Abstract: A polypropylene molded article has a crystallinity degree of 48% or more by wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurement. The half width of an orientation peak in an azimuth angular distribution obtained by wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurement on the polypropylene molded article is 5.5° or less, and the long period of the polypropylene molded article obtained by small-angle X-ray scattering measurement is 12 nm or more and 16 nm or less.

Abstract: In an initializing process at a time of switch-on, a scanner CPU sends an initialization command request to a system CPU. Upon receiving the initialization command request from the scanner CPU, the system CPU sends an initialization command to the scanner CPU. The scanner CPU, which has received the initialization command, executes an initializing process. When the initialization is completed, the scanner CPU informs the system CPU of the completion of initialization. After the system CPU is informed of the completion of initialization from all sub-control units (including a printer CPU and a panel CPU in the embodiment), the system CPU instructs an LCD to display “Ready” and enters a standby state.

Abstract: Detection of the direction of an original is effected not at the time of scanning the original, but at the time of standby for the start of printing. Thereby, the scanning performance is prevented from deteriorating.

Abstract: In an initializing process at a time of switch-on, a scanner CPU sends an initialization command request to a system CPU. Upon receiving the initialization command request from the scanner CPU, the system CPU sends an initialization command to the scanner CPU. The scanner CPU, which has received the initialization command, executes an initializing process. When the initialization is completed, the scanner CPU informs the system CPU of the completion of initialization. After the system CPU is informed of the completion of initialization from all sub-control units (including a printer CPU and a panel CPU in the embodiment), the system CPU instructs an LCD to display “Ready” and enters a standby state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention for forming an image based on input image data includes an encryption and decryption unit that encrypts image data using an encryption key prior to the storage of the input image data onto an image storage unit, and decrypts the encrypted image data subsequent to the reading of the encrypted image data from the image storage unit.

Abstract: The present invention as disclosed hereby is to provide an information processing device with sleep mode function which is capable of running in a sleep mode, thereby reducing the power consumption for its accompanying device and main memory. In the information processing device with sleep mode function, its system CPU 10 during a normal operation mode loads a required control program from a ROM 12 to the main memory 11 and executes it to monitor an operating state of the accompanying device 2-9, and then executes a sleep controlling program stored in a sleep ROM 13 when it is detected that any operation request for the accompanying device has not been performed within a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: Detection of the direction of an original is effected not at the time of scanning the original, but at the time of standby for the start of printing. Thereby, the scanning performance is prevented from deteriorating.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus and method of the present invention, a control section determines whether or not a document is copied first, and determines, on the basis of the determination result, whether or not the orientation of the document should be detected. If it is determined that the orientation of the document should be detected, a document orientation detecting section extracts character data from image data, recognizes the character data, and detects the orientation of the document on the basis of the recognition result. On the basis of the detection result, a page memory control section executes a rotation process on the image data. The image data subjected to the rotation process is read and printed onto an image forming medium.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus and method of the present invention, a control section determines whether or not a document should be copied first, and determines, on the basis of the determination result, whether or not the orientation of the document should be detected. If it is determined that the orientation of the document should be detected, a document orientation detecting section extracts character data from image data, recognizes the character data, and detects the orientation of the document on the basis of the recognition result. On the basis of the detection result, a page memory control section executes a rotation process on the image data. The image data subjected to the rotation process is read and printed onto an image forming medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a writing circuit that writes the image data read by a scanner into an image memory, a coding circuit that reads and codes the image data stored in the image memory and stores the coded data in a code memory, a decoding circuit that decodes the coded data stored in the code memory and writes the decoded data into the image memory, and a printer that forms an image using the decoded image data in the image memory. The writing of the scanner image data into the image memory and the coding of the image data in the image memory or the decoding of the image data in the image memory and the printing of the decoded data in the image memory are advanced simultaneously, improving the processing speed.

Abstract: An apparatus relates to the switching of the flow of image data so as to optimize the data flow in accordance with the connection state of the respective optional boards of a PM unit, a FAX unit, a PRT unit, and an HDD unit. The flow of image data can be switched to optimize the data flow depending on the connection state of various optional boards.

