Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a polygon mirror configured to deflect a laser beam toward a photoconductor and a polygon mirror motor configured to rotate the polygon mirror. A controller acquires a measurement of a spin up time taken for a rotation speed of the polygon mirror motor to reach a target rotation speed range. The controller determines whether the spin up time is between (a) a first threshold time predefined based on a period of time required for the rotation speed of the polygon mirror motor to reach the target rotation speed range and (b) a second threshold time predefined as a period of time indicating that the polygon mirror motor is broken. The controller stores history data regarding the spin up time in response to a determination that the spin up time is between the first threshold time and the second threshold time.

Abstract: A temperature control device controls power supplied to a heater based on a temperature estimate value estimated over time so that a temperature control target to which heat propagates from the heater of the fixing unit reaches a preset target temperature. The temperature control device includes a temperature sensor, first and second storage circuits, a temperature difference detection circuit, and a target temperature correction circuit. The temperature sensor detects a temperature of the heater. The first storage circuit stores the temperature estimate value. The second storage circuit stores a sensor temperature. The temperature difference detection circuit calculates an actual temperature rise amount from a temperature difference between the temperature estimate value and the temperature of the heater from the respective storage circuits. The temperature correction circuit performs control such that a target temperature is lowered in accordance with the actual temperature rise amount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to scan laser light on a photoconductive body with a polygon mirror rotated by a polygon mirror motor includes a first determining unit, a second determining unit, and a storage unit. After the polygon mirror motor is started and shifts to steady rotation in a target rotating speed range, the first determining unit determines, repeatedly at a regular interval, whether rotating speed of the polygon mirror motor is within the target rotating speed range. If the rotating speed is outside the target rotating speed range a specified continuous number of times, the second determining unit determines that failure of the polygon mirror motor occurred. If the rotating speed returns from the outside to within the target rotating speed range a number of times less than the specified continuous number of times, the storage unit stores the number of times.

Abstract: A shopping support device includes a memory, a reading device, a network interface, and a processor. The processor is configured to, upon reading of a first code with the reading device at a store, decode the first code and acquire and, then store in the memory, first and second parameter values, and then control the network interface to connect to a store network using the first parameter value. Upon the reading of a commodity ID for a commodity with the reading device, the commodity ID is transmitted to a store server via the store network for registration. Upon receipt of a request from a user, checkout processing is performed based on the registered commodity ID on the server and the second parameter value.

Abstract: A server apparatus that communicates with a plurality of image forming apparatuses respectively having scan functions and a user terminal that provides an image that should be formed by any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses. The server apparatus includes a receiving unit, an analyzing unit, and a determining unit. The receiving unit receives job information indicating the image that should be formed transmitted by the user terminal. The analyzing unit analyzes density in the image from the job information.

Abstract: A printer device includes a hopper configured to receive a roll of paper, a printing head, a conveyor, a flapper, and a remaining paper sensor. The printing head prints on the paper. The conveyor draws out an end of the paper from the roll and conveys the paper to the printing head. The flapper contacts an outer peripheral surface of the roll and presses the roll against an inner wall of the hopper at a drawing-out point where the paper is drawn out from the roll. The remaining paper sensor provides an indication that an amount paper remaining in the roll has reached a predetermined amount of paper.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing roller, a developing motor, a blade, and a controller. The developing roller includes a sleeve configured to carry a developer that is supplied to an electrostatic latent image held by an image carrier. The developing motor is configured to rotate the sleeve in any one of a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction. The blade is configured to regulate a thickness of a layer of the developer that is carried by the sleeve rotating in the first direction with the developing motor. The controller is configured to rotate the sleeve in the second direction with the developing motor until a surface of the sleeve present in a peel-off region of the developer arrives at a facing position facing the blade after development on the electrostatic latent image held by the image carrier ends.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a shopping support apparatus includes a reader, a memory, and a processor. The processor causes the reader to read a data code, obtains store-specific setting information, and causes the memory to store control mode information included in the obtained setting information. The processor determines, on the basis of the control mode information of the setting information stored in the memory, whether to set a first mode for shopping support at the store as the control mode of the processor or set a second mode for a task restricted to an operation of an authorized person as the control mode of the processor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a charging roller, an image forming section, a bearing member, a holding member, an urging member, a fixing section, and an unfixing section. A cylindrical image bearing body is attached to the housing. The charging roller comes into contact with the surface of the image bearing body and charges the surface. The image forming section forms an image on the charged surface. The holding member holds the bearing member. The urging member urges the bearing member in a first direction. The fixing section fixes the bearing member in a first position. The unfixing section separates the charging roller from the surface of the image bearing body and positions the holding member in the housing, unfixes the bearing member, moves the bearing member to a second position, and brings the charging roller into contact with the surface of the image bearing body.

Abstract: A heating device for heating a medium on which an image can be formed includes a cylindrical belt, a first heating unit, and a second heating unit. The first and second heating units are inside the cylindrical belt and face an inner circumferential surface of the belt. A controller is configured to control the heating units to generate heat. When the medium is to be heated to reach an image fixing temperature at which the image can be fixed to the medium, the controller controls the first and second heating units to both generate heat. After the medium is heated to the image fixing temperature, the controllers control the first heating unit to generate heat, but not the second heating unit.

