Abstract: A toner collecting unit includes a housing, an inlet, a first fan, a lower duct, a first filter, and an oscillation motor. The inlet is provided in the housing. Toner flows into the inlet together with an air flow. The first fan is arranged in the interior of the housing and is configured to suck the air flow flowing from the inlet and to exhaust the air outside the housing. The lower duct guides the air flow upward from below. The first filter is arranged in an upper part of the lower duct so that its approach surface, which the air flow enters, faces downward.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus irradiates an object with light and reads an image on or of the object. The image reading apparatus includes a table on which the object is placed, a planar light source configured to emit light to the object, a range-finding section configured to measure a distance between the table and the object, and a control section configured to cause the planar light source to entirely or partially emit light. The control section controls a light emitting portion of the planar light source thereby to control a light collection spot for the planar light source to a position based on a measurement value obtained by the range-finding section.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for providing improved reliability via redundant voting systems. The voting systems are operable to vote on a signal received by a plurality of base stations in a communication system. A first voting processor transmits a message to the plurality of base stations indicating a return base station to voting processor (BS-VP) multicast address. A plurality of multicast messages addressed to the return multicast address are then received from the plurality of base stations and associated with a particular signal received from a signal source by each of the plurality of base stations. The first voting processor determines a recovered signal, and responsive to the first voting processor determining that the second voting processor is no longer operational, transmits the recovered signal to a voting processor to infrastructure (VP-IN) multicast address associated with an infrastructure device and the first and second voting processors.

Abstract: A facsimile apparatus uses IP addresses in facsimile communications. A communicating section receives image data sent from a communication partner apparatus via a facsimile transmission, based on an IP address of the communication partner apparatus and of the facsimile apparatus. A printing section prints the image data. An IP address registering section registers therein, in advance, an IP address of each of one or more communication partner apparatuses. An IP address obtaining section obtains the IP address of the communication partner apparatus. A printing rejection processing section judges whether the obtained IP address has already been registered. If the obtained IP address is determined as an unregistered IP address, the printing rejection processing section performs a printing rejecting process, and the printing rejection information storing section stores therein a specifying image and the unregistered IP address as printing rejection information.

Abstract: An illumination device includes a light source and a columnar light guide including: an incident surface provided at least one longitudinal end of the light guide and allowing light emitted from the light source to enter the light guide therethrough; a diffusing surface which forms one side surface of the light guide extending along an optical axis of the incident light entering the light guide through the incident surface and has a row of light diffusion patterns provided to diffuse the incident light; and an exit surface located opposite to the diffusing surface, extending along the optical axis, and allowing light diffused by the diffusing surface to exit the light guide therethrough. The light diffusion patterns have a prismatic shape rising toward the exit surface and are provided on the diffusing surface from D1/2×8 or greater distance from the incident surface where D represents the diameter of the light guide.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus converts image data into a video signal, updates a value of a counter without loading the image data onto a video memory, if a print request is a single-sided print request and the image data corresponding to a page information included in the print request is stored on the video memory, and loads the image data corresponding to the page information in the print request onto the video memory, if the print request is a double-sided print request, or if the print request is the single-sided print request and the image data corresponding to the page information included in the print request is not stored on the video memory.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a receiving unit, a controlling unit, an information accumulating unit, a sleep mode response data generating unit, and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit receives information requesting data. The controlling unit, in a normal mode, generates first response data after receiving the information requesting data. The information accumulating unit accumulates information associated with the first response data. The sleep mode response data generating unit, in a sleep mode, generates second response data on the basis of the information accumulated by the information accumulating unit. The transmitting unit transmits one of the first and the second response data.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an input luminance range recognition unit, an output luminance range recognition unit, and a luminance range expansion unit. The input luminance range recognition acquires input luminance information from multi-gradation monochrome image data, generates a luminance histogram, and determines, based on a minimum luminance value and a maximum luminance value of the luminance histogram, an input luminance range. The output luminance range recognition unit determines an output luminance range. The luminance range expansion unit performs a mapping process for mapping input luminance information of pixels within the image range into the output luminance range, and expands the input luminance range to a maximum luminance range.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a main system that can operate in a normal state and an energy-saving state, a data retaining unit that stores data, and a subsystem that may execute transmission and reception of data to and from an external apparatus. While the main system is in the energy-saving state, if the subsystem receives main dedicated specific data of pieces of main dedicated data required to be processed by the main system, the subsystem may store the main dedicated specific data. While the main system is in the energy-saving state, if the subsystem receives main dedicated data other than the main dedicated specific data from an external apparatus, the subsystem may transition the main system to the normal state and cause the main system to process the main dedicated specific data stored and the main dedicated data other than the main dedicated specific data.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating source, a pressing member, a heating member, a nip pressure switching mechanism, a separating member and a restricting piece. The pressing member comes in pressure-contact with the heating member and forms a fixing nip. The nip pressure switching mechanism moves the pressing member between a first position and a second position. The separating member is movable between a separating position where the separating member is in contact with the heating member or faces the heating member and a cleaning position separated away from the heating member farther than the separating position. The restricting piece restricts the movement of the separating member under a state where the pressing member is at the first position and permits the movement of the separating member under a state where the pressing member is at the second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming unit, frame structure, a plurality of rotational shafts, a plurality of drive gears, resin drive housing, and high voltage substrate. The frame structure includes at least one metal side plate frame having inner side surface facing internal space that accommodates the aforementioned unit and outer side surface opposite the inner side surface. The plurality of drive gears each rotate about an axis of the rotational shaft. The drive housing includes supporting side surface that supports one end of the rotational shaft and cavity in which the plurality of drive gears is accommodated, and the drive housing is open at the other end of the rotational shaft. The drive housing includes substrate supporting portion that supports the high voltage substrate, and is attached to the side plate frame such that the opening is sealed by the inner side surface of the side plate frame.

