| RICOH COMPANY, LTD Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120135342 | FIXING SOLUTION, FIXING METHOD, FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING METHOD AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - To provide a fixing solution for fixing fine resin particles to a recording medium, the fixing solution including: a diluent which contains water; a foaming agent which allows the fixing solution to be in the form of foam; and plasticizers which soften or swell at least part of the fine resin particles, wherein the plasticizers contain a liquid plasticizer which is liquid at normal temperature and soluble in the diluent, and a solid plasticizer which is solid at normal temperature and soluble in the diluent. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120134721 | DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A development device includes a toner carrier having a plurality of long outside electrodes provided at intervals in a first predetermined depth position from a toner carrying surface, and a longitudinal direction of each outside electrode crossing a toner carrying direction, an inside electrode provided at least in a portion between the long outside electrodes in a second predetermined depth position deeper than the first predetermined depth, and an insulation layer between a layer having the outside electrodes and a layer having the inside electrode; and a voltage applier configured to apply a voltage which hops toners on the toner carrying surface to the inside electrode and the outside electrodes. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120134693 | OPTICAL SENSOR AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An optical sensor includes an irradiation system including a semiconductor laser having plural light-emitting parts; and at least one photodetector that detects an amount of light which is emitted from the irradiation system and reflected on a sheet-like object. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120134379 | MULTI-BEAM LASER POWER CONTROL CIRCUIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A disclosed multi-beam laser power control circuit includes a light receiving element receiving power output from semiconductor lasers to control output power of a semiconductor laser array having plural semiconductor lasers, automatic power control circuits (APC circuits) controlling emission power output from semiconductor lasers based on received corresponding automatic power control execution signals so as to be set to predetermined emission power based on output from the light receiving element, and APC execution signal input terminals inputting the corresponding automatic power control execution signals, wherein, when plural APC execution signals input to the corresponding APC execution signal input terminals are overlapped, the automatic power control circuits (APC circuits) to be preferentially operated is determined based on input timings of the APC execution signals and operated. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120133970 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM - Disclosed is an image processing apparatus having a function to cooperatively output, via a cooperative image processing apparatus, document data, including a data sending unit that sends to the cooperative image processing apparatus the document data to be output, for which the total limited number of output times is set, with output setting information including an allocated number of output times for the document data individually allocated for the cooperative image processing apparatus; and a number updating unit that updates the total limited number of output times set for the document data based on the allocated number of output times by subtracting the allocated number of output times from the total limited number of output times, when the data sending unit sends the document data with the output setting information to the cooperative image processing apparatus. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120133707 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including a recording head; a cap member capping the nozzle surface of the recording head and including a release port and a suction port; a suction unit in communication with the suction port; a switch unit opening and closing the release port to the air and capable of adjusting the opening amount of the release port to at least a first opening amount and a second opening amount larger than the first opening amount; and a control unit that controls the suction unit and the switch unit so that the release port is opened to the first opening amount to have a predetermined amount of air flow into the cap member after the cap member is suctioned by the suction unit, and the release port is then opened to the second opening amount. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120133706 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a recording head having a nozzle surface on which multiple nozzles to eject droplets are arranged in a line; a suction device; and a cap to cover the nozzle surface of the recording head. The cap includes a suction hole to connect a space formed by the cap and the nozzle surface with the suction device; an air hole to connect the space with air; and an absorbent located inside the cap. The top surface of the absorbent is retracted from the contact portion of the cap to be contacted with the nozzle surface so that when the nozzle surface is capped with the cap, a flow passage is secured between the air hole to the suction hole without obstructed by the absorbent. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120133703 | INK JET RECORDING METHOD AND LIQUID DISPERSANT - An ink jet recording method including attaching a liquid dispersant in which an amphoteric polymer containing a core portion having an anion group and a shell portion having a cation group that covers the core portion is dispersed in a dispersing medium to a recording medium and discharging and attaching anionic ink containing a coloring material and water to the surface of the recording medium to which the liquid dispersant is attached. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120133702 | INK JET RECORDING METHOD AND LIQUID DISPERSANT - An ink jet recording method including attaching a liquid dispersant in which an amphoteric polymer containing a core portion having a cation group and a shell portion having an anion group that covers the core portion is dispersed in a dispersing medium to a recording medium and discharging and attaching cationic ink containing a coloring material and water to the surface of the recording medium to which the liquid dispersant is attached. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120133693 | DISCHARGE ENERGY RECOVERY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING SAME - A discharge energy recovery device to recover discharge energy discharged from a piezoelectric element when the piezoelectric element is driven includes a drive voltage generator to generate a voltage to drive the piezoelectric element; a discharge voltage monitoring unit to monitor a voltage discharged from the piezoelectric element when the piezoelectric element is driven; a first current supplier to supply a current energy to operate a first load circuit when the discharged voltage is equal to or greater than a first voltage that enables driving of the first load circuit, and a second current supplier to supply a current energy to operate a second load circuit when the discharged voltage is less than the first voltage and equal to or greater than a second voltage that enables driving of the second load circuit by monitoring the currently discharged voltage using the discharge voltage monitoring unit. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120133692 | DISCHARGE ENERGY RECOVERY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING SAME - A discharge energy recovery device to recover discharge energy discharged from a piezoelectric element when the piezoelectric element is driven includes a drive voltage generator to generate a voltage to drive the piezoelectric element; a discharge voltage monitoring unit to monitor a discharge voltage discharged from the piezoelectric element when the piezoelectric element is driven by the drive voltage generator; a plurality of charge accumulating devices to accumulate a charge corresponding to a voltage monitored by the discharged voltage discharge voltage monitoring unit; and a selection unit to select one or more charge accumulating devices from the plurality of charge accumulating devices having capacity sufficient to enable accumulation of the charge corresponding to the voltage monitored by the discharge voltage monitoring unit. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120132509 | KEYPAD ASSEMBLY, AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE AND DATA PROCESSOR INCORPORATING THE SAME - A keypad assembly includes a first keypad element including a first frame element, first elastic elements connecting with the first frame element, keycaps swingably connected to the first frame element via the first elastic elements, and pressing elements protruding downward from the keycaps, and a second keypad element including a second frame element, second elastic elements connecting with the second frame element, keycaps swingably connected to the second frame element via the second elastic elements, and pressing elements protruding downward from the keycaps. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120131885 | INSERTION SYSTEM AND INSERTION METHOD - An insertion system includes an enclosure supply device, an envelope supply device, an insertion device to insert an enclosure supplied from the enclosure supply device into the envelope supplied from the envelope supply device, a first input unit to input identification data of the enclosure inserted into the envelope in each of multiple insertion setting records, a second input unit to input identification data of the enclosure set in the enclosure container of the enclosure supply device, and a controller to determine whether the identification data of the enclosure to be inserted, input by the first input unit, matches the identification data of the enclosure set in the enclosure container, input by the second input unit, and to control supply of the envelope by the envelope supply device as well as supply of the enclosure by the enclosure supply device based on a result of the determination. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120127527 | Image Forming Apparatus, Information Setting System, And Information Setting Method - In an image forming apparatus, setting information is stored in a storage part for a function which the image forming apparatus operates based on the setting information. An acquisition request of common setting information is sent to an information processing apparatus including the common setting information in common with multiple of the image forming apparatuses connected through a network. The common setting information is received from the information processing apparatus. It is monitored whether there is a job in the function. Timing for setting the common setting information, which is received by the receiving part to the setting information stored in the storage part, is controlled based on whether a non-processed job is prioritized or an update is prioritized. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127525 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, INFORMATION SETTING SYSTEM, AND INFORMATION SETTING METHOD - In an image forming apparatus, setting information is stored in a storage part for a function which the, image forming apparatus operates based on the setting information. An acquisition request of common setting information is sent to an information processing apparatus including the common setting information in common with multiple of the image forming apparatuses connected through a network. The common setting information is received from the information processing apparatus. The common setting information received by the receiving part is set in the setting information stored in the storage part. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127524 | DEVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - In a device management system, device managers are connected to communication devices and connected to an information processing device. Each device manager includes an acquisition part to acquire the device information from a communication device, a first management part to set and record the device information in a first data storage part and manage the communication device, and a transmitting part to transmit the acquired device information to the information processing device. The information processing device includes a reception part to receive the device information from the device managers and a second management part to set and record the received device information in a second data storage part and manage the communication devices managed by the device managers in a unified manner. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127522 | INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An information processing device includes a processing unit which manages an association processing network formed by image processing devices. The processing unit includes a service evaluation content generating unit which acquires requirement performance information of a service to be stored from a service requirement performance managing unit and generates an evaluation content to be evaluated for the service by including the requirement performance information in an evaluation object, a service evaluation unit which evaluates the evaluation content of the service according to a predetermined requirement, and an association object managing unit which registers the service as a new association object the evaluation content of the service the predetermined requirement of which has been met by the evaluation of the service evaluation unit. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127490 | ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, METHOD OF CONTROLLING ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING ELECTRONIC APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD - An electronic apparatus includes a communication unit to communicate with other electronic apparatuses and a license management apparatus; a license file management unit to obtain license files from the license management apparatus; a license information management unit to manage license information to determine licensed software programs; an apparatus management unit to manage apparatus-related information including component parts information; and a license distribution management unit. The license distribution management unit confirms that licensed software programs are present. When transferring licenses for the confirmed software programs, the license distribution management unit requests and obtains the license information and the apparatus-related information from the other electronic apparatuses. The license distribution management unit conducts a searching process to identify the electronic apparatuses to which licenses are allowed to be transferred based on the obtained license information and apparatus-related information from the other electronic apparatuses, and transfers the licenses to the identified electronic apparatuses. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120127184 | IMAGE PROJECTION APPARATUS, MEMORY CONTROL APPARATUS, LASER PROJECTOR, AND MEMORY ACCESS METHOD - An image projection apparatus includes an input part that inputs image data, a frame memory that stores the image data, a laser oscillator that radiates a laser to a screen, a deflection part including a reflective optical element and configured to oscillate the reflective optical element with respect to two perpendicularly intersecting axes, a storage part that stores coefficient data of a polynomial expression, an irradiation position calculating part that calculates an irradiation position based on a coefficient obtained by using the coefficient data and an oscillation angle of the reflective optical element, an address calculating part that calculates an address in the frame memory corresponding to the irradiation position, a memory control part that reads out pixel data of the address, and a laser drive part that oscillates the laser oscillator in accordance with a luminance corresponding to the pixel data. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120125414 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERTER - The photoelectric converter includes a substrate; and multiple cells located on the substrate so as to be overlaid. The first cell contacted with the substrate includes a transparent electrode located on the substrate, and a first photoelectric conversion layer located on the transparent electrode. The other cell or each of the others of the multiple cells includes a porous electroconductive layer located closer to the substrate and including an electroconductive material, and a photoelectric conversion layer located on the porous electroconductive layer. Each of the photoelectric conversion layers of the multiple cells includes an electron transport layer including an electron transport material, a dye connected with or adsorbed on the electron transport material, and a hole transport material. The hole transport material is also contained in voids of the porous electroconductive layer. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120121297 | SURFACE-EMITTING LASER, SURFACE-EMITTING LASER ARRAY, OPTICAL SCANNING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A surface-emitting laser includes a substrate; a lower semiconductor multilayer film reflector disposed on the substrate; a resonator structure including an active layer and disposed on the lower semiconductor multilayer film reflector; and an upper semiconductor multilayer film reflector disposed on the resonator structure. The second semiconductor multilayer film reflector includes a confinement structure in which a current passage region is surrounded by an oxidized portion of a selectively oxidized layer containing aluminum. An emission region includes a central portion and a peripheral portion, the peripheral portion being covered with a transparent dielectric film whose reflectivity is lower than a reflectivity of the central portion. The selectively oxidized layer has a thickness in a range from 30 nm to 40 nm. The temperature at which an oscillation threshold current is minimized is 60° C. or lower. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120121293 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A transfer device includes a moving device to move a contact surface of an opposing member toward and away from an image bearing surface of an image bearing member. The moving device includes a cam and a cam driving device to rotate the cam. When the cam is at a first position, the image bearing surface and the contact surface are separated. When the cam is at a second position, the image bearing surface and the contact surface contact each other. After a recording medium enters a transfer nip between the image bearing surface and the contact surface, the cam is at the second position, and when the recording medium exits the transfer nip a timing at which the cam starts to rotate from the second position to the first position changes depending on a thickness of the recording medium, to reduce pressure in the transfer nip. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120121139 | INSPECTION APPARATUS, INSPECTION METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An inspection apparatus includes an obtaining unit configured to receive a target image obtained by scanning a printed surface of a printed material and receive a reference image obtained from print data of the printed surface; an analysis unit configured to analyze the reference image to obtain flatness levels indicating degrees of variation in pixel values; and a control unit configured to determine inspection thresholds for different types of image areas in the reference image based on the flatness levels, compare the reference image and the target image to detect differences in pixel values, and determine whether the differences are greater than or equal to the inspection thresholds to inspect print quality of the printed surface for the respective image areas. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120451 | IMAGE FORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, IMAGE FORMATION MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A disclosed image formation management system includes image forming apparatuses and a local management apparatus connected via a network to the image forming apparatuses. Each of the image forming apparatuses includes a user information storing unit storing user information of users, a management information storing unit storing a current number of image formation pages and a maximum number of image formation pages of each of the users, and an image formation control unit configured to authenticate the users based on the user information and to limit image formation by each of the authenticated users based on the current number of image formation pages and the maximum number of image formation pages. The local management apparatus is configured to manage the user information and the maximum numbers of image formation pages of the users of the image forming apparatuses. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120421 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD - An information processing apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus includes: a size detecting unit that detects a size of each page of a document to be printed; an orientation detecting unit that detects orientation of each page of the document; a receiving unit that receives a setting of post processing that is to be performed on a printed sheet on which the document is printed; a determining unit that determines whether pages of different sizes, both having one side of the same length and other sides of different lengths, are detected in the document; a rotation control unit that, when the determining unit determines that the pages of the different sizes have been detected, rotates pages so that sides of the same length are aligned on the basis of the setting of the post processing; and an output unit that outputs the document with the pages rotated. