Abstract: An abnormality detection unit detects an abnormal object in target images repeatedly acquired. An abnormality type selection unit selects, for each of the target images, an abnormality type of the abnormal object from a plurality of specific abnormality types based on values of at least two basic feature amounts. A feature amount monitoring unit monitors the values of the basic feature amounts and a value of an auxiliary feature amount corresponding to the abnormality type currently selected by the abnormality type selection unit. An adjustment processing unit executes an adjustment process corresponding to the auxiliary feature amount being monitored by the feature amount monitoring unit. The abnormality type selection unit changes the abnormality type to be selected, in accordance with the change in the values of the basic feature amounts mentioned above.

Abstract: A feature-amount extraction unit generates a base feature-map group constituted by a plurality of base feature maps from an input image, applies a plurality of statistic calculations to the base feature maps in the base feature-map group, and generates a plurality of types of statistic maps. The inference unit derives inference results of segmentation for inference inputs based on the plurality of statistic maps. Each of the plurality of types of statistic calculations described above is processing of calculating a statistic with a specific window size and a specific calculation formula, and the plurality of types of statistic calculations are different from each other in at least either one of the window size and the calculation formula.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a voltage applier, a current detector, a cleaning blade, and a control device. The control device acts as a measurer and an estimator. The measurer changes the DC bias to a first value and a second value, and acquires a first magnitude of the developing current corresponding to the first value, and a second magnitude of the developing current corresponding to the second value, from the current detector. The estimator calculates a current ratio between the first magnitude and the second magnitude, and estimates deterioration status of the cleaning blade, according to the value of the current ratio.

Abstract: An anomaly detecting unit detects an anomaly object in a target image. A characteristic amount watching unit watches at least two basic characteristic amounts of the anomaly object, determines whether values of the basic characteristic amounts satisfy a predetermined watching determination condition of any one of predetermined plural anomaly types or not, if it is determined that the values of the basic characteristic amounts satisfy the watching determination condition, determines as an auxiliary characteristic amount for the anomaly object a characteristic amount corresponding to the anomaly type of which the values of the basic characteristic amounts satisfy the watching determination condition, and starts watching a value of the auxiliary characteristic amount. An anomaly type determining unit determines an anomaly type of the anomaly object on the basis of the basic characteristic amounts and the auxiliary characteristic amount currently watched by the characteristic amount watching unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus compares a target image and a reference image and thereby detects an anomaly in the target image, and includes an anomaly detecting unit. The anomaly detecting unit is configured to (a) generate a first characteristic map obtained by performing a filter process for the target image and a second characteristic map obtained by performing the filter process for the reference image, (b) derive a correction amount on the basis of a deviation between an object in the first characteristic map and an object in the second characteristic map, and (c) correct the target image and/or the reference image with the correction amount and thereafter compare the target image and the reference image and thereby detect an anomaly in the target image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a voltage applier, a current detector, a weight detector, and a control device. The control device acts as a first measurer, a second measurer, and an estimator. The first measurer acquires a toner use amount indicating weight per unit area, of the toner that has migrated from the developing agent carrier to the image carrier, according to a detection result provided by the weight detector. The second measurer acquires the developing current from the current detector. The estimator calculates a value of decision coefficient, obtained by dividing variance of an estimated value in a regression model between the toner use amount and the developing current, by variance of a sample value, and estimates deterioration status of the toner, according to the value of the decision coefficient.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a voltage applier, a current detector, a cleaning blade, and a control device. The control device acts as a measurer and an estimator. The measurer changes the DC bias to a first value and a second value, and acquires a first magnitude of the developing current corresponding to the first value, and a second magnitude of the developing current corresponding to the second value, from the current detector. The estimator calculates a current ratio between the first magnitude and the second magnitude, and estimates deterioration status of the cleaning blade, according to the value of the current ratio.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a voltage applier, a current detector, a weight detector, and a control device. The control device acts as a first measurer, a second measurer, and an estimator. The first measurer acquires a toner use amount indicating weight per unit area, of the toner that has migrated from the developing agent carrier to the image carrier, according to a detection result provided by the weight detector. The second measurer acquires the developing current from the current detector. The estimator calculates a value of decision coefficient, obtained by dividing variance of an estimated value in a regression model between the toner use amount and the developing current, by variance of a sample value, and estimates deterioration status of the toner, according to the value of the decision coefficient.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units, a developing voltage power supply, a current detection unit, and a control unit. The image forming units form an image by superimposing a toner image of a same color and a same type, and substantially same development conditions are set to evenly divide an image density among the image forming units. The control unit detects whether there is an anomaly in the image forming unit based on detecting a DC component of developing current, being either of current flowing through a non-exposed portion of an image carrier during image formation, and current flowing through an exposed portion of the image carrier. When an anomaly is detected in any image forming unit, the control unit inhibits use of the image forming unit, and resets the development conditions to evenly divide an image density among the usable image forming units.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units, a developing voltage power supply, a current detection unit, and a control unit. The image forming units form an image by superimposing a toner image of a same color and a same type, and substantially same development conditions are set to evenly divide an image density among the image forming units. The control unit detects whether there is an anomaly in the image forming unit based on detecting a DC component of developing current, being either of current flowing through a non-exposed portion of an image carrier during image formation, and current flowing through an exposed portion of the image carrier. When an anomaly is detected in any image forming unit, the control unit inhibits use of the image forming unit, and resets the development conditions to evenly divide an image density among the usable image forming units.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a high-voltage generation circuit, a current detection portion and a control portion. The image forming portion includes an image carrying member, a charging device, an exposure device and a developing device which includes a developer carrying member for carrying a two-component developer. The control portion can perform a transfer memory prediction mode that includes a step of estimating, when a first reference image is formed, the level of occurrence of transfer memory based on the direct-current component of a development current flowing through the developer carrying member and a step of measuring, when the measured direct-current component of the development current is larger than a predetermined value, the amount of charge of the toner within the developing device and estimating the cause of occurrence of the transfer memory based on the measured amount of charge of the toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a high-voltage generation circuit, a current detection portion and a control portion. The image forming portion includes an image carrying member, a charging device, an exposure device and a developing device which includes a developer carrying member for carrying a developer including a carrier and a toner. The control portion can perform a development ghost prediction mode that includes a step of measuring the amount of charge of the toner within the developing device at the time of non-image formation, a step of measuring, as a carrier current, the direct-current component of a development current when the amount of development of the toner is 0 [mg/cm2] and a step of estimating the level of occurrence of development ghost and the cause of occurrence based on the amount of charge of the toner and the carrier current which are measured.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a high-voltage generation circuit, a current detection portion and a control portion. The image forming portion includes an image carrying member, a charging device, an exposure device and a developing device which includes a developer carrying member for carrying a two-component developer. The control portion can perform a transfer memory prediction mode that includes a step of estimating, when a first reference image is formed, the level of occurrence of transfer memory based on the direct-current component of a development current flowing through the developer carrying member and a step of measuring, when the measured direct-current component of the development current is larger than a predetermined value, the amount of charge of the toner within the developing device and estimating the cause of occurrence of the transfer memory based on the measured amount of charge of the toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a high-voltage generation circuit, a current detection portion and a control portion. The image forming portion includes an image carrying member, a charging device, an exposure device and a developing device which includes a developer carrying member for carrying a developer including a carrier and a toner. The control portion can perform a development ghost prediction mode that includes a step of measuring the amount of charge of the toner within the developing device at the time of non-image formation, a step of measuring, as a carrier current, the direct-current component of a development current when the amount of development of the toner is 0 [mg/cm2] and a step of estimating the level of occurrence of development ghost and the cause of occurrence based on the amount of charge of the toner and the carrier current which are measured.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium, including a device for oxidizing the surface of a thin magnetic film formed on a flexible carrier. A hermetic chamber is provided including a roll loading chamber for accommodating a supply roll of the carrier on which the thin magnetic film has been deposited in advance, a processing chamber, and a roll takeout chamber for accommodating a take-up roll of the carrier. A rotatable heating roll is disposed in the processing chamber. The carrier is guided from the supply roll accommodated in the roll loading chamber into the processing chamber and through a predetermined angle along the surface of the heating roll and then to the take-up roll accommodated in the takeout chamber. A baffle plate is provided near a peripheral surface of a portion of the heating roll on which the carrier is wound, and a plurality of nozzle units are provided in the plate for blowing gaseous oxygen or ozone toward the magnetic film.

