Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms an image based on bit map data. A compressing circuit compresses the bit map data to generate compressed data by reversible compression, and the compressed data is then stored in a first storing unit, such as a frame memory. Then, a decompression circuit reads and decompresses the compressed data. The decompressed data can then be stored in a second memory unit, such as a FIFO memory. An amount of data stored in the second memory is detected and based on the amount of data detected, a controller controls reading of the compressed data by the decompression unit. Based on the detected amount of data stored in the second storing unit, the decompression unit can execute a non-reversible decompression operation in which data is omitted prior to being stored in the second storing unit. An image based on the decompression data from the second storing unit is then recorded.

Abstract: A facsimile apparatus generating a monitor report. The facsimile apparatus stores kinds of causes of communication troubles and codes corresponding to the kinds of causes of the communication troubles. A control circuit recognizes an occurrence of the communication troubles during facsimile communication, self-diagnoses the cause of the occurrence of the communication troubles, and searches for a corresponding code. A monitor list then includes the cause of the occurrence of the communication troubles in accordance with communication trouble information if the communication trouble information has been stored.

Abstract: A print control device allows image data to be generated from intermediate data and printed by a printing unit. The print control device comprises generating means for generating image data from intermediate data memorized in an intermediate buffer, a band raster buffer for memorizing said image data generated by said generating means, a cache buffer for allowing cache of said image data generated by said generating means, and control means for reserving said intermediate buffer for memorizing said intermediate data by extending said band raster buffer to a full-raster buffer of one page or deleting said cache buffer, when the capacity of said intermediate buffer is insufficient.

Abstract: A beam tracking calculating device by a Monte Carlo method is used as an image reproducibility presuming apparatus of a recording matter, image reproducibility of the recording matter after the recording is presumed from characteristics of a material to be recorded and a recording color material, and it is used and fed back to a recording condition, thereby reproducing an image. A presuming method and apparatus for presuming an image reproducibility of the recording matter after the recording are obtained with enough precision from the characteristics of the material to be recorded and the recording color material. By using the presuming method and apparatus and performing the feedback control of the recording condition, an image adjusting device which can automatically adjust the recording with high precision without performing a test print, and an excellent image reproducing apparatus using such an image adjusting device, can be obtained.

Abstract: A printing device and control method that facilitates setting of waiting periods for cut-sheet paper insertion and commencement of paper transport or printing through application of waiting time control commands. By establishing a command for setting these waiting periods and incorporating apparatus in the printer for analyzing such a command, a configuration is realized in which these waiting periods are settable and adjustable by the host computer. This provides more efficient POS type printer control and allows setting of the desired time required for positioning recording paper according to operator experience. An interface unit is used to receive and interpret print data and recording paper positioning time setting commands and data from the host computer.

Abstract: Developing devices are provided adjacent to a light sensitive element. An intermediate transfer drum is provided adjacent to the light sensitive elements. After exposure of the light sensitive element, a first color or third color image is formed on the light sensitive element. On the other hand, after exposure of the light sensitive element, a second color or fourth color image can be formed on the light sensitive element. The first color image is transferred from the transfer unit to the intermediate transfer drum at the first transfer portion, and the second color image is transferred from the transfer unit at the second transfer portion so as to be superimposed on the first color image. Similarly, the third color image is transferred so as to be superimposed on the second image and the fourth color image is transferred so as to be superimposed on the third color image to the intermediate transfer drum. Accordingly, the first to fourth color images are superimposed.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to improve an efficiency in using bins in a sorter of an image forming system, to which a plurality of personal computers are connected. If the number of the receptacles appointed in accordance with the receptacle appointment command or the number of sets of sheets to be sorted is larger than the number of empty receptacles, offset sorting is performed in which the position, at which the recording sheets are received, is shifted in the same receptacle. If the appointed number of the receptacles or the number of sets of sheets to be sorted is smaller than the number of empty receptacles, a normal sorting process is performed in such a manner that the bins are allotted in accordance with the position of the bins appointed with the command for appointing receptacles or the number of sets of sheets to be sorted.

Abstract: An interactive photo kiosk in which, in one embodiment thereof, presents an upright open face which enables a user to stand directly in front of the kiosk, which optically defocuses the background image and substitutes a selected computer generated image, and which enables the user to pose and freeze a selected image made visible to the user on a display screen. Users may choose from among a menu of different computer generated background images. In a preferred embodiment, the selected frozen image is in digital form and is processed electronically to form a single digital multiple image of the same image in a selected area format which, when delivered to a printing apparatus for hard copy print-out, produces a multiple image of the same frozen image on a single sheet wherein each of the multiple images can be peeled off the single sheet and used separately from each other.

Abstract: There is provided an output apparatus in which an output resolution can be changed and a memory medium including character information of printing dot patterns is detachable. The memory medium has holding means for storing and holding output density information of dot patterns of characters stored in the memory medium. The apparatus comprises in one embodiment: reading means for reading out the output density information from the memory medium; and changing means for changing the output resolution on the basis of the output density read out by the reading means. When the output density information read out by the reading means differs from the printing resolution of the apparatus itself in the reading mode, the character information of the dot pattern in the memory medium is not used. With the apparatus, even if the number of dots constructing a character is changed, the character pattern can be automatically output at the optimum output resolution.

