Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes attach/detach sections to/from each of which a developer container for containing developer can be attached/detached, and an image bearing body for bearing a latent image. When a developer container is attached to each of the attach/detach sections, the apparatus is usable as a color image forming apparatus. When a developer container is attached to only one of the attach/detach sections, the apparatus is usable as a single-color image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus has a device ID that is sent to a computer when it communicates with the computer and that is used by the computer to recognize devices capable of communicating therewith. The device ID of the image forming apparatus for when it is being used as the color image forming apparatus matches the device ID of the image forming apparatus for when it is being used as the single-color image forming apparatus.

Abstract: The sorting apparatus receives the electromagnetic wave from a storage element of a collected toner cartridge, and specifies the recyclability of the toner cartridge based on information extracted from the received electromagnetic wave. The sorting system then sorts out the toner cartridge, in order to send the toner cartridge to a selected one of the sorting areas, based on the results of the specification of recyclability of the toner cartridge, the feed roller, and the development roller. Subsequently, the sorting system controls one of sorting units to guide the toner cartridge to the selected sorting area and registers the results of sorting into a sorting database.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus with attach/detach sections to/from which a developer container is attachable/detachable and an image bearing body. A driver instructs the apparatus to execute single-color or color-image formation. When a developer container is attached to each attach/detach section, the apparatus is usable as a color image forming apparatus. When a developer container is attached to only one attach/detach section, the apparatus is usable as a single-color image forming apparatus. The apparatus forms an image when the driver instructs the apparatus that is being used as the color image forming apparatus to execute single-color-image formation. The apparatus does not form an image when the driver instructs the apparatus that is being used as the single-color image forming apparatus to execute color-image formation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: attach/detach sections to/from each of which a developer container for containing developer can be attached/detached; an image bearing body for bearing a latent image; and a displaying section for displaying information thereon. When developer containers are attached to the attach/detach sections, the apparatus is usable as a color image forming apparatus for forming a color image by developing the latent image bore on the image bearing body with the developer in each developer container. When a developer container is attached to only one attach/detach section, the apparatus is usable as a single-color image forming apparatus for forming a single-color image by developing the latent image bore on the image bearing body with the developer in the developer container.

Abstract: An object is to narrow the width a frame part provided to a display device. The display device of the present invention comprises: a main substrate having display pixels being arranged in matrix, a scanning line electrode array, a signal line electrode array, and a frame part formed in an edge of the substrate along the scanning line electrode array and the signal line electrode array; a scanning line driving element mounted to the frame part along the scanning line electrode array; a signal line driving element mounted to the frame part along the signal line electrode array; and a flexible flat cable for supplying a signal and a power to the driving circuits of the scanning line driving element and the signal line driving element.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to simplify management of the amount of recording agent used by multiple users, by allocating a recording agent cartridge to a user in advance. In a printing device of the present invention, a primary user and a secondary user are set as active user information for each of multiple recording agent cartridges in a printing device connected to a network. When a print job with user identification information is received via the network, the printing device specifies a cartridge of which the primary user is the user who sent the job, based on the user identification information and the active user information, and determines whether the residual amount in the specified cartridge is sufficient (S50).

Abstract: The process of the invention determines whether toners of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) are all included in toner filled in a toner cartridge 40, based on color information of the toner read from a storage element 50 of the toner cartridge 40 (S100 and S110). When the toners of all these colors are included in the toner cartridge 40, the process sets parameter values for a color image to control parameters (a fixation temperature T, a fixation pressure P, and a preliminary revolving frequency R) of a fixation process (S120). When the toners of all these colors are not included in the toner cartridge 40, on the other hand, the process specifies formation of a monochromatic image and sets parameter values for the monochromatic image to the control parameters (S130). This arrangement effectively ensures adequate formation of a color image and a monochromatic image and desirably prevents excessive deterioration of constituents of an image formation device.

Abstract: A toner cartridge 40 has a storage element 50 that stores recycling information. A cartridge recycling information apparatus of the invention outputs a recycling request form based on the recycling information stored in the storage element 50 at a specified output timing of the recycling information. This arrangement desirably saves the user's labor and time of searching for the recycling request form and enables the user to be readily notified of the recycling information.

Abstract: The process of the invention determines whether the value of a color mode CMode represents a color image formation mode or a monochromatic image formation mode (S200, S210). The process forms test toner images of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black in the case of the color image formation mode (S220), while forming a test toner image of only black in the case of the monochromatic image formation mode (S230). The process detects a toner density of each test toner image formed with a toner density sensor (S240), and sets control parameters used for controlling toner image formation, based on the detected toner densities (S250).

Abstract: The present invention provides a printing device whereby a recording agent cartridge that pertains to recording agent cartridge-related information can easily be identified. The printing device of the present invention stores cartridge identification information including user information on each user allocated to one of the multiple recording agent cartridges. When a print job with user identification information is received via the network (S10), the printing device identifies a recording agent cartridge corresponding to a user of the print job and sets the identified recording agent cartridge to an active recording agent cartridge for executing the print job (S20), based on the user identification information received with the print job and the user information.

