Abstract: Approaches are provided for processing scan data based on a scan process definition (SPD) that defines a set of instructions for acquiring image data based on one or more printed documents. An SPD may include extension data that is used to store additional data in association with the scan data. An SPD may include rights management data that is used to provide security to the scan data that is generated based on the SPD. An SPD may be used as a print process definition for dictating how print operations are to be performed. An SPD may be associated with data that identifies one or more scan devices that are prohibited from using the SPD. An SPD may be associated with access delegation data that indicates one or more users who have been delegated access to the SPD.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of rotary members, a conveyance belt, an image forming device, and a switchback device. The conveyance belt is looped around the plurality of rotary members so as to circulate to intermittently feed a sheet in a sheet transport direction. The image forming device is disposed opposing the conveyance belt to form an image on the sheet fed by the conveyance belt. The switchback device is disposed downstream from the image forming device in the sheet transport direction to feed the sheet having passed the image forming device to a position downstream from the conveyance belt in the sheet transport direction and switch back the sheet. When the sheet is fed by the conveyance belt and the switchback device, a drive start timing of the switchback device is delayed from a drive start timing of the conveyance belt.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a stacking unit that stacks conveyed sheets; an aligning unit that aligns the sheets stacked on the stacking unit in a sheet conveying direction; a binding unit that moves along an end portion of a bundle of the sheets on a binding portion side and performs a binding process for the bundle of the sheets that have been aligned by the aligning unit; a pressing unit that presses the bundle of the sheets at the end portion thereof on the binding portion side; and an interlocking unit that moves the pressing unit in association with a motion of the binding unit.

Abstract: To provide an electrophotographic photoconductor, which contains a layer containing a cured product obtained by crosslinking (i) a compound containing a charge-transporting group and three or more methylol groups, and (ii) a compound containing a charge-transporting group, which is other than the compound containing a charge-transporting group and three or more methylol groups.

Abstract: A toner containing: a core containing at least a first binder resin, a colorant, and a releasing agent; and a shell containing at least a second binder resin; wherein the toner has a core-shell structure, and has a softening index of 86° C. to 95° C. and a thermal hardness of 0.7 to 1.8.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, an aperture stop, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, which are disposed in order from an object side. The first lens group has a negative lens and a positive lens having a convex surface at an object side, which are disposed in order from the object side. An interval between the first lens group and the second lens group is increased and an interval between the second lens group and the third lens group is decreased when changing a magnification of the zoom lens from a wide angle end to a telephoto end. The first lens group and the third lens group are moved from positions at the wide angle end toward positions, which are at object sides thereof, at the telephoto end, respectively.

Abstract: A motor drive controller to control a motor via multiple sensors includes a first phase detector to compare respective differential pairs of the sensor signals from the same sensor to detect phases of the rotor, and output a first phase information signal; a second phase detector to compare a respective one of the multiple sensor signals with another sensor signal from the different sensor to detect the phases and output a second phase information signal; a phase divider to divide the phases, detected by the first and second phase detectors, into multiple predetermined phase intervals; a signal selector to select one of the multiple sensor signals in the multiple predetermined phase intervals; and a third phase detector to detect whether the signal selected by the signal selector reaches a predetermined threshold level corresponding to a predetermined phase of the rotor, and output a third phase information signal.

Abstract: In an image forming device including a processor unit, a first screen generating part generates a screen to be displayed on an operation panel and displays the screen on the operation panel. A second screen generating part generates screen data to be displayed on an information processing device and transmits the screen data to the information processing device. An application managing part selects, in response to a request of execution of an application, one of the first and second screen generating parts as a candidate for use of the application based on a source inputting the request. The first and second screen generating parts are configured to receive a request of generation of a screen using a common interface, and the application inputs through the common interface the request to the selected one of the first and second screen generating parts.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, in which color toner images are primarily transferred to an intermediate transfer medium, and then secondarily transferred to a recording sheet at a secondary transfer nip, a secondary transfer current output device applies a transfer current to the transfer nip while determining the transfer current based on area ratios of the toner images using an algorithm. When determining the transfer current, the secondary transfer current output device estimates the target value of a transfer current needed for transferring one of the toner images to be not lower than that needed for transferring another toner image, which is primarily transferred next to the one of the toner images, and the target value of a transfer current needed for transferring a first toner image, which is primarily transferred firstly, to be lower than that needed for transferring a last toner image, which is primarily transferred lastly.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a heater disposed opposite and heating a heating span of the fixing rotary body. A controller is operatively connected to a power supply that supplies power to the heater and a driver that rotates the fixing rotary body to control the power supply and the driver. The controller performs at least one of a rotation speed control that controls the driver to rotate the fixing rotary body at an increased rotation speed and a power supply control that controls the power supply to supply an increased amount of power to the heater.

