Abstract: The image processing circuit essentially includes an image data input portion, an image processing portion, an image data output portion, an image memory composed of a hard disk drive etc., a central processing unit (CUP), an image editing portion, an external interface portion. Based on the determination result of the laser recording status determination by the CPU, an LCU also serving as a mirror motor control device, stops or retards the drives of driving motors, one by one, in the order of their completion of laser recording. The image processing circuit may further has a mode manager for checking the usage frequencies of the first most processing mode in which the input image information is image processed as color image information and the second processing mode in which the input image information is processed as monochrome image information. Moreover, the image processing portion may further has an original discriminating portion for determining the color type of an original.

Abstract: A data-processing system consisting of a portable terminal device and a copying machine can effectively work with protection against breakage of data stored in the terminal device. The data-processing system is constructed to work on the following principle: When a given period is measured by a timer for starting the power saving mode, a portable terminal device provides a copying machine with a signal informing of starting the power-saving mode. The copying machine, which received the power-saving-mode starting signal, provides in later the portable terminal device a signal requiring the terminal to cancel the power-saving-mode. When a given period is measured by a timer for starting the power saving mode, the copying machine provides the portable terminal device with a signal requiring the terminal device to start the power-saving mode. A CPU, which received information on request of power-saving-mode, executes the power saving mode.

Abstract: In conventional color digital copy machines, when copying in color mode, the polygon mirror of the laser beam scanner for black, which is driven at a higher speed than those of the other colors, is switched to a slower speed in conformity with the speed of the polygon mirrors for the other colors. However, a drawback of this structure is that, especially when switching from monochrome to color mode, the time required to obtain the first copy is lengthened, and the operating efficiency of copying is poor. In the present invention, when copying in color mode, the rotation speed of the polygon mirror of the laser scanner unit for black is not changed at all, but, by skipping certain mirror surfaces of the polygon mirror, and/or by skipping certain of a plurality of laser light sources, the scanning density of the laser scanner unit for black can be brought into conformity with that of the laser scanner units for the other colors.

Abstract: In an image forming system, a digital copying machine, which is requested to determine image data, stores determination history data including a result of determination in its memory when the result indicates that the image data are prohibited to be copied, and transfers the determination history data to a digital copying machine of a requesting end, and also transfers the determination history data automatically or as requested to other digital copying machine, a central image formation control unit or a host computer of the service center. As a result, an inhibit copy action can be prevented even when a digital copying machine being used within the system is not provided with an image determining function, thereby providing a security system which can inform others of an occurrence of an illegal or dishonest action at real time.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to offer an image