Abstract: To provide an image forming device that can be efficiently maintained. According to one embodiment, the image forming device includes a plurality of photoconductors, an exposure device, a developer, and a processor. The exposure device irradiates a corresponding surface of the plurality of photoconductors with light corresponding to an image formed on a corresponding photoconductor of the plurality of photoconductors. The developer supplies a toner to the corresponding surface of the plurality of photoconductors on which an electrostatic latent image is formed by the light emitted by the exposure device. The processor adjusts, for every photoconductor, a contrast potential for supplying the toner from the developer to the electrostatic latent image formed on the corresponding surface of the plurality of photoconductors, and notifies a warning when there is a contrast potential whose difference from another contrast potential exceeds a reference value.

Abstract: A sheet supply device in an embodiment includes a cassette, a housing, a drawing-in device, a roller, and a guide member. The housing supports the cassette to be movable in a first direction. The drawing-in device draws the cassette into the housing. The roller is supported by one of the cassette and the housing. The guide member is supported by another of the cassette and the housing. The guide member includes a groove having the first direction as a longitudinal direction and having a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction as a width direction. The roller is disposed in a first portion in the first direction of the groove in a state in which the cassette is housed in the housing.

Abstract: A printer includes a housing storing a rolled sheet and having an opening, a head, a cover covering the opening, a first flapper attached to the cover via a first shaft at a first end of the flapper, pivoting around the shaft, and biased to press the sheet with a second end thereof, the first end being closer to a front side of the cover than the second end, a second flapper attached to the cover via a second shaft at a first end of the second flapper and pivoting around the second shaft, a second end of the second flapper being closer to the front side than the first end and slidably connected to a center portion of the first flapper, and a sensor detecting that a remaining amount of the sheet has decreased to a predetermined amount, based on an angle by which the second flapper has pivoted.

Abstract: An aspect is to provide a scanning device, a system, and a method in which an available communication band is not used up even if a plurality of scanning devices are connected to one unit of dedicated hardware. According to one embodiment, a scanning device includes: a camera configured to pick up an image; a reduction unit configured to reduce a data volume of an image corresponding to a merchandise to be outputted to an image recognition device from the image picked up by the camera; and an output unit configured to output the image with the reduced data volume to the image recognition device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a processing unit, a sensor, and a processor. The processing unit has a developing device using a developer containing two components of a toner and a carrier. The sensor outputs a detection value corresponding to a toner concentration of the developer during operation of the processing unit. The processor performs a process of determining whether a service call to a service person is necessary based on the detection value of the sensor. The processor operates the processing unit at either a high process speed or a low process speed to acquire the detection value of the sensor, before determining whether the service call is necessary. The processor determines the process speed at which the processing unit is to be operated based on the detection value. The processor operates the processing unit at the determined process speed to determine whether the service call is necessary.

Abstract: A label printer includes a reader/writer, a head label, and a printer. The reader/writer is configured to write tag data into multiple wireless tags present within a communicable range of the reader/writer. The tag data is the same for one or more of the plurality of wireless tags. The head label includes a wireless tag of the multiple wireless tags and is positioned at a head in a conveying direction of the multiple labels. The printer is configured to print print data on the plurality of labels.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a code reading device reads a code from an image of a product. The code reading device determines whether or not a label displaying price change information is affixed to the product. If the label is not affixed to the product, the code reading device outputs the code to a processing device. If the label is affixed to the product, the code reading device transmits an image of the product to an image recognition server. The code reading device outputs the price change information recognized by the image recognition server to the processing device together with the code.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a wireless-tagged label issuing apparatus includes a conveying roller to convey the label that has a wireless tag, an antenna for communicating with the wireless tag of the label, a tag reader to read a tag identification from the wireless tag via the antenna, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to compare the read tag identification to previously read tag identifications, and execute a first operation on the label if the read tag identification matches a previously read tag identification and a second operation on the label if the read tag identification does not match a previously read tag identification. For example, the first operation may be physically disabling the wireless tag, printing a voiding image on the label, or routing the label to a particular destination for invalid labels or the like.

Abstract: A sales area management system includes an accounting device and a gate device. The accounting device acquires transaction information and executes accounting processing based on the transaction information. The accounting device receives the number of people associated with the transaction information and outputs payment completion information along with the associated number of people. The gate device includes receives the payment completion information and the associated number of people and detects the number of customers passing through the gate device. A notification control unit of the gate device causes a notification unit to indicate the remaining number of people corresponding to the associated number of people minus the detected number of people passing the gate. The gate device outputs error information when the detected number exceeds the associated number of people for the transaction.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a heating device includes a cylindrical belt, a heat generating member, and a support member. The heat generating member is disposed in an interior region surrounded by the belt and in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the belt. The support member is provided in the interior region surrounded by the belt and contacts and supports the heat generating member.