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119828 | VARIABLE GAIN AMPLIFIER AND AUDIO DEVICE - A variable gain amplifier, to amplify an audio input signal to output an audio output signal at an adjustable gain, includes an operational amplifier having an inverting input terminal, a non-inverting input terminal, and an output terminal to output the audio output signal; an attenuation-rate adjustable feedback circuit to feed back the audio output signal from the output terminal of the operational amplifier to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier as a feedback signal, and attenuate the audio output signal and output the feedback signal to the inverting terminal; and an attenuation-rate adjustable attenuator to attenuate the audio input signal for output it as an attenuated signal to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier. Settings of the attenuation rates of the feedback circuit and the attenuator are combined and a resolution of level of the audio output signal is increased. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119436 | SHEET CONVEYANCE DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE READING UNIT INCLUDING SAME - A sheet conveyance device includes a loading section, a first conveyance member a separation section, a first sheet length detector to detect whether the sheet is longer than a predetermined length slightly longer than a specific sheet size in the sheet conveyance direction, a trailing-edge detector disposed downstream from the separation section, a leading-edge detector disposed downstream from the trailing-edge detector a distance smaller than the specific sheet size and from the first conveyance member a distance longer than the specific sheet size, and a controller. When the sheet is equal to or greater than the predetermined length, the controller starts sheet feeding when the trailing-edge detector detects the trailing edge of the sheet, and when the sheet is smaller than that, the controller starts sheet feeding when either the leading-edge detector detects the leading edge of the sheet or the trailing-edge detector detects the trailing edge thereof. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120119430 | CONVEYANCE MECHANISM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - An image forming apparatus comprises a sheet feeding cassette, a printing unit, and a sheet ejection tray. A first conveyance unit feeds the recording sheet from a front side of the sheet feeding cassette and inverts and conveys it to the printing unit. A path of a switchback conveyance unit extends from the printing unit to let the recording sheet switch back after the printing in an opposite direction to that the recording sheet is conveyed to the printing unit. A front and back side inversion conveyance unit conveys the printing sheet to the sheet ejection tray with a printed surface of the printing sheet facing down. Both of the sheet feeding position on the conveyance unit and the front and back side inversion conveyance unit are arranged on the front side in the image forming apparatus. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120117749 | DRY-TYPE CLEANING CHASSIS AND DRY-TYPE CLEANING DEVICE - A dry-type cleaning chassis includes a chassis part including an opening part in contact with a cleaning target, an air inlet duct provided to blow external air into the internal space; a suction port provided for generating a circulating air flow in the internal space by suctioning air having been introduced into the internal space via the air inlet duct; a porous unit configured to pass objects removed from the cleaning target to a suction port side; and a path limiting member formed of a cylindrical shape extended in an axis center direction of the circulating air flow and configured so that an inside of the cylindrical shape is in communication with the suction port as a suction path. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120114876 | HOLLOW CELL ARRAY STRUCTURE AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING HOLLOW CELL ARRAY STRUCTURE - A disclosed method for producing a hollow cell array structure includes a first step of layering a deformable material capable of being plastically deformed under a predetermined condition on a first substrate, the first substrate having plural, mutually separated depressions in a surface thereof, such that the deformable material forms mutually isolated spaces in the corresponding depressions; a second step of expanding the spaces in the plural depressions by inducing a gas pressure of the spaces while extending the deformable material on the first substrate, such that plural hollow cells are simultaneously formed in correspondence to the plural depressions in predetermined directions; and a third step of selectively solidifying portions of the plural hollow cells by selectively applying ultraviolet rays thereto. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120114373 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF EFFECTIVELY UTILIZING INTERIOR SPACE - An image forming apparatus comprises a exposure device as a light source, a developer container storing developer and attached to a main body of the image forming apparatus perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the photoconductor, a developing unit and a photoconductor unit having a photoconductor for bearing a latent image thereon each detachably attached to the main body substantially in the same direction as the developer container. An exposure device displacing mechanism displaces the exposure device between a first position enabling the exposure device to function as the light source and a second position disabling the exposure device to function as the light source. The photoconductor unit is detached when the developer container is either displaced from an initially attached position or is removed from the main body and the exposure device displacing device has displaced the exposure device to the second position. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120114354 | Fixing Device, Image Forming Apparatus Incorporating Same, And Method For Fixing Toner Image On Recording Medium - A fixing device includes a pressing rotary body pressed against a fixing rotary body to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed; a heater to heat the fixing rotary body, disposed opposite a circumferential surface of the fixing rotary body and upstream from the fixing nip a predetermined circumferential distance along the circumferential surface of the fixing rotary body in a direction of rotation of the fixing rotary body; a heater driver to turn on and off the heater; a timing calculator to calculate a reference time at which a trailing end portion of the recording medium in a conveyance direction of the recording medium reaches the fixing nip; and a heater driver controller to cause the heater driver to turn off the heater at a turn-off time earlier than the reference time. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120114349 | Developing Device And Image Forming Apparatus - In a disclosed developing device, a developing part includes a developer carrier for circulating a developer inside the developing part and for supplying the developer to an image carrier, a developer supply member for supplying the developer to the developer carrier, and a developer collection member for collecting the developer which is not used. A developer stirring part is arranged at a different position from a position of the developing part. A developer conveyance part carries the developer by an air conveyance in a developer conveyance path from the developer stirring part to the developing part. A developer detection part includes an opening which communicates between the developer supply member and the developer collection member, is arranged at a downstream side in a flow direction of the developer below and near the developer supply member, and detects whether the developer exists in a vicinity of the developer supply member. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120114250 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING MULTI-VIEW HUMAN FACE - Disclosed are a system and a method for detecting a multi-view human face. The system comprises an input device configured to input image data; a hybrid classifier including a non-human-face rejection classifier configured to roughly detect non-human-face image data and plural angle tag classifiers configured to add an angle tag into the image data having a human face; and plural cascade angle classifiers. Each of the plural cascade angle classifiers corresponds to a human face angle. One of the plural cascade angle classifiers receives the image data with the angle tag output from the corresponding angle tag classifier, and further detects whether the received image data with the angle tag includes the human face. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120113465 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, DEVICE COOPERATION SYSTEM, AND DEVICE COOPERATION METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an input unit that inputs print conditions; a search unit that searches for image forming apparatuses that can execute the print conditions; a display unit that displays icons of the found image forming apparatuses; a generating unit that generates a print job when an icon corresponding to one of the image forming apparatuses is operated; a sending unit that sends the print job to the one of the image forming apparatuses; and a management unit configured to manage progress situation information of print jobs. When an icon of a second image forming apparatus is operated after a print job is sent to a first image forming apparatus and before the first image forming apparatus completes the print job, print jobs are regenerated to distribute a remaining number of sheets between the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120113443 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image processing apparatus includes a scanning unit configured to scan at least one of two surfaces of a printed material on both of which information is printed and to obtain a density image representing intensity distribution of diffuse reflection light from the scanned surface and a gloss image representing intensity distribution of specular reflection light from the scanned surface, a mask image generating unit configured to generate a mask image for the scanned surface based on the obtained gloss image, and a show-through removing unit configured to perform mask processing on the density image using the generated mask image to generate a show-through-removed image that does not include show-through information for the scanned surface. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120113238 | DRAWN IMAGE SHARING APPARATUS, DRAWN IMAGE SHARING SYSTEM, AND DRAWN IMAGE SHARING METHOD - A disclosed drawn image sharing apparatus making objects to be drawn on share drawn images includes an image receiving portion from another drawn image sharing apparatus; an image supplying portion supplying a received image to a focusing device to produce an image; an image acquiring portion acquiring a sharing image from an image capturing device; an image difference generating portion generating a difference image between the produced image and the captured image in a sharing region; and an image dividing portion dividing the acquired image into first and second images, wherein in an adjusting mode, the image difference generating portion generates first and second difference images between the supplied images corresponding to the same regions and the first and second images, and the image combining portion substitutes the positions of the first and the second difference images and combines the first and the second difference images. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120113204 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a conveyance belt, a charger, a reverse passage, and an auxiliary conveyance roller. The belt is looped around at least two rollers to adhere a recording medium thereto by electrostatic force and convey the medium. The belt defines a normal conveyance area in which the medium is conveyed in a first direction. The reverse passage delivers the medium turned around in an area downstream from the belt in the first direction and sends the medium back again to a portion of the belt upstream from the head in the first direction. The reverse passage includes an opposite conveyance area of the belt in which the medium is conveyed in a second direction opposite the first direction. The auxiliary conveyance roller is disposed at least one of an entry part and an exit part of the opposite conveyance area. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120113180 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a conveyance belt, a reverse passage, and a charger. The belt is looped around at least two rollers to adhere a recording medium thereto by electrostatic force and convey the medium. The belt defines a normal conveyance area in which the medium is conveyed in a first direction with the medium facing the head. The reverse passage sends the medium back again to a portion of the belt upstream from the head in the first direction. The reverse passage includes an opposite conveyance area of the belt in which the medium is conveyed in a second direction and a bypass passage to guide the medium separated from the opposite conveyance area toward the normal conveyance area. The charger is disposed between the bypass passage and an outer surface of the belt to charge the outer surface of the belt. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112724 | CHARGE PUMP CIRCUIT AND OPERATION CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - A charge pump circuit which steps down an input voltage inputted from an input terminal and outputs it as a step-down output voltage from a step-down output terminal, and steps up the input voltage and outputs it as a step-up output voltage from a step-up output terminal, includes: a voltage conversion circuit having a flying capacitor, a step-down output capacitor, a step-up output capacitor, and a plurality of switches, wherein the flying capacitor, the step-down output capacitor, the step-up output capacitor, and the switches are connected, and the voltage conversion circuit is capable of switching connection states by switching each on/off state of the switches; an output voltage detection circuit unit which makes a comparison of a voltage between the step-down output voltage and a first predetermined voltage, and makes a comparison of a voltage between the step-up output voltage and a second predetermined voltage, and produces and outputs each signal indicating each result of the comparisons; and a control circuit unit which performs a switching control depending on each signal outputted from the output voltage detection circuit unit. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112318 | TRANSISTOR AND PROCESS OF PRODUCING THE SAME, LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICE, AND DISPLAY - A transistor capable of modulating, at low voltages, a large current flowing between an emitter electrode and a collector electrode. A process of producing the transistor, a light-emitting device comprising the transistor, and a display comprising the transistor. The transistor comprises an emitter electrode and a collector electrode. Between the emitter electrode and the collector electrode are situated a semiconductor layer and a sheet base electrode. It is preferred that the semiconductor layer be situated between the emitter electrode and the base electrode and also between the collector electrode and the base electrode to constitute a second semiconductor layer and a first semiconductor layer, respectively. It is also preferred that the thickness of the base electrode be 80 nm or less. Furthermore, a dark current suppressor layer is situated at least between the emitter electrode and the base electrode, or between the collector electrode and the base electrode. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120107012 | Charging Device, Process Cartridge Incorporating Same, And Image Forming Apparatus Incorporating Same - A charging device, which is incorporable in a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus, includes a charging roller and a cleaning device. The charging roller charges an image bearing member having a surface on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. The cleaning device cleans the charging roller. The cleaning device includes a cleaning roller, a shaft, and support members. The cleaning roller contacts the surface of the charging roller to clean the surface. The support members rotatably support the cleaning roller, each of which including a slot. The slot allows a variable distance between the charging roller and the cleaning roller, and is inclined, in the direction of rotation of the charging roller, relative to a straight line connecting the rotation center of the charging roller and the rotation center of the cleaning roller. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120105153 | POP SOUND REDUCTION CIRCUIT AND AUDIO CIRCUIT HAVING SUCH POP SOUND REDUCTION CIRCUIT FOR USE IN AUDIO AMPLIFIER - A disclosed pop sound reduction circuit reducing generation of pop sound at activation or deactivation of an audio amplifier includes a reference voltage circuit generating a reference voltage, a differential amplifier circuit having first and second inputs to amplify the audio signal based on a comparison between the first and second inputs, a triangular voltage generator circuit generating a triangular voltage, a voltage current convertor circuit generating a current proportional to the triangular voltage, a capacitor charged with the generated current to generate a voltage corresponding to the generated current, a constant voltage circuit generating a constant voltage, and a control circuit switching the triangular voltage into the constant voltage to be applied to the voltage current convertor circuit so as to increase the generated voltage if the voltage generated by the capacitor is below the reference voltage when the triangular voltage is equal to or below a predetermined voltage. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120104690 | SHEET FEEDER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A sheet feeder incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet container to accommodate a sheet, a sheet feeding unit, a sheet conveyance member, a sheet conveying unit disposed downstream from the sheet feeding member in a sheet conveyance direction, and a controller to stop the sheet feeding unit before the sheet abuts against the sheet conveying unit and to resume the driving, and to drive the sheet conveying unit to start while rotating the sheet feeding unit. The controller adjusts a temporary stop period for the driving of the sheet feeding unit before the sheet abuts against the sheet conveying unit, according to a period in which the sheet passes first and second points determined optionally between a standby position determined prior to feeding of the sheet and a temporary stop position located before the sheet abuts against the sheet conveying unit. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120104685 | OPEN/CLOSE MECHANISM FOR PAPER TRAY FOR USE IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An open/close mechanism can be used for paper trays of an image forming apparatus. The open/close mechanism includes a plate member provided on a side of a housing of the image forming apparatus and configured to pivot upon an axis between an open position and a close position, and a box member that is arranged in the housing beneath the plate member and that can be drawn out of the housing from the side. The open/close mechanism includes also includes a restricting unit that is coupled to the plate member and that abuts against the box member when the box member is set in the housing and when the plate member is in the open position thereby restricting detachment of the box member from the housing. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120104676 | Automatic document feeder and image forming apparatus including the same - An automatic document feeder includes an upstream conveyance roller pair disposed upstream of an image reader including an upstream driving roller and an upstream driven roller; a downstream conveyance roller pair including a downstream driving roller and a downstream driven roller; an upstream auxiliary roller pair including upstream auxiliary rollers disposed coaxially on a shaft of the upstream driving roller and of the upstream driven roller, respectively, each formed of an elastic member and having a diameter greater than that of the adjacent upstream driving roller and of the adjacent upstream driven roller, respectively; and a downstream auxiliary roller pair including downstream auxiliary rollers each disposed coaxially on a shaft of the downstream driving roller and of the downstream driven roller, formed of a low-hardness elastic member and having a diameter greater than that of the adjacent downstream driving roller and of the adjacent downstream driven roller. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120104577 | SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGE AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENT PACKAGE - A semiconductor package includes an IC chip including a pad array having at least four pads, the pads including a voltage input pad and a voltage output pad disposed at edges of the pad array, a driver transistor disposed between the voltage input pad and the voltage output pad to receive an input voltage from the voltage input pad and output an output voltage to the voltage output pad, disposed in contact with an outer edge of the element arrangement region; and at least four leads on which the IC chip is mounted by flip chip bonding, disposed corresponding to the pads, formed in a lead array, the leads including a voltage input lead electrically connected to the voltage input pad and a voltage output lead electrically connected to the voltage output pad, disposed at edges of the lead array. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120100473 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTORECEPTOR, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An electrophotographic photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer, and a cured protection layer, wherein the cured protection layer comprises a cured material of a tri- or more functional radical polymerizable compound and a filler exposed from the surface of the cured protection layer which comprises a bump along the surface of the filler, and wherein the cured protection layer has a thickness (T) larger than a diameter (2r) of the filler therein and the following relationships (a) is satisfied: | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120098733 | SCREEN SHARING SYSTEM, SCREEN SHARING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A screen sharing system includes information processing apparatuses that display the same content on their respective screens as a shared screen. Each of the information processing apparatuses includes an operation right switching unit configured to acquire an operation right, a transmission data generating unit configured to generate transmission data including operational information of an input operation, and a drawing unit configured to draw a display object on the screen. At a transmitting information processing apparatus with the operation right, the drawing unit draws the display object according to the operational information, and the transmission data generating unit generates the transmission data including the operational information and sends the transmission data to a receiving information processing apparatus without the operation right. At the receiving information processing apparatus, the drawing unit draws the display object according to the operational information in the transmission data received from the transmitting information processing apparatus. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120096464 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An information processing apparatus includes an application and functional modules configured to collaborate with each other to provide an application function of the application. Each of the functional modules operates as a requester that requests a provider function and a provider that provides the provider function requested by the requester. Each of the functional modules includes a function availability query unit that, at the requester, queries the provider about whether the requested provider function is available, a function availability response unit that, at the provider, sends a response indicating whether the requested provider function is available to the requester, and a function execution determining unit that, at the requester, controls execution of a requester function of the requester based on the response sent from the function availability response unit. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120096348 | Workflow executing device, preview creating method - A workflow executing device includes a workflow executing unit; a first extracting unit that extracts a first preview property including a first element constituting a first data item and first position information; a second extracting unit that extracts a second preview property including a second element constituting a second data item and a second position information item, the second data item being obtained as a result of processing the first data item; a preview property managing unit that saves preview properties; a preview property generating unit that inserts the second element that is the processing result into the first preview property in place of the first element that is the processing target, and generates a new second preview property by associating the first position information with the second element; and a preview creating unit that creates preview images based on preview properties. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120096294 | Electronic Apparatus, Electronic Apparatus Power Control, Electronic Apparatus Power Control Program, And Storage Medium Storing Power Control Program - An electronic apparatus includes a first power source to generate power from external power; a photovoltaic power generation device to generate power from received light as cell-generated power; a power storage device to store cell-generated power; a second power source to generate power from cell-generated power; a mode switching unit to switch between normal power supply mode and reduced-power mode, in normal power supply mode, power is supplied from the first power source to the electronic apparatus, and in reduced-power mode, power supply from the first power source is stopped and power is supplied from the second power source; a voltage detector to detect voltage of cell-generated power; a memory to store condition-specific threshold voltages to determine conditions of the electronic apparatus; and a power supply controller to control switching between normal power supply mode and reduced-power mode by comparing the voltage of cell-generated power and the condition-specific threshold voltages. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120093551 | Fixing roller, and fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - A fixing roller includes a fixing sleeve including a heat generating layer; and a support roll inserted into the fixing sleeve to support the fixing sleeve and including a foam layer constituting an outer circumferential surface of the support roll. The foam layer includes recesses exposing pores containing air; and non-recessed portions contiguous to the recesses and adhered to an inner circumferential surface of the fixing sleeve. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120093531 | Image forming apparatus and method for forming toner image on recording medium - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device disposed downstream from an image forming device in a recording medium conveyance direction to fix a toner image formed by the image forming device on a recording medium. The fixing device includes a pressing rotary body separatably pressed against a fixing rotary body to form a nip therebetween through which the recording medium bearing the toner image passes, and a moving assembly to move the pressing rotary body bidirectionally to press the pressing rotary body against the fixing rotary body and separate the pressing rotary body from the fixing rotary body. A controller controls the moving assembly to change a post-fixing pressing time period for which the moving assembly presses the pressing rotary body against the fixing rotary body after the recording medium bearing the toner image is discharged from the nip according to image data. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120092628 | PROJECTION OPTICAL SYSTEM AND IMAGE PROJECTOR - A projection optical system configured to project an image onto a projection surface includes a first optical system including at least one dioptric system and having positive power as a whole; a second optical system including a reflection region and a transmission region; and a third optical system including at least one reflecting surface having power, and having positive power as a whole, wherein light entering the projection optical system passes through the first optical system to have a path thereof bent by the reflection region of the second optical system to be incident on the third optical system, and the light incident on the third optical system has the path thereof bent by the third optical system to pass through the transmission region of the second optical system to be incident on the projection surface. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120092411 | INK FOR INK JET RECORDING, INK JET RECORDING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND IMAGE RECORDED MEDIUM - Ink for ink jet recording containing a coloring agent, water, an aqueous organic solvent, and a polyacrylic acid ester-based polymer represented by the following chemical structure 1: | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120087765 | Spine formation device, sheet processing system incorporating same, and spine formation method - A spine formation device includes a sheet conveyer to transport a bundle of folded sheets with the folded portion of the bundle forming a front end portion of the bundle, a clamping unit to clamp the bundle from both sides in a direction of thickness of the bundle, a spine forming member to flatten the folded portion of the bundle, disposed in that order in a sheet conveyance direction, and a controller that causes the sheet conveyer to transport the bundle of folded sheets to a first position downstream from an upstream end of the spine forming member in the sheet conveyance direction and to reverse the bundle a predetermined distance from the first position to a second position upstream from the first position in the sheet conveyance direction before the clamping unit clamps the bundle. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120087688 | Fixing device, fixing device control method, and image forming apparatus - A fixing device includes a heat roller, a heater, a fuser roller, an endless, fuser belt, a pressure roller, a first thermometer, and a controller. The heat roller has a surface thereof subjected to heating. The heater is disposed in the heat roller to heat the circumference of the heat roller to an adjustable, heating temperature. The fuser roller is disposed parallel to the heat roller and has a surface thereof formed of elastic material deposited upon a cylindrical core of metal. The fuser belt is looped for rotation around the fuser roller and the heat roller. The pressure roller is disposed opposite the fuser roller with the fuser belt interposed between the pressure roller and the fuser roller. The first thermometer detects a first temperature at the cylindrical core of the fuser roller. The controller adjusts the heating temperature according to the first temperature being detected. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086982 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR USE OF VOICE MAIL AND EMAIL IN A MIXED MEDIA ENVIRONMENT - A mixed media reality (MMR) system includes an MMR user, a MMR computer, a user printer that produces a printed document, a networked media server, an office portal, a service provider server, an electronic display that is electrically connected to a set-top box, a document scanner, a network, a capture device, a cellular infrastructure, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology, Bluetooth® technology, infrared (IR) technology, wired technology, and a geo location mechanism. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types, such as printed paper as a first medium and a digital photograph, digital movie, digital audio file, or web link as a second medium. Furthermore, the MMR system facilitates business methods that take advantage of the combination of a portable electronic device, voice mail or email, and a paper document. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086970 | DIVISION OF RENDERING BLOCK IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus for printing an image of print data includes a generating unit to analyze the print data to generate rendering command data, which includes rendering commands regarding rendering objects for each page, a storing unit to store the rendering command data, and a plurality of rendering processing units to read the rendering command data to execute the rendering commands associated with respective rendering blocks to perform rendering, wherein, upon completing rendering of a first rendering block, a first one of the rendering processing units sends a notice of completion to a second one of the rendering processing units that is performing rendering of a second rendering block, and wherein, in response to the notice, the second one of the rendering processing units divides the second rendering block, and requests the first one of the rendering processing units to perform rendering of part of the second rendering block. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086765 | SURFACE-EMITTING LASER ELEMENT, SURFACE-EMITTING LASER ARRAY, OPTICAL SCANNING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SURFACE-EMITTING LASER ELEMENT - A method of manufacturing a surface-emitting laser element having a light-emitting mesa structure with an emitting area including a high-reflectance portion and a low-reflectance portion includes forming a layered body that includes a lower reflecting mirror, a cavity structure, and an upper reflecting mirror on a substrate; forming a first area on an upper surface of the layered body; forming a second area having the same size as the first area on the upper surface of the layered body; forming a light-emitting mesa structure and a monitoring-mesa structure by etching the first area and the second area, respectively; forming a confinement structure including a current passage area surrounded by an oxide in the light-emitting mesa structure and the monitoring-mesa structure; and measuring the size of the current passage area of the monitoring-mesa structure. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120086762 | INK JET RECORDING METHOD - A method of ink jet recording including forming an uncured first ink layer of a first ultraviolet curable ink A on a recording medium, forming an uncured second ink layer having a recording pattern inside the uncured first ink layer of the ink A by discharging a second ultraviolet curable ink B from an ink jet head, and curing the uncured first ink layer by irradiating the uncured first ink layer with ultraviolet light after forming the uncured second ink layer, wherein the ink A contains a photoradical generator and the ink B contains a photobase generator and a coloring agent. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120082796 | CURTAIN COATING METHOD AND CURTAIN COATING APPARATUS - A curtain coating method including: ejecting at least one layer of a coating liquid from a slit, and making the ejected coating liquid fall freely from a curtain nozzle lip by using a curtain edge guide which guides the coating liquid in the form of a curtain liquid film, so as to apply the coating liquid onto a continuously running web, wherein the coating liquid is applied by moving the curtain edge guide toward the depth direction when the curtain liquid film is seen from the front. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120082488 | INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEMBER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - An intermediate transfer member including a base layer as first layer, an elastic layer as second layer, and a particle layer as third layer and containing fine spherical particles arranged in plane direction thereof where the particle layer has a concavo-convex pattern formed by the fine spherical particles, the elastic layer and the particle layer being formed on the base layer in this order, wherein the intermediate transfer member has a Martens hardness of 1.0 N/mm | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081487 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a conveyance unit to intermittently convey a recording medium in a conveyance direction, a carriage movable in a main scanning direction and including a recording head, a conveyance path having a curved portion provided downstream from an imaging range of the recording head, a first discharge member provided downstream from the imaging range to discharge the recording medium, and a second discharge member provided downstream from the first discharge member and having a nip to sandwich the recording medium to discharge the recording medium. A length of the conveyance path extending from a downstream edge of the imaging range to the nip is longer than a maximum length of the recording medium usable in the image forming apparatus to prevent a leading edge of the recording medium from being sandwiched by the second discharge member when the carriage performs last scanning movement. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120075402 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - To provide an image processing method including at least one of recording an image onto a thermoreversible recording medium in which transparency or color tone reversibly changes depending upon temperature, by applying a laser beam with the use of a semiconductor laser device so as to heat the thermoreversible recording medium, and erasing an image recorded on the thermoreversible recording medium, by heating the thermoreversible recording medium, wherein an intensity distribution of the laser beam applied in the image recording step satisfies the relationship represented by Expression 1 shown below, | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120072629 | COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, MASTER DEVICE AND SLAVE DEVICE, AND COMMUNICATION METHOD - A communication system includes a master device and slave devices. Each slave device includes a request signal generation part configured to, when data to transmit is generated, generate a request signal indicating a transmission request to a master device; and a transmission part configured to transmit the request signal to the master device. The master device includes a request signal reception part configured to receive the request signals from the slave devices; a selection part acting configured to select one of the slave devices according to the request signals received by the reception part; a transmission part configured to transmit a signal indicating to allow data transmission to the slave device selected by the selection part; and a data reception part configured to receive data from the selected slave device. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120072587 | MANAGED DEVICE, DEVICE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A device management system includes a managed device and a device management apparatus. The managed device includes a detection unit detecting a status change indicating a power-on or a network setting change of the managed device, a generating unit generating alert information based on the detected status change, and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the generated alert information to the device management apparatus. The device management apparatus includes a registration/update determining unit comparing the alert information with device management information and determining, based on the comparison result, whether it is necessary to perform a registration process or an update process on the device management information, and a registration/updating unit registering information extracted from the alert information in the device management information or updating a corresponding information item in the device management information with the information extracted from the alert information according to the determination result. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120070168 | LOAD ABNORMALITY DETECTION APPARATUS PERFORMING ACCURATE JUDGMENT OF CAUSE OF ABNORMALITY - A load abnormality detection apparatus detects a load abnormality in first and second rotational members acting on each other. An inclination calculation part calculates an inclination of a second control element. A first comparison part compares a first control element with a first threshold value and also with a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value. A second comparison part compares an inclination of change in the second control element with a third threshold value of a negative value and also with a fourth threshold value of a positive value. An abnormality detection part detects a load abnormality in a load applied to the first rotational member and the second rotational member based on results of comparison by the first comparison part and the second comparison part and identifies a cause of the detected load abnormality. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069835 | WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE, AND METHOD - A wireless communication system includes wireless terminals. Each of the wireless terminals includes an SDM transmitting unit that includes antennas and generates directional radio signals to be transmitted to other terminals, each of which is obtained by superimposing radio signals at the antennas, each of which is composed of modulated data for each of the other terminals; a single-system receiving unit; and a TDMA control unit that controls a transmission of the SDM transmitting unit and a reception of the receiving unit in a time division manner. Using a TDMA scheme, the wireless terminals are controlled such that one of the wireless terminals acquires a transmission right for a predetermined time period to simultaneously transmit the generated directional radio signals from the SDM transmitting unit, while during the predetermined time period, the receiving units of the other wireless terminals having no transmission right simultaneously receive their corresponding directional radio signals. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069481 | VOLTAGE SWITCHING CIRCUIT, SECONDARY BATTERY PROTECTION CIRCUIT, AND BATTERY PACK - A voltage switching circuit for a secondary battery protection circuit in a battery pack having a negative power supply terminal and a current-detection resistor. The secondary battery protection circuit has a charger negative power supply terminal and a detection circuit. The voltage switching circuit has a first input terminal to which a voltage obtained by converting a current flowing through the current detection resistor is supplied, a second input terminal to which voltages at the negative power supply terminal and at the charger negative power supply terminal are supplied, an output terminal, and a selection terminal. The voltage switching circuit causes an output voltage to switch between the voltages from the first input terminal and the second input terminal according to selection at the selection terminal when an excess current is detected and when the battery pack returns to a chargeable-dischargeable state from a charge-discharge inhibit state. