Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus that solves a problem of work related to copying becoming complicated when a test copy is performed. The image forming apparatus according to this disclosure includes a scanner unit, a printer-control unit, a storage device, a characteristic-extracting unit, and a system-control unit. The printer-control unit executes a printing process of image data. The storage device stores image data of a document having plural pages that is read by the scanner unit. The characteristic-extracting unit, based on an extraction instruction to extract characteristics of an object, extracts characteristics of the object by object recognition of image data for each of the pages.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus that solves a problem of work related to copying becoming complicated when a test copy is performed. The image forming apparatus according to this disclosure includes a scanner unit, a printer-control unit, a storage device, a characteristic-extracting unit, and a system-control unit. The printer-control unit executes a printing process of image data. The storage device stores image data of a document having plural pages that is read by the scanner unit. The characteristic-extracting unit, based on an extraction instruction to extract characteristics of an object, extracts characteristics of the object by object recognition of image data for each of the pages.

Abstract: A device management apparatus for notifying unauthorized use of an electronic device includes a connection status detecting circuit, a usage log acquiring circuit, and a notification circuit. The connection status detecting circuit detects a connection status of the electronic device to a network. The usage log acquiring circuit acquires a usage log of the electronic device. The notification circuit notifies an unauthorized use of the electronic device. The notification circuit notifies the unauthorized use if the usage logs acquired by the usage log acquiring circuit before and after a time period of disconnection of the electronic device from the network are varied, a reconnection of the electronic device to the network being detected by the connection status detecting circuit.

Abstract: A device management apparatus for notifying unauthorized use of an electronic device includes a connection status detecting circuit, a usage log acquiring circuit, and a notification circuit. The connection status detecting circuit detects a connection status of the electronic device to a network. The usage log acquiring circuit acquires a usage log of the electronic device. The notification circuit notifies an unauthorized use of the electronic device. The notification circuit notifies the unauthorized use if the usage logs acquired by the usage log acquiring circuit before and after a time period of disconnection of the electronic device from the network are varied, a reconnection of the electronic device to the network being detected by the connection status detecting circuit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has: pluralities of sheet storage units; a printing unit; a sheet driving unit that feeds a sheet of paper from the sheet storage units to the printing unit; a group setting maintaining unit that forms a group of the sheet storage units; a residual sheet amount detecting unit that detects sheet empty on any of the sheet storage units in the group; a sheet storage switching control unit that controls the sheet driving unit to select another one of the sheet storage units in the same group for feeding a sheet, if the residual sheet amount detecting unit detects the sheet empty; and a sheet empty warning unit that warns a user of the sheet empty detected by the residual sheet amount detecting unit.

Abstract: A sales support system includes: a used equipment information receiving unit configured to receive used equipment information regarding a used equipment of a customer; a product proposal information generating unit configured to generate product proposal information that is used to propose a product to the customer; and a selected process receiving unit configured to receive a process for generating the product proposal information selected from a plurality of processes for generating the product proposal information by the product proposal information generating unit. The product proposal information generating unit is further configured to generate the product proposal information using the process received by the selected process receiving unit based on the used equipment information received by the used equipment information receiving unit.

Abstract: A sales support system includes: an equipment use information receiving unit configured to receive equipment use information relating to equipment used by a customer; a user authorization unit configured to authorize a user; a user product price management unit configured to manage a price of a product associated with the user; a customer product price determination unit configured to determine the price of the product managed by the user product price management unit associated with the user authorized by the user authorization unit as the price of the product for the customer; and a product proposal information generation unit configured to generate product proposal information for proposing a product suitable for the customer, on the basis of the equipment use information received by the equipment use information receiving unit, and the price of the product for the customer determined by the customer product price determination unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a print engine configured to print an image based on raster image data, a main controller configured to execute a process that depends on the print engine, and a relay unit configured to receive the raster image data from an option controller that generates the raster image data, store the raster image data in a memory, receive a control command based on a result of the process that depends on the print engine from the main controller, read the raster image data from the memory in accordance with the control command, and supply the read raster image data to the print engine.

Abstract: A controller (3) controls band data generating of a band data generating section (2), band data storing of the storage section (4), print image producing of the print image producing section (5), and printing of the printing section (6). The controller (3) allows the storage section (4) to store repeating use instruction information indicating that previous band data is to be repeatedly used when the newly generated band data to be stored in the storage section (4) is identical to the previous band data. The controller (3) allows the image producing section (5) to produce a print image by using expanded data of previous band data in place of expanded data of band associated with the repeating use instruction information stored in the storage section (4).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a print engine configured to print an image based on raster image data, a main controller configured to execute a process that depends on the print engine, and a relay unit configured to receive the raster image data from an option controller that generates the raster image data, store the raster image data in a memory, receive a control command based on a result of the process that depends on the print engine from the main controller, read the raster image data from the memory in accordance with the control command, and supply the read raster image data to the print engine.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has: pluralities of sheet storage units; a printing unit; a sheet driving unit that feeds a sheet of paper from the sheet storage units to the printing unit; a group setting maintaining unit that forms a group of the sheet storage units; a residual sheet amount detecting unit that detects sheet empty on any of the sheet storage units in the group; a sheet storage switching control unit that controls the sheet driving unit to select another one of the sheet storage units in the same group for feeding a sheet, if the residual sheet amount detecting unit detects the sheet empty; and a sheet empty warning unit that warns a user of the sheet empty detected by the residual sheet amount detecting unit.

Abstract: A controller (3) controls band data generating of a band data generating section (2), band data storing of the storage section (4), print image producing of the print image producing section (5), and printing of the printing section (6). The controller (3) allows the storage section (4) to store repeating use instruction information indicating that previous band data is to be repeatedly used when the newly generated band data to be stored in the storage section (4) is identical to the previous band data. The controller (3) allows the image producing section (5) to produce a print image by using expanded data of previous band data in place of expanded data of band associated with the repeating use instruction information stored in the storage section (4).