Abstract: A method for making a magnetic recording medium comprises the steps of forming a thin ferromagnetic metal film on a non-magnetic substrate. The thin ferromagnetic metal film contains Co as a main constituent and contains oxygen in a proportion of at least 15 at %. Thereafter, the thin ferromagnetic metal film is exposed to an ozone-containing atmosphere. A magnetic recording medium is thereby obtained, which exhibits excellent resistance to corrosion with salts and good electromagnetic transducing characteristics.

Abstract: A process of producing a magnetic recording medium comprises continuously circulating a magnetic coating composition prepared by dispersing a ferromagnetic powder in a solution of a high molecular binder while applying an ultrasonic treatment to the circulating magnetic coating composition, drawing out an amount of the ultrasonically treated magnetic coating composition necessary for coating from the circulating stream, and then coating the magnetic coating composition which is drawn out on to a non-magnetic support.

Abstract: A process for producing a pressure-sensitive copying paper which comprises forming a single-layer, free-fall, vertical curtain of a coating solution containing microcapsules as a main component and coating the coating solution onto a continuously running web across the single-layer, free-fall, vertical curtain and a process for producing a pressure-sensitive copying paper which comprises forming a dual-layer, free-fall, vertical curtain of a coating solution containing microcapsules as a main component and a coating solution containing a color developer as a main component and coating the coating solutions onto a continuously running web across the dual-layer, free-fall, vertical curtain.

Abstract: The through hole of the ball of a ball valve which resembles a cock is provided with an orifice on the side wall thereof. Opposite to the orifice on the side wall of the through hole is provided another through hole. By revolving the ball, the ball valve selectively serves as a ball valve or an orifice.