Abstract: The present invention provides an image formation system that is suitable for access by the general public. The image formation system 10 of the invention includes an image formation device 20 that forms an image on a medium and a portable device 80 that receives and sends information carried on electromagnetic waves in a preset frequency band. In the image formation system 10, the image formation device receives identification information of the portable device by the electromagnetic waves in the preset frequency band sent from the portable device 80 and is activated to be ready for image formation. Simple transmission of the identification information of the portable device activates the image formation device to be ready for image formation. The arrangement of this system 10 is accordingly suitable for access by the general public.

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: An image forming system comprises an image forming apparatus including attach/detach sections to/from which a developer container for containing developer is attachable/detachable and an image bearing body for bearing a latent image; and a computer capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus and having a driver capable of instructing the apparatus to execute at least either single-color-image formation 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 for forming color images by developing the latent image 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 on the image bearing body with the developer in the developer container.

Abstract: The information management device of the invention reads diverse pieces of information, for example, a printer ID and the color of toner, from a storage element of each collected toner cartridge (step S100). When the input color of toner is other than black (K), the information management device determines that an operation mode of a color laser printer is a color mode and retrieves an information management database with the input printer ID as a retrieval key (steps S110 and S120). When a retrieved operation mode of the color laser printer is a monochromatic mode, the information management device rewrites the setting of the operation mode in the information management database to the color mode (steps S130 and S140). The information management device provides each user with various services including support mail service, based on the updated information in the information management database.

Abstract: A color laser printer of the invention identifies each object image to be printed as a color image or a monochromatic image. When the object image to be printed is identified as a color image, the control procedure of the invention rotates a developer unit with multiple color toner cartridges to sequentially move positions of the respective color toner cartridges to a development position and forms respective color toner images on a photoreceptor. When the object image to be printed is identified as a monochromatic image, on the other hand, the control procedure fixes a specific toner cartridge filled with black toner to the development position and forms a black toner image on the photoreceptor. A counter counts up consecutive monochromatic printing operations.

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: 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: The relationship L1≦V(F1×&egr;1/2×100) is satisfied where a transmission path length between the interface 1 and the timing controller is L1, a propagating speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum is V, a frequency of a signal transmitted between the interface and the timing controller is F1, and a comparative dielectric constant of a transmission path medium between the interface and the timing controller is &egr;1. The relationship L2≦V(F2×&egr;21/2×100) is satisfied where a transmission path length between the timing controller and the signal driving portion is L2, a propagating speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum is V, a frequency of a signal transmitted between the timing controller and the signal line driving portion is F2, and a comparative dielectric constant of a transmission path medium between the timing controller and the signal line driving portion is &egr;2.

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: A setting information management device 20 is designed to acquire setting information of a color laser printer from a storage element 50 of a toner cartridge 40 set on a cartridge connector unit 28, register the acquired setting information into a setting information database 27, and output setting information retrieved among the registered setting information and an entry of a printer ID as a destination of copy to the storage element 50 of the toner cartridge 40. This arrangement effectively ensures easy setting of an image formation apparatus and enables settings of the image formation apparatus to be readily copied.

Abstract: The technique of the invention reads out information on production variance of a secondary transfer unit, which is stored in a storage element of the secondary transfer unit (S100), computes an adjustment value of a control parameter ‘contact timing’, which is related to the operation of the secondary transfer unit, based on the read-out information on production variance (S110), and writes the computed adjustment value into a RAM (S120). The operation of the secondary transfer unit is controlled with the adjustment value of the control parameter ‘contact timing’ written in the RAM.

Abstract: The system of the invention multiplies a base unit price with regard to each size of printing paper by a unit price coefficient of a toner cartridge, so as to set an accounting unit price with regard to the size of printing paper. Here the unit price coefficient of the toner cartridge is calculated as a product of component unit price coefficients. Each of the component unit price coefficients is set to have a smaller value with an increase in frequency of reuse with regard to the corresponding component of the toner cartridge. The system then multiplies a number of prints with regard to each size of printing paper by the setting of the accounting unit price to compute a charge for use of a toner filled in the toner cartridge. The user accordingly desires to use a toner cartridge made of frequently reused components. This arrangement thus encourages reuse of the respective components of the toner cartridge, thereby contributing to effective utilization of resources.

Abstract: A color laser printer 10 compares a pervious printer, which a toner cartridge 40 has been attached to immediately before attachment to the current printer, with the current printer. In the case where the previous printer is different from the current printer, the color laser printer 10 obtains setting information on the previous printer, which is stored in a storage element 50 of the toner cartridge 40, and applies the obtained setting information for the current printer. The various settings in the previous printer are thus turned over to the current printer, when the toner cartridge 40 is detached from the previous printer and is attached to the current printer. This arrangement ensures smooth printing operations without requiring any troublesome settings to use the current printer.

Abstract: In the communication network system, when transferring communication data from a transmission source node to a destination node by using a first path, at the time of selecting a route to the destination node by the transmission source node, a data base covering all the links of different attributes is set up to generate information of a route whose metric (cost) is the minimum and in which information a link attribute is described by using the data base.

Abstract: In a communications network where multiple shared risk link groups are formed by links having a common risk, unreserved bandwidths are defined corresponding to all SRLG's and a maximum bandwidth of each link is set as an initial value of each of the defined unreserved bandwidths when a working path or a protection path of “1+1” or “1:1” recovery type is requested. When a protection path of “shared” recovery type is requested, unreserved bandwidths are defined corresponding to the SRLG's to which the links of its corresponding working path belong and a maximum bandwidth of each link is set as an initial value to each of the defined unreserved bandwidths. The bandwidth of the working or protection path is subtracted from each of the unreserved bandwidths. The request is rejected if a minimum of the subtracted values is smaller than a threshold.

Abstract: In an image pick-up device, a document, picture, OHP (Over Head Projector) film or similar subject is laid on a stage. While the subject is illuminated by a light source unit, the resulting imagewise reflection from the subject is picked up by a television camera and transformed to a video signal. The image represented by the video signal appears on a screen in a conference room or on the individual monitor in a communication conference. Light issuing from the light source unit and offensive to the eye is prevented from leaking to the outside of the device. This, coupled with the fact that irregularity in the illumination on the subject is reduced, insures a clear-cut image. Further, the device is easy to operate and protects the working environment from deterioration due to heat generated by the light source unit.

Abstract: An ink composition for intermediate transfer ink jet recording, comprising water, a pigment, a colloidal dispersion resin, a volatile alkali component and a water-soluble organic solvent. The ink composition provides an excellent print quality and a good fixing strength independently of the kinds of recording media.

Abstract: A low bulk density hollow fine powder of alkali metal compound can be produced from an aqueous solution of the compound by one step. The method for producing a low bulk density hollow fine powder of alkali metal compound according to the present invention comprises a step of contacting an aqueous solution of an alkali metal compound with a pulsating combustion gas.

Abstract: Two intermediate transfer ink jet recording methods and a recording device suitable for practicing the methods and an ink composition for use in the methods are disclosed. The first recording method comprises forming jetting an ink composition containing a thermoplastic resin on an intermediate transfer drum to form an ink image, heating the ink image to at least the softening or melting temperature of the thermoplastic resin to bring the ink image to a film form and then transferring the ink image to recording paper. The second recording method comprises jetting an ink composition containing a thermoplastic resin on an intermediate transfer drum to form an ink image, heating the ink image to form a concentrated ink image, transferring the concentrated ink image to recording paper and then heating the transferred ink image to at least the softening or melting temperature of the thermoplastic resin.