Abstract: A projection image area detecting device includes a projection image area detecting unit configured to detect marker image areas in a photographed image that is obtained by photographing a projection image area including a projection image. The marker image areas include marker images that are used for identifying four corners of the projection image area. The projection image area detecting unit detects the marker image areas by identifying a color included in the marker image areas that continues to change as time passes.

Abstract: A development device includes a developer container for containing developer, a developer bearer to carry by rotation the developer contained in the developer container to a development range facing a latent image bearer, a partition dividing the developer container into an upper compartment and a lower compartment arranged vertically, an upper developer conveyance member disposed in the upper compartment, a lower developer conveyance member disposed in the lower compartment, a communication portion through which the developer moves from the lower compartment to the upper compartment, disposed in a downstream end portion of the lower compartment in a direction in which the lower developer conveyance member transports the developer, and a toner concentration detector to detect a concentration of toner in the developer beneath the communication portion inside the lower compartment.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording medium includes a hollow, fixing rotary body rotatable in a given direction of rotation and a first heater disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotary body to heat the fixing rotary body. A pressing rotary body is pressed against the fixing rotary body to form a fixing nip therebetween through which the recording medium bearing the toner image is conveyed. A heat conductor, disposed opposite the first heater and the inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotary body, is disconnectably connected to a guide disposed downstream from the fixing device in a recording medium conveyance direction to guide the recording medium discharged from the fixing nip. The heat conductor conducts heat received from the first heater to the guide.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer device separator that moves a transfer device between a contact position and a first isolation position within a shortened time. At the contact position, the transfer device contacts a toner image carrier. At the first isolation position, the transfer device is isolated from the toner image carrier with a first interval therebetween. A controller controls the transfer device separator to move the transfer device to the contact position as first to third toner images and a blank section between the first toner image and the second toner image carried by the toner image carrier pass through a transfer region and to the first isolation position as a toner patch section between the first toner image and the second toner image carried by the toner image carrier passes through the transfer region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed conveying unit having an outlet for a recording medium on one side; at least one image forming unit having an inlet for the recording medium on one side and an outlet for the recording medium on the other side; and a sheet eject conveying unit having an inlet for the recording medium on one side, wherein the sheet feed conveying unit, the image forming unit, and the sheet eject conveying unit are arranged along a conveying direction of the recording medium; the outlet of the sheet feed conveying unit matches the inlet of the image forming unit; the outlet of the image forming unit matches the inlet of the sheet eject conveying unit; and the sheet feed conveying unit, the image forming unit, and the sheet eject conveying unit are connected to each other in a separable manner.

Abstract: A disclosed network apparatus is capable of being connected to one of a restricted area where a communication is restricted and a non-restricted area where a communication is not restricted via a DHCP server and a network based on a DHCP address assigned by the DHCP server. The network apparatus includes a communication unit configured to carry out communications including a broadcast communication and a multicast communication, and a reporting unit configured to generate a report containing apparatus own information of the network apparatus to be sent over the network. In network apparatus, when the network apparatus is connected to the non-restricted area based on the DHCP address, the communication unit sends the report containing the apparatus own information of the network apparatus via the broadcast communication in place of the multicast communication.

Abstract: A CPU I/F decodes a signal transmitted from a CPU to a target location, and transmits the decoded signal to a mediating module mediating with the target location and to an access log recording unit. The access log recording unit generates an access log using the signal received from the CPU I/F, and stores the access log in an internal RAM. A DMA stores the access log stored in the internal RAM in a nonvolatile RAM when a system controller detects any occurrence of an error in the CPU.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles formed therein from which droplets are ejectable. The nozzle plate includes a nozzle substrate in which a plurality of nozzle holes each constituting a nozzle is formed, and a liquid-repellent film formed on a surface of the nozzle substrate on a droplet ejection side of the nozzle plate and on an inner wall of the nozzle on at least the droplet ejection side of the nozzle plate. A number of liquid-repellent groups per unit area in the liquid-repellent film formed on the inner wall of the nozzle decreases continuously from the droplet ejection side of the nozzle plate to a side opposite the droplet ejection side of the nozzle plate.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a storage unit configured to store therein a plurality of function setting items; a display unit configured to display the function setting items stored in the storage unit; a selecting unit configured to select one or more function setting items to be displayed on the display unit from the function setting items stored in the storage unit based on a selecting condition for selecting the function setting items to be displayed on the display unit; and a control unit configured to select, when a single function setting item is selected by the selecting unit, the single function setting item as a function setting item to be executed by the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A power supply control device includes an electrical power generating unit that generates electrical power and supplies the generated electrical power to an electronic device having a nonvolatile memory and a control unit; a switching unit that monitors a voltage of electrical power supplied to the electronic device, and switches such that, when the voltage is less than a predetermined threshold value, the electrical power is supplied to the control unit and is not supplied to the nonvolatile memory; and a capacitor that maintains, when the electrical power is switched to be supplied to the control unit, a voltage applied to the nonvolatile memory for a period of time during which writing of data to the nonvolatile memory can be completed.