Abstract: A power transmission device includes a torque converter device, a first hydraulic pump, a first oil channel, a second oil channel, a third oil channel, a second pressure control valve, and a controller. The torque converter device has a torque converter and a lock-up clutch. The first oil channel supplies hydraulic fluid from the first hydraulic pump to the torque converter. The second oil channel drains hydraulic fluid from the torque converter. The third oil channel communicates with the first oil channel and the second oil channel. The second pressure control valve is disposed in the third oil channel. The controller sets the second pressure control valve to an open state when the lock-up clutch is in an engaged state.

Abstract: A fixing device heats and fixes a toner image formed on a sheet to the sheet. The fixing device includes a heat roller and a ground contact. The heat roller heats the toner image formed on the sheet. The ground contact grounds the heat roller. The ground contact includes a first electrical conductive member, a second electrical conductive member, and an electrical insulating member. The first electrical conductive member is electrically connected to the heat roller. The second electrical conductive member is positioned opposite the first electrical conductive member and grounds the heat roller. The electrical insulating member is interposed between the first electrical conductive member and the second electrical conductive member and insulates the first electrical conductive member and the second electrical conductive member from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charger, a developing member, a motor, a drive controller, and an application controller. The image carrier is rotatably provided. The charger charges the image carrier to a predetermined first polarity by receiving application of a voltage of the first polarity. The developing member develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier using the toner charged to the first polarity. The motor rotates the image carrier. The drive controller executes stop control for stopping driving of the motor. The application controller stops voltage application to the charger based on a current flowing through the motor after execution of the stop control.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing member, an electrostatic neutralizing member, a heater, and a melting portion. The fixing member comes into contact with a sheet to which a toner image has been transferred and fixes the toner image to the sheet. The electrostatic neutralizing member is electrically grounded and provided so as to be in contact with the fixing member. The heater is provided above a lowermost portion of the fixing member facing the fixing member, and heats the fixing member according supplied power. A melting portion is provided in an energizing path between the electrostatic neutralizing member and ground, and melts in a case where a current exceeding a predetermined threshold flows.

Abstract: A fixing device heats and fixes a toner image formed on a sheet to the sheet. The fixing device includes a heat roller and a ground contact. The heat roller heats the toner image formed on the sheet. The ground contact grounds the heat roller. The ground contact includes a first electrical conductive member, a second electrical conductive member, and an electrical insulating member. The first electrical conductive member is electrically connected to the heat roller. The second electrical conductive member is positioned opposite the first electrical conductive member and grounds the heat roller. The electrical insulating member is interposed between the first electrical conductive member and the second electrical conductive member and insulates the first electrical conductive member and the second electrical conductive member from each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charger, a developing member, a motor, a drive controller, and an application controller. The image carrier is rotatably provided. The charger charges the image carrier to a predetermined first polarity by receiving application of a voltage of the first polarity. The developing member develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier using the toner charged to the first polarity. The motor rotates the image carrier. The drive controller executes stop control for stopping driving of the motor. The application controller stops voltage application to the charger based on a current flowing through the motor after execution of the stop control.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor drum, a charging device, an exposure device, a development device, and an exposure position changing unit. The charging device is configured to charge the photoconductor drum. The exposure device is configured to irradiate the photoconductor drum and thereby form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor drum. The development device is configured to cause toner to adhere to the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor drum in a two-component-development manner. The exposure position changing unit is configured to change, on the photoconductor drum, an exposure position of the exposure device to a position getting close to the development device from an exposure position for print image development when electric power cutoff is detected.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor drum, a charging device, an exposure device, a development device, and an exposure position changing unit. The charging device is configured to charge the photoconductor drum. The exposure device is configured to irradiate the photoconductor drum and thereby form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor drum. The development device is configured to cause toner to adhere to the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor drum in a two-component-development manner. The exposure position changing unit is configured to change, on the photoconductor drum, an exposure position of the exposure device to a position getting close to the development device from an exposure position for print image development when electric power cutoff is detected.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus being capable of commonalizing a control signal for lighting of static eliminators, and controlling the static eliminators with a single port of CPU. The image forming apparatus includes a main body control part controlling image formation; a nip separation mechanism separating an intermediate transfer belt from color photosensitive drums; a separation control part driving nip separation mechanism on a separation control signal inputted from main body control part; a monochrome static eliminator comprised of a monochrome light guide body and a monochrome light source irradiating light on its end face; color static eliminators comprised of color light guide bodies and color light sources irradiating light on their end faces; and an irradiation location shifting mechanism shifting irradiation location of light emitted from color light source from end face of color light guide body when intermediate transfer belt is separated from color photosensitive drums.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus being capable of commonalizing a control signal for lighting of static eliminators, and controlling the static eliminators with a single port of CPU. The image forming apparatus includes a main body control part controlling image formation; a nip separation mechanism separating an intermediate transfer belt from color photosensitive drums; a separation control part driving nip separation mechanism on a separation control signal inputted from main body control part; a monochrome static eliminator comprised of a monochrome light guide body and a monochrome light source irradiating light on its end face; color static eliminators comprised of color light guide bodies and color light sources irradiating light on their end faces; and an irradiation location shifting mechanism shifting irradiation location of light emitted from color light source from end face of color light guide body when intermediate transfer belt is separated from color photosensitive drums.

