Abstract: Disclosed are a panoramic image based jump position determination method and apparatus. The method includes steps of obtaining first and second original panoramic images having the same horizontal width; performing, based on posture data of cameras respectively shooting the two original panoramic images, an adjustment process on at least one of the two original panoramic images, so as to acquire first and second panoramic images; after the adjustment process, conducting a feature extraction process regarding the two panoramic images, and choosing, based on a result of the feature extraction process, a plurality of pairs of image columns on the two panoramic images, so as to select at least one pair of first image columns from among the plurality of pairs of image columns; and determining, based on the at least one pair of first image columns, jump positions on the first and second panoramic images for jumping between the two.

Abstract: An inkjet ink, containing: water; a water-soluble organic solvent; a pigment; and polycarbonate urethane resin particles, wherein the water-soluble organic solvent contains 50% by mass or more of a diol compound, and wherein the water-soluble organic solvent contains 50% by mass or more of a water-soluble organic solvent having a boiling point of 200° C. or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to fix an image on a recording medium by heating the recording medium, multiple heat storing devices to store heat generated at the fixing device, an electric generating element to generate power by converting the heat into power, and a switch to switch connection and disconnection between the electric generating element and at least one of the multiple heat storing devices.

Abstract: In a multi-beam scanning device and method of the present invention, a semiconductor laser array having a plurality of light emitting parts emitting multiple laser beams is provided. A rotary deflector deflects the laser beams emitted by the light emitting parts of the semiconductor laser array. The deflected laser beams from the rotary deflector is focused onto a scanned surface to form a plurality of beam spots that are separated on the scanned surface in a sub-scanning direction, the scanned surface being scanned simultaneously with the plurality of beam spots in a main scanning direction by a rotation of the rotary deflector.

Abstract: A scorotron charging device applicable to electrophotographic image forming equipment and having a main charger with discharge wires and a grid and applying voltages to the wires and the grid by respective power sources. The two power sources are controlled by the same control signal. In response to the control signal, a voltage starts being applied to the grid before a voltage is applied to said wires and ends being applied to the grid after the voltage application to the wires has ended. This allows the charge potential of a photoconductive element to rise and fall rapidly.