Abstract: An RFID tag formed on an original includes a storage unit which stores data representing, e.g., the number of times of scan of the original and the generation from a parent original, and a transmitter/receiver which transmits and receives the data by radio. A read/write circuit receives data from an RFID tag of an original by radio. On the basis of the received data, read of the original is controlled. While the original is being read, the received data is edited in accordance with the control. The read/write circuit transmits and writes the edited data in the RFID tag.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus by which an image formed on a printing medium by image forming means on the basis of image data can be related to the image data includes a controller which prepares management information corresponding to the image data, and controls an operation of the image forming means in accordance with the management information, an adhering unit which adheres, to the printing medium on which the image is formed by the image forming means, a radio identification tag having a transmitting/receiving unit capable of transmitting/receiving data by radio communication, and a data holding unit capable of holding the data, and a communicating module which writes, in the data holding unit of the radio identification tag adhered on the printing medium, the management information for relating the image on the printing medium to the image data, by communicating with the transmitting/receiving unit by radio.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus which requires the user to manually input sheet medium information, (when a bundle of sheets which include a plurality of types of print media are to be printed, the user must manually input setups of the image forming apparatus for each individual print medium. In manual setups by the user, some setups require user's knowledge about print media. When the user has made wrong setups, a print result cannot be obtained under an appropriate control condition Furthermore, when information about a print medium is sensed by the sensor without manual setups, the information cannot be often precisely detect depending on the type and thickness of the print medium, an environment, and the like, and it is consequently difficult to attain optimal image formation. It is an object of this invention to attain optimal image formation, saving user labor and shortening the print time by using a radio tag attached to the sheet medium.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of securing a sufficient sheet bundle processing time period even with a short sheet conveying path to thereby maintain required capability of processing sheets conveyed at constant intervals. Rollers that convey sheets are controlled such that the conveyance speed of a sheet being conveyed by the rollers is increased in first timing so as to set the sheet at an increased distance from a succeeding sheet being conveyed by the rollers. When a sheet preceding the sheet being conveyed is the last sheet of a set of sheets to be processed by the sheet processing apparatus, the rollers are controlled to increase the conveyance speed of the sheet being conveyed in second timing later than the first timing.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of discharging a sheet at the optimum sheet discharging speed without stopping the conveyance of the sheet irrespective of differences in sheet conveying speed according to sheet types. A sheet discharging motor is controlled to drive a discharging roller to convey sheets in selected one of a first state in which the sheets are conveyed at speeds within a first speed range specified by a first maximum speed and a first minimum speed, and a second state in which the sheets are conveyed at speeds within a second speed range specified by a second maximum speed lower than the first maximum speed and a second minimum speed lower than the first minimum speed. The first speed range includes an overlapping range where the first speed range and the second speed range overlap.

Abstract: When the rear end of a sheet bundle S is brought to reach the clamping portion between a rocking roller and a rear end aligning wall by conveyance means, the individual timings, at which the rocking roller and the rear end aligning wall move to the escape position, are controlled to drop said sheet bundle S onto a stack tray, and then the rear end aligning wall is moved from the escape position to the support position thereby to register the rear end of the sheet bundle S dropped on the stack tray.

Abstract: Disclosed is an invention for focally modulating the activity of a calcium channel in a mammal. In one aspect, the invention features a method that includes contacting a pre-determined tissue or organ region with a nucleic acid sequence encoding a GEM protein or a variant thereof to express the GEM protein or variant within the region. Typical methods further include expressing the GEM protein or variant so as to modulate the activity of the calcium channel. The invention has a wide spectrum of useful applications including treating a medical condition associated with unsuitable calcium channel activity.

Abstract: In order to reduce the stack failure of a sheet bundle, there is provided a sheet stacking/aligning apparatus comprising: a stack tray for stacking sheets thereon; and a rear end aligning member for pushing and aligning the rear end of a sheet conveyed onto the stack tray. The rear end aligning member includes sheet holding paddle for holding the sheets stacked on the stack tray.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a sheet processing unit for feeding a cover sheet and a folder for folding the cover sheet with a bundle of recording sheets. The sheet processing unit has a cover sheet feeder for feeding a cover sheet facing upward toward an image forming unit, a reversing unit for reversing the cover sheet so that the cover sheet faces downward, and a conveyor for conveying the reversed cover sheet to the folder in a switchback manner so that the front face of the cover sheet faces the folding roller pair. The folder has a thrusting member for thrusting the bundle of sheets toward the folding roller pair and discharging the folded bundle to a discharge tray.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus which is capable of reliably sandwiching or catching sheets, and also capable of providing control so as to ensure reliable conveyance of succeeding sheets during the catching operation. A stack tray is provided downstream of a processing tray that stacks sheets. A position on the stacking surface of the stack tray at which the leading end of a sheet having its trailing end passing a discharging section, which discharges sheets toward the processing tray, contacts the stacking surface is lower in level than the highest portion of the processing tray. A swinging arm that discharges the sheets stacked on the processing tray to the stack tray is capable of selectively assuming a catching state in which a sheet discharged to the processing tray is caught by the swinging arm, and a non-catching state in which a sheet discharged to the processing tray is not caught by the swinging arm.