Abstract: In the aforementioned image scanning apparatus of this embodiment, a condensation detection patch includes pluralities of patch areas with different reflectances arranged adjacently. A data acquiring unit acquires measurement values of the condensation detection patch by an image sensor as condensation detection patch data. A condensation determining unit determines whether condensation occurs or not on the basis of the condensation detection patch data corresponding to one with a low reflectance of two patch areas arranged adjacently in the patch areas.

Abstract: To assign angle-dependent information to an input image in order to highlight and display one-dimensional patterns. First, data of an input image is inputted to a computer (Sa1). An arbitrarily defined constant m is then inputted as a contrast intensity (Sa2). Next, a closed region (x, y) made up of a plurality of pixels in the input image is demarcated as a target region D, degrees of inclination between respective two pixels, namely, a pixel of interest in the target region D and arbitrarily defined neighboring pixels thereof, are summed over a whole circumference around the pixel of interest, and the sum is divided by the number of pixels within the target region to calculate a mean value thereof (Sa3). Furthermore, an amplitude value ? of a gradient obtained in step (Sa3) is multiplied by the contrast intensity m (where m is a positive constant) inputted in step (Sa2) and an arbitrarily defined offset value ? is added to the obtained value (Sa4) to obtain a final output image (Sa5).

Abstract: To obtain an output image where contrast relating to the luminance of an input image has been adjusted. In an image processing method for adjusting the luminance value of each pixel contained in an input image, first, a closed region ?(x, y) made up of a plurality of pixels in the input image is demarcated as a target region, and the target region is moved within the input image by predetermined pixel units. At this point, a maximum value and a minimum value of luminance energy defined as a luminance arrangement in the target region are calculated, and difference data of the luminance energy is calculated (step S4). Next, the difference data calculated in step S4 is adapted to the input image to generate an output image (step S6).

Abstract: In the aforementioned image scanning apparatus of this embodiment, a condensation detection patch includes pluralities of patch areas with different reflectances arranged adjacently. A data acquiring unit acquires measurement values of the condensation detection patch by an image sensor as condensation detection patch data. A condensation determining unit determines whether condensation occurs or not on the basis of the condensation detection patch data corresponding to one with a low reflectance of two patch areas arranged adjacently in the patch areas.

Abstract: An image scanning apparatus according to this disclosure, includes: a reference data acquiring unit configured to acquire reference data to be used for shading correction as integer data; a short-bit-length data generating unit configured to generate short-bit-length data from the reference data, a bit-length of the short-bit-length data being shorter than a bit-length of the reference data acquired by the reference data acquiring unit; and a memory that the short-bit-length data is stored in. The short-bit-length data generating unit is further configured to generate the short-bit-length data which has a value obtained by subtracting a value of offset data from a value of the reference data. The value of the offset data is a predetermined value lower than an estimated minimum value of the reference data acquired by the reference data acquiring unit.

Abstract: To obtain an output image where contrast relating to the luminance of an input image has been adjusted. In an image processing method for adjusting the luminance value of each pixel contained in an input image, first, a closed region ?(x, y) made up of a plurality of pixels in the input image is demarcated as a target region, and the target region is moved within the input image by predetermined pixel units. At this point, a maximum value and a minimum value of luminance energy defined as a luminance arrangement in the target region are calculated, and difference data of the luminance energy is calculated (step S4). Next, the difference data calculated in step S4 is adapted to the input image to generate an output image (step S6).

Abstract: To assign angle-dependent information to an input image in order to highlight and display one-dimensional patterns. First, data of an input image is inputted to a computer (Sa1). An arbitrarily defined constant m is then inputted as a contrast intensity (Sa2). Next, a closed region (x, y) made up of a plurality of pixels in the input image is demarcated as a target region D, degrees of inclination between respective two pixels, namely, a pixel of interest in the target region D and arbitrarily defined neighboring pixels thereof, are summed over a whole circumference around the pixel of interest, and the sum is divided by the number of pixels within the target region to calculate a mean value thereof (Sa3). Furthermore, an amplitude value ? of a gradient obtained in step (Sa3) is multiplied by the contrast intensity m (where m is a positive constant) inputted in step (Sa2) and an arbitrarily defined offset value ? is added to the obtained value (Sa4) to obtain a final output image (Sa5).

Abstract: In a bipolar transistor, around the border line of the surface of a base region formed on a semiconductor substrate is formed a base electrode having a constant width of less than one micron and made of polycrystalline silicon. An island shaped emitter region is formed in the base region and an emitter electrode is formed on the surface of the emitter region. The emitter electrode is electrically isolated from the base electrode by an insulating film extending between the periphery of the emitter region and the base electrode.

Abstract: A high-speed counter using radix-N Signed-Digit redundancy adders, an initial value generator and an interim value generator for each digit. The initial value is selected based upon a desired count. The transfer digit and interim value for each digit are generated to eliminate a carry propagation from a lower digit position. The high-speed counter reaches a desired count with a certain delay time regardless of the starting count value.

Abstract: A signal address arithmetic circuit is used for performing address arithmetic required for executing such analog signal algorithms as adaptive predicative coding, adaptive bit allocation in predictive coding, adaptive transform coding, etc. The address arithmetic circuit is constructed of two counters, three registers, two selectors, a shift circuit an adder and AND gate circuits. The first selector selects either one of the first counter, the second counter or a first register, and its output is applied to one input terminal of the adder. The second selector selects either one of the second counter or the third register and its output is directly applied to the other input of the adder. The output of the adder and the content of the second register for each bit are applied to the AND gate circuits and its output is set in the third register, the content thereof being used for memory addressing.