Abstract: A password authentication device includes a display control unit that displays plurality of input key groups, an input operation unit operated by a user to select a soft key on the display screen to enable the input of a password, a sight line detection sensor that detects the direction of the line of sight of a user who operates the input operation unit, an operation target specifying part that specifies an input key group located at the end of the line of sight of the user among the plurality of input key groups, based on the direction of the line of sight detected by the sight line detection sensor, and a password acquisition part assumes an operation in the input operation unit as an operation for the input key group specified by the operation target specifying part and acquires a password inputted through the input operation unit.

Abstract: A password authentication device includes a display control unit that displays plurality of input key groups, an input operation unit operated by a user to select a soft key on the display screen to enable the input of a password, a sight line detection sensor that detects the direction of the line of sight of a user who operates the input operation unit, an operation target specifying part that specifies an input key group located at the end of the line of sight of the user among the plurality of input key groups, based on the direction of the line of sight detected by the sight line detection sensor, and a password acquisition part assumes an operation in the input operation unit as an operation for the input key group specified by the operation target specifying part and acquires a password inputted through the input operation unit.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a character recognition processing unit, an incorrect recognition index calculator, a certainty calculator, a direction determining unit, and an image processing unit. The incorrect recognition index calculator calculates incorrect recognition indexes. The incorrect recognition index is set based on a count of incorrect recognition characters. The count of incorrect recognition characters is a count of candidates for characters possibly incorrectly recognized when the documents are read. The incorrect recognition index is set such that recognition certainty indicative of accuracy of the recognition becomes smaller as the count of incorrect recognition characters increases. The certainty calculator adjusts the recognition certainty using the incorrect recognition index. The direction determining unit that determines a direction of the documents based on the adjusted recognition certainty.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a character recognition processing unit, an incorrect recognition index calculator, a certainty calculator, a direction determining unit, and an image processing unit. The incorrect recognition index calculator calculates incorrect recognition indexes. The incorrect recognition index is set based on a count of incorrect recognition characters. The count of incorrect recognition characters is a count of candidates for characters possibly incorrectly recognized when the documents are read. The incorrect recognition index is set such that recognition certainty indicative of accuracy of the recognition becomes smaller as the count of incorrect recognition characters increases. The certainty calculator adjusts the recognition certainty using the incorrect recognition index. The direction determining unit that determines a direction of the documents based on the adjusted recognition certainty.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a storage section and a job executing section including a printing section and a finishing processing section. The finishing processing section performs stapling processing on a paper sheaf based on a stapling pattern designated by a user that stipulates position and number of one or more stapling points. The storage section stores a threshold sheet number as a determination criterion for whether to execute damage restriction processing. When a target paper sheaf is smaller than the threshold sheet number, the job executing section executes, as the damage restriction processing, one or more of: first processing of ejecting paper without stapling processing; second processing of performing stapling processing after increasing the number of sheets in the target paper sheaf to the threshold sheet number; and third processing of performing stapling processing at a larger number of stapling points than stipulated by the designated stapling pattern.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a storage section and a job executing section including a printing section and a finishing processing section. The finishing processing section performs stapling processing on a paper sheaf based on a stapling pattern designated by a user that stipulates position and number of one or more stapling points. The storage section stores a threshold sheet number as a determination criterion for whether to execute damage restriction processing. When a target paper sheaf is smaller than the threshold sheet number, the job executing section executes, as the damage restriction processing, one or more of: first processing of ejecting paper without stapling processing; second processing of performing stapling processing after increasing the number of sheets in the target paper sheaf to the threshold sheet number; and third processing of performing stapling processing at a larger number of stapling points than stipulated by the designated stapling pattern.

Abstract: A leak current is prevented from flowing during a power off state in a power supply unit having a remote power on/off function by using the momentary switch. In a state of power off, i.e. a state in which a switch SW2 is turned off, power is not applied to a latch circuit 30, and hence power is not consumed. A switch drive circuit 40 does not consume power. When a user depresses a momentary switch SW1 during a state that the switch SW2 is turned off, the switch drive circuit 40 turns the switch SW2 on. As a result, the latch circuit 30 can receive a drive voltage VCC from a node located down stream of the switch SW2, so that it can store or latch the turn on state of the momentary switch SW1. After that, when the user releases the momentary switch SW1, it returns to an original position and operation of the switch drive circuit 40 which turns the switch SW2 on is terminated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for high-speed memory management of ECC product-coded data arrays read back from DVD storage subsystems in which rows of length Y≦2N×(2m+1) of the array are read from disk and written in alternate blocks of 2N bytes per block and (2m+1) blocks per row into successive addresses of a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) operable both as a buffer and an interleaved pair of memories. Array data is subjected to detection and correction of error and/or erasure by ECC processing of data extracted from and rewritten into the SDRAM, the array being extracted, ECC processed, and rewritten to and from the SDRAM in block interleave column major order and then in block interleave row major order.