Abstract: A film heater and thick-film electrode pads are provided on one main surface of a heat-resistant insulating substrate and are connected by through holes to a metal oxide semiconductor film on the tail surface. Pads are made of a gold alloy such as Au--Pt and connected to leads of Pt--W, etc.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a writing circuit that writes the image data read by a scanner into an image memory, a coding circuit that reads and codes the image data stored in the image memory and stores the coded data in a code memory, a decoding circuit that decodes the coded data stored in the code memory and writes the decoded data into the image memory, and a printer that forms an image using the decoded image data in the image memory. The writing of the scanner image data into the image memory and the coding of the image data in the image memory or the decoding of the image data in the image memory and the printing of the decoded data in the image memory are advanced simultaneously, improving the processing speed.

Abstract: An access control apparatus comprises a memory accessed by a plurality of devices, a circuit for giving priority levels to the requests of these devices in access to the memory, a circuit for selecting one from these access requests according to the priority levels, and a control circuit for allowing a device not selected to access the memory in preference to the other ones, after a specified time has elapsed since the access was started. Use of the control circuit assures efficient access for a low-priority access request.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a function for recognizing a sorting mode, a function of recognizing a copy specification, a function of storing an original image, and a function of rotating this stored image. The apparatus has a function of alternately outputting sets of copy sheets in an angular difference of about 90.degree. in accordance with the copy specifications. An operator can discriminate the sets of copy sheets from each other using landscape and portrait copy sheets without using a mechanical sorter mechanism. When a binding unit is added to this image forming apparatus, the apparatus has a function of reversing the reading order of the pages of each set to reproduce the images and alternately binding and outputting the copy sheets at an angular interval of about 90.degree. in units of sets.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image which is stored on an optical disk is read by a scanner. A plurality of images read out from the optical disk are edited to form an abstract image on the basis of a predetermined unit (e.g., one page), and code data (i.e., retrieval data) is added to the abstract image. The resultant image, including both the abstract image and the code data, is printed on a sheet. The code data is extracted from the printed image, and desired images are retrieved from the optical disk on the basis of the code data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of magnifying a target image to any desired magnification, includes functions for detecting the maximum and minimum densities from limited image information, including a data piece representing a picture element of the target image, functions for determining from the difference between the maximum and minimum densities detected by the detection means, whether the picture element is in a photographic region or a character region, functions for determining a picture element density appropriate for magnifying the target image from the density of the target picture element and that of a picture element close to the target picture element, and functions for outputting the picture element density determined by the density-determining means, in accordance with whether the target picture element is in a photographic region or a character region.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image which is stored on an optical disk is read by a scanner. A plurality of images read out from the optical disk are edited to form an abstract image on the basis of a predetermined unit (e.g., one page), and code data (i.e., retrieval data) is added to the abstract image. The resultant image, including both the abstract image and the code data, is printed on a sheet. The code data is extracted from the printed image, and desired images are retrieved from the optical disk on the basis of the code data.

Abstract: An extractor extracts, from image data to be binarized, a feature amount of a target pixel including at least a maximum density difference among pixels in a local region including the target pixel. A predictor predicts an image type of the target pixel in accordance with a minimum density value among the pixels in the local region. A selector selects one of the feature amount of the target pixel from the extractor and a feature amount obtained by adding the feature amount of the target pixel to feature data of neighboring pixels in accordance with the image type predicted by the predictor. A discriminator discriminates the image type of the target pixel in accordance with the feature amount selected by the selector.

Abstract: An image processing device capable of processing images containing poorly contrasted letters and/or bold letters in addition to well contrasted letters and pictures such that both resolutions of letters and tones of pictures can be preserved. The device may includes a circuit to distinguish two level images from non two level images according to image concentration related quantity, and a circuit to distinguish picture images out of non two level images according to another image concentration related quantity. The device may include a circuit to distinguish letters from pictures according to the maximum and the minimum values of the image concentration related quantity. The device may includes a circuit to distinguish letters from pictures according to the maximum and the minimum values of changes in the image concentration related quantity.