Abstract: Systems and methods of management of electronic office equipment through automated monitoring and reporting of usage and status are disclosed. A monitoring agent monitors electronic office equipment on a network and collects usage and status information to send to a control system. The control system can use the usage and status information to compile various reports responsive to the received information. The system allows for the automatic assessment, monitoring, re-supply, maintenance, and billing of networks of printing devices from a variety of different manufacturers. In some embodiments, the system enables a pay per use lease arrangement.

Abstract: In an image recording apparatus, when a photograph image to be printed on a printable surface area of a circular recording medium is selected, a margin area for writing a title or a description is set. Once the margin area has been set, the photograph image is arranged in an area of the printable surface area of the recording medium excluding the margin area. Then, the photograph image is printed in the area excluding the margin area of the recording medium as arranged.

Abstract: An automatic media feeder includes: a media stacker on which sheets are to be stacked; a discharged media stacker; a scanning position where the sheet is to be scanned; a first conveyance path from the media stacker to the scanning position; a feeding device configured to convey the sheet from the media stacker to the scan position along the first conveyance path; a discharging device configured to discharge the sheet that passed through the scanning position to the discharged media stacker; a first reverse mechanism configured to turn over the sheet conveyed from the media stacker toward the scanning position along the first conveyance path and return the turned-over sheet to the first conveyance path; and a second reverse mechanism configured to refeed the sheet that passes through the scanning position to the first conveyance path.

Abstract: A transmission-side MFP receives a user name, checks whether the user name is registered in a destination user list, and if so, transmits image data to a reception-side MFP. If an ACK is received, the transmission-side MFP displays that transmission was successful. When a NACK is received or a time out occurs, the transmission-side MFP checks whether the user name is registered in an individual address book, and if so, transmits the image data using a corresponding transmission method. If an ACK is received, the transmission-side MFP displays that transmission was successful. If a timeout occurs, the transmission-side MFP displays that transmission failed.

Abstract: A deflector deflects a light beam from a light source. A scanning optical system focuses the light beam deflected by the deflector. An image carrying member is located at a focal position of the light beam and includes a surface that is scanned in a main scanning direction with the light beam focused by the scanning optical system. One pixel of an image is formed by a plurality of light spots having different focal positions in at least a sub-scanning direction. At least one light spot from among the light spots is formed on the surface of the image carrying member at a scan timing different from those of rest of the light spots.

Abstract: The present invention provides a computer-readable recording medium having recorded therein an address book transmission program for causing a computer, which includes a storage that stores therein one or more pieces of address book data, to transmit the pieces of address book data to a data transmission apparatus, each of the pieces of address book data corresponding to one or more senders, the address book transmission program causing the computer to execute: a receiving step of receiving, from the data transmission apparatus, apparatus information indicating a state of the data transmission apparatus; a reading step of reading a piece of address book data that corresponds to a sender out of the pieces of address book data stored in the storage; a judging step of, based on the apparatus information received in the receiving step, specifying a use mode that shows how the data transmission apparatus uses address book data, and judging whether or not the piece of address book data read in the reading step is a

Abstract: A method for forming an image includes providing a media support adapted to receive media; providing a recording head comprising a plurality of recording channels, wherein each recording channel is adapted to form an image pixel column while scanning over the media; providing an image data file comprising one or more arrangements of image data columns; assigning first image data from a single image data column to a first recording channel of the recording head; operating the first recording channel to form a first image pixel column solely in accordance with the assigned first image data; assigning second image data from each image data column of a plurality of the image data columns to a second recording channel of the recording head; operating the second recording channel to form a second image pixel column in accordance with the assigned second image data; and operating the recording head to form the image.

Abstract: A method of enabling instruction of a computer to perform tasks, using an interface surface having command and object interactive elements, the interface surface having command and object interactive elements, the interface surface including coded data. The method includes having the computer system receive indicating data from a sensing device, which is generated when the sensing device is moved relative to the interface surface, the indicating data being indicative of a stroke designating the interactive elements. The computer system uses the indicating data to determine the interactive elements designated by the stroke before applying a command to at least one object using the designated interactive elements.

Abstract: A multi-function peripheral includes an image forming unit having an image forming device, and an image reading unit having an image reading device and located above the image forming unit. The image forming device forms an image on a recording sheet with moving a carriage reciprocally in a predetermined horizontal direction. The image reading device reads an image of an object by moving an image capturing element in the predetermined horizontal direction when the image forming unit operates. Spring elements are provided between the image forming unit and the image reading unit to apply an urging force therebetween in a direction parallel to the predetermined horizontal direction. The spring elements satisfy the following condition: f f n > 2 , where, f and fn are characteristic frequencies of the image forming unit and the image reading unit, respectively, in the predetermined horizontal direction.

