Abstract: A reversible thermosensitive recording medium including a support, a reversible thermosensitive recording layer provided on the support and an antistatic layer, wherein the antistatic layer is provided on at least one of the reversible thermosensitive recording layer and a surface of the support opposite to the surface thereof on which the reversible thermosensitive recording layer is provided, wherein the antistatic layer contains spherical fillers and a curable conductive polymer, and wherein the spherical fillers satisfy the following Expression (1): 4?average particle diameter of the spherical fillers/thickness of the antistatic layer?6??Expression (1).

Abstract: Techniques are provided for a plug-in architecture for processing operations on a WSD DCP device. Such a device comprises a dispatcher, a plug-in handler, and one or more plug-ins. The dispatcher receives a SOAP request and determines, based on one or more operations associated with the SOAP request and a configuration file, whether one or more plug-ins need to be invoked. If one or more plug-ins need to be invoked, then the dispatcher calls the plug-in handler and passes data to the plug-in handler, which is configured to call the appropriate plug-in(s) and pass the data to the appropriate plug-in(s). The plug-in handler receives processed data from the appropriated plug-in(s) and sends the data to be processed by a lower level service, such as by a print service, a scan service, a facsimile service, or an archive service.

Abstract: A toner including a resin particle (C) is provided. The resin particle (C) includes a resin particle (B) and; a resin particle (A) or covering layer (P) that is adhered to a surface of the resin particle (B). The resin particle (B) includes a resin (b) having a polyhydroxycarboxylic acid skeleton. The resin particle (A) or covering layer (P) includes a resin (a). The resin (a) is a polyester resin having a polybasic acid unit and a polyol unit and has a weight average molecular weight within a range from 9,500 to 100,000.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, including: a rechargeable battery that includes a temperature detecting terminal from which temperature status of the rechargeable battery is obtained; a connector that supplies electric power to charge the rechargeable battery; a battery charge unit that controls the electric power and charges the rechargeable battery via the connector; a control unit that controls the battery charge unit and operation of the image processing apparatus; and a switch unit that switches a connection of the temperature detecting terminal among the battery charge unit and the control unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a communication apparatus connected via a network to an external controller capable of providing a printing optional function and one or more image forming apparatuses. The communication apparatus may include a receiving unit configured to receive a print request and image data from the external controller, a distributed printing management unit configured to perform control to distribute the image data received by the receiving unit from the external controller to the image forming apparatuses to print the distributed image data, and a reporting unit configured to send to the external controller a report on information associated with the printing of the image forming apparatuses. In the communication apparatus, the receiving unit receives the image data generated by the external controller based on the information associated with the printing of the image forming apparatuses.

Abstract: An image processing method for generating a halftone pattern for forming an image according to input image data includes a step of forming first and second shade patterns to be developed by first and second toners, respectively. The second toner is identical in color to the first toner and different in shade from the first toner, and the second shade pattern is shifted from the first shade pattern.

Abstract: A toner supplying device including a secondary toner container, a first feeding member performing a first feeding operation of feeding toner from a toner container to the secondary container on demand, a second feeding member performing a second feeding operation of feeding the toner from the secondary container to a developing device on demand, and a toner supply controller controlling the amount of the toner in the secondary container to be greater than a predetermined amount. The controller performs first control in which when the first feeding operation is performed, the amount of the toner fed in the second feeding operation per unit of time is decreased, or second control in which when the amount of the toner fed in the second feeding operation is greater than a predetermined amount, the amount of the toner fed in the first feeding operation per unit of time is decreased.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus can transfer a plurality of color component images onto a surface of a recording medium to form an image on the recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes a pattern generation part to generate information about an alignment pattern to be used for a calibration of an image forming, a plurality of stations each including a photosensitive drum to form an alignment pattern corresponding to each of a plurality of color components onto a carry belt or the recording medium, and a read part to detect a plurality of alignment patterns formed by the plurality of stations.

Abstract: A method for producing particles, including: bringing a compressive fluid into contact with a pressure plastic material, so as to plasticize the pressure plastic material; applying a shear force to the compressive fluid and the plasticized pressure plastic material, between which an interface exists, in the presence of a surfactant to granulate the pressure plastic material in the compressive fluid, so as to produce particles.

Abstract: A power supply device provided with a main power supply unit that supplies generated predetermined power to an electric load, a current detecting unit, a current indicating unit, an electric storage unit, an auxiliary power supply unit, and a control unit that determines an upper limit current value to be output to the current indicating unit on the basis of at least a condition of the electric load, and controls the upper limit current value such that power supplied from the auxiliary power supply unit to the electric load is converged in a predetermined convergence time when the power supply from the auxiliary power supply unit to the electric load is stopped or reduced.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a light source configured to emit light onto a glass; an image-capturing unit configured to capture light from an image-capturing region including reflection light of the emitted light from the glass; an object detection filter used to detect an object attached to the glass, light from a portion of the image-capturing region entering the object detection filter; an exposure control unit configured to determine a first exposure amount used in image capturing for a first region where the object detection filter does not exist and a second exposure amount used in image capturing for a second region where the object detection filter exists; and an image analysis unit configured to analyze a captured image obtained by the image-capturing unit. The image-capturing unit switches an exposure amount used in an image-capturing process for the image-capturing region between the first exposure amount and the second exposure amount.

