Abstract: There are provided an image reading apparatus capable of turning on the light source of a display such as an LCD during an image reading operation even when the apparatus operates upon power supply from an external apparatus via a USB bus, and a power control method applied to the apparatus. For example, in the apparatus which is driven upon reception of power supply from the external apparatus, and includes a CIS for reading an original image by intermittently emitting light from an LED, and an LCD with a backlight for displaying information on reading, it is controlled to prevent the ON period of the light source and that of the backlight from overlapping each other during an image reading operation.

Abstract: There is provided a computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a function for an image processing. The function comprises: executing a job; creating a log image from an image handled in the job; setting a creation guarantee level of the log image; and controlling the execution of the job to be completed after the log image is created, if the creation guarantee level is set to a high level.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for configuring an imaging device is provided. A first imaging device may monitor communications exchanged between clients and imaging devices over a network to identify requests to process electronic documents. In response to the first imaging device either detecting a particular request, to process an electronic document, issued to a different imaging device than the first imaging device or receiving at the first imaging device the particular request to process the electronic document, the first imaging device may update its own current configuration for processing electronic documents. For example, an imaging device may update its own current configuration to reflect the most popular way in which electronic documents have been processed by imaging devices on the network.

Abstract: A composite image is generated by compositing blank regions generated by tilt correction with achromatic pixels or pixels contained in the non-overlapping regions that do not overlap with the region of the original image as a result of tilt correction. The data of this composite image, which is used as image data used for printing, is provided to a printing apparatus having an automatic correction feature. As a result, variation in correction results due to the amount of tilt correction is minimized when images corrected for tilt are automatically corrected and printed.

Abstract: Provided are a direct image formation method and apparatus in which a predetermined image file that is transmitted from a host computer is directly received and printed or transmitted. The direct image formation method includes setting a USB class of the direct image formation apparatus to a mass storage class (MSC) and connecting the direct image formation apparatus to the host device in an MSC connection mode; transmitting the image file from the host device to the direct image formation apparatus in the MSC connection mode; and converting the image file to data in a predetermined printing format and printing the data into which the image file is converted.

Abstract: Systems and methods for electronically managing individual and business information. The systems and methods encompass three printing stages of pre-printing, printing, and post-printing. In one embodiment, the invention provides contact information by a printer, the contact information derived from a single raw data set provided to a printer to obtain a printed contact information carrier and converted by the printer into at least one alternate format during customary creation of the printed contact information carrier. A printed information carrier including an entity-specific digital information locator is also disclosed.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to achieve a correctly positioned print in duplex-printing mode. A method for the detection of marks (1, 1?, 1?) by a sensor array (10) for a printing machine has been provided, whereby the marks (1) on the first (recto) printing side (5) of a sheet (3) are detected, the sheet is turned over and shifted in a direction transverse to the transport direction, and the marks (1?) on a second (verso) printing side (6) of said sheet are detected. Furthermore, a printing machine is provided with an alignment device (40) for shifting a sheet (3) in a direction transverse to the transport direction for the detection of marks (1?) on the second printing side, said marks being offset relative to the marks (1) on the first printing side, after said sheet (3) has been turned over.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus executes controls relating to image formation in a dispersed manner without centralization. A printer part of the image forming apparatus includes a laser module, an image process module, a paper-feed cassette module, a conveyance module, a both-side module, a fixing module, a paper discharge module and a shared data module. Each module stores operation condition information, indicating its operation condition in the shared data module, and executes autonomously a specific operation by referring to operation parameters and the operation condition information indicating the operation conditions of the modules, stored in the shared data module.

Abstract: A method of color management for image marking devices utilizes an automated spot color editor having a control module accessing a graphical user interface. The method includes receiving image data input, in either device-dependent color space or device-independent color space, for a marking job. It is determined whether spot colors are present within the image data input and whether the CMYK values for each of the spot colors present within the image data input are included in the marking device spot color dictionary. Operational parameters for the automated spot color editor are initialized, with operational parameters including the desired performance criteria to be minimized by the automated spot color editor through selection of one or more matrices from a plurality of possible gain matrices to identify new CMYK values. The quality level of the new CMYK values is assessed and new CMYK values are transmitted to image printing device(s).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a combining unit configured to combine a document image and a coded image; a setting determining unit configured to determine whether a setting for combining a document image including a previously combined coded image and an other coded image is made when a reproduction of the document image is instructed; and a prohibiting unit configured to prohibit the combining unit from combining the document image including the previously combined coded image and the other coded image according to the setting when the result of the determination indicates that the setting is made.