Abstract: A control part comprises a division location setting part for setting a division location based on an image data; a scan start position setting part for setting scan start positions of recording heads based on the division location; an image data division part for dividing an image data by the division location; and a head movement control part for controlling movement of the recording heads. The division location setting part sets a division location in a blank area having no pixel to be recorded in the primary scanning direction, in the case of publication printing, in a center margin area between page data. Since the recording heads perform scanning concurrently their respective areas that are divided by the division location, no deterioration in image continuity occurs between the recording heads. This permits an image recorder, though having plural recording heads, capable of performing concurrent recordings without loss of continuity.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for minimizing the Inter-Document Zone (IDZ) in printing system architectures with print engines running at constant speed. The asymmetric IDZ precession disclosed herein is intended for those multi-pass systems where there is a difference in required start and stop durations of various transition subsystems such as transfer engagement and disengagement processes. This mode reduces the required inter-document zone region by shifting the zone in accordance with asymmetric timing of start and stop times of processes that must occur during this time. Advantageously, productivity gains are effectuated without altering process speeds.

Abstract: A communication system includes a communication terminal, a computer transmitting addressee identification information to the communication terminal, a computer-side fetching unit fetching the addressee identification information from a computer-side store unit, a computer-side output unit that outputs the fetched addressee identification information to the terminal in case of communication, a retrieval information input unit located in the terminal and operated for input of retrieval information relating the addressee identification information, an instruction unit located in the terminal to instruct the computer to retrieve the addressee identification information, the instruction unit instructing the computer to fetch the addressee identification information based on the retrieval information supplied by an operator, and a terminal side display that displays the outputted data so that the desired addressee identification information is selected at the terminal side.

Abstract: A process for color quality assessment and color control in a color printing process is provided. The process utilizes a test element array including several test elements is co-reproduced with an image to be reproduced, whereby for the pixels of the image and the test elements of the test element array, color co-ordinate data are present in an original color space and for the test elements of the test element array the color values are present in an assessment color space are present. The co-reproduced test element array is colorimetrically measured with respect to the assessment color space, color difference of the test elements relative to the corresponding set color values are determined from the measured color values of the color elements and a color quality measure is calculated for the reproduced image and/or color correction quantities are calculated for the color reproduction process. The original color space (AFR) is divided into a larger number of color space areas.

Abstract: Dot characteristic points are first extracted from M-level image data by the dot characteristic point extracting device. A dot area identifying device subsequently identifies a dot area based on the results of the extraction carried out by the dot characteristic point extracting device. When the image attribute determination is completed, a parameter setting unit sets N-level conversion parameters based on the results of the determination carried out by the dot area identifying device. Consequently, N-level conversion takes place using the N-level conversion parameters appropriate for a dot area. Therefore, N-level conversion in which the occurrence of moire is prevented may be carried out regarding dot areas.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a guide rod; a housing member having a guide part for abutting a document placed on a document table and positioning one side of the document on a table face of the document table and a first positioning part and a second positioning part projecting to the back side of the document table, when both end parts of the guide rod abut against the first positioning part and the second positioning part, the first positioning part and the second positioning part for positioning the guide rod at a position where the one side of the document positioned by the guide part and the longitudinal direction axis are parallel; a fix unit for pressing the guide rod against the first positioning part and the second positioning part; a carriage being fitted slidably into the guide rod; and a carriage drive section for moving the carriage along the guide rod.

Abstract: When canceling a print job in process of transfer, the user's load in accordance with a process for canceling the print job is reduced, and processes for actually deleting the print data in a printer and stopping a process for printing the print data are executed speedily. According to the present invention, the print data is received, it is analyzed whether or not predetermined information is included in the received print data, and the print job constructed by print data is canceled when the predetermined information is included as the analyzed result.

Abstract: A proof generation method is disclosed for proof printers. The method includes receiving halftoned primary color print data to be printed on a target halftone printing press. This halftoned primary color print data has been produced by a first halftoning technique, and is at least comparable to a target halftoning technique used by the target halftone printing press. A second, different halftoning technique is also applied to the print data. The two halftoning techniques are selected to cause a dot size in data provided to the proofing printer to more closely match a dot size for the halftone printing press, and cause a proof produced by the proofing printer to substantially match the color of a print produced by the target halftone printing press.

Abstract: A method for automatically selecting a print job parameter including the steps of ascertaining a first print job parameter and automatically selecting a second print job parameter based upon the first print job parameter. In one embodiment the method includes the steps of automatically ascertaining a pre-selected toner density setting and automatically selecting a print media based upon the pre-selected toner density setting. Alternately, the method for automatically selecting a print job parameter may include the steps of ascertaining a pre-selected print media and automatically selecting a toner density setting based upon the pre-selected print media.

Abstract: Color image data is inputted, flag data indicative of attributes (character image, figure image, mesh image) of each pixel of an inputted image is generated, image processes, an enlargement, and a reduction according to the flag data are executed, the processed data is outputted to a printer, and an image of a high quality is formed.

Abstract: The present invention performs printing without collapsing the appearance of the hyper document and embeds information about links in the printed hyper document so that access to the link destinations can be gained. The image processing apparatus of the present invention has a plotting control unit that, when outputting document data onto a recording medium as a document image, the document data having image elements containing link destinations and containing appearance information for defining the plotting positions of the image elements, plots the image elements in the plotting positions defined by the appearance information and embeds at least part of coupling information for specifying related information of the image elements in the plotting positions of the image elements.