Abstract: A developing roller, including: a shaft containing a metal; an elastic layer on a circumference of the shaft; and a surface layer on a circumferential surface of the elastic layer, wherein the surface layer contains: a polyurethane which is a reaction product between a fluoroethylene vinyl ether copolymer and an isocyanurate form of an isocyanate; and particles having an average primary particle diameter of 5 nm to 30 nm, and wherein the polyurethane has a peak intensity ratio of a NCO group to a hydroxyl group of 5.6 to 8.8 in an infrared absorption spectrum obtained by an attenuated total reflection method.

Abstract: An information processing system includes an operation part that receives an operation performed by a user; and a body part that operates based on a request from the operation part. The operation part includes a power control part that, when receiving a power turning off instruction from the body part, reboots the operation part and causes the operation part to stand by in a power saving state in which some of operations are stopped, and, when receiving a start up notification from the body part, causes the operation part to return from the power saving state.

Abstract: An information processing system includes an operation acceptance unit that accepts operations, a discrimination unit that distinguishes between an operation to be recorded and an operation not to be recorded among the operations accepted by the operation acceptance unit, and a recording unit that records the operations that the discrimination unit identifies as an operation to be recorded among the operations accepted by the operation acceptance unit in a memory.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes a sheet feeding tray on which a document is stacked; a slit glass on which the document is scanned while moving; a discharge path in which the document is conveyed after the document is scanned; a document discharge unit to which the document is discharged through the discharge path; and a stamp device that makes a mark on a scanned surface of the document being in the discharge path. The stamp device includes a printing unit that faces the scanned surface of the document. The printing unit is movable between a first position at which the printing unit faces the document being in the discharge path and a second position at which the printing unit is retracted from the discharge path.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device, which is incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet container that contains a sheet therein, an outer end part connectable to the sheet container, a sheet feeding member, a swing shaft, a sheet loading member supported by the swing shaft to swing according to an amount of sheets loaded on the loading surface, a rotary shaft, and a sheet amount indicator being rotatably supported by the rotary shaft and having a contact end contacting the sheet loading member swinging according to a remaining amount of sheets and a sheet amount display end moving in a given display range visible from the outside of the sheet feeding device. The sheet loading member has a sloped surface sloped to a loading surface of the loading member and disposed at a portion where the contact end of the sheet amount indicator contacts the loading surface.

Abstract: A fixing device is operable through start-up and warm-up stages and has a rotatable fixing member to fix an unfixed toner image borne on a recording medium, an opposing member to press against the fixing member and form a nip on the fixing member, a temperature detector to detect temperature of the fixing member, and a heater controlled in accordance with the temperature of the fixing member to heat the fixing member. The heater is further controlled during the warm-up stage in accordance with at least one of if the fixing member is rotating and if the detected temperature has ever arrived at a prescribed target temperature in the warm-up stage.

Abstract: A liquid discharge state detection device includes a light emitting element that emits a light beam; and a light receiving element that is placed at a position shifted from a beam diameter of the light beam. The light receiving element receives scattered light generated when the light beam collides with a liquid droplet. A discharge state of the liquid droplet is detected based on a received light amount of the received scattered light. The liquid discharge state detection device further includes an analyzer in the forward direction from the light receiving element. The analyzer detects the scattered light having a polarization direction the same as a polarization direction of the light beam emitted by the light emitting element. The light receiving element receives the scattered light that has passed through the analyzer.

Abstract: A silicone compound represented by the following Chemical Structure 1: wherein Y represents a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group having one to ten carbon atoms, X1, X2, and X3 independently represent methyl groups or any of Substituents A-1 to A-7, and l, m, and n are independently zero or an integer of from 1 to 6.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a head including a nozzle that discharges an electrically-conductive recording liquid in accordance with a driving signal; an intermediate transfer body on which the recording liquid discharged by the head is applied; a voltage apply unit that applies a voltage between the intermediate transfer body and the head, so as to decompose the electrically-conductive recording liquid by electrolysis; a transfer unit that transfers an image supported on the intermediate transfer body onto a recording material; and a discharging control unit that generates the driving signal that causes the electrically-conductive recording liquid to be discharged from the nozzle. The discharging control unit generates the driving signal so that a position of a meniscus is placed outside the nozzle during a time interval in which the recording liquid temporarily bridges between the head and the intermediate transfer body.