Abstract: A conductive roller includes a roller body, a spindle, and at least one groove. The roller body contacts with an outer circumferential surface of an image carrier, and is conductive. The spindle is provided in a center of the roller body. The groove is formed in each of side walls of the roller body at opposite ends in an axis direction of the roller body, and extends outward in a radial direction from the spindle.

Abstract: Provided is an electronic apparatus including: a network interface configured to receive data via a network; a communication processing unit configured to notify of a network communication type and a network communication amount of the received data; and an operation mode control unit configured to switch an operation mode from a normal mode to an energy-saving mode when a network communication does not occur in the network interface before a waiting time based on the network communication amount for each network communication type notified of from the communication processing unit has elapsed.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a screw shaft, a holing member, a cleaning member, and a drive mechanism. The screw shaft is arranged along a covering. The screw shaft includes a main body portion and two rotary shaft portions provided on opposite ends of the main body portion integrally with the main body portion. A screw groove is formed in the main body portion. A protrusion engaging with the screw groove is formed on the holding member. Rotation of the screw shaft moves the holding member along the screw shaft. The cleaning member is held by the holding member. The drive mechanism drives and rotates the screw shaft, while moving the screw shaft in a direction reverse to a movement direction of the holding member.

Abstract: Delayed coking drum quench overflow systems and methods, which relate to removing hydrocarbon particulates from an overflow stream in a delayed coking drum quench operation. In one embodiment, an improved overflow system incorporates one or more filters to remove hydrocarbon particulates from the system before passing through a conventional closed blowdown system.

Abstract: An application search system includes a mobile terminal, a device, and a server, connected to a network. The mobile terminal transmits mobile terminal OS information to the device. The device receives the mobile terminal OS information from the mobile terminal, and transmits the mobile terminal OS information and device identification information to the application management server. The server: i) receives the mobile terminal OS information and the device identification information; ii) generates, from the mobile terminal OS information and the device identification information, a list of applications installable in the mobile terminal and used for operating the device from the mobile terminal; and iii) transmits the list of applications to the device or the mobile terminal.

Abstract: A shell-side feed, hollow fiber, fluid separation module arranged for counter-flow includes a hollow fiber membrane bundle with each individual hollow fiber membrane in the bundle having an open fiber end and a sealed fiber end. The open fiber ends are encapsulated in a tubesheet located toward the permeate fluid outlet end of the module. The sealed fiber ends are tubesheet-free, uniformly spaced, and located toward the non-permeate fluid outlet end of the module.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photoreceptor drums, a plurality of developing devices, a plurality of polishing members, an endless intermediate transfer component, a primary transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, a development refresh unit, and a photoreceptor refresh unit. The photoreceptor refresh unit is configured such that, in executing the photoreceptor-refresh control process, if the development refresh unit detects a toner-deteriorated developing device, the circumferential surface of the deteriorated photoreceptor drum is polished, by the polishing member provided for the deteriorated photoreceptor drum, using the polishing-agent contained in the toner discharged from the toner-deteriorated developing device by the development refresh unit executing the development-refresh control process.

Abstract: The electrical connector or device includes a first center contact, a first outer conductor, a first insulation material, a second center contact, a second outer conductor, a second insulation material, a spring, and a flexible wire. The first center contact has a longitudinal axis. The first insulation material is retained between the first center contact and the second outer conductor. The second center contact has a longitudinal axis. The second insulation material is retained between the second center contact and the second outer conductor. The longitudinal axis of the second center contact is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first center contact. The spring is in contact with the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor. The flexible wire is attached to the first center contact and the second center contact.

Abstract: A fusing device includes a first roller, a second roller forming a fusing nip part together with the first roller, an adjustment mechanism changing posture of the first roller between first and second postures, a separation member, a turning mechanism, an abutting member, and an isolation mechanism. The turning mechanism turns the separation member so that the separation member approaches the first roller when the posture of the first roller is changed from the second posture to the first posture. The abutting member abuts on the first roller to form a gap between the separation member and the first roller when the first roller is in the first posture. The isolation mechanism separates the abutting member from the first roller in a process when posture of the first roller is changed from the first posture to the second posture.