Abstract: An image reading apparatus requests an external apparatus to transmit a reading instruction. When reading the document according to the reading instruction transmitted from the external apparatus in response to the request, if a reading method for reading the document placed on a document positioning plate without conveying the document is used, the image reading apparatus displays, every time one page of the document is read, a confirmation screen for allowing a user to confirm whether to end reading the document irrespective of whether a format of a single-page file is specified or where a format of a multi-page file is specified as a format of a file to be generated from the read document.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image reading unit reading an image on a document at a predetermined image reading speed and generating image data; a memory including a first area temporarily storing the image data and a second area storing the image data read from the first area and subjected to processing; an image forming unit forming an image on a recording material based on the image data stored in the memory; a reducing unit that, in a case where an amount of the image data stored in the second area exceeds a predetermined amount, reduces an amount of the image data generated per unit time by the image reading unit; and an allocation unit that, in the case where the amount of the image data stored in the second area exceeds the predetermined amount, allocates a partial area contained in the first area to the second area.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus that communicates with a server that has a microblogging function performs user authentication processing and follows a user authenticated by the user authentication processing in accordance with the performing user authentication processing succeeding.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes an accepting unit configured to accept a print job, a first determination unit configured to determine whether the accepted print job is of a first type or a second type, a second determination unit configured to, if the first determination unit determines the accepted print job as the first type and if a job control code included in the accepted print job indicates hold, determine that data of the accepted print job is to be held, if the first determination unit determines that the accepted print job as the first type and if the job control code indicates print, determine that the data of the accepted print job is to be printed, and if the first determination unit determines that the accepted print job as the second type, determine that the data of the accepted print job is to be held.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring printer status in a networked environment are provided. For each of a plurality of printers, a respective server port device is connected to a communication port of a corresponding printer. Each server port device is adapted to receive real-time printer status information from the corresponding printer. A status monitor is provided for receiving the printer status information from one or more of the server port devices. The printer status information is wirelessly broadcast from the respective server port devices to an IP address of the status monitor. The server port device may comprise a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) status processor for converting the printer status information received from the printer in a first format into a second format for broadcast using a UDP protocol.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of sheet trays; an image forming section which forms an image on a sheet supplied by the sheet trays; and a display section which includes a display screen, upon which are displayed a first axis and a second axis, wherein sheet tray information identifying each of the plurality of sheet trays is displayed individually for each tray along the first axis, and information concerning the time period scheduled for use of each of the sheet trays is displayed along the second axis at a position along the first axis where the sheet tray information for the respective sheet tray is located.

Abstract: A system and method for parsing data formatted in a plurality of encoding schemes at a printer is provided. The method comprises receiving serialization data from at least one host computer at a printer where at least a portion of the serialization data is encoded in at least one encoding scheme. The method also includes converting the data into a first encoding scheme. The method also includes parsing the converted data into an array of combining semantic clusters based on a plurality of rules, each combining semantic cluster comprising a plurality of code points. The method also includes generating a plurality of labels for printing based on the array of combining semantic clusters where each of the plurality of labels are printed such that one or more elements within the array are at least one of incremented or decremented.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus 101 processes a print job based on job data inputted from a PC 103 to a hot folder and retains print job history information and job data relating to the print job history information. The information processing apparatus 101 receives an instruction from a user and determines a dependency relation between the job history information and the job data to set a retention period of the print job history information and a retention period of the job data so that the retention period of the print job history information is over the retention period of the job data. The information processing apparatus 101 deletes the print job history information and the job data based on the set retention period of the print job history information and the retention period of the job data.

Abstract: In a communication system, an image forming apparatus sends an address of a receiving section to a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal receives a selection of an image data among plural thumbnails displayed on a display section, and wirelessly sends the selected image data to the image forming apparatus with the address. The image forming apparatus receives the selected image data sent with the address by the mobile terminal, and prints an image based on the selected image data. A communication between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus is performed wirelessly with an IEEE 802.11 standard. The image forming apparatus keeps the address of the mobile terminal without deleting the address of the mobile terminal when the communication with the mobile terminal through the receiving section is finished.

Abstract: When an initial communication program is started, a handheld device searches for image forming apparatuses within its communicable range. Then, upon receiving a response of that inquiry from an image forming apparatus, the handheld device requests the image forming apparatus for an image-forming-apparatus control program for handheld devices according to a predetermined determination condition. The image forming apparatus then responds to the inquiry from the handheld device and sends to the handheld device the image-forming-apparatus control program for handheld devices that has been stored in a memory device. Upon receiving the image-forming-apparatus control program for handheld devices, the handheld device stores it in a memory unit, terminates the execution of the initial communication program, and executes the image-forming-apparatus control program for handheld devices.

