Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a communication section, an operation input section and a control section. The communication section receives print data from an external device. The operation input section receives a print execution instruction indicating an instruction on the execution of the printing of the print data and a print execution reservation instruction indicating an instruction on a reservation of the print execution.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a position detecting apparatus including a display device includes three receiving units provided on the rear surface side of the display device and configured to receive a radio signal from a device provided on the front surface side of the display device, an intensity detecting device configured to detect the intensity of the radio signal from the device received by the receiving units, and a control unit configured to calculate the position of the device from the intensity of the radio signal received by the receiving units and display, on the display device, a guide screen for aligning the device with specific one receiving unit.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a position detecting apparatus including a display device includes three receiving units provided on the rear surface side of the display device and configured to receive a radio signal from a device provided on the front surface side of the display device, an intensity detecting device configured to detect the intensity of the radio signal from the device received by the receiving units, and a control unit configured to calculate the position of the device from the intensity of the radio signal received by the receiving units and display, on the display device, a guide screen for aligning the device with specific one receiving unit.

Abstract: An input apparatus includes a display part, a touch panel arranged at an upper part of a display area of the display part, and a touch panel control part. The display part displays a button image. The touch panel control part supplies power to the touch panel so that the power is supplied only to an area which is an area of the touch panel and corresponds to an area of the button image displayed on the display part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the invention includes a cooling fan as a cooling device, an image formation processing unit, a changeover unit, a main control unit, a secondary control unit, and a power supply unit. The main control unit and the secondary control unit make an appropriate action in association with each other in the event of the occurrence of an abnormality in the cooling device. The changeover unit is configured to connect the image formation processing unit to the main image formation control unit in the main control unit in a case where power is supplied to the main control unit, and to connect the image formation processing unit to the secondary image formation control unit in the secondary control unit in a case where power supply to the main control unit is stopped by the power supply control unit in the secondary control unit.

Abstract: In a housing in which a printing unit is provided, a printed-paper storing unit that stores paper printed by the printing unit is provided to be removable to the outside. This printed-paper storing unit can be brought into a lock state in which removal to the outside of the housing is physically prevented by a fixing mechanism. When a print job sent from a user side designates internal storage of printed paper, the printed-paper storing unit is fixed in the housing by the fixing mechanism and locked. An unlock number of a number selected at random is notified to the user side to perform printing. After the printing is finished, the finish of the printing is notified to the user side and the lock state is released according to input of the unlock number to make it possible to remove printed paper to the outside.

Abstract: In a housing in which a printing unit is provided, a printed-paper storing unit that stores paper printed by the printing unit is provided to be removable to the outside. This printed-paper storing unit can be brought into a lock state in which removal to the outside of the housing is physically prevented by a fixing mechanism. When a print job sent from a user side designates internal storage of printed paper, the printed-paper storing unit is fixed in the housing by the fixing mechanism and locked. An unlock number of a number selected at random is notified to the user side to perform printing. After the printing is finished, the finish of the printing is notified to the user side and the lock state is released according to input of the unlock number to make it possible to remove printed paper to the outside.

Abstract: Plural CPUs are provided, and when a first CPU of the plural CPUs is a master, the other CPU operates as a slave. Also, plural memories are provided including a memory that operates and is used for first processing when the master CPU operates and a memory that operates and is used for second processing when the slave CPU operates. Every time an OS (Operating System) starts, the CPU to serve as a master is sequentially switched, then the remaining CPU is caused to serve as a slave, and the memories used for the first processing and the second processing are sequentially switched.

Abstract: In a printing system built on a predetermined network, a printing apparatus receives a print job requested by a print request terminal via a printing server and processes the print job, thus performing printing corresponding to the print job. The printing server comprise a first-in first-out type of server-side job buffer portion in which a server-side queue for print jobs is formed to temporality memorize print jobs in the order of arrival of the print jobs requested by the print request terminal and a server-side buffer control portion for changing the order of the print jobs memorized in the server-side queue in response to an order change request signal coming from the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus comprises an event detection portion and an order change request portion. Print jobs read out from the server-side job buffer portion in the order of the print jobs memorized in the server-side queue are transmitted to the printing apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the invention includes a cooling fan as a cooling device, an image formation processing unit, a changeover unit, a main control unit, a secondary control unit, and a power supply unit. The main control unit and the secondary control unit make an appropriate action in association with each other in the event of the occurrence of an abnormality in the cooling device. The changeover unit is configured to connect the image formation processing unit to the main image formation control unit in the main control unit in a case where power is supplied to the main control unit, and to connect the image formation processing unit to the secondary image formation control unit in the secondary control unit in a case where power supply to the main control unit is stopped by the power supply control unit in the secondary control unit.

