Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearer to rotate, an image forming unit including a charger and a developing device, a charge power supply to output a charging bias applied to a charger, a transfer device, a toner adhesion amount, and a controller. The controller causes the image forming unit to form a background fog pattern in a background area of the latent image bearer while changing a background potential, acquires toner adhesion amount values detected at different positions of the background fog pattern, having different potentials, sorts the toner adhesion amount values in an order of the background potential, determines a relation between the background potential and background fog amount based the toner adhesion amount values except any toner adhesion amount value out of monotonicity, and adjust the charging bias to an optimum value computed based on the determined relation.

Abstract: There is provided an appliance management apparatus including a connection state acquiring unit acquiring information generated due to an appliance terminal of an electronic appliance being positioned close to or connected to a power supplying terminal that supplies power, and a connection state management unit managing a connection state of the appliance terminal to the power supplying terminal using the information acquired by the connection state acquiring unit.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a control device that can make more efficient an inspection performed by a flying body capable of performing imaging. [Solution] Provided is a control device including an acquisition unit configured to acquire information related to an overview of a structure, and a flight information generating unit configured to generate flight information of a flying body being caused to fly over a periphery of the structure to image the structure on the basis of the information acquired by the acquisition unit. The control device generates information used to cause the flying body to image the structure, and thereby makes it possible to make more efficient the inspection performed by the flying body capable of performing imaging.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, an image forming device to form a toner image on the image bearer, a transfer device to transfer the toner image to a recording medium, a line sensor as an image density sensor to detect image density of the toner image, and a controller operatively connected to the image density sensor. The image density sensor is disposed so as to be shorter in a rotational direction of the image bearer than in a width direction of the image bearer perpendicular to the rotational direction of the image bearer. The controller forms a shading pattern image including a plurality of patches on the image bearer, and detects image density of the plurality of patches, so as to control image density. The shading pattern image is shorter in the rotational direction of the image bearer than in the width direction of the image bearer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearer to rotate, an image forming unit including a charger and a developing device, a charge power supply to output a charging bias applied to a charger, a transfer device, a toner adhesion amount, and a controller. The controller causes the image forming unit to form a background fog pattern in a background area of the latent image bearer while changing a background potential, acquires toner adhesion amount values detected at different positions of the background fog pattern, having different potentials, sorts the toner adhesion amount values in an order of the background potential, determines a relation between the background potential and background fog amount based the toner adhesion amount values except any toner adhesion amount value out of monotonicity, and adjust the charging bias to an optimum value computed based on the determined relation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a developing device to develop with developer a latent image formed on the image bearer, a developer container to contain developer, a temporary reservoir to temporarily store developer supplied from the developer container and having an outlet to discharge the temporarily stored developer to the developing device, a first conveyance device to transport developer from the developer container to the temporary reservoir, a second conveyance device to transport developer from the temporary reservoir to the developing device, a first developer amount detector to detect an amount of developer in the temporary reservoir, and a controller to control driving of the first conveyance device based on a detection result generated by the first developer amount detector and data relating to driving of the second conveyance device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer that bears a toner image, a sensor, an adhesion amount calculator, and a wavelength determiner. The sensor includes a light source that emit light onto the image bearer, and an image element that detects reflected light that is emitted from the light source and reflected from the image bearer. The adhesion amount calculator calculates a toner adhesion amount of the toner image on the image bearer based on the reflected light having at least one wavelength among a plurality of wavelengths detected by the sensor. The wavelength determiner determines, based on color information of the image bearer detected by the sensor, a wavelength to be used in calculation of the toner adhesion amount by the adhesion amount calculator.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer bearer and a toner pattern bearer rotatable in a given direction of rotation to bear an adjustment toner pattern formed with the developer bearer. A toner pattern detector detects an amount of reflection light reflected by the adjustment toner pattern on the toner pattern bearer. A controller performs an adjustment mode to convert the detected amount of reflection light into a toner adhesion amount of toner of the adjustment toner pattern adhered to the toner pattern bearer. The controller forms an adhesion amount suppressing toner image on an upstream region on the toner pattern bearer that is upstream from the adjustment toner pattern in the direction of rotation of the toner pattern bearer. The upstream region is defined by a circumferential length of the developer bearer in the direction of rotation of the toner pattern bearer.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a power storage management system includes a user terminal, a power storage apparatus and an information processing apparatus. In one example embodiment, the information processing apparatus is configured to, using a mobile communication network (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications or the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), communicate with the power storage apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer bearer and a toner pattern bearer rotatable in a given direction of rotation to bear an adjustment toner pattern formed with the developer bearer. A toner pattern detector detects an amount of reflection light reflected by the adjustment toner pattern on the toner pattern bearer. A controller performs an adjustment mode to convert the detected amount of reflection light into a toner adhesion amount of toner of the adjustment toner pattern adhered to the toner pattern bearer. The controller forms an adhesion amount suppressing toner image on an upstream region on the toner pattern bearer that is upstream from the adjustment toner pattern in the direction of rotation of the toner pattern bearer. The upstream region is defined by a circumferential length of the developer bearer in the direction of rotation of the toner pattern bearer.

