Abstract: A bill handling apparatus enables insertion of a deposited object therein from an insertion slot, the object including a bill containing a metallic component. The bill handling apparatus includes a memory and processing circuitry coupled to a memory and configured to estimate a number of bills in the object that has been inserted, obtain an actually measured metal quantity in the object that has been inserted, estimate a threshold that is a quantity of metal in the object that has been inserted, based on the number of bills estimated by the first estimating and a reference metal quantity corresponding to one of the bills, the reference metal quantity having been determined beforehand, make a comparison between the actually measured metal quantity and the threshold, and determine, based on a result of the comparison, whether or not the object that has been inserted is a bill or bills only.

Abstract: A communication method includes performing authentication through data communication encrypted by a first encryption scheme by a first processor installed outside a storage box in an automatic teller machine and a second processor installed in the storage box, and transmitting an instruction to the second processor through data communication encrypted by a second encryption scheme, in a case where the authentication has been performed normally by the first processor.

Abstract: A bill handling apparatus enables insertion of a deposited object therein from an insertion slot, the object including a bill containing a metallic component. The bill handling apparatus includes a memory and processing circuitry coupled to a memory and configured to estimate a number of bills in the object that has been inserted, obtain an actually measured metal quantity in the object that has been inserted, estimate a threshold that is a quantity of metal in the object that has been inserted, based on the number of bills estimated by the first estimating and a reference metal quantity corresponding to one of the bills, the reference metal quantity having been determined beforehand, make a comparison between the actually measured metal quantity and the threshold, and determine, based on a result of the comparison, whether or not the object that has been inserted is a bill or bills only.

Abstract: A printing system includes a printing device including a thermal head that prints print content on a print medium; and an information processing apparatus that controls the printing device. The information processing apparatus comprises a processor configured to detect, from print image data from a server, a position of a control target portion including a specific portion in a print image corresponding to the print image data. The processor is configured to generate printing control information for printing the control target portion. The processor is configured to transmit the print image data, the position of the control target portion, and the printing control information to the printing device. The printing device executes different printing controls for the control target portion and a portion other than the control target portion based on the print image data, the position of the control target portion, and the printing control information.

Abstract: In a bill handling apparatus 1, a vibration detection sensor 51A to 51H detects a vibration of a field repair unit 3, 4, 6, 7a to 7d, 8, and a determining unit 52 determines whether there is a failure in the field repair unit 3, 4, 6, 7a to 7d, 8 based on the vibration detected by the vibration detection sensor 51A to 51H. For example, the determining unit 52 subjects the vibration detected by the vibration detection sensor 51A to 51H to frequency analysis, and determines that a failure has occurred in the field repair unit 3, 4, 6, 7a to 7d, 8 when a frequency of a frequency component having a maximum amplitude level in an analysis result of the frequency analysis is lower than a reference value.

Abstract: A printing system includes a printing device including a thermal head that prints print content on a print medium; and an information processing apparatus that controls the printing device. The information processing apparatus comprises a processor configured to detect, from print image data from a server, a position of a control target portion including a specific portion in a print image corresponding to the print image data. The processor is configured to generate printing control information for printing the control target portion. The processor is configured to transmit the print image data, the position of the control target portion, and the printing control information to the printing device. The printing device executes different printing controls for the control target portion and a portion other than the control target portion based on the print image data, the position of the control target portion, and the printing control information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit, a sheet discharge unit to stack sheets, an acquisition unit, and a controller. The fixing unit fixes a toner image formed on a sheet by the image forming unit. The acquisition unit acquires information corresponding to a maximum toner application amount per unit area of the formed toner image. The controller controls the number of image formations on the sheets per unit time based on the acquired information. The controller executes a first job with a first number of image formations on the sheets per unit time during a period from an Lth sheet to an Mth sheet in the first job, and executes a second job with a second and smaller number of image formations on the sheets per unit time during the period from the Lth to the Mth sheet in the second job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material; an endless belt and a roller which are configured to form a nip therebetween for fixing, on the recording material, the toner image formed by the image forming portion; a pad configured to urge the endless belt from an inside of the endless belt toward the roller; a motor configured to drive the roller; an acquiring portion configured to acquire a starting torque when rotation of the roller is started; and a discriminating portion configured to discriminate a lifetime of the endless belt depending on the starting torque acquired by the acquiring portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes first and second rotatable members that form a nip for fixing a toner image on a recording material, and a pressing mechanism that presses one of the first and second rotatable members toward the other. A pressure P1 at a first position, in an upstream side of a center of a recording material feeding direction, and which is a maximum pressure in the nip, an average pressure P0 from the first position to a second position, which is a downstream end of the nip in the recording material feeding direction, a toner melt viscosity M1 at the first position, and a toner melt viscosity M2 at the second position, satisfy: 0.3 MPa?P1?0.6 MPa, 0<P0?0.25 MPa, 1.0×104 Pa·s?M1<1.0×105 Pa·s, and 0.5×102 Pa·s?M2?1.0×103 Pa·s.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing unit, a sheet discharge unit to stack sheets, an acquisition unit, and a controller. The fixing unit fixes a toner image formed on a sheet by the image forming unit. The acquisition unit acquires information corresponding to a maximum toner application amount per unit area of the formed toner image. The controller controls the number of image formations on the sheets per unit time based on the acquired information. The controller executes a first job with a first number of image formations on the sheets per unit time during a period from an Lth sheet to an Mth sheet in the first job, and executes a second job with a second and smaller number of image formations on the sheets per unit time during the period from the Lth to the Mth sheet in the second job.

Abstract: A fixing device includes first and second rotatable members forming a nip for fixing a toner image on a sheet; and a pressing mechanism for pressing one of said first and second rotatable members toward the other. A pressure P1 at a first position in an upstream side of a center in a recording material feeding direction, the pressure P1 is maximum in the nip, an average pressure PO from the first position to a downstream end of the nip in sheet feeding direction, a toner melt viscosity M1 at the first position, and a toner melt viscosity M2 at the second position, satisfy, 0.3 MPa?P1?0.65 MPa 0<P0?0.25 MPa 1.0×104 Pa·s?M1<1.0×105 Pa·s 0.5×102 Pa·s?M2?1.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a recording material; an endless belt and a roller which are configured to form a nip therebetween for fixing, on the recording material, the toner image formed by the image forming portion; a pad configured to urge the endless belt from an inside of the endless belt toward the roller; a motor configured to drive the roller; an acquiring portion configured to acquire a starting torque when rotation of the roller is started; and a discriminating portion configured to discriminate a lifetime of the endless belt depending on the starting torque acquired by the acquiring portion.