Abstract: A postprocessing device includes a processing tray, a sheet processor, an air blower, an inlet roller pair, and a drive controller. The air blower forms an air layer between an upper face of a first recording sheet already placed on a loading surface of the processing tray, and a lower face of a second recording sheet to be newly placed on the processing tray, by sending air along a transport direction of the recording sheet, from an upstream side in the transport direction toward the loading surface. The drive controller performs an air sending operation, by causing the air blower to send air along the transport direction, before a second recording sheet contacts the upper face of the first recording sheet, and stop sending air before a trailing edge of the second recording sheet in the transport direction passes a nip region defined by the inlet roller pair.

Abstract: A digital image comparator includes an Faster R-CNN configured to generate a filtered set of local feature maps of an input image, a match head, and logic to preserve the local feature maps in an indexed data structure and to make the local feature maps retrievable by the match head via local feature map indexes.

Abstract: A rotating body unit includes a rotating body and a frame body. The frame body includes a pair of bearing portions. A mounting portion includes a pair of opposing walls facing each other in a width direction, a mounting space formed between the opposing walls, a pair of bearing support members, and a pair of biasing members. The bearing support members are supported by the opposing walls to be movable in the width direction. The biasing members bias the bearing support members inward in the width direction. When the rotating body unit is inserted into the mounting space, the bearing portions abut on a pair of guide surfaces of the bearing support members and move the bearing support members from support positions to retraction positions, and the bearing support members move from the retraction positions to the support positions to support the bearing portions.

Abstract: Provided is an industrial printing system that efficiently manages distributed processing of production printing on a peer-to-peer basis. Industrial printing systems perform production printing and include multiple print servers. A plurality of print servers performs distributed processing of jobs. The storage unit stores capability information indicating capabilities that can be processed in rasterizing process, printing processing, and post-processing. The processing determination unit checks job processing requirement based on the capability information stored in the storage unit, and it determines a combination of any of a plurality of print servers, printing apparatuses, and post-processing apparatuses capable of processing the job. The processing management unit transmits a job to each apparatus and requests processing according to the combination determined to be processable by the processing determination unit.

Abstract: When printing is performed on a recording medium of a second size larger than a first size, a control portion, after passage of the recording medium of the first size at a position opposite a recording head before arrival of the recording medium of the second size at the position opposite the recording head, makes the recording head perform preparatory flushing processing in which ink is ejected toward openings from first nozzles that have not been set as target nozzles during printing on the recording medium of the first size but will be newly set as the target nozzles during printing on the recording medium of the second size.

Abstract: A raster image processor (RIP) system is used in a printing system to process a variety of different jobs. A front end receives the jobs and determines the job type. The job types include a print job, a preview job, and an estimation job. Depending on the type of job, the front end configures the RIPs within RIP system accordingly to process the job. The RIPs may process the job in parallel, with a high performance RIP processing the first page of the job. If the job is not processed in parallel, then the front end assigns the job to a very high performance RIP. The front end also assigns the preview job to a preview RIP and the estimation job to an estimation RIP. The front end configures RIPs as needed.

Abstract: A method and a system for managing login information of a computing system during a debugging process are disclosed. The login information is composed according to a number of roles and their associated policies. Some roles have higher authorized levels to view sensitive information. To protect privacy, a technician who access the computing system will not be able to view all content of information. If this restriction prevents the technician to debug the system, the technician can request an upgrade. A new login information with a higher authorized level will be temporarily granted to the technician that allows the technician to view and access more content of information.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a recording head, an irregularity detecting unit, a recording medium conveyance unit, and a control unit. The irregularity detecting unit detects an irregularity with the recording medium conveyed toward the recording head. The recording medium conveyance unit has a recording medium diversion unit into which the recording medium with which an irregularity has been detected by the irregularity detecting unit is conveyed. The control unit can perform flushing operation and, when the irregularity detecting unit detects an irregularity with the recording medium, the control unit cancels the flushing operation set immediately before the recording medium with which the irregularity has been detected and conveys, by controlling the recording medium conveyance unit, the recording medium to the recording medium diversion unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing member, a first detection processing portion, and an acquisition processing portion. The developing member conveys developer to a facing portion between the developing member and the image-carrying member. The first detection processing portion detects a first development current for each of a plurality of specific voltages with different DC voltage values applied to the developing member, the first development current flowing, in response to application of the specific voltages, through the facing portion including the developer and a specific exposed area, formed by the light emitting portion, on the image-carrying member. The acquisition processing portion acquires a potential value of the specific exposed area based on the DC voltage values of the specific voltages and current values of the first development current, detected by the first detection processing portion, corresponding to the respective specific voltages.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a line head including at least one recording head, an endless conveyance belt having a plurality of openings and carrying and conveying a recording medium, a driving roller, one or more stretching rollers, and a control portion. The driving roller contacts an inner circumferential surface of the conveyance belt and drives to rotate the conveyance belt. The conveyance belt has opening groups each composed of a plurality of the openings and formed in plural locations at prescribed spacings in the conveyance direction. In a state where any one of the opening groups is in contact with the driving roller, at least one of others of the opening groups is positioned immediately below the line head.

Abstract: Provided is a peer-to-peer industrial printing system that performs distributed processing in variable printing for production printing. The industrial printing system includes a plurality of print servers and performs variable printing for production printing. Each of the plurality of print servers has a variable attribute generation unit, a variable distribution unit, and a processing management unit. The variable attribute generation unit generates variable attribute information including record information, which is information about each record of variable data for the variable printing. The variable distribution unit distributes each record of the variable data to one of the plurality of print servers based on the variable attribute information generated by the variable attribute generation unit. The processing management unit transmits the job ticket including the record distributed by the variable distribution unit to the other print server that is distributed to request processing.