Abstract: There is provided a transmission apparatus including a terminal electrically connected to a terminal of another apparatus, a body information acquiring unit acquiring body information of a user holding the transmission apparatus, and a transmission unit operable, by carrying out load modulation in accordance with the terminal contacting or being positioned close to the terminal of the other apparatus, to transmit, via the terminal, information on which the body information acquired by the body information acquiring unit is superimposed.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including a control section which performs control of presenting, in association with each other, actual energy consumption representing an amount of energy consumed by a device in a case where a user performs any one of user actions, the user actions each being capable of being carried out by the user, and estimated energy consumption representing an amount of energy consumed by the device in a case where the user does not perform the user action.

Abstract: A battery control unit includes: a storage section holding remaining amount data that indicates a remaining amount of a battery; and a control section managing the battery in a fashion of separating the battery into a first region and a second region, by a way of separating the remaining amount data into first remaining amount data and second remaining data and of allowing the storage section to hold the first and second remaining amount data.

Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including a control section which performs control of presenting, in association with each other, actual energy consumption representing an amount of energy consumed by a device in a case where a user performs any one of user actions, the user actions each being capable of being carried out by the user, and estimated energy consumption representing an amount of energy consumed by the device in a case where the user does not perform the user action.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a power storage management system includes a user terminal, a power storage apparatus and an information processing apparatus. In one example embodiment, the information processing apparatus is configured to, using a mobile communication network (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications or the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), communicate with the power storage apparatus.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a power storage management system includes a user terminal, a power storage apparatus and an information processing apparatus. In one example embodiment, the information processing apparatus is configured to, using a mobile communication network (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications or the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), communicate with the power storage apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a toner image forming unit, a detector, and a controller to adjust an image forming condition based on a detection result by the detector. During a non-printing period, multiple toner patterns are formed in an end and center portions of the image bearer in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the image bearer moves, and a smaller number of toner patterns selected from the multiple toner patterns are formed in a non-image area, in the end portion of the image bearer, during a printing period. The controller determines a target density X of the smaller number of toner patterns by X=H (a mean detected density of the multiple toner patterns formed in the end portion)×J (a predetermined reference value)/I (a mean detected density of the multiple toner patterns formed in the end portion and in the center portion).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a image forming unit; an image bearing member having a surface to bear a toner image and a test pattern; the surface having a first time-surface positioned identical to the test pattern, an integer multiple of revolutions upstream or downstream from the test pattern in a surface movement direction, and a second time-surface positioned different from the test pattern, shorter than one revolution upstream or downstream from the test pattern; a reflection light detector to detect the amount of light reflected from the test pattern and the first and second time-surfaces of the image bearing member; and a controller to control the image forming unit based on the detection result and determine whether to execute a first-surface control to detect at least the first time-surface or a second-surface control to detect only the second time-surface based on use condition of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: Devices and methods for supply or receiving electric power. A power supply method may include specifying a type of a power source, specifying a power receiving capability of a power receiving device, performing collation of the specified type of the power source with the specified power receiving capability, and controlling transmission of electric power from the power source of the specified type to the power receiving device based on the collation. A power receiving method may include specifying a type of a power source, specifying a power receiving capability of a power receiving device, performing collation of the specified type of the power source with the specified power receiving capability, and controlling, based on the collation, selective conversion of electric power transmitted from the power source of the specified type to the power receiving device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to control a toner-image forming device to form a toner patch; and a detector configured to detect the toner patch on the image carrier. During a non-printing period, the controller causes a toner-image forming device to form toner patches, causes the detector to detect densities of the toner patches, and adjusts an image-forming condition of the toner-image forming device based on detected densities. During a printing period, the controller causes the toner-image forming device to form an output image in an image area and form fewer toner patches in a non-image area, causes the detector to detect densities of the fewer toner patches, and adjusts the image-forming condition of the toner-image forming device based on detected densities. The fewer toner patches are selected from and fewer than the plurality of toner patches formed during the non-printing period.