Abstract: A print control method causes a printing apparatus to print an image on the basis of a structured document containing a plurality of hierarchical elements. In the print control method, a print preview image and a tree view showing a hierarchy of the elements contained in the structured document are displayed. In the tree view, the elements are displayed in a selectable manner When an instruction to specify an element is input, an updated print preview image including the specified element is displayed. Thus, the user can easily remove unnecessary part of a Web page on a print preview screen and print the resulting Web page.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for a virtual fax machine are provided. In one embodiment, a system for a virtual fax machine is provided including a computer configured to display a virtual fax machine based on a script, a server configured to receive at least one electronic document associated with a fax to be sent using the virtual fax machine, and a traditional facsimile machine configured to receive the fax to be sent. In another embodiment, an apparatus for a virtual fax machine is provided including a computer configured to locate and execute a script associated with a virtual fax machine, display the virtual fax machine, associate at least one electronic document with a fax to be sent, encode the at least one electronic document to a form suitable for communication over a network, and transmit the encoded electronic document over the network as the fax to be sent.

Abstract: An illuminator includes a light guide having a light source that is configured to emit light along a length of the light guide. The light guide further includes outcoupling zones affixed to a rear portion of the light guide, each zones affixed a predetermined distance from each other zone, which are configured to direct at least a portion of the emitted light. The light guide also includes a first diffuser that corresponds to a front portion of the light guide, and which operates to diffuse emitted light exiting the front portion of light guide. The illuminator further includes a secondary diffuser that is located a predetermined distance from the front portion of the light guide forming an air gap there between. The secondary diffuser is configured to further diffuse the at least a portion of the emitted light diffused by the first diffuser after passage through the air gap.

Abstract: In a communication system, an image forming apparatus sends an address of a receiving section to a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal receives a selection of an image data among plural thumbnails displayed on a display section, and wirelessly sends the selected image data to the image forming apparatus with the address. The image forming apparatus receives the selected image data sent with the address by the mobile terminal, and prints an image based on the selected image data. A communication between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus is performed wirelessly with an IEEE 802.11 standard. The image forming apparatus continuously performs a second printing, when the receiving section receives a selected image data again in a condition that the communication with the mobile terminal is continuously established by the receiving section after the printing of the received image data is finished.

Abstract: An image-reading device may include a reading unit and a control device. The control device may be configured to detect a candidate point for an edge of the document on each of a pair of parallel detection lines, obtain a tilt angle of a straight line extending between the detected candidate points in the read data and classify the obtained tilt angle into a plurality of range groups. Further, control device may be configured to count the number of obtained tilt angles in each of the plurality of range groups. Also, each of the range groups may be associated with a predetermined angle and when the count of one of the range groups meets predetermined criteria, the control device may assign the predetermined angle of the range group whose count meets the predetermined criteria to be a tilt angle of the document.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first wireless communication unit that receives data from a mobile phone, and a reader-writer that transmits an address of the first wireless communication unit to the mobile phone. The mobile phone includes a contact/non-contact IC card that receives the address, and a second wireless communication unit that transmits image data to the first wireless communication unit utilizing the address. When communication is made between the mobile phone and the image forming apparatus, the address of the first wireless communication unit is transmitted to the contact/non-contact IC card through the reader-writer, and the second wireless communication unit transmits data to the first wireless communication unit utilizing the address.

Abstract: The effort required to develop a device object is reduced. A host computer 10 has objects including a printer CO 21 that provides a POS application program 11 with an interface for each type of device, and a printer SO 22 that provides the printer CO 21 with an interface to each device type and executes a process by device unit. A wrapper SO 30 executes the process instead of the printer SO 22 when at least one of the methods called by the printer CO 21 is called, and then calls a method of the printer SO 22 based on the result of the executed process. When the printer CO 21 calls other methods, the wrapper SO 30 calls the printer SO 22 method.

Abstract: A portable information device includes a shooting portion to shoot a subject, and a notice portion to notify an image forming apparatus that an image is shot, in response to an operation screen of the image forming apparatus being shot. The image forming apparatus includes a display control portion to display an operation screen, a data decision portion to decide related data related to an operation screen displayed at a point of time when the notice is received, from among data held by the image forming apparatus at that point of time, and a related data transmission portion to transmit the related data to the portable information device. The portable information device further includes a related data reception portion to receive the related data from the image forming apparatus and a related data storage portion to store the related data.

Abstract: The preview unit displays on a display a preview image of image data in the image data retaining unit. The position receiving unit receives a position that user designates on the preview image displayed on the display. The selection receiving unit receives a user selection of additional information retained in the additional information retaining unit. The information imparting unit imparts the additional information received by the selection receiving unit to the position received by the position receiving unit. The image processing unit extracts a page imparted with the additional information from the image data in the image data retaining unit, and executes the processing associated with the additional information.

Abstract: A communication system including a communication apparatus that communicates with a destination apparatus, and an image processor that connects to the communication apparatus. The image processor includes a supplying unit that supplies image data to the communication apparatus, and a notifying unit that transmits first additional information to the communication apparatus. The communication apparatus includes a memory that stores second additional information, a information generator that generates third additional information based on the second additional information stored in the memory and the first additional information received from the image processor, and a transmitter that adds the third additional information generated by the information generator to the image data supplied from the image processor and transmits the image data including the third additional information to the destination apparatus.