Abstract: When performing a punching operation for each of sheets individually conveyed to a predetermined punching position within a conveying path, each of the individually conveyed sheets is positioned at the predetermined punching position before performing the punching operation.

Abstract: A sheet treating apparatus to be connected to an image forming apparatus, which has a sheet guide portion which selectively guides a sheet to a sheet stacking portion or a sheet treating portion and, in a state in which a power supply of the sheet treating apparatus is turned off, the sheet guide portion guides a sheet to the sheet stacking portion such that a sheet delivered from the image forming apparatus can be stacked even if the power supply of the sheet treating apparatus is turned off. Moreover, a sheet can be stacked on the sheet stacking portion without using a transporting drive force of the sheet treating apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus is provided, which is capable of achieving high quality processing and maintaining high productivity without giving rise to problems such as sheet jam or damage of sheets even when various sheets having different attributes are conveyed. A buffer roller 505 is inhibited from carrying out a sheet staying operation in accordance with the type of sheets conveyed from an upstream side of the apparatus, to be conveyed to a downstream side of the apparatus via the buffer roller 505.

Abstract: When sheets with images formed thereon from an image forming apparatus and a special sheet or sheets such as cover sheet(s) are arranged in alignment into a bundle of sheets, conveyance of the special sheet(s) from the stacking unit is started prior to conveyance of the sheets from the image forming apparatus, and the special sheet(s) is (are) temporarily halted on a conveyance path at a location intermediate between the stacking unit and a receiving unit, whereby no complicated operation by an operator is required and the productivity can be improved.

Abstract: In an image formation system which includes a finisher with an inserter having a tray for stacking the specific sheet on which an image such as a cover image was formed, and an image formation apparatus, a series of originals composed of plural pages is read from its head page in due order, the image based on the read original is formed on the sheet, the sheet stacked on the inserter is fed, the sheet from the inserter is reversed to set its image-formed face facedown, the sheet from a printer unit is reversed to set its image-formed face facedown. The sheet, the image-formed face of which was reversed facedown, is discharged from the printer unit to the finisher and, on the finisher, the sheet from the inserter is stacked as keeping its image-formed face facedown and the sheet from the printer unit is stacked as keeping its image-formed face facedown. The top and bottom of the image formed by the image forming apparatus corresponds to the top and bottom of the insert sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a sheet processing unit for feeding a cover sheet and a folder for folding the cover sheet with a bundle of recording sheets. The sheet processing unit has a cover sheet feeder for feeding a cover sheet facing upward in a first direction, a reversing unit for reversing the cover sheet so that the cover sheet faces downward, a conveyer for conveying the cover sheet in a second direction opposite the first direction and then conveying the cover sheet to the folder in the first direction. The folder has a thrusting member for thrusting the bundle of sheets toward the second direction and a folding roller pair for folding the bundle thrust by the thrusting member and discharging the folded bundle in the second direction.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus is provided, which is capable of achieving high quality processing and maintaining high productivity without giving rise to problems such as sheet jam or damage of sheets even when various sheets having different attributes are conveyed. A buffer roller 505 is inhibited from carrying out a sheet staying operation in accordance with the type of sheets conveyed from an upstream side of the apparatus, to be conveyed to a downstream side of the apparatus via the buffer roller 505.

Abstract: There is provided a punching device including: a die member having a plurality of die holes formed therein; a plurality of punch members which are caused to advance into the die holes to punch holes in a member to be punched; an operating member having cam portions formed along a direction intersecting the direction of advancement of the punch members, the operating member being moved along the direction intersecting the direction of advancement of the punch members to cause by a conversion function of the cam portions the punch members to advance into the die holes; and a drive unit for selectively causing advancement of the plurality of punch members by changing the direction of movement of the operating member.

Abstract: Image forming apparatus connected to a sheet processing apparatus which applies sheet processing such as stapling to a sheet formed image by the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes an input terminal for inputting image forming job, an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet in accordance with the image forming job inputted by the input terminal, a discriminator for discriminating if a first image forming job does not include sheet processing whereas a second and subsequent image forming job includes sheet processing, and a controller for instructing the sheet processing apparatus to perform a preparatory operation for he second image forming job during the first image forming job in accordance with a discrimination result, such as by moving a staple unit to designated position for the second image forming job.

Abstract: A sheet processor has a sheet transportation path, a punching unit for performing a punching operation on the sheets, the punching unit including a punch slide having a punch mechanism thereon, a moving device for moving the punch slide between a sheet punching operation position and a punch slide home position, the movement occurring in a direction transverse to the sheet transportation direction, and a detector for detecting completion of the punching operation by the punching unit. When the detector detects the completion of the punching operation, the moving device moves the punching unit to the punch slide home position.