Abstract: Provided is an industrial printing system that efficiently manages distributed processing of production printing on a peer-to-peer basis. Industrial printing systems perform production printing and include multiple print servers. A plurality of print servers performs distributed processing of jobs. The storage unit stores capability information indicating capabilities that can be processed in rasterizing process, printing processing, and post-processing. The processing determination unit checks job processing requirement based on the capability information stored in the storage unit, and it determines a combination of any of a plurality of print servers, printing apparatuses, and post-processing apparatuses capable of processing the job. The processing management unit transmits a job to each apparatus and requests processing according to the combination determined to be processable by the processing determination unit.

Abstract: A positioning mechanism includes two adjusting devices. The adjusting device includes: a shaft that extends between a first apparatus and a second apparatus in a facing direction where the first and second apparatus face each other and has an outer peripheral surface with a threaded portion formed therein; a holding member that is provided on the first apparatus, has a threaded hole formed through in the facing direction, and holds the shaft member passing through the threaded hole; an abutment member that is provided on an end of the shaft member close to the second apparatus and abuts on a connectable surface of the second apparatus and a compression coil spring that is disposed to surround the shaft member and the abutment member and is clamped and compressed between the holding member and the connectable surface of the second apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet feeding cassette (21) includes a body part (31), a placement plate (33) disposed on a bottom plate (31a) of the body part (31), a shaft (61) extending along a width direction, a lift plate (35) configured to be turned around the shaft (61) to lift and lower a downstream end portion of the placement plate (33), and a pair of side cursors (37F, 37R). Both end portions of the shaft (61) are rotatably supported by the body part (41), outside in the width direction of the side cursors (37F, 37R) disposed at the most separate position. The side cursors (37F, 37R) each has an abutment wall (71F, 71R) abutting on a side surface of the sheet and a recess (79) externally fitted to the shaft (61) from above, and the recess (79) slides on the shaft (61) when the side cursors (37F, 37R) move in the width direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding cassette, a cassette attachment part, and a sensor. The sensor is switched in a cassette detection state and a cassette non-detection state. The sheet feeding cassette includes a detected piece, a pressure piece, and a lock receiving part. The detected piece switches the sensor to the cassette detection state and to the cassette non-detection state. The presser piece is provided integrally with the detected piece. The lock receiving part supports the presser piece movably. The cassette attachment part includes a locking member. When the sheet feeding cassette is attached to the attachment part, the detected piece switches the sensor from the cassette non-detection state to the detection state to enable a sheet feeding operation from the sheet feeding cassette, and the pressure piece interferes with the locking member to cause the locking member to be engaged with the lock receiving part.

Abstract: Provided is a peer-to-peer industrial printing system that performs distributed processing in variable printing for production printing. The industrial printing system includes a plurality of print servers and performs variable printing for production printing. Each of the plurality of print servers has a variable attribute generation unit, a variable distribution unit, and a processing management unit. The variable attribute generation unit generates variable attribute information including record information, which is information about each record of variable data for the variable printing. The variable distribution unit distributes each record of the variable data to one of the plurality of print servers based on the variable attribute information generated by the variable attribute generation unit. The processing management unit transmits the job ticket including the record distributed by the variable distribution unit to the other print server that is distributed to request processing.

Abstract: A sheet feeding cassette includes a main body, a lift plate, a pair of side cursors, and an auxiliary lift plate. The main body is configured to accommodate a sheet fed out in a predetermined sheet feeding direction. The lift plate is provided in the main body in a liftable manner, and has a sheet placement surface on which the sheet is placed. The pair of side cursors is configured to be moved in a width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction and to come into contact with side edges of the sheet placed on the lift plate to align the sheet. The auxiliary lift plate is detachably attached to a notch portion which is formed in the lift plate so as to allow a moving of the side cursors.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning unit, a development device, and a control unit. The development device includes a toner collection mechanism having a developer carrier and a filter. The control unit is capable of executing a scattered toner recovery mode at non-image forming time, in which the filter is vibrated, a potential difference is generated in the direction for the toner to move from the developer carrier to the image carrier, the developer carrier is rotated in a reverse direction to that at image forming time, and the image carrier is rotated in the same direction as that at the image forming time, so that scattered toner, which has dropped from the filter and adhered to the developer carrier, is recovered by the cleaning unit via the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a development device, and a control unit that controls the development device. The development device includes a toner collection mechanism having a duct, a filter, and an exhaust fan. The duct is connected to a conveyance chamber of the development container and allows air in the conveyance chamber to flow through. The filter is disposed at a connecting part between the duct and the conveyance chamber, and collects toner flowing into the duct from the conveyance chamber. The exhaust fan makes the air in the conveyance chamber flow to the outside via the duct. The control unit changes rotational frequency or operation frequency of the exhaust fan based on current detected by a current detection unit at non-image forming time.

Abstract: An inkjet ink contains a pigment, a water-soluble organic solvent, water, and a surfactant. The water-soluble organic solvent includes a glycol ether compound. A difference between a dynamic surface tension ?10 of the inkjet ink at a surface age of 10 milliseconds and a dynamic surface tension ?10000 of the inkjet ink at a surface age of 10000 milliseconds is no greater than 3.4 mN/m. An inkjet recording method is an inkjet recording method for forming an image on a recording medium with the above-mentioned inkjet ink and includes forming the image by ejecting the inkjet ink toward the recording medium. The recording medium is a poorly absorbent recording medium.