Abstract: Image forming apparatus in which surface electric potentials of a plurality of surface areas are detected by charging a photoconductor with a different applied bias for each predetermined timing and exposing a plurality of surface areas of the photoconductor by scanning the photoconductor with an optical beam, while changing an exposure intensity of the optical beam for each of the surface areas of the photoconductor. Then, the applied bias necessary for obtaining a predetermined electric potential of a dark section and the exposure intensity of the optical beam necessary for obtaining a predetermined electric potential of a bright section are controlled, on the basis of the surface electric potentials that are detected respectively from the different applied biases and the different exposure intensities. Thereby, the adjustment time can be made shorter than the conventional case.

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: An image forming apparatus including an adjustment unit adapted to adjust an image to be formed by an image forming unit advises the next adjustment execution timing on the basis of cumulative use information obtained by the image forming unit, and changes the advised adjustment timing on the basis of selection input.

Abstract: Image forming apparatus in which surface electric potentials of a plurality of surface areas are detected by charging a photoconductor with a different applied bias for each predetermined timing and exposing a plurality of surface areas of the photoconductor by scanning the photoconductor with an optical beam, while changing an exposure intensity of the optical beam for each of the surface areas of the photoconductor. Then, the applied bias necessary for obtaining a predetermined electric potential of a dark section and the exposure intensity of the optical beam necessary for obtaining a predetermined electric potential of a bright section are controlled, on the basis of the surface electric potentials that are detected respectively from the different applied biases and the different exposure intensities. Thereby, the adjustment time can be made shorter than the conventional case.

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: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member for fixing on a recording material an image formed on a recording material by heat; a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the fixing member; detection interval changing device for changing an interval of detecting operation of the temperature sensor, wherein the detection interval changing device changes the interval in accordance with a thickness of the recording material.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an induction coil for generating a magnetic field upon electric power supply thereto; a fixing rotatable member for induction heat generation by the magnetic field generated by the induction coil; temperature detector for detecting a temperature of the fixing rotatable member; determining unit for determining an electric power value to be supplied to the induction coil on the basis of a detected temperature by the temperature detector; and a controller for controlling the electric power supply to the induction coil on the basis of the electric power value determined by the determining unit. The controller substantially continues to supply the electric power while the electric power value determined by the determining unit is higher than a predetermined value, and effects an ON/OFF control of rendering on and off the electric power supply when the electric power value is lower than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member for fixing on a recording material an image formed on a recording material by heat; a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the fixing member: detection interval changing means for changing an interval of detecting operation of the temperature sensor, wherein the detection interval changing means changes the interval in accordance with a thickness of the recording material.

Abstract: In an image formation apparatus having a function to detect a direction of an original image, in a case where an image formation mode is set by using a touch panel, a keybutton to instruct whether or not direction detection is to be performed is displayed on a setting screen of an image formation mode to which direction detection is effective, while such the key is not displayed on a setting screen of an image formation mode to which direction detection is not effective. The image formation mode to which direction detection is effective includes a mode to record images of one-face originals onto two faces of a sheet, a mode to arrange and record images of plural originals onto one sheet, a mode to perform stapling at designated corner positions of sheets, and the like.

Abstract: In order to improve the ease of use of personal boxes provided in a copier connected to a host computer via a network, a large-capacity hard disk is provided. A personal-box region having a plurality of storage regions corresponding to respective users are present within the hard disk. The copier performs control so that a printing mode changed through an operation unit returns to a printing mode set by the host computer in accordance with a predetermined instruction. When a plurality of image data to be printed are selected from a personal box, it is prohibited to change the printing mode set by the host computer.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes an induction coil for generating a magnetic field upon electric power supply thereto; a fixing rotatable member for induction heat generation by the magnetic field generated by the induction coil; temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of the fixing rotatable member; determining means for determining an electric power value to be supplied to the induction coil on the basis of a detected temperature by the temperature detecting means; and control means for controlling the electric power supply to the induction coil on the basis of the electric power value determined by the determining means, wherein the control means substantially continues to supply the electric power while the electric power value determined by the determining means is higher than a predetermined value, and effects an ON/OFF control of rendering on and off the electric power supply when the electric power value is lower than the predetermined value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms an image on a sheet by an image forming device based on image information, and which discharges the sheet on which the image is formed. The apparatus has a proof printing mode in which, when, in the process of forming an image on sheets to form a plurality of copies of the image, the sheets having the image formed thereon to form a first copy is discharged, the image formation is temporarily stopped by an image formation stopping device. The apparatus also has a mode controller for automatically setting the proof printing mode when execution of a predetermined process mode is selected.

Abstract: In a 1 to N mode of dividing a series of pages of an original into a plurality of regions and recording images in the respective regions on different sheets, the order of output of the respective regions can be selected. A predetermined page of the series of original pages can be inhibited from being divided.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device for forming an image on a sheet, a tray for stacking a sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming device, a shifting device for shifting the sheet for each copy to stack the sheet on the tray, and a control device for controlling the shift operation of the shifting device at the time of the shift mode, wherein the control device controls the shifting device in such a manner that the shifting device does not shift the sheet when the number of the sheets per one copy is one while the shifting device shifts the sheets when the number of the sheets per one copy is two or more.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising an image forming device for forming an image on a sheet, plural discharged sheet stacking device for stacking the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming device, and a control device for selecting the discharged sheet stacking device according to the image forming job of the image forming device and for selecting the discharged sheet stacking device based on the material information of the sheet, wherein the control device selects the discharged sheet stacking device based on the material of the sheet in preference to the image forming job. The image forming job is a stapling job, a sorting job or a non-stapling and non-sorting job. There is also provided an informing device for informing a fact that the discharged sheet stacking device is selected based on the material of the sheet in preference to the image forming job.