Abstract: A status information receiver is communicatively connected to at least one printing device via a network, and adapted to receive status information transmitted from the printing device. The status information is indicative of an operation state of the printing device. An error information detector is adapted to detect whether error information is included in the status information. The error information is indicative of an error occurred in the printing device. A repair information generator is adapted to generate repair information based on the error information. The repair information is indicative of an item in the printing device to be repaired.

Abstract: The first and second external circuit connection terminals are provided at the corner portion between the scanning line drive unit and signal line drive unit, which are mounted at a frame portion other than the display pixel area of a glass substrate. By forming the first and second external circuit connection terminals along two sides of the corner portion, a space for connecting all wires of the external circuit connection FPC cable can be secured without widening the frame portion restricted by the width in the narrow sides of the scanning line drive unit and signal line drive unit. As a result, the external circuit connection FPC cable can be connected without requiring to widen the width of the frame portion.

Abstract: The display device of the present invention has a scan line driver element formed on a dielectric substrate and provided with a scan line driver circuit made up of thin film transistors. The scan line driver element is mounted on the region along one side of the display panel outside the display pixel region. Further, signal line driver element provided with a signal line driver circuit made up of mono crystal silicon transistors are mounted on the region along another side adjoining the one side of the display panel outside the display pixel region.

Abstract: Prior to execution of a printing operation, a print preparatory operation is conducted collectively on all developer cartridges mounted to a developing unit, thereby bringing all the developer cartridges into a printable state. Therefore, even if a residual amount of toner in the cartridge runs too low to continue the printing operation performed using one of plural cartridges mounted to the developing unit, the printing operation is allowed to continue by switching the cartridge to the next cartridge. Hence, a large volume of monochromatic prints may be produced in an efficient manner.

Abstract: An object is to narrow the width a frame part provided to a display device. The display device of the present invention comprises: a main substrate having display pixels being arranged in matrix, a scanning line electrode array, a signal line electrode array, and a frame part formed in an edge of the substrate along the scanning line electrode array and the signal line electrode array; a scanning line driving element mounted to the frame part along the scanning line electrode array; a signal line driving element mounted to the frame part along the signal line electrode array; and a flexible flat cable for supplying a signal and a power to the driving circuits of the scanning line driving element and the signal line driving element.

Abstract: Prior to the execution of a printing operation, a print preparatory operation is conducted only on a developer cartridge 4Ka out of the developer cartridges mounted to the developing unit thereby bringing the cartridge into a printable state. Therefore, the print preparatory operation is completed when the print preparatory operation on one (equivalent to a “priority cartridge” of the invention) of the developer cartridges mounted to the developing unit is terminated. Hence, the apparatus may be placed in the printable state in a short time so that the print preparatory operation is prevented from compelling a user to wait needlessly long and that waiting time of a user may be shortened.

Abstract: Prior to execution of a printing operation and in parallel with a warm-up operation of the apparatus, a print preparatory operation is conducted only on selected cartridges of cartridges mounted to a developing unit, thereby bringing the cartridge into a printable state. Therefore, even if the residual amount of toner in one of the selected cartridges runs short, the printing operation is allowed to continue by switching this cartridge to the next selected cartridge.

Abstract: The process of the invention determines whether toners of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) are all included in toner filled in a toner cartridge 40, based on color information of the toner read from a storage element 50 of the toner cartridge 40 (S100 and S110). When the toners of all these colors are included in the toner cartridge 40, the process sets parameter values for a color image to control parameters (a fixation temperature T, a fixation pressure P, and a preliminary revolving frequency R) of a fixation process (S120). When the toners of all these colors are not included in the toner cartridge 40, on the other hand, the process specifies formation of a monochromatic image and sets parameter values for the monochromatic image to the control parameters (S130). This arrangement effectively ensures adequate formation of a color image and a monochromatic image and desirably prevents excessive deterioration of constituents of an image formation device.

Abstract: Toner cartridges 32C, 32M, 32Y, and 32K have storage elements 33C, 33M, 33Y, and 33K mounted thereon to transmit information carried on electromagnetic wave in a predetermined frequency band. An information receiver transmitter unit 30 is located in a neighborhood of an end of a developer unit 23 with the toner cartridges 32C, 32M, 32Y, and 32K attached thereto to transmit information carried on the electromagnetic wave in the predetermined frequency band to and from a color laser printer 20. While the developer unit 23 is rotated to develop each color component image with a supply of toner from the corresponding one of the toner cartridges 32C, 32M, 32Y, and 32K, the information receiver transmitter unit 30 is controlled to write a cumulative toner consumption and a cumulative number of printed sheets into the corresponding one of the storage elements 33C, 33M, 33Y, and 33K.

Abstract: A toner cartridge 40 has a storage element 50 that stores recycling information. A cartridge recycling information apparatus of the invention outputs a recycling request form based on the recycling information stored in the storage element 50 at a specified output timing of the recycling information. This arrangement desirably saves the user's labor and time of searching for the recycling request form and enables the user to be readily notified of the recycling information.