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069416 | SURFACE-EMISSION LASER ARRAY, OPTICAL SCANNING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A surface-emission laser array comprises a plurality of surface-emission laser diode elements arranged in the form of a two-dimensional array, wherein a plurality of straight lines drawn perpendicularly to a straight line extending in a first direction from respective centers of the plurality of surface emission laser diode elements aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, are formed with generally equal interval in the first direction, the plurality of surface-emission laser diode elements are aligned in the first direction with an interval set to a reference value, and wherein the number of the surface-emission laser diode elements aligned in the first direction is smaller than the number of the surface-emission laser diode elements aligned in the second direction. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069405 | FACSIMILE APPARATUS - A facsimile apparatus is disclosed that includes a register unit that registers transmission destination information in an internal address book. The register unit receives a number input at least a first time and a second time, and upon determining that a number input the first time and a number input the second time correspond to a same input number, registers the same input number as a valid facsimile number. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069360 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, A CONTROL METHOD AND A RECORDING MEDIUM - The image forming apparatus includes an image forming part configured to form an image on a sheet; a post-processing part configured to process a sheet bundle, the sheet bundle including sheets on which images are formed by the image forming part; an image quality maintaining/adjusting part configured to maintain quality of the image formed by the image forming part; a sheet spacing changing part configured to increase a spacing between a final sheet of the sheet bundle and a next sheet; and an operation controlling part configured to activate the operation of the image quality maintaining/adjusting part such that an operation of the image quality maintaining/adjusting part is completed within the spacing increased by the sheet spacing changing part. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069101 | INKJET HEAD - An inkjet head includes a channel substrate having multiple individual liquid chambers arranged in a shorter-side direction of the channel substrate, the individual liquid chambers being separated by multiple liquid chamber partition walls and communicating with ink supply openings; multiple diaphragms defining surfaces of the individual liquid chambers facing toward nozzle openings; multiple actuators formed on the diaphragms, each of the actuators being formed of a lower electrode, a piezoelectric element, and an upper electrode stacked in layers; and multiple individual electrode interconnects led out from the upper electrodes of the actuators, the individual electrode interconnects being connected to the corresponding upper electrodes on the nozzle opening side and on the ink supply opening side of the upper electrodes, the individual electrode interconnects being formed in regions where the liquid chamber partition walls are formed. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069093 | LIQUID EJECTION HEAD AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE LIQUID EJECTION HEAD - A liquid ejection head includes a common-chamber formation member including a common chamber to supply liquid to pressure chambers communicating nozzles for ejecting liquid droplets, a flexible thin-film member to form part of a wall face of the common chamber, and a thin-film support member bonded to the thin-film member with glue. The support member has an opening or a recessed portion at least partially having a shape that is broad in an area proximal to a first surface of the support member bonded to the thin-film member and becomes narrower as an area of the opening or the recessed portion is more distant from the first surface. The opening or the recessed portion is sealed with the thin-film member. A portion of the thin-film member corresponding to the opening or the recessed portion has the glue on only a periphery area of the portion that contacts the support member. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069090 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of heads and a head support member. Each head has multiple nozzles arrayed in at least one row to eject liquid droplets. The support member has first and second positioning portions to position each head. Each head has a first positioning face to position each head in a nozzle array direction and a second positioning face to position each head in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle array direction. The first positioning face and the second positioning face are cut faces formed by cutting. Each of a first distance between the first positioning face and a first reference nozzle and a second distance between the second positioning face and a second reference nozzle is uniform between the heads. Each head is mounted to the support member with the first and second positioning faces contacting the first and second positioning portions, respectively. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069071 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS SELECTING PULSES TO FORM DRIVE WAVEFORM - An image forming apparatus creates a drive waveform containing a first pulse to discharge the droplet and a second pulse to cause a liquid to flow within a recording head. A data creation part creates data to select a first or second droplet discharge pulse. The first droplet discharge pulse contains the first pulse and the second pulse. The second droplet discharge pulse does not contain the second pulse. When the first or second droplet discharge pulse is selected in a subsequent drive period and when neither the first nor second droplet discharge pulse is selected in a current drive period, the second pulse is selected in the current drive period when selecting the second droplet discharge pulse in the subsequent drive period, and the second pulse is not selected in the current drive period when selecting the first droplet discharge pulse in the subsequent drive period. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120067253 | Pallet apparatus - A pallet apparatus includes a pallet base including a caster unit and a mounting plate for mounting a product having a first fastening unit; a fixing member disposed between the product and the mounting plate of the pallet base; and a second fastening unit fixing the fixing member onto the mounting plate. The product can be fixed to or released from the fixing member by fastening or unfastening the first fastening unit. The fixing member includes a slit at a position corresponding to the first fastening unit, the slit allowing the fixing member to be inserted between or detached from the product and the mounting plate without contacting the first fastening unit. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120066083 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS MANAGING SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF PROCESSING INFORMATION - An information processing apparatus is provided with an image processing apparatus managing unit that collects management information of a plurality of image processing apparatuses and, in accordance with a request for installing software that is transmitted from the outside, downloads the software to be installed to the image processing apparatus from the outside, acquires license information of the software from the outside, and installs the software to the image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus managing unit installs cooperation software to an optimal image processing apparatus on the basis of the collected management information in a case where the software requested to be installed is the cooperation software that operates the plurality of image processing apparatuses in a cooperative manner. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120065353 | CARBAZOLE POLYMER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME - A carbazole polymer containing a repeating unit represented by a chemical structure 1: | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120064444 | IMAGE BEARING MEMBER - An image bearing member including an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer provided overlying the electroconductive substrate, and a furan derivative represented by the following chemical structure 1, | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063833 | Image forming apparatus, image forming apparatus control method, and storage medium storing image forming apparatus control program - An image forming apparatus includes a printing device to print images on sheets using a printing operation and to initiate a discharge of printed sheets from a sheet discharge port onto the discharge tray disposed for the image forming apparatus; a counter operatively connected to the printing device to count the number of printed sheets based on content of a print job; a controller to determine whether the number of printed sheets counted by the counter reaches a maximum sheet stacking capacity of the discharge tray, the maximum sheet stacking capacity being determined by a distance between the sheet discharge port and the discharge tray; and a reporting device to report that the discharge tray is full when the controller determines that the number of printed sheets counted by the counter reaches the maximum sheet stacking capacity. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063829 | Sheet supplying device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - A sheet supplying device that is incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a recording media container, a sheet feeding unit to feed a recording medium from the recording media container, and a frame to support the recording media container and the sheet feeding unit. The recording media container is detachably attachable to the frame in a first operation in which the recording media container is moved in a sheet conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed upstream or downstream by the sheet feeding unit, and the recording media container is separated from the frame and the sheet feeding unit with the sheet feeding unit remaining in the frame, and a second operation in which the recording media container is moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, and the recording media container is separated from the frame together with the sheet feeding unit. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063826 | CLEANING BLADE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE USING SAME - A cleaning blade for cleaning a moving surface of an object by contacting an edge thereof with the moving surface is provided. The cleaning blade includes a strip-shaped elastic main body, in which a leading end portion thereof including the edge is impregnated with an ultraviolet-crosslinked resin; and a cover layer, which is located on a surface of a portion of the crosslinked resin-impregnated portion including the edge as an outermost layer and which has higher hardness than the strip-shaped elastic main body. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063825 | Protecting agent supplying member, protective layer forming device, and image forming apparatus - To provide a protecting agent supplying member, containing a core, and a foam layer formed on a periphery of the core, wherein the protecting agent supplying member is in the shape of a roller, and wherein the foam layer has concavities regularly arranged in a surface thereof. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063816 | TONER BEARER, AND DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING SAME - A toner bearer including an electroconductive substrate; an insulating layer located on the electroconductive substrate; multiple electrodes located on the insulating layer at regular intervals; an outermost layer located on the multiple electrodes; and a voltage applicator to apply a voltage between the electroconductive substrate and the multiple electrodes to form a periodically reversed electric field therebetween so that toner particles on the outermost layer hop, thereby forming a toner cloud above the outermost layer. The insulating layer includes a crosslinked material having a unit obtained from a fluorine-containing resin and a crosslinking agent. The fluorine-containing resin is selected from the group consisting of copolymers having a unit obtained from fluoroethylene having at least three fluorine atoms and a unit obtained from a vinyl ether monomer and copolymers including a unit obtained from tetrafluoroethylene and a unit obtained from a vinyl monomer. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063814 | Powder feeding device and image forming apparatus - A powder feeding device includes a powder container, a feeding tank in communication with the powder container, a negative pressure room in communication with the feeding tank via a suction port communicating tube; an air suction device in communication with the negative pressure room via a negative pressure room communication tube; a suction port opening and closing unit that opens and closes the suction port communicating tube; a negative pressure room opening and closing unit that opens and closes of the negative pressure room communication tube; an output port opening and closing unit that opens and closes an output port of the feeding tank; and a controller that performs negative pressure generation control, powder supply control, and powder discharge control. Further, the controller simultaneously starts the negative pressure generation control and the powder discharge control. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120063394 | ACCESS POINT, COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An access point for assigning a radio resource to a radio communication apparatus based on admission control, the access point including: a state determination unit configured to determine whether there is a first radio communication apparatus that is in a sleep state by a power saving function; and an assignment unit configured to temporarily assign a radio resource assigned to the first radio communication apparatus to a second radio communication apparatus when the state determination unit determines that there is the first radio communication apparatus. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062961 | FORM PROCESSING APPARATUS, FORM PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A form processing apparatus includes a storing unit configured to store definition data for scanning and processing a first form in a storage area, an image input unit configured to scan a second form to obtain a form image, a position adjusting unit configured to adjust a position of a process region representing an entry field of a process item on the form image based on a relative position of the entry field of the corresponding process item on the first form and to associate the process region on the form image with definition information of the process item defined in the definition data, and an updating unit configured to update the definition information by changing a value indicating the position of the process region in the definition information to a value indicating the adjusted position of the process region. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062942 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM - An image processing apparatus is connected to other image processing apparatuses and a file server via a network and includes a document obtaining unit configured to obtain document data and attribute information including format information and generator apparatus information of the document data from the file server, a processability determining unit configured to determine whether the obtained document data are processable by the image processing apparatus based on the format information, an apparatus identifying unit configured to identify one of the other image processing apparatuses as a generator apparatus that has generated the document data based on the generator apparatus information if the processability determining unit determines that the obtained document data are not processable by the image processing apparatus, and a function obtaining unit configured to obtain a functional program for processing the document data from the generator apparatus. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062941 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of drawing processing units that process one or more drawing instructions included in a display list. At least two of the plurality of drawing processing units have different attributes with respect to a first drawing instruction. The image forming apparatus further includes an analyzing unit that acquires the first drawing instruction by analyzing the display list; and an allocating unit that allocates at least the first drawing instruction acquired by the analyzing unit to a first one of the drawing processing units based on the attributes of the drawing processing units with respect to the first drawing instruction. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062928 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, PRINTING SYSTEM AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM WITH ADJUSTABLE IMAGE QUALITY - An image forming apparatus accepts input of transfer sheet identification information, forms an image on a transfer sheet based on a control value corresponding to the accepted transfer sheet identification information, and accepts input of a correction value of the control value and stores the correction value in correspondence with the transfer sheet identification information in a storage unit. The image is formed on the transfer sheet based on the control value that is corrected by the correction value when the control value is stored in correspondence with the accepted transfer sheet identification information. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062922 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING DEVICE CONTROLLING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - In an image forming device having a plurality of functions, a power measuring unit measures a power consumption of the image forming device, a power consumption computing unit computes a power consumption for execution of one of the plurality of functions based on the measured power consumption, a storage unit stores a target power consumption range for each of the plurality of functions, a measuring mode selecting unit selects one of a measuring mode and a non-measurement mode, and a power consumption estimation unit generates an estimated power consumption for execution of one of the plurality of functions in the non-measurement mode. The measuring mode selecting unit selects the measuring mode when the estimated power consumption in the non-measurement mode is beyond a target power consumption range for a corresponding function from the storage unit. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062920 | Image processor and image processing system - An image processor including a memory to store information on the file format and the maximum file size of image data processable by the image processor and image data processable of one or more external devices; a judging device to judge whether image data input to the image processor can be processed by the image processor or one of the external devices in terms of the file format and file size; an image converter; a transfer controller to transfer the input image data to the external device when the input image data cannot be processed by the image processor but can be processed by the external device while transferring the image data to the image converter when the image data can be processed by the image processor; and an output device to output an image based on the image data processed by the external device or the image converter. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062919 | PRINT CONTROL DEVICE, PRINT CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM THEREOF - A print control device including a sheet-base printing speed table that indicates a sheet-base printing speed for each printer; a printing time calculation unit that calculates a printing time associated with a print job based on a printing speed corresponding to a sheet used for the print job by referencing the sheet-base printing speed table; and a first display control unit that displays the print job in a predetermined display mode that has a length proportional to the printing time that is calculated. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062685 | Optical scanner and image forming apparatus including same - An optical scanner includes a light source, an optical part, a housing, and a retainer. The light source projects light against a target. The optical part is disposed on a light path between the light source and the target. The housing houses the light source and the optical part. The retainer fixed to the housing holds the optical part and includes a plurality of flanges disposed along an outer circumference of the retainer. One of the plurality of flanges of the retainer is adhered to the housing an adhesive agent. An image forming apparatus includes the optical scanner. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062659 | LIQUID DISCHARGE HEAD UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A liquid discharge head unit includes a liquid container tank storing a liquid and a head discharging liquid droplets from its nozzles. The head includes a common channel supplying the liquid to liquid-chambers communicating with the nozzles, and the common channel includes a supply port introducing the liquid and a discharge port discharging the liquid. The liquid container tank includes a container including upstream and downstream chambers separated via a filtering member, a supply path supplying the liquid from the downstream chamber to the supply port of the head, a discharge path discharging the liquid obtained from the discharge port of the head, a communication path via which the downstream chamber communicates with the discharge path, and a communication path via which the upstream chamber communicates with the discharge path, where a fluid resistance of the second communication path is higher than that of the first communication path. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062649 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING CARRIAGE THAT MOUNTS IMAGE FORMING UNIT - An image forming apparatus includes a carriage, an image forming unit, a driving pulley, a driven pulley, a driving source, an open-ended carriage drawing member, and a mount. The drawing member is extended between the pulleys and having end portions mounted to the carriage. Each end portion has a surface including an indented area. The mount is disposed on the carriage and having first engagement portions and second engagement portions. Each first engagement portion has at least one indented area to engage the indented area of the drawing member. Each second engagement portion is connected to a corresponding first engagement portion in an orientation to be folded back relative to the corresponding first engagement portion. The end portions are mounted to the mount in a state in which the surface having the indented area is directed to a portion folded back along a corresponding second engagement portion. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062648 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including: a carriage movable in a main scanning direction and including a recording head having a nozzle surface in which nozzles to eject liquid droplets in a horizontal direction are formed, the nozzle surface being disposed in a vertical direction; a guide shaft to guide the carriage in the main scanning direction; and a bearing provided to the carriage and having two sloped sides slidably contacting an outer circumferential surface of the guide shaft. In a plane perpendicular to an axis of the guide shaft, the two sloped sides are disposed such that a line passing through both the axis of the guide shaft and an intersection of two tangent lines from contact portions in which the two sloped sides contact the outer circumferential surface of the guide shaft diagonally intersects a line extending along a plane of the nozzle surface. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062647 | RECOVERY APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A recovery apparatus for recovering an ejection state of an ejection opening is disclosed. The recovery apparatus includes a cap member to seal an ejection surface of a droplet ejection head for ejecting a droplet from the ejection opening, and an absorber mounted in the cap member and to absorb ink attached to the ejection surface, so that the ink within a sealed space is suctioned and discharged. The absorber includes, when the ejection surface is sealed with the cap member, a first absorbing part to face the ejection surface at a first side where the ejection opening is provided through a first gap and a second absorbing part to face the ejection surface at a second side where the ejection opening is not provided through a second gap, wherein the first gap is greater than the second gap. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062643 | Image forming apparatus, image forming method, pattern forming method and recording medium - A disclosed image forming apparatus includes a recording head having nozzles discharging ink droplets to form dots on a recording medium based on image data supplied thereto. The image forming apparatus includes a detector configured to detect a defective nozzle that discharges a defective ink droplet forming an expected defective dot, a focus region setting unit configured to set a focus region including a position of the expected defective dot to be formed of the defective ink droplet discharged by the detective nozzle, and a rearranging unit configured to rearrange, when the defective nozzle is detected by the detector, the dots in the focus region based on a slope of a line image expressed by the supplied image data in the focus region and values indicating respective sizes of the dots in the focus region. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062630 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus includes a driving part driving a recording head; a signal generation part generating a common driving signal; and a transfer part transferring image data and control data to the driving part. The driving part includes a storage part capturing mask pattern transfer data to mask a predetermined one or more of different driving signals of the common driving signal provided by the signal generation part, the mask pattern transfer data being included in the control data; and a latching part latching the mask pattern transfer data, generating a signal to mask the common driving signal, and selectively performing one of control operations other than latching on the stored mask pattern transfer data, based on the combination of the value of the mask pattern transfer data and the value of a mask pattern transfer clock signal, when the latching part is caused to enter a latching state. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062628 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes at least two independent recording heads; restoring units; counting units; a restoring control unit; and a storage unit. The restoring control unit conducts a restoring operation for all of recording heads when the cumulative number of print sheets of either of the recording heads reaches the first setting value or above when the cumulative number of print sheets for all of the recording heads is less than the second setting value at the time of starting printing. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062381 | MOTION TRACKING TECHNIQUES FOR RFID TAGS - Techniques for tracking the motion of an RFID tag using signal strength information. A single antenna of an RFID reader may be used to take a sequence of readings from an RFID tag in motion. A signal strength indicator (e.g., received signal strength indicator (RSSI)) is determined for each reading. The sequence of RSSIs is then used to estimate a path of motion of the RFID tag and the direction of motion of the RFID tag along the path. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062208 | CONDUCTIVE MEMBER EVALUATOR AND CONDUCTIVE MEMBER EVALUATION METHOD - A conductive member evaluator includes a first electrode which has contact with an outer circumferential face of a conductive member, a second electrode which is connected to the shaft center of the conductive member, a voltage applier configured to apply evaluation voltage including at least an AD component between the first electrode and the second electrode, a current value measuring device configured to measure a current value flowing between the first electrode and the second electrode when the evaluation voltage is applied, an extreme value obtaining device configured to obtain at least one extreme value of a maximum value and a minimum value in one cycle of the AD component included in the current value from the current value measured by the current value measuring device; and an evaluation device configured to evaluate the conductive member based on the extreme value obtained by the extreme value obtaining device. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062188 | POWER SUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE POWER SUPPLY DEVICE - A power supply device includes an AC generation part having a sinusoidal wave generation part generating a first sinusoidal wave signal, an integrator integrating a difference between the first sinusoidal wave signal and a feedback signal, a triangular wave generation part generating a triangular wave signal, a comparator comparing an output of the integrator and the triangular wave signal and outputting a PWM signal, a switching drive part amplifying the PWM signal and outputs an amplified PWM signal, a filter converting the amplified PWM signal into a second sinusoidal wave signal, a transformer increasing a voltage of the second sinusoidal wave signal and outputting an AC voltage, and a voltage divider dividing the AC voltage and generating the feedback signal, and a DC generation part generating a DC voltage. The power supply device superimposes the AC voltage and the DC voltage and outputs a superimposed voltage. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120061909 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AN IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND A RECORDING MEDIUM - An image processing apparatus includes a reading part configured to optically read skew amount measurement patterns and opposite ends of a paper sheet; an image skew amount detecting part configured to detect skew amounts on a color basis based on the skew amount measurement patterns; a paper sheet skew amount detecting part configured to detect a skew amount of the paper sheet based on a displacement between the opposite ends of the paper sheet; a skew correction amount calculating part configured to calculate skew correction amounts of the respective colors based on the skew amounts; and a skew correcting part configured to shift the images to correct the skews by recording input image data in plural lines of a line memory, dividing the input image data into plural areas in a main scanning direction, and setting line delay amounts on an area basis based on the skew correction amounts. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120061907 | Sheet supplying device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - A sheet supplying device that is incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a recording media container, a sheet feeding unit to feed a recording medium from the recording media container, a frame to support the recording media container and the sheet feeding unit, and a holder to hold the recording media container by surrounding an outer circumference of the recording media container. The recording media container is detachably attachable to the frame in a first operation in which the recording media container is moved in a direction parallel to a sheet conveyance direction and the recording media container is separated from the frame and the holder with the holder remaining in the frame, and a second operation in which the recording media container is moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction and the recording media container is separated from the frame together with the holder. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120061904 | Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - A sheet feeding device that can be incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeder including a belt unit including an attraction belt facing a sheet stack and first and second tension rollers to keep the attraction belt taut, and a side holder to rotatably support the belt unit about the first tension roller that serves as a pivot of the sheet feeder being disposed upstream from the second tension roller in the sheet conveyance direction, a contact and separation drive unit to swing the sheet feeder to make the attraction belt contact with and separate from the sheet stack, and a swing range adjuster to adjust a range of swing of the belt unit with respect to the side holder between contact and separation of the attraction belt with respect to the sheet stack, according to a predetermined condition. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120061903 | Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - A sheet feeding device that is incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes an endless belt disposed facing an upper surface of a sheet stack to convey sheets of the sheet stack forward in a first moving direction of a surface thereof, an attraction unit to attract an uppermost sheet of the sheet stack to the endless belt, a contact and separation unit to contact and separate the endless belt relative to the sheet stack, and a controller to cause the endless belt to contact or substantially contact the upper surface of the sheet stack to attract the uppermost sheet to the endless belt, perform a pre-separation operation in which the endless belt moves in a reverse direction that is opposite the sheet conveyance direction, and then perform a separating operation in which the endless belt separates from the sheet stack. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120061828 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND LAYOUT METHOD OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device that is resin-sealed in a wafer level after a rewiring layer forming process and a metal post forming process forming a metal post are performed on a semiconductor substrate of the semiconductor device includes devices formed on the semiconductor substrate. Further all of the devices are disposed in respective positions other than positions overlapping a peripheral border of the metal post when viewed from a top of the semiconductor substrate. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120061569 | THERMAL INFRARED SENSOR AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A thermal infrared sensor includes an infrared ray absorbing film that is thermally separated from a semiconductor substrate by a hollow part; and a temperature sensor configured to detect temperature changes of the infrared ray absorbing film. The infrared ray absorbing film includes an infrared ray antireflection structure configured with a sub wavelength structure, the infrared ray antireflection structure being provided on a surface of the infrared ray absorbing film facing the semiconductor substrate. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060754 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TREATMENT LIQUID APPLICATION DEVICE - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a recording medium and a treatment-liquid application device to apply a treatment liquid to the medium. The application device includes a conveyance roller to convey the medium, an application roller to apply the liquid to the medium, a squeeze roller to spread the liquid on the application roller to form a thin layer of the liquid on the application roller, and a housing member to retain the application roller and the squeeze roller within the housing member and cover outer circumferential surfaces of the application roller and the squeeze roller. The housing member has an opening to contact the application roller with the conveyance roller through the opening and a storage portion to store the liquid. The housing member is rotatable while retaining the application roller and the conveyance roller within the housing member. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060753 | Image bearing member-protecting agent, protective layer-forming device using the same, and image forming apparatus - An image bearing member-protecting agent including a fatty acid metal salt and boron nitride, wherein the image bearing member-protecting agent contains the fatty acid metal salt in an amount of 60% by mass to 87% by mass, and is formed by compression molding; or an image bearing member-protecting agent including a fatty acid metal salt and boron nitride, wherein the image bearing member-protecting agent contains the fatty acid metal salt in an amount of 88% by mass to 99% by mass, and is formed by melt molding. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120060212 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - An information processing apparatus is connectable via a network to service providing devices and a collecting apparatus. The information processing apparatus acquires a selection policy for selecting the devices that lay open to public types of providable services and service level information, and acquires service type information and the service level information from the collecting apparatus which detects the devices and collects the service type information including the types of providable services of the devices and the service level information. The devices capable of providing the accepted type of service are selected according to the selection policy. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120060122 | DOCUMENT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, IMAGE FORMING DEVICE, DOCUMENT DATA CONTROLLING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - In a document distribution system, a storage unit stores distribution destination setup information including a filtering setup item for filtering document data and a process setup item indicating processes permitted on a distribution destination device. A distribution unit distributes document data based on distribution setup information. An acquisition unit acquires information of document data from a distribution destination device. A filtering unit filters the acquired document data based on the filtering setup item. A display control unit performs display control of a screen of screen data generated based on the process setup item of the distribution destination setup information and the information of the document data. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057912 | Protecting agent-supplying device, process cartridge, image forming apparatus - A protecting agent-supplying device including: a rotation member configured to rotate in a certain direction; an image bearing member-protecting agent containing a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant, and being in the form of a solid, wherein the agent is scraped off by the rotation of the rotation member, supplied to an image bearing member for protection thereof, and disposed to have a surface facing the rotation member, which surface has a width G in a direction along the certain direction, and wherein the position X (a center of the width G) is located upstream in the direction along the certain direction from the position Y (a line of intersection between the surface facing and a line extended from the rotational center of the rotation member perpendicular to the surface facing), and a distance d between these positions satisfies a formula 0| 03-08-2012 | |
| 20120057908 | Belt unit, transfer unit including the belt unit, and image forming apparatus including the transfer unit - A belt unit includes a belt wound around a plurality of rollers to rotate endlessly, a contact member disposed along a surface of the belt, an opposing member disposed facing the contact member via the belt, a moving member including an action receiving portion, to swing and movably support the opposing member to contact and separate from the belt, and a moving assembly. The moving assembly includes an actuator to bias the action receiving portion in a first direction in which the opposing member contacts the belt and in a second direction opposite the first direction in which the opposing member separates from the belt, a drive mechanism to move the actuator in the first and the second directions, and an elastic member to transmit a moving force of the actuator to the action receiving portion when the actuator moves. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057902 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SURFACE EMITTING LASER, AND SURFACE EMITTING LASER, SURFACE EMITTING LASER ARRAY, OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A disclosed method of manufacturing a surface emitting laser includes laminating a transparent dielectric layer on an upper surface of a laminated body; forming a first resist pattern on an upper surface of the dielectric layer, the first resist pattern including a pattern defining an outer perimeter of a mesa structure and a pattern protecting a region corresponding to one of the relatively high reflection rate part and the relatively low reflection rate part included in an emitting region; etching the dielectric layer by using the first resist pattern as an etching mask; and forming a second resist pattern protecting a region corresponding to an entire emitting region. These steps are performed before the mesa structure is formed. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057890 | Development device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - A development device includes a development portion, to develop a latent image formed on a latent image carrier with developer, disposed close to the latent image carrier; a developer agitation container to agitate the developer, provided separately from the development portion; a transport system connecting the development portion and the developer agitation container, through which the developer is transported from the developer agitation container to the development portion by air; and a developer retainer to temporarily retain the developer, disposed downstream from the transport system, to which the developer remaining in the transport system escapes. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057889 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus for an image forming apparatus including a line head array that forms an image by illuminating one or more illumination elements in correspondence with image data. The image processing apparatus includes a detection part configured to detect a linear image extending in a sub-scanning direction in the image data, and an adjustment part configured to adjust a density of the linear image so that the energy used in illuminating the one or more illumination elements for forming the linear image is reduced compared to the energy used in forming the linear image without adjusting the density of the linear image. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057199 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM, SERVER, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming system includes a smart device, a server, and an image forming apparatus. The server receives print client information from the smart device, advertises the print client information to the image forming apparatus, receives a print job from the smart device, and registers the print job in association with the print client information. The image forming apparatus receives the print client information advertised by the server, displays a first operation component associated with a print client identifier obtained from the print client information, obtains print job information of the print job from the server based on the print client identifier when the first operation component is selected, displays a second operation component associated with the print job information, obtains the print job from the server based on the print job information when the second operation component is selected, and executes the print job. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120057179 | Image forming apparatus and rendering control method - An image forming apparatus includes a parsing part parsing printing data; plural rendering process parts carrying out a rendering process on the parsed printing data; a band memory to which each of the plural rendering process parts carries out the rendering; a rendering control part carrying out rendering control, based on a parsing result of the parsing part, to cause a predetermined one of the plural rendering process parts to generate intermediate data or carry out the rendering to the band memory; and a data memory storing the intermediate data generated by the predetermined one of the plural rendering process parts. Another of the plural rendering process parts carries out the rendering to the band memory using the intermediate data stored in the data memory. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120056953 | LIQUID CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A liquid container includes a container main unit, an air release passage, and an air release mechanism. The passage communicates with an interior of the main unit. The air release mechanism is connected to the passage to open and close the passage. The air release mechanism includes a hollow cylindrical member, a valve seat, a valve body, a movable member, an elastic cover member, and a second communication channel. The movable member has an outer circumferential surface slidable over an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member and forms a first communication channel to communicate with outside air. The second communication channel has a filter structure to remove foreign substances, is formed within the cylindrical member, and is connected to a space between the cylindrical member and the cover member to communicate the first communication channel with outside air via the space and the second communication channel. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120056936 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING CARRIAGE THAT MOUNTS IMAGE FORMING UNIT - An image forming apparatus includes a carriage movably supported to move reciprocally in a main scanning direction, an image forming unit mounted on the carriage to form an image, a driving pulley disposed at a first end in the main scanning direction, a driven pulley disposed at a second end opposite the first end in the main scanning direction, a driving source operatively connected to the driving pulley to rotate the driving pulley, a carriage drawing member extended between the driving pulley and the driven pulley and partially mounted to the carriage to draw the carriage, a mount disposed on the carriage to mount the carriage drawing member, a holder disposed on the carriage to hook the carriage drawing member extended from the mount during assembly, and a guide member to guide the carriage drawing member extended from the mount and the holder. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120056933 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including: a recording head having a nozzle surface in which nozzles to eject liquid droplets in a horizontal direction or a direction slanted from the horizontal direction are formed, the nozzle surface being disposed in a vertical direction or a direction slanted from the vertical direction; a head tank to supply liquid to the recording head; a suction cap to cap the nozzle surface of the recording head; a suction member connected to the suction cap to suck out liquid from the nozzles by the suction cap; a valve member to open or close a sealed space formed by capping the nozzle surface with the suction cap to atmosphere; a liquid supplier to supply the liquid to the head tank and return the liquid from the head tank; and a control unit to control servicing of the recording head. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120056932 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, METHOD OF SUCTIONING LIQUID FROM NOZZLES OF RECORDING HEAD AND COMPUTER READABLE INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus includes a recording head configured to have a nozzle face on which nozzles that discharge liquid droplets are formed; a cap configured to cap the nozzle face of the recording head; a discharge path configured to be connected to the cap; a suction pump configured to be provided in the discharge path and be made of a tube pump; and an atmosphere opening part configured to open an airtight space, created when the nozzle face is capped by the cap, to the atmosphere. The atmosphere opening part is configured to communicate with the inside of the cap at a position higher than a surface of liquid discharged into the cap, and a check valve configured to prevent a flow of the liquid toward the cap from the suction pump is provided in the discharge path. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120047242 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS HANDLING LICENSE FILE AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD - A disclosed information processing apparatus includes an installing part configured to install a function by downloading installing data of the function from outside the information processing apparatus, a license file acquiring part configured to acquire a license file for activating the function from the outside, a license managing part configured to manage existence of a license for the function regardless of existence of the license file, a license moving and updating part configured to move the license to or from another apparatus and update existence of the license of the function, a license returning part configured to cause the moved license to be returned based on an automatic return condition to a predetermined apparatus, and a license holding part configured to hold a predetermined license structure of the information processing apparatus set up by a user to cause the license to be moved in conformity with the predetermined license structure. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120047241 | Apparatus, system, and method of managing an image forming device, and medium storing control program - An apparatus, system, and method of managing an image forming device on a network, and a control program for managing the image forming device are disclosed. The management apparatus communicates with a plurality of network devices on the network by specifying a multicast address to generate a network device list, which lists address information of each of the plurality of network devices. The management apparatus communicates with one or more network devices each having the address information listed in the network device list to request each one of the one or more network devices for identification information of an image forming device. The management apparatus determines that at least one network device from which the identification information of the image forming device is successfully received as an image forming device to be managed by the management apparatus. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120045262 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus, including a fixing liquid applicator applying a fixing liquid including a plasticizer swelling and softening a toner forming a toner image to fix on a recording medium thereto before bearing the toner image; a transferer transferring the toner image on a toner image bearer onto the recording medium while contacting the toner image to the fixing liquid thereon; and a fixing device heating the toner image and the fixing liquid to fix the toner image thereon, wherein the fixing liquid applicator comprises an application member bearing the fixing liquid on its surface and apply the liquid on a surface of the recording medium the toner image is transferred onto; a feeder feeding the fixing liquid to the application member; and an inducement mechanism inducing the fixing liquid pooling at a delivery point where the feeder feeds the fixing liquid to the application member out of the point. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120044542 | TRANSFER OF IMAGE DATA USING POWER SAVING STATE - An image processing apparatus includes a data output control unit to output image data on a line-by-line basis in response to a line synchronizing signal, and a data output interface circuit to transfer via a bus the image data that is output from the data output control unit on a line-by-line basis in response to the line synchronizing signal, wherein the data output interface circuit makes a transition, together with the bus, from a normal state to a power saving state when a predetermined check period next following completion of transfer, by the data output interface circuit, of image data for one line output from the data output control unit passes before transfer of image data for a next one line, and returns, together with the bus, from the power saving state to the normal state for transfer of image data for the next one line. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120044514 | Image reading device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - An image reading device that can be incorporated in an image forming apparatus includes a housing including a first housing member having a document reading area and a second housing member attached to the first housing member, a document reading unit disposed inside the housing to read a document while moving in a sub-scanning direction of the housing, a document reference line formed on the first housing member to position the document placed on the document reading area in the sub-scanning direction, and a reference position detector positioned on a plane surface of a square that extends perpendicular to the document reading area along a main scanning direction of the document reference line to detect a reference position of the document reading unit as the document reading unit moves in the sub-scanning direction. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120044284 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING RECORDING HEAD FOR EJECTING LIQUID DROPLETS - An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a liquid tank, a first passage, a second passage, a pressure unit, and a control valve. The first passage is connected to the head to supply liquid to the head. The second passage is connected to the tank. The pressure unit is disposed at the second passage to apply pressure to liquid in the second passage. The control valve includes an internal channel to connect the first and second passages, an expandable liquid retaining chamber connected to the internal channel to retain the liquid, and a valve member disposed in the internal channel to open and close the first and second passages and movable by a flow of liquid from the chamber to the first passage created by ejection of liquid from the head to communicate the second passage with the first passage. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120044088 | DEVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS - Apparatuses, systems and methods are provided for managing network-connected devices that employ an RFID tag. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120033286 | ELECTROCHROMIC DISPLAY DEVICE, FABRICATION METHOD THEREFOR, AND DRIVING METHOD THEREFOR - An electrochromic display device includes a display substrate, a counter substrate facing the display substrate, counter electrodes formed on the counter substrate, at least first and second display electrodes arranged between the display substrate and the counter electrodes, the first display electrode and the second display electrode having a predetermined distance from each other, a first electrochromic layer arranged on the first display electrode and a second electrochromic layer arranged on the second display electrode, an electrolyte layer arranged between the respective first and the second display electrodes and the counter electrodes, and a protective layer made of an insulator material formed on a counter electrode facing side surface of one of the first and the second display electrodes such that the protective layer is sandwiched between the selected one of the first and the second display electrodes and a corresponding one of the first and the second electrochromic layers. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120033020 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING RECORDING HEAD FOR EJECTING LIQUID DROPLETS - An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a liquid tank, a head tank, a liquid supply passage, a liquid supply passage, a liquid intake port, a valve member, and a lock unit. The lock unit is disposed in the head tank to lock and unlock the valve member in response to a change in pressure within the head tank. In a locked state, the valve member closes the liquid intake port in immovable state to constantly stop flow of the liquid into the head tank. In an unlocked state, the valve member is movable to open and close the liquid intake port in response to a change in pressure within the head tank to regulate the flow of the liquid into the head tank. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120032733 | SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE AND SUPPLY VOLTAGE SUPERVISOR - A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a power-supply terminal to which a power-supply voltage is input; and multiple MOS transistors including an Nch deplete mode MOS transistor functioning as a current source and at least one Pch enhancement mode MOS transistor formed on a silicon-on-insulator substrate including a silicon substrate, a buried-oxide film, and a silicon activate layer, each of the multiple MOS transistors dimensioned so that a bottom of a source diffusion layer and a bottom of a drain diffusion layer reach the buried-oxide film, the at least one Pch enhancement mode MOS transistor being connected to the supply terminal through the Nch depletion mode MOS transistor. The Nch depletion mode MOS transistor has electrical characteristics such that a source voltage thereof is higher than a silicon substrate voltage thereof and a saturation current of the Nch depletion mode MOS transistor is decreased. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120032696 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TESTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A testing method for testing a semiconductor device includes heating the semiconductor device until the temperature of the semiconductor device reaches a predetermined temperature; conducting other functional tests other than testing of the overheat protection function in a second step after the temperature of the semiconductor device has reached the predetermined temperature; allowing the semiconductor device to generate heat by itself such that the overheat protection function of the semiconductor device is activated, detecting a first diode forward voltage of a desired diode contained in the semiconductor device when the overheat protection function of the semiconductor device is activated and computing a first computational temperature of the semiconductor device based on the detected first diode forward voltage of the desired diode contained in the semiconductor device; and determining whether the computed first computational temperature of the semiconductor device resides in the overheat protection function activating temperature range. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120032115 | LIGHT EMITTING DEVICE AND DISPLAY UNIT - A light emitting device having a substrate and a luminous layer provided overlying the substrate, which includes a semiconductor nanocrystal to which a carbazole derivative is coordination-bonded or attached, the carbazole derivative having aromatic rings of a compound represented by the chemical structure 1 having one to three substitution groups: | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120032021 | ROLL MEDIUM HOLDING UNIT, ROLL SHEET FEEDER, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A roll medium holding unit is disclosed that includes a core part configured to be inserted in a core pipe of a roll medium; and plural diameter-increasing members configured to be variably arranged at corresponding first positions provided along a periphery of the core part and arranged at corresponding second positions provided away from the core part. The roll medium holding unit is capable of being set in a first holding state where the diameter-increasing members arranged at an outer peripheral surface of the core part support the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding first positions and capable of being set in a second holding state where the core part of a holding member supports the roll medium with the diameter-increasing members arranged at the corresponding second positions. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120030329 | Information processing apparatus, linked scenario preparation method for information processing apparatus, program, and storage medium - An information processing apparatus connectable to other information processing apparatuses useable as link partner apparatuses via a network can prepare a linked scenario. The linked scenario is preparable by linking a plurality of discrete services providable by the information processing apparatus and the link partner apparatuses. The information processing apparatus includes a processor to conduct the steps of: storing link information arranging each of the discrete services providable by the information processing apparatus and the link partner apparatuses from high to low linking closeness trend; preparing a plurality of path patterns for the linked scenario by linking a plurality of discrete services based on the link information, in which the path patterns are prepared to satisfy an inputting format and an outputting format designated for the linked scenario; displaying the plurality of path patterns prepared for the linked scenario; and registering a primary linked scenario by selecting one path. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120027478 | Endless belt assembly, fixing device, and image forming apparatus employing same - An endless belt assembly includes one or more rollers, an endless belt, and a belt tracking mechanism. The one or more rollers are disposed parallel to each other, each being rotatable around a rotational axis thereof. The endless belt is looped for rotation around the rollers. The belt tracking mechanism is disposed on at least one side of the endless belt assembly to prevent lateral displacement of the endless belt during rotation. The belt tracking mechanism includes an annular recess, an annular flange, and a circumferential rib. The annular recess is perimetrically formed on a longitudinal end face of the roller. The annular flange is disposed in the annular recess to rotate freely with respect to the roller. The circumferential rib extends along a side edge of an interior circumferential surface of the endless belt to contact the annular flange upon lateral movement of the belt. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120027464 | Drive transmission device, drive device, and image forming apparatus - A drive transmission device includes drive transmission members including a detection target gear, a detection device detecting the rotational position of the target gear and including a position detection member and a detection unit, and a conductive protection member protecting the detection unit. The detection unit and the protection member are assembled to the same member to be installed to an external apparatus. If there is a dimensional error in the protection member causing a portion of the protection member closest to the target gear to shift in position relative to the detection unit beyond a predetermined range, the protection member comes into contact with the detection unit in the assembling process, and is corrected in shape by the detection unit, with the shift in position relative to the detection unit of the portion of the protection member closest to the target gear kept within the predetermined range. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120027463 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member to bear an electrostatic latent image, which includes an outermost layer comprising a cross-linked resin composition; a toner developing mechanism to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image with a toner comprising a binder resin; a toner transferring mechanism to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member onto a recording medium; and a fixing liquid applying mechanism to apply a fixing liquid to the recording medium onto which the toner image has been transferred or is to be transferred. The fixing liquid dissolves or swells at least a part of the binder resin to soften the toner. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120027037 | SEMICONDUCTOR LASER DRIVE DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A semiconductor laser drive device includes a semiconductor-laser drive element to generate a drive current according to an input control signal to supply the drive current to a semiconductor laser, a control circuit to control the drive current by controlling the semiconductor-laser drive element, and a drive current detection circuit to detect a current value of the drive current supplied to the semiconductor laser and generate a digital control signal representing the detected digital value of the drive current to output. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120026528 | DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS, DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR ADDING DATA CONVERTING FUNCTION, PROGRAM AND MEDIUM - A data processing apparatus is monitoring the first port of itself and the second port of itself. If the data processing apparatus receives data via the second port, it conducts a specific process to the data regardless of a data format of the data so as to convert the data into the data format that can be processed regardless of a data format of the data and sends converted data to the first port. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120023551 | INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - An information processing system includes an external system having an external server managing public information, and an internal system having an internal server managing secure information and a terminal outputting information. The external server sends an information generating module to the terminal at an acquisition request source, and the terminal executes the received information generating module, in order to generate information to be provided, using the public information acquired from the external server and the secure information acquired from the internal sever. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120021900 | HEAT-SENSITIVE RECORDING MATERIAL - To provide a heat-sensitive recording material including a substrate; a heat-sensitive color-developing layer over the substrate, the heat-sensitive color-developing layer containing a leuco dye and a developer; a first protective layer over the heat-sensitive color-developing layer, the first protective layer containing a water-soluble resin and a crosslinking agent; and a second protective layer over the first protective layer, the second protective layer containing a water-soluble resin, a crosslinking agent and a pigment, wherein the heat-sensitive color-developing layer, the first protective layer and the second protective layer are formed simultaneously by curtain coating method, and the second protective layer contains diacetone-modified polyvinyl alcohol and acrylic resin or maleic acid copolymer resin. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120020706 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing liquid applicator to apply a fixing liquid to a recording medium before a toner image is transferred on the recording medium, a transfer device to transfer a toner image from a toner image bearing member onto the recording medium applied with the fixing liquid, and a fixing device to fixe the toner image on the recording medium by heating. The fixing liquid applicator includes an application member disposed opposing a face of the recording medium on which the toner image is transferred to apply to the recording medium the fixing liquid borne on a surface of the application member, a supply unit to supply the fixing liquid to the application member, and a sealing device to form along with the application member a sealed space in which the supply unit and the fixing liquid to be supplied to the application member are sealed. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120020690 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body and a pressing member each of which includes a waveform elastic layer having at least one wave crest and at least one wave trough to form a waveform face between the fixing rotary body and the pressing member pressed against each other. A controller identifies a temperature differential between a first temperature of the wave crest of the fixing rotary body detected by a first temperature detector and a second temperature of the wave trough of the fixing rotary body detected by a second temperature detector and adjusts an amount of heat stored from a heater into the fixing rotary body based on the identified temperature differential. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120020681 | Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - A fixing device includes a separator presser that presses against a plurality of separators to separate the plurality of separators from a fixing rotary body that contacts an opposed rotary body to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium bearing a toner image passes. A single driver is connected to the separator presser to separate the separator presser from the plurality of separators. An entering recording medium detector is disposed upstream from the fixing nip in a conveyance direction of the recording medium to detect the recording medium. A controller is connected to the driver to control the driver based on a detection signal sent from the entering recording medium detector to change a contact time period for which the plurality of separators contacts the fixing rotary body. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120017199 | REMOVAL OF PROGRAM LICENSED TO USER - An image forming apparatus includes a program storing unit, a function introducing unit to obtain a program licensed to an individual user and license information about the program from an external source and to store the program in the program storing unit, a user information storing unit to store user information that includes the license information about the program that is stored by the function introducing unit, the license information being associated with a user ID of the individual user in the user information, a removal timing receiving unit to receive a setting of removal timing at which the program stored by the function introducing unit is removed from the program storing unit, and a removal unit to remove the program stored by the function introducing unit from the program storing unit upon arrival of the removal timing received by the removal timing receiving unit. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120014728 | Waste toner container and image forming apparatus incorporating same - A waste toner container used in an image forming apparatus includes a waste toner reservoir extending in a depth direction of the image forming apparatus for containing waste toner removed from an image bearer, an inlet portion provided above the waste toner reservoir, including a waste toner inlet to receive the waste toner flowing to the waste toner reservoir, a first agitator provided in the waste toner reservoir, to transport the waste toner therein in the depth direction, a rotary member provided in the inlet portion, including a rotary shaft extending in a width direction perpendicular to the depth direction, and a drive transmission unit provided outside the waste toner reservoir, to transmit a drive force from the rotary member provided in the inlet portion to the first agitator provided in the waste toner reservoir and to drive the first agitator in conjunction with rotation of the rotary member. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120014725 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus including a fixing device to fix a toner image on a recoding medium; a compressed air generator to generate a compressed air; an air nozzle to inject the compressed air to separate the recording medium having the fixed toner image from the fixing device; a first switching unit to switch the air nozzle between injection and termination, which is provided upstream from the air nozzle; and a buffer unit to retain the compressed air, which is provided upstream from the air nozzle and downstream from the first switching unit. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120014401 | SEMICONDUCTOR LASER DRIVER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A semiconductor laser driver to execute automatic power control (APC) for multiple semiconductor lasers based on a common APC output from an image controller. The semiconductor laser driver includes a drive circuit to generate an individual APC signal to execute APC for each semiconductor laser based on the common APC signal. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013701 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - An image processing method including calculating a density of a character to be recorded based on information of a type, size and line width of the character; adjusting an irradiation energy of a laser beam for recording the character based on the density of the character; and irradiating a recording medium with the laser beam whose irradiation energy is adjusted so as to record the character thereon. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013396 | SEMICONDUCTOR CIRCUIT AND CONSTANT VOLTAGE REGULATOR EMPLOYING SAME - A semiconductor circuit includes a voltage regulator and a buffer transistor. The voltage regulator converts an input voltage input to an input terminal thereof into an output voltage output to an output terminal thereof. The buffer transistor is an n-channel depletion-mode metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, disposed between the power supply terminal and the voltage regulator with a gate terminal thereof connected to the power supply terminal, a drain terminal thereof connected to the power supply terminal, and a source terminal thereof connected to the input terminal of the voltage regulator. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013383 | VOLTAGE CLAMP CIRCUIT AND INTEGRATED CIRCUIT INCORPORATING SAME - A voltage clamp circuit includes a power supply, a first element connected with the power supply to output a constant current, a third element configured to allow a current to pass through when a voltage of a predetermined value or more is applied; and a second element configured to output a voltage according to a voltage generated by the first and third elements. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120013317 | CONSTANT VOLTAGE REGULATOR - A voltage regulator includes a driver transistor, a feedback voltage generator, a reference voltage generator, a first differential amplifier, and a differential gain controller. The driver transistor is connected between input and output terminals to conduct a current therethrough according to a control signal applied to a gate terminal thereof. The feedback voltage generator is connected to the output terminal to generate a feedback voltage. The reference voltage generator generates a reference voltage. The first differential amplifier has an output thereof connected to the gate terminal of the driver transistor, and a pair of differential inputs thereof connected to the feedback voltage generator and the reference voltage generator, respectively, to generate the control signal at the output thereof. The differential gain controller is connected to the output of the first differential amplifier to control the differential gain according to a difference between the input and output voltages. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120012445 | Interlock mechanism and image forming apparatus - An interlock mechanism includes first and second covers hinged to an apparatus body and openably closable relative to the apparatus body, an interlock switch provided inside the first and second coverts in the apparatus body, first and second pressing portions respectively provided on the first cover and the second cover, a first cam unit pivotably supported on the apparatus body by a first shaft to contact the first pressing portion, and a second cam unit pivotably supported on the first cam unit by a second shaft to contact the second pressing portion. When the first and second pressing portions respectively contact the first cam unit and the second cam unit, the first and second cam units rotate to push the interlock switch, the second cam unit turns on the interlock switch, and the closing of the first and second covers are detected simultaneously. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20120008984 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOCONDUCTOR, PRODUCTION METHOD OF THE SAME, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE - An electrophotographic photoconductor having a photosensitive layer and a crosslinked resin surface layer over a support, wherein shapes of concaves and convexes in a surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor are measured by a surface roughness/profile measuring device to obtain one-dimensional data arrays, the arrays are subjected to multiresolution analysis (MRA-1) through wavelet transformation to be separated into six frequency components including HHH, HHL, HMH, HML, HLH and HLL to obtain one-dimensional data arrays, the arrays of the HHL are thinned out to be reduced 1/10 to 1/100, thereby producing one-dimensional data arrays, which are then subjected to multiresolution analysis (MRA-2) through wavelet transformation to be separated into six frequency components including LHH, LHL, LMH, LML, LLH and LLL to thereby obtain 12 frequency components in total; and a center-line average roughness (WRa) of the 12 frequency components satisfies relationship (i) below. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008979 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A CARRIER, A CARRIER, A DEVELOPMENT AGENT, AND A PROCESS CARTRIDGE - A method of manufacturing a carrier including covering a core material with a covering material to form a covering layer on the core material and baking the covering material by heating the core material by high frequency induction applied thereto by a high frequency induction heating device. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120008162 | Image information input system, image information input apparatus and image information input method - An image information input system inputs image information into another system that handles the image information. The image information input system obtains plural items of image information generated as a result of plural sheets of paper of an original document being read, obtains original identification information to be used for identifying each sheet of paper of the original document, for each of the plural items of image information, associates the plural items of image information and the original identifying information obtained for each of the plural items of image information, outputs it, and stores the output plural items of image information and the output original identification information associated with the plural items of image information. When each of the plural items of the image information is obtained, a number to be used to identify each sheet of paper of the original document is obtained as the original identification information. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120007903 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an ejection device, a suction device, and a controller. The ejection device has a first nozzle and a second nozzle to eject a first liquid and a second liquid, respectively. The first liquid contains pigment particles dispersed in a dispersion medium and the second liquid contains a color material. In a first image formation mode for ejecting the second liquid from the second nozzle without ejecting the first liquid from the first nozzle, the controller controls the suction device so as not to suction the first liquid for recovery operation. When the first image formation mode is switched to a second image formation mode for ejecting at least the first liquid from the first nozzle, the controller controls the suction device so as to suction a predetermined amount of the first liquid determined based on solidification of the first liquid to perform the recovery operation. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120003446 | NITRIDE CRYSTAL AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME - A nitride crystal which encircles an outer periphery of a seed crystal, the nitride crystal in an embodiment includes: a first partial region, and a second partial region that has optical characteristics different from those of the first partial region and has optical characteristics which indicate the crystal orientation. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120003007 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOCONDUCTOR, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE - An electrophotographic photoconductor including a metal tube and a photoconductive layer on the metal tube, wherein the metal tube has an outer diameter of 40 mm to 300 mm, and has a total runout of 5 μm to 70 μm relative to a driving axis thereof. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120002242 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS EMBEDDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN DOCUMENT DATA - In an image processing apparatus, an input part inputs additional information to be embedded when printing a document. A developing part develops a character contained in the document, into which character the additional information is to be embedded, using a form deformed according to the additional information. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120001976 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING HEAD - An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt having holes facing a head and to transfer a recording medium in a transferring direction perpendicular to an array direction of nozzles in the head, a driving unit to drive the endless belt, a driving speed control unit to control a driving speed of the endless belt, and a maintenance discharge amount acquisition unit to acquire an amount of a recording liquid to be discharged from the nozzles of the head to allow the amount of the recording liquid to be passed through the holes in the endless belt for performing maintenance during a non-image forming operation. The driving speed control unit sets the driving speed of the endless belt based on the amount of the recording liquid to be discharged from the nozzles acquired by the maintenance discharge amount acquisition unit. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120001551 | SEMICONDUCTOR APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING OPERATION THEREOF - A semiconductor apparatus includes an input terminal to which an input voltage is applied; an output terminal at which an output voltage is obtained; a power supply circuit unit configured to generate the output voltage from the input voltage, the output voltage having a value corresponding to a duty cycle of a voltage setting signal that is externally applied to the semiconductor apparatus; and a determination circuit unit determining whether the voltage setting signal has a predetermined signal level for the duration of a first predetermined time or longer. The determination circuit unit activates the power supply circuit unit when the voltage setting signal does not have the predetermined signal level for the duration of the first predetermined time or longer. The power supply circuit unit is deactivated when the voltage setting signal has the predetermined signal level for the duration of the first predetermined time or longer. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20110320593 | EQUIPMENT MANAGING APPARATUS, EQUIPMENT MANAGING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - An equipment managing apparatus manage equipments via a data channel. Management information for grouping an equipment to be managed according to a condition is retained, and request process content information indicating contents of a request process and equipment information is acquired from event information. The equipment managing apparatus updates the management information based on the request process content information and the equipment information, in order to register or delete data of the management information. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110318065 | APPARATUS AND METHOD OF COLOR SHIFT CORRECTION, AND MEDIUM STORING COLOR SHIFT CORRECTION PROGRAM - An apparatus forms a plurality of patterns using a plurality of colors as a second pattern, and a plurality of patterns using one of the plurality of colors as a second pattern. The apparatus obtains a first detection result indicating the pitch of each one of the plurality of patterns of the first pattern, and a second detection result indicating the pitch of each one of the plurality of patterns of the second pattern. The apparatus calculates a difference between the first detection result and the second detection result to obtain a difference value, and calculates a correction value using the second detection result and the difference value. The correction value is used to control an image forming apparatus to suppress color shifts in the images. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110318038 | Image forming apparatus, image forming method, image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage - An image forming apparatus for outputting a printed product includes a fusing unit, an image forming control unit to receive print data and print attribution information for printing the printed product; and a print engine including a fusing controller to control a fusing temperature of the fusing unit. The print engine outputs the printed product using a fusing temperature designated by the print attribution information. The fusing controller determines a target fusing temperature for the fusing unit by comparing a first fusing temperature and a second fusing temperature. The first fusing temperature is used for a most recently conducted fusing process. The second fusing temperature is designated by the print attribution information. The fusing controller determines the target fusing temperature to the first fusing temperature or the second fusing temperature depending on the number of colors required for printing the printed product. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110317788 | COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, DATA COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING DATA COMMUNICATION PROGRAM - A communication apparatus for executing half-duplex data communication conforming to V.34 recommendation including, a modulation-demodulation device modulating and demodulating data; a control device determining that the communication procedure shift to a recovery procedure by receiving an INFO | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110317224 | IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS - An image processing system includes an image processing apparatus and an information processing apparatus that are connected via a data communication channel. The image processing apparatus includes an execution request unit sending an execution request to request the information processing apparatus to execute an image processing function, a command reception unit receiving a control command from the information processing apparatus, and a hardware control unit controlling a hardware component of the image processing apparatus based on the received control command to perform image processing corresponding to the image processing function. The information processing apparatus includes a request reception unit receiving the execution request from the image processing apparatus, a software control unit executing a software program for implementing the image processing function based on the received execution request, and a command transmission unit sending the control command generated by the software program to the image processing apparatus. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110317196 | PRINT/COPY CONTROL SYSTEM - A print/copy control system including a processing unit which includes a first unit that receives a set of print/copy conditions selected by a user, a second unit that receives a standard set of print/copy conditions of an image forming device designated by the user, a third unit that receives other selectable sets of print/copy conditions of the image forming device, and a display unit that displays a listing of each of the standard set of print/copy conditions of the image forming device, the set of print/copy conditions selected by the user, and the other selectable sets of print/copy conditions of the image forming device for comparison. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110316961 | VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTING LASER ELEMENT, VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTING LASER ARRAY, OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A disclosed vertical cavity surface emitting laser element includes a substrate, a laminated body sandwiching a semiconductor active layer with an upper reflecting mirror and a lower reflecting mirror, a lower electrode, and an upper electrode. The laser element emits laser light in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate when an electric current is supplied between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. The laser element further includes a selective oxidation layer in the upper reflecting mirror having a current blocking structure made of an oxidized region and an unoxidized region, and a detectable portion formed on a side surface of a mesa structure shaped by the upper reflecting mirror including the selective oxidation layer and the active layer, thereby enabling detecting the position of the selective oxidation layer from a top of the laminated body in a depth direction of the laminated body. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110316958 | OPTICAL SCANNER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - An optical scanner includes a housing, a light source, a polygon mirror, an optical device, and a holder. The housing includes a mounting portion. The light source projects light. The polygon mirror is enclosed within the housing and rotates to deflect the light projected from the light source. The optical device is disposed substantially near the polygon mirror. The holder is disposed within the housing and attached to the housing at the mounting portion, and holds the optical device in place. A distance L | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110316923 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - A disclosed image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to discharge ink for forming an image on a recording medium or for idle-discharging the ink; a carrying unit configured to carry the recording medium and include an idle discharge region for receiving the ink which is idle-discharged; a determining part configured to determine whether the recording medium is positioned at the idle discharge region; and a changing part configured to change, if the determining part determines that the recording medium is positioned at the idle discharge region, a direction of the recording medium so that the recording medium is not positioned at the idle discharge region. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110316226 | Sheet conveyance unit and image forming apparatus including same - A sheet conveyance unit includes first and second conveyance rollers facing each other, a first stopper provided at an axial end portion of the first conveyance roller, projecting radially beyond a circumferential surface of the first conveyance roller, downstream rollers positioned downstream from the first and second conveyance rollers in a sheet conveyance direction, an engaging and disengaging unit to disengage the first and second conveyance rollers from each other, and a controller. The first stopper rotates to a contact position projecting into the sheet conveyance path and to a non-contact position away from the sheet conveyance path as the first conveyance roller rotates. The first stopper moves to the non-contact position after stopping a sheet. The first and second conveyance rollers are disengaged from each other after a leading end of the sheet reaches the downstream rollers, before the first stopper moves to the contact position. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110316225 | Sheet eject device, fullness detecting method, and computer-readable recording medium - A sheet eject device is provided for detecting whether a sheet eject tray is filled with ejected sheets. The sheet eject device includes an ejecting unit that ejects sheets onto the sheet eject tray; a counting unit that counts an accumulated eject number every time a sheet is ejected by the ejecting unit; a storing unit that stores a defined eject number threshold and a defined eject interval time; a fullness detecting unit that detects that the sheet eject tray is filled with ejected sheets when the accumulated eject number counted by the counting unit exceeds the defined eject number threshold; and a reset unit that resets the accumulated eject number counted by the counting unit when an eject interval time exceeds the defined eject interval time, the eject interval time extending from when one sheet is ejected until a next sheet is ejected by the ejecting unit. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110312373 | Radio communications apparatus and method - A radio communications apparatus having multiple radio equipment units is disclosed. The radio communications apparatus includes a radio equipment selecting unit which selects one of the radio equipment units based on a received quality in each of the radio equipment units when transferring to a power saving state; and a radio equipment control unit which operates the radio equipment unit selected by the radio equipment selecting unit and stops a radio equipment unit other than the selected radio equipment unit. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110311809 | HEAT-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE MATERIAL - A heat-sensitive adhesive material according to the present invention includes a support, and a heat-sensitive adhesive layer on the support, the heat-sensitive adhesive layer comprises a water-dispersible heat-sensitive adhesive containing at least a thermoplastic resin, a solid plasticizer and a tackifier, wherein the thermoplastic resin is obtained by emulsion polymerization using a reactive surfactant and has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of lower than −20° C. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110311277 | Image forming apparatus and process cartridge incorporated therein - A tandem-type electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes multiple color image forming units using a dry toner, a first black image forming unit using the dry toner, and a second black image forming unit using a wet toner and performs an image formation with the dry toner in a first printing mode and an image formation with the wet toner in a second printing mode. The image formed in the second printing mode with the wet toner is fixed to a recording medium at a temperature lower than the image formed in the first printing mode with the dry toner. Each of the image forming units corresponds to a process cartridge that is removably installable in the tandem-type electrophotographic image forming apparatus and including an image carrier and other image forming components integrally therein. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310554 | PANEL FIXING STRUCTURE AND INFORMATION PROCESSOR - A panel fixing structure, which removably fixes a panel to a square opening provided in a housing, so as to cover a circumference of one or a plurality of interface terminal portions provided inside the housing, includes a square panel surface having a terminal opening in accordance with a shape and a position of the interface terminal portion and four engagement protrusions each having a spring property, each of the four engagement protrusions protruding in an insertion direction of the opening along an edge portion of each of four sides of the panel surface, the engagement protrusions being formed to have a space in each of four corner portions of the panel surface. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310185 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TREATMENT-LIQUID APPLICATION DEVICE - An image forming apparatus includes a treatment-liquid application unit applying a treatment liquid from a chamber to a recording medium; a treatment-liquid storage unit to store the liquid; a supply channel member forming a supply channel to supply the liquid from the treatment-liquid storage unit to the chamber; a collection channel member forming a collection channel to collect the liquid from the chamber; and a temporary storage portion disposed in the collection channel to temporarily store the liquid. The temporary storage portion has an internal horizontal cross-sectional area greater than a channel cross-sectional area of the collection channel. The collection channel member has a first channel portion of a channel cross-sectional area smaller than the internal horizontal cross-sectional area of the temporary storage portion. A liquid level of the liquid in the collection channel is maintained in the first channel portion after termination of collecting operation. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110310172 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a carriage including a recording head that discharges liquid droplets for forming an image on a recording medium; a rail that supports the carriage in such a manner that the carriage reciprocates; a fixing part that fixes the rail; and an air stream creation part that creates an air stream. The fixing part is hollow, has a first inflow opening part and a discharge opening part, and the air stream created by the air stream creation part flows from the first opening part to the discharge opening part. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110307697 | INFORMATION PROTECTION APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROTECTION METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An apparatus for protecting information includes a hash value generating unit configured to identify a program file of a requester requesting information encrypted using a first hash value and to generate a second hash value of the identified program file, and a decryption unit configured to decrypt the information using the second hash value and if the information is successfully decrypted, to return the decrypted information to the requester. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110305491 | Compressed-air sheet separation mechanism and image forming apparatus including same - A sheet separation mechanism including a compressed air generator, a first nozzle to eject compressed air onto a leading edge of a sheet, a control valve provided between the compressed air generator and the first nozzle to control a flow of the compressed air, and a second nozzle provided between the control valve and the first nozzle. The control valve controls the compressed air to be simultaneously ejected from both the first nozzle and the second nozzle. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110304891 | Process coordinating system, information processing apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium storing an information processing program - A process coordinating system includes an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus that are connected via a network. The image forming apparatus includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire image data; an attaching unit configured to attach metadata including process contents to the image data acquired by the acquiring unit; and a transmit unit configured to transmit the acquired image data and the attached metadata. The information processing apparatus includes a receive unit configured to receive the image data and the metadata; a display control unit configured to cause an execution button for executing the process contents included in the received metadata and the received image data to be displayed in the same screen; and a processing unit configured to perform a process indicated by the process contents on the image data upon pressing of the execution button. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110304862 | Image inspecting apparatus, image inspecting method, and image forming apparatus - An image inspecting apparatus includes a first light illuminating unit irradiating a measured object on which an image is formed with light from an inclined direction; a second light illuminating unit irradiating the measured object with light from a different direction; an imaging unit receiving reflected light of the light with which the measured object is irradiated by the first light illuminating unit and the second light illuminating unit; a first and a second reference plate having a mirror surface and a diffuse surface, respectively; and an image inspecting unit inspecting a gloss distribution of the image based on the amount of light received by the imaging unit and a correcting coefficient. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110304684 | SURFACE EMITTING LASER DEVICE, SURFACE EMITTING LASER ARRAY, OPTICAL SCANNING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SURFACE EMITTING LASER DEVICE - A surface emitting laser device includes a substrate and plural semiconductor layers laminated on the substrate, the plural semiconductor layers including a first semiconductor multi-layer film including aluminum (Al), an active layer, and a second semiconductor multi-layer film, a light emitting section having a mesa structure being formed on the first semiconductor multi-layer film. When viewed in a direction orthogonal to a surface of the substrate, an outer shape of the first semiconductor multi-layer film is a macroscopically smooth shape without an angular corner, and a side surface of the first semiconductor multi-layer film is coated with a passivation film and a protection film. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110304682 | SURFACE EMITTING LASER ELEMENT, SURFACE EMITTING LASER ARRAY, OPTICAL SCANNING UNIT, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SURFACE EMITTING LASER ELEMENT - A surface emitting laser element includes a light emission part having a mesa structure. The light emission part includes a lower reflector; a resonator structure including an active layer; and an upper reflector. The lower reflector, the resonator structure and the upper reflector are laminated on a substrate. A peripheral part of a top surface of the mesa structure is covered by a dielectric layer that has a tapered surface such that a thickness decreases in a direction toward an outermost part, a taper angle of the tapered surface with respect to a surface of the substrate is smaller than a slope angle of a side wall of the mesa structure with respect to the surface of the substrate, and an end part of the dielectric layer coincides with an end part of the upper reflector. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110303687 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a top cover a top surface of the apparatus body, a container-installation section in which a replaceable container is removably installable, a first holder, and a second holder. The container includes a container body to contain consumables, having a transparent portion that makes the color of the consumables contained in the container body is viewed from outside thereof, and a connecting portion connectable to the container-installation section, to supply the consumables from the container to the apparatus body. The first holder holds the connecting portion and cover the connecting portion so that the connecting portion is not visible when the top cover is opened; and the second holder holds the container body, such that the color of the consumables in the container body are visible through the transparent portion of the container body when the top cover is opened. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20110302401 | Information processing apparatus, information processing method and recording medium - An information processing apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive a packet via a communication line, an operating processor configured to suspend an operation thereof when the information processing apparatus is in an energy saving mode, a first storage configured to store the packet received by the receiver, a determining unit including a table in which different operations of the operating processor are recorded in association with different patterns of packets and configured to determine whether to restart the operating processor when the information processing apparatus is in the energy saving mode based on a pattern of the packet stored in the first storage and the patterns of the packets in association with the operations of the operating processor recorded in the table, and a power manager configured to supply power to the operating processor based on a result determined by the determining unit to restart the operating processor. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299108 | Image processing system and image processing apparatus - An image processing system includes a first image processing apparatus and a second image processing apparatus connected to the first image processing apparatus. The first image processing apparatus includes a reader reading image data, a storage storing job information, a request unit transmitting a job request as a job to the second image processing apparatus to execute the job corresponding to the job information based on a job execution scheduling, and an introducing unit introducing the job information to the second image processing apparatus. The second image processing apparatus includes a receiver receiving the job request from the first image processing apparatus as the job, a job executing unit executing the job corresponding to the job information, a determining unit determining whether to acquire the job information based on the job execution scheduling, and an acquiring unit acquiring the job information based on a determined result from the determining unit. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110299104 | SPECTRAL CHARACTERISTIC OBTAINING APPARATUS, IMAGE EVALUATION APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A spectral characteristic obtaining apparatus including a light irradiation unit configured to emit light onto a reading object; a spectroscopic unit configured to separate at least a part of diffused reflected light from the light emitted onto the reading object by the light irradiation unit into a spectrum; and a light receiving unit configured to receive the diffused reflected light separated into the spectrum by the spectroscopic unit and to obtain a spectral characteristic. In at least one example embodiment, the light receiving unit is configured to be a spectroscopic sensor array including plural spectroscopic sensors arranged in a direction, and the spectroscopic sensors include a predetermined number of pixels arranged in the direction to receive lights with different spectral characteristics from each other. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110298964 | IMAGING APPARATUS, REPRODUCTION DISPLAY APPARATUS, IMAGE RECORDING METHOD, AND REPRODUCTION DISPLAYING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes an imaging optical system, an image pickup device, a photographing position determining device configured to determine a plurality of photographing positions to continuously photograph a subject, and an image data dividing device configured to divide image data obtained by the image pickup device into a plurality of large sections and to divide the image data into a plurality of small sections each being smaller than the large section. The photographing position determining device configured to determine one or more reference positions as the photographing positions based on focused information of the large sections, and when a number of the photographing positions determined based on the large sections is less than a predetermined number, to additionally determine the photographing position based on focused state information of the small sections such that the predetermined number of the determined photographing positions is obtained. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110298873 | COMPACT FRONT-OPERABLE IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is disclosed that includes a substantially flat top face and a slanted front face, the bottom side of which recedes backward. The image forming apparatus may includes a paper discharge tray disposed at a lower portion of the slanted front face, the paper discharge tray protruding forward. The paper discharge tray may be tiltable upward and downward. Because the bottom side of the slanted front face recedes backward, the flat top face can be provided, and simultaneously, enough space for the feeding and discharging of paper can be secured. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110298872 | PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATOR, LIQUID EJECTION HEAD, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric member having piezoelectric pillars and grooves alternately arrayed. Each of the grooves has a first width at a bottom side of the piezoelectric pillars and a second width at an upper side of the piezoelectric pillars in a direction in which the piezoelectric pillars are arrayed. The first width is greater than the second width. | 12-08-2011 |