Abstract: Upon printing on a tab, a printer driver presents a screen for setting index information of a tab sheet, and receives designation of a position where an index is to be added and an item to be added to the index. Further, it receives designation of the number of letters, letter size, or the number of lines as a threshold value for determining whether the title information input to be printed on the tab should be converted into an index or not. When the input title information exceeds the threshold value, the printer driver controls such that one or more alphanumeric characters are printed on a tab, instead of the title information, and such that the input title information is printed on an index sheet together with the alphanumeric character(s) of the corresponding tab sheet.

Abstract: In a document feeder, a length of a discharge path from a reading position to a discharge position is longer than a length of a supply path from a feeding position to the reading position. An idling discharge position is disposed, where the distance with the discharge position through the discharge path is shorter than a distance between the feeding position and the reading speed switching position. A control device controls driving of registration rollers, conveyor rollers and discharge rollers simultaneously when a trailing edge of an original reaches the discharge idling position of the discharge path by the discharge rollers while the discharge rollers is stopped. The document feeder efficiently supplies originals sequentially to the reading position, stably reads the image of the original without discharging a previous original during a reading, and aligns and stores the originals in a discharge stacker.

Abstract: In operating a multifunction office apparatus, the apparatus including a user interface, an input scanner, and at least one of a printer, finisher, disc recorder, facsimile transmitter, network transmitter, or electronic mail transmitter, images from a document are recorded as image data in a memory. Simultaneous with the recording, instructions are accepted through the user interface for applying the image data to the multifunction office apparatus.

Abstract: A method and a multi-function machine are provided for scanning and counting documents, generating a summary report thereof, and dispatching the summary report to at least one destination. The summary report contains a count of the number of documents scanned or, additionally or alternatively, the number of document sides which contain an image; thumbnail representations of at least one of the scanned pages; and/or metadata.

Abstract: A communication device is connectable to a terminal device, which can perform a data communication with the communication device. The communication device is capable of receiving data through another communication device via a communication network. The communication device may include a data storing system that stores data received from the other communication device through the communication network, a data transmitting system that transmits the data stored in the data storing system, a data counting system that counts the number of pieces of data stored in the data storing system and have not yet been transmitted to the terminal device, and an indicating system that indicates the number of pieces of data counted by the data counting system.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus include aligning printing of a bi-directionally scanning electrophotographic (EP) device, such as a laser printer or copy machine. At least first and second scan lines formed in opposite directions define a calibration page for manufacturing, servicing or end-user operating. The page includes pluralities of diagnostic patterns repeatedly tiled together in various formats. In one instance, a first pattern defines a substantially rectangular cell of pixels (pels) for at least a first and second scan line of opposite directions. A second pattern defines the first pattern except at least one of the pels of either the first and second scan lines is intentionally displaced at least one pel width in the scan direction. Upon repeatedly tiling groups of either the first or second patterns together, multiple bars of the calibration page are formed. A darkest of the bars represents a preferred calibration setting of the EP device.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus sequentially reduces a document, while changing the reduction factor step-by-step. Next, the image processing apparatus refers to the characters that constitute the document that has been reduced with the respective reduction factors, and specifies a reduction factor at which blank regions surrounded by line portions that express each character do not disappear. When an appropriate reduction factor is specified, the image processing apparatus specifies a resolution of the characters for that reduction factor, and converts the resolution of the document data to that specified resolution. Then, the image processing apparatus performs various processing for the document data whose resolution has been converted. Thus the resolution of document data is converted such that the document is reduced with a reduction factor suitable for computer processing.

Abstract: A tone setting screen that includes a tone specifying area 110 for specifying a color tone of a monotone image using a single specification point is disclosed. A monotone image tone is determined according to the position of the specification point specified in the tone specifying area 110. The tone specifying area 110 is defined on the a* b* plane in the L*a*b* color space, where three reference tone points Pneutral, Pwarm, and Pcool, for the neutral, warm, and cool tones are disposed linearly in advance in the tone specifying area 110.

Abstract: A printing system and method is provided. The printing system includes one or more printing system modules, at least one media sheet path interfacing the printing system modules, and a job scheduler for executing one or more printing system print jobs. The job scheduler routes a media sheet to one or more printing system modules for preshrinking or preenlarging without marking and subsequently routes the preshrunk or preenlarged media sheet to one or more printing system modules for marking. The method of printing includes generating a print job to be printed using one or more printing system modules. Print jobs requiring two or more printing system modules for marking are executed by routing a media sheet to one or more printing system modules for preshrinking or preenlarging without marking, and subsequently routing the preshrunk or preenlarged media sheet to the one or more printing modules for marking.