Abstract: A job development task performs image processing on image data of input jobs. An output section control task causes the processed image data to be output from a print section, a FAX transmission/reception section, or the like. A job control task recognizes the execution state of a specified job. A UI control task determines alterable process items relating to the specified job in accordance with the recognized execution state, and causes those process items to be displayed on a display device of an operation section. As a result, in altering a certain process item of the job, the process items that can be set are displayed in accordance with the job state of the specified job, which allows the user to alter the process item correctly and quickly.

Abstract: A work station user selects a desired printer default configuration. Thereupon an address exclusively associated with the selected default configuration is appended to the print data sent from the work station to the printer. Default configuration setting circuitry provided, e.g., in a circuit card installed in the printer receives the address and, via a look-up table, provides instructions for implementing the default configuration associated with the address. The printer is then configured in accordance with the selected default configuration.

Abstract: An image processor includes a compressor which compresses input image information, with the compressed input image information being stored in a storage device. The image processor also includes a processor that processes the stored compressed image information, and a development unit which develops the processed compressed image data into individual pixels.

Abstract: An image output method for dividing an image output region of one page into a plurality of bands, developing image data to be output in the format of raster data for each band, and outputting the developed image information for each band is disclosed. Each band is further divided into a plurality of blocks. The bit map memory is divided into a plurality of memory blocks, each of which has a storage capacity of each block. Image data of blocks that contain image data to be developed for each band is successively developed to unused memory blocks. For blank blocks, the developing process to the bit map memory is not performed. Thus, unused memory blocks are used in the developing process for the next block.

Abstract: The first time a print program is activated, monitor calibration for calculating display characteristic of a display is executed (S10). Then the results of the monitor calibration operation are registered along with the present date (S20). The monitor calibration results and print information are outputted to a color printer (S30). The next and further times that the print program is activated, the number of days passed since the monitor calibration operation was last performed is calculated based on the previously registered date and on the present date (S40). Whether the calculated number of days exceeds a predetermined number of days is determined (S50). If so, then the monitor calibration operation is again performed (S60) and the calibration results and date are updated accordingly (S70).

Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus which can obtain an image, at a desired resolution, far from degradation in image at a high speed is disclosed. Input original image data is converted into hierarchical codes by a JBIG-CODEC 95, and the codes of the layers are stored in a memory. To obtain image information at a desired resolution, a code necessary for representing an image having, of the resolutions which can be represented by the hierarchical codes stored in the memory, a resolution hither than and closest to the desired resolution is selected to execute decoding processing in the JBIG-CODEC 95, thereby obtaining reproduced image data. A resolution conversion unit 96 converts the resolution of the reproduced image into a desired resolution by using, e.g., linear interpolation and outputs the converted image data.

Abstract: A printing control method and a printing apparatus that, in case of a fraction produced in a calculation of the number of lines in a page to be printed owing to relations between the length of a paper page or the length of a printing page and the resolution, figures below the decimal point are omitted to determine the number of lines per page, by which various paper feed control units are applicable, and also, when the total of the fractions becomes more than the set value, a correction line is inserted, by which the printing is made on the correct position without causing accumulation of displaced printing positions by fraction treatment, even in case of a large number of pages to be printed.

Abstract: A processor is provided with a first set of digital information that includes a first, resolution-independent structured representation of a document. This first representation is one from which various image collections (e.g., sets of page images) can be obtained, each such image in each such collection having a characteristic resolution. From the first set of digital information, the processor produces a second set of digital information that includes a second, resolution-dependent structured representation of the document. The second structured representation is a lossless representation of a particular one of the image collections obtainable from the first structured representation, and it includes a set of tokens and a set of positions. The second set of digital information is produced by extracting the tokens from the first structured representation, and by determining the positions from the first structured representation.

Abstract: There is disclosed an information processing apparatus comprising a setting device for setting, for each predetermined unit, attribute information for a character pattern to be printed in overlay with a form pattern, based on externally entered setting instruction information, a discrimination unit for discriminating whether separation information is set for each predetermined unit, separately from the attribute information and a print control unit adapted, when the discrimination unit identifies that the separation information is set, to generate a character pattern for the predetermined unit for which the separation information is set, based on the attribute information, and to cause overlay printing of the character pattern and the form pattern.

Abstract: An integrated computerized system for use in color printing having at least one digital representation of a color characteristic of at least one page to be printed and a digital storage memory for storing the digital representation. An imposition apparatus is connected to the storage memory to receive the digital representation and arrange the digital representation in accordance with a desired plate layout, thereby to define a plate image. A press set-up device extracts from the plate image the color characteristic and provides ink flow set-up data to a printing press in accordance with the extracted color characteristic.

Abstract: When image data of one page is to be generated at once, image data are developed in units of bands, compressed, and stored. Since print processing of the compressed image data takes a long time, compression is not performed until a necessity for compressing the image data arises. In case of short memory capacity for storing image data, a band including the minimum number of objects is selected from bands included in the page and compressed. If the memory capacity is insufficient even after the compression, a band to be compressed is selected from the uncompressed bands in a similar manner. The selected band image data is compressed, and the image data is stored in the free area. A band including the minimum number of objects is less likely to be overwritten with a new object as an image. For this reason, the procedures of expansion, overwriting, and recompression can be omitted. Therefore, print processing can be performed at a high speed.