Abstract: In a housing in which a printing unit is provided, a printed-paper storing unit that stores paper printed by the printing unit is provided to be removable to the outside. This printed-paper storing unit can be brought into a lock state in which removal to the outside of the housing is physically prevented by a fixing mechanism. When a print job sent from a user side designates internal storage of printed paper, the printed-paper storing unit is fixed in the housing by the fixing mechanism and locked. An unlock number of a number selected at random is notified to the user side to perform printing. After the printing is finished, the finish of the printing is notified to the user side and the lock state is released according to input of the unlock number to make it possible to remove printed paper to the outside.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an image compressing unit that creates thumbnail data in page units on the basis of image data of a document scanned by a scanner unit, a first control unit that writes the thumbnail data in page units in a page memory, converts the thumbnail data into thumbnail packets in a unit of thumbnail data of plural pages and reads out the thumbnail packets, and stores the thumbnail packets in a data storage medium, and a second control unit that reads out the thumbnail packets stored in the data storage medium and stores the thumbnail packets in the page memory, selects data of an arbitrary thumbnail packet in response to user operation, and displays a thumbnail image in a unit of plural pages on a display unit of a control panel.

Abstract: An image scanner of the present invention corrects a lens position when a lens moving signal for moving a lens is obtained by extracting a luminance signal from an image signal output from a CCD sensor and an object is dislocated from a focus position of the lens at an optional position.

Abstract: An auto focus mechanism mounts a target of reading on a manuscript board and moves an optical read unit which is long in a main scanning direction along a sub scanning direction to read an image of the target of reading. The auto focus mechanism is provided to an image input apparatus for inputting image data. The read unit includes: an optical source for irradiating the target of reading with a read light ray; a lens which accepts a reflected light ray from the target of reading and is long in the main scanning direction; a lens thickness change portion which is provided on both sides of the lens in the longitudinal direction and mechanically operates so as to change a thickness of the lens in the longitudinal direction by an electric lens; a SELFOC lens for focalizing a reflected light ray at a central portion in the sub scanning direction; and a photoelectric transfer portion for photoelectric-transferring a focalized reflected light ray to generate image data.

Abstract: In a printing system built on a predetermined network, a printing apparatus receives a print job requested by a print request terminal via a printing server and processes the print job, thus performing printing corresponding to the print job. The printing server comprise a first-in first-out type of server-side job buffer portion in which a server-side queue for print jobs is formed to temporality memorize print jobs in the order of arrival of the print jobs requested by the print request terminal and a server-side buffer control portion for changing the order of the print jobs memorized in the server-side queue in response to an order change request signal coming from the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus comprises an event detection portion and an order change request portion. Print jobs read out from the server-side job buffer portion in the order of the print jobs memorized in the server-side queue are transmitted to the printing apparatus.

Abstract: An image scanner of the present invention corrects a lens position when a lens moving signal for moving a lens is obtained by extracting a luminance signal from an image signal output from a CCD sensor and an object is dislocated from a focus position of the lens at an optional position.

Abstract: A method for driving a stepping motor which performs a micro step driving of the present invention makes a rise through rate variable by matching a step difference related to a change in a value of current when a value of current caused to flow in the stepping motor is increased, and makes a fall through rate variable by matching a step difference related to a change in a value of current when the value of current caused to flow in the stepping motor is decreased. Particularly, at a point of the change of increase/decrease of the value of current caused to flow in the stepping motor, the rise through rate and the fall through rate matched with the step difference related to the change in the value of current are set, and when the value of current let flow in the stepping motor became a constant value, the rise through rate and the fall through rate are made small.

Abstract: A method for driving a stepping motor which performs a micro step driving of the present invention makes a rise through rate variable by matching a step difference related to a change in a value of current when a value of current caused to flow in the stepping motor is increased, and makes a fall through rate variable by matching a step difference related to a change in a value of current when the value of current caused to flow in the stepping motor is decreased. Particularly, at a point of the change of increase/decrease of the value of current caused to flow in the stepping motor, the rise through rate and the fall through rate matched with the step difference related to the change in the value of current are set, and when the value of current let flow in the stepping motor became a constant value, the rise through rate and the fall through rate are made small.

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.