in the rotating direction of the image carrying member is larger than the amount of developing toner sticking on the image carrying member immediately after the image carrying member has passed a development area in a downstream side in the rotating direction of the image carrying member. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299892 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device, includes a developer agitating member, an upstream side developing miler, and a downstream side developing roller; wherein the toner in the developer handed over from the upstream side developing roller to the downstream side developing roller has a volume average particle size larger than a volume average particle size of the toner in the developer conveyed by the upstream side developing roller to the facing position between the upstream side developing roller and the photoreceptor. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299870 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has a controller, when a continuous two-sided printing is carried out, which causes two image forming sections to print images of image data on an Nth page and an (N+1)th page onto respective surfaces of a preceding recording sheet, causes the same image forming section as the image forming section that has formed the image on the (N+1)th page to print an image of image data on an (N+2)th page onto a following sheet, causes a sheet reversing section to reverse the sheet on which the image of the (N+2)th page has printed before the sheet is ejected from the apparatus, and then controls a sheet ejection so that a surface of the (N+1)th page of the preceding sheet faces a surface of the (N+2)th page of the following sheet. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299794 | BACKGROUND PATTERN IMAGE COMBINING APPARATUS, BACKGROUND PATTERN IMAGE COMBINING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM - A background pattern image combining apparatus for combining a background pattern image with an input image is provided. The background pattern image includes a plurality of first isolated points having a size that can be read by an image reader and a plurality of second isolated points having a size that cannot be read by the image reader. The background pattern image combining apparatus includes a detector that detects, in the input image, a specific area which is an area having a specific state, and a combining portion that combines the background pattern image with the input image by placing not the plurality of first isolated points but the plurality of second isolated points in the specific area, and, by placing the plurality of first isolated points and the plurality of second isolated points in an area other than the specific area. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299127 | Print Data Generating Apparatus, Print Data Generating Method, and Computer Readable Storage Medium Storing Print Data Generating Program - The print data generating apparatus capable of generating print data for VDP in a plurality of formats, classifies an object layout of the print data (steps from S | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299121 | INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - An information processing device for installing and executing an application program which enables at least one of a plurality of information processing functions comprises: a storage part for storing functional restriction information configured for each of a plurality of users is defined; an obtaining part for obtaining, based on the functional restriction information, common functional restriction information in which restriction on use of at least one of the plurality of information processing functions except for a common available function commonly available for all the plurality of users is defined; a determination part, in installation of the application program, for determining whether or not a command contained in the application program enables an unavailable function restricted with the common functional restriction information by analyzing the command; a rewrite part for rewriting the command; and an installation part for installing the application program containing the command rewritten by the rewrite part. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299119 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including: at least one replaceable part constituting the image forming apparatus; and a control section for controlling the replaceable part, wherein the control section is provided with a plurality of replacement standards for one replaceable part, and performs a replacement standard process in conformance to each of these replacement standards. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299114 | PRINT SERVER, PRINT CONTROL SYSTEM AND PRINT CONTROL METHOD - A print server is linked through a communication network to a client device for sending PDL data, and an image forming apparatus provided with a RIP section for creating raster data by rasterizing the PDL data and a printer section for executing printing according to the raster data. This print server is provided with at least a RIP section for creating raster data by rasterizing the PDL data received from the client device, and a control section that compares the time to be taken before output when the PDL data received from the aforementioned client device is sent to the image forming apparatus with the time to be taken before output when the raster data created by the RIP section of the printer server is sent to the image forming apparatus, whereby the data whose length of time before the output is shorter is sent to the image forming apparatus. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110296439 | INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, APPLICATION EXECUTION METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - An information processing device, comprises: a storage part for storing a plurality of application programs allowing a specified function to operate under operating conditions differ among the plurality of application programs; a configuration part for configuring a setting to reflect the operating conditions corresponding to one application program selected from the plurality of application programs; an application management part for managing the respective operating conditions of the plurality of application programs, for obtaining a current setting configured by the configuration part when allowing the specified function to operate and for selecting, based on the respective operating conditions of the plurality of application programs, the one application program takes the shortest amount of processing time required for an operating conditions reflection executed by the configuration part; and an application execution part for allowing the specified function to operate with execution of the one application program selected by the application management part. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110296297 | DISPLAY DEVICE, DISPLAY METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE NON-TRANSITORY RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH DISPLAY PROGRAM - A display device displaying presentation data including a plurality of pages includes: a presentation data reception portion to receive the presentation data from a presenter device; a page number reception portion to receive from the presenter device a page number of a page displayed by the presenter device among a plurality of pages of the presentation data; a display control portion to display an image of a page having the received page number among a plurality of pages of the presentation data, in a follow mode, and to display an image of any given page of a plurality of pages of the presentation data, in a write mode; a handwritten image detection portion to detect a handwritten image in the write mode; a temporary storage portion to, if a follow mode set instruction to set the follow mode is accepted in the write mode, store temporary storage data in which the handwritten image detected by the handwritten image detection portion is associated with a page number of a page displayed by the display control portion when the follow mode set instruction is accepted, among a plurality of pages of the presentation data; and a return control portion to, if a return instruction is accepted in the follow mode, allow the display control portion to display an image in which a handwritten image specified by the temporary storage data is superimposed on an image of a page having a page number specified by the stored temporary storage data among a plurality of pages of the presentation data. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110294059 | TONER AND TONER MANUFACTURING METHOD - Disclosed is a toner comprising at least a binder resin, a colorant and a polyurethane resin, wherein the polyurethane resin is a carboxy-denatured polyurethane resin. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110293343 | FUSING APPARATUS USED TO FUSE TONER IMAGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fusing apparatus allows a recording member to pass through between a heat member and a pressure member, to transport and heat the recording member, and thereby fuses a toner image on the recording member. The heat member has a release layer, a low emissivity member, and an elastic layer. The release layer is formed on an outermost layer of the heat member. The low emissivity member is provided between the heat source and the release layer so as to abut on the release layer, and is made of a material with a lower emissivity than a material forming the release layer. The elastic layer is provided between the heat source and the low emissivity member. The release layer has infrared transmission properties at wavelengths of 2 to 10 μm. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110293342 | HEAT-PRODUCING ELEMENT FOR FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A heat-producing element for a fixing device to carry out heat-fixing after a toner image having been formed using a pulverized toner is transferred on an image support, a heat-producing element for a fixing device in which a thin-leaf graphite-pulverized material of a volume specific resistance of 10 | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110293340 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device for thermally fixing an unfixed image onto a recording sheet by causing the sheet to pass through a fixing nip. The fixing device includes: heat belt formed in an endless shape and provided with a resistance heat layer; first pressure member provided inside a running path of the heat belt; and second pressure member pressing the first pressure member from over the running path to form the fixing nip. At least one of the first and second pressure members is rotating body. The heat belt has a pressure-receiving area and two non-pressure areas. The pressure-receiving area receives pressures from both the first and second pressure members. The non-pressure areas have been arranged at outside of the pressure-receiving area in an axis direction of the rotating body. Two ring-like electrodes have been formed on circumferential surfaces of the non-pressure areas and are used to supply power to the resistance heat layer. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110293297 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND HEAT GENERATING ROTATIONAL BODY - The present invention provides a fixing device that can interrupt power supply to the resistive heat layer more reliably than the conventional technology, for example, at occurrence of abnormality. Electrodes | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110292462 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM - An image processing apparatus is provided for performing image processing on an image containing a first image and a second image representing a translucent object. The image processing apparatus includes a detector that detects a non-overlapping region in the second image, the non-overlapping region being a region that does not overlap the first image, and an equalizing portion that makes gradations in the non-overlapping region uniform. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110292448 | PROGRAM EXECUTION CONTROL METHOD - A program execution control method for a printer provided with a controller including a CPU, a RAM and a ROM, wherein a first program to be operated in a printing state, a second program to be operated in a sleep state and a third program to be operated in a standby state are stored in the ROM, the program execution control method includes the steps of: executing by the CPU, in the printing state, the first program by expanding the first program on the RAM, and by using a work area of the RAM; executing by the CPU, in the sleep state, the second program without expanding the second program on the RAM, and without using the work area of the RAM; and executing by the CPU, in the standby state, the third program without expanding the third program on the RAM, and by using the work area of the RAM. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110287351 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTORECEPTOR AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An electrophotographic photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer on a conductive support, wherein the photosensitive layer comprises a pigment containing an adduct of titanyl phthalocyanine and 2,3-butanediol, and a ratio of an absorbance at a wavelength of 780 nm of the photosensitive layer (referred to as Abs780) divided by an absorbance at a wavelength of 700 nm of the photosensitive layer (referred to as Abs700) is 0.8 to 1.1, the ratio being referred to as Abs780/Abs700, and Abs780 and Abs700 each being calculated from a relative reflectance spectrum of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, wherein the relative reflectance spectrum is determined using an aluminum conductive support using a reflectance spectrum of the aluminum conductive support as a base line. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110286775 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND HEAT GENERATION BELT - The present invention provides a fixing device for fixing an unfixed image onto a recording sheet by applying heat and pressure to the unfixed image while the recording sheet having the unfixed image formed thereon is passing through a fixing nip, the fixing nip being formed by pressing a pressurizing roller against a heat generation belt, wherein the heat generation belt rotates around a rotational axis and includes a resistive heat layer extending in a rotational axis direction thereof, the resistive heat layer configured to generate heat when electricity is supplied thereto and having a plurality of holes provided therein, and the holes are distributed unevenly in the resistive heat layer such that electrical resistivity of the resistive heat layer varies in the rotational axis direction. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110286672 | TRANSLUCENT IMAGE DETECTION APPARATUS, TRANSLUCENT IMAGE EDGE DETECTION APPARATUS, TRANSLUCENT IMAGE DETECTION METHOD, AND TRANSLUCENT IMAGE EDGE DETECTION METHOD - A translucent image edge detection apparatus is provided with a detector that detects isolated point pixels in an image, the isolated point pixels being pixels having a density higher than that of neighboring pixels adjacent to the isolated point pixels; a determination portion that detects periodic pixels from the isolated point pixels, the periodic pixels being seen at regular intervals; a closing processing portion that performs closing processing on a region containing the periodic pixels, and thereby, obtains a post-closing region; an expanded region calculation portion that obtains an expanded region by expanding the post-closing region; a reduced region calculation portion that obtains a reduced region by reducing the post-closing region; and an edge calculation portion that detects an edge of a translucent image based on a difference between the expanded region and the reduced region. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110285075 | PAPER SHEET CASSETTE AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - A paper sheet cassette includes a paper sheet containing part for loading and containing paper sheets, a pair of side edge positioning members provided so as to move toward or away from each other in a width direction of the paper sheets for determining a position of the paper sheets in their width direction, an interlock mechanism for synchronously moving the pair of side edge positioning members toward or away from each other, a latch member which is movable along with a first member of the pair of side edge positioning members and is provided with a lock tooth portion formed thereon, and a lock member which has a latch claw which can be brought into or out of engagement with the lock tooth portion and is movable along with a second member of the pair of side edge positioning members. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110283345 | MATERIAL OUTPUT SYSTEM FOR OUTPUTTING MEETING MATERIAL FOR PROSPECTIVE PARTICIPANT IN MEETING - In a material output system, if it is determined that a meeting management server has stored therein meeting information in which an authenticated person is included in prospective participants in a meeting, in which an installation place of MFP that has performed authentication agrees with a meeting room where the meeting is held, and in which the present date and time is included in a meeting room reservation time, MFP is instructed to output a material saved in a location associated with the meeting information. If it is determined that such meeting information is not stored in the meeting management server, the material output system displays a screen to allow output of the material saved in the associated location, for at least one piece of meeting information in which the authenticated user is included in prospective participants in a meeting. Accordingly, the material can be promptly distributed to the participant in the meeting. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110281710 | SHEET FOLDING DEVICE AND SHEET POST-PROCESSING DEVICE USING SAME - Sheet pressing means ( | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110281709 | SHEET FOLDING DEVICE AND SHEET POST-PROCESSING DEVICE USING SAME - Sheet pressing means ( | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110281211 | ELECTROSTATIC IMAGE DEVELOPING TONER - Provided is an electrostatic image developing toner containing, (i) toner particles containing: a binder resin having a domain-matrix structure; and (ii) a colorant; wherein the toner particles have a volume-based median diameter of 4.3 to 7.0 μm; a domain phase in the binder resin contains a polymer containing a structure unit derived from a diene monomer, the domain phase has a Feret diameter of 50 to 300 nm; and a glass transition temperature of the polymer composing the domain phase is −85 to +35° C. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110280637 | CLEANING DEVICE AND IMAGE-FORMING DEVICE - A cleaning device comprises: a rotational brush disposed to touch an image holder and a lubricant, the brush which scrapes the lubricant and applies the scraped lubricant to the image holder, the brush including: a rotational axis; and a plurality of looped bristles disposed around the rotational axis, wherein a contact length of the bristles to the lubricant is longer than a contact length of the bristles to the image holder. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110280634 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a heating member to heat a sheet on which a toner image is supported; a pressing member to contact with the heating member so as to form a nip portion; a temperature detecting sensor to detect a temperature of the heating member without contacting with a surface of the heating member; and an air separating section to separate the sheet from the heating member by blowing air from a outlet to the sheet conveyed out from the nip portion, wherein the heating member is arranged to interrupt a straight line which connects the outlet and the temperature detecting sensor. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110280607 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED THEREWITH - A fixing device by fixing an image on a recording material at a nip portion, includes: an air blower which blows air sent by a fan on the neighborhood of an exit of the nip portion; a pressure contact and separation switching section which switches from a separated state in which a pressure member is separated from a fixing member to a pressure contact state in which the pressure member is in contact with the heating member at a moment that is earlier by a predetermined period of time than a time when a leading edge of the recording material arrives at the nip portion; and a controller which controls the fan to start its rotation within a first time period between a time when a changeover from the separated state to the pressure contact state is started and a time when the leading edge of the recording material arrives at the nip portion. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279858 | Image Forming System, Image Forming Apparatus, Image Forming Method, and Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Recording Medium Encoded with Image Forming Program - An image forming apparatus includes a portion to receive a print job, a portion to generate print data of the print job, a portion to perform prescribed processing on the print data to convert it into processed data, a portion to form an image of the print data or the processed data, a portion to generate first reduction information including a difference in the amount of resources consumed when an image is formed under a print condition included in the print job and when an image is formed under a predetermined print condition, a portion to generate second reduction information including a difference in the amount of resources consumed when an image is formed from the print data and when an image is formed from the processed data, and a portion, when an image is formed from the processed data, to store history information which associates the first and second reduction information with the print job. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279855 | RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - A retrieval system comprises an image forming apparatus having a box which is a data storage area and a terminal device for retrieval, which is connected to the image forming apparatus via a network, and retrieves information stored in the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus has a storage part for storing bookmark information including list information of item names of items in an electronic document file stored in the box and a transmission part for transmitting the bookmark information to the terminal device. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110274456 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device having a heater, a signal generator for generating a prescribed cyclic signal in conformity with a waveform of an AC power supply applied to the heater, and a controller for controlling power feed to the heater. The controller determines whether a cycle of the prescribed cyclic signal becomes shorter than a prescribed period or not. When the controller has determined that the cycle has become shorter than the prescribed period, the controller controls power feed to the heater under phase control and when the controller has determined that the cycle has not become shorter than the prescribed period, the controller controls power feed to the heater under zero crossing control. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110273733 | Method for Storing a Profile Set, a Computer Readable Recording Medium Stored with a Profile Set Storage Program, a Profile Set Storage System, and a Color Conversion Process Device - The method of storing profile set storage method according to the present invention comprising (a) selecting as reconstruction data that enables to reconstruct a profile set, either size prioritized data, which is smaller than said profile set, or reconstruction speed prioritized data, which enables to be reconstructed within a shorter time period than is required for reconstructing the size prioritized data, and which is smaller than the profile set but is larger than the size prioritized data; (b) for generating the selected reconstruction data based on the profile set; and (c) storing the reconstruction data generated in the step (b) in a storage device. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110268466 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CLEANING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: an image holder on which a toner image is formed; a lubricant applying section which applies a lubricant to the image holder; a torque calculation section which calculates torque of a drive motor which drives the image holder; a cleaning section which cleans the image holder; and a control section which calculates a print rate of the toner image formed on the image holder, makes determination of an adhering lubricant amount of the lubricant adhering to the image holder based on the print rate and the torque, and forms a toner image of a toner forcibly-discharging-pattern or increases an applied lubricant amount of the lubricant applied to the image holder by the lubricant applying section according to the determination. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110268463 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CLEANING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: an image holder on which a toner image is formed; a developing device which is filled with a toner including a lubricant, and forms the toner image by making the toner adhere to the image holder; a torque calculation section which calculates torque of a drive motor which drives the image holder; a cleaning section which cleans the image holder; and a control section which calculates a print rate of the toner image formed on the image holder, makes determination of an adhering lubricant amount of the lubricant adhering to the image holder based on the print rate and the torque, and changes a toner image of a toner forcibly-discharging-pattern according to the determination. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110267650 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium to output the image based on a print job, and the image forming apparatus includes: a control section which controls an output operation performed by the image forming apparatus; and an informing section; wherein the control section causes the informing section to inform output content confirmation information for confirming one or more contents each being of an image output operation corresponding to the print job and one or more contents each being of a predetermined output operation set in the image forming apparatus, based on the print job and a setting content of the predetermined output operation set in the image forming apparatus, the setting content being set independently of a setting of the image output operation corresponding to the print job. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110267634 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus includes a creation unit that creates a preview image showing a print output state regarding a target image of printing processing, and an input/output unit that displays a screen including a preview display region as a display region of the preview image and a re-set item display region as a display region of a menu image having a setting item for re-set regarding the printing processing, and accepts a setting change input regarding the setting item for the re-set in the menu image. The creation unit recreates the preview image based on setting contents after a setting change, the setting contents being accepted with regard to the setting item for the re-set. The input/output unit displays the recreated preview image on the preview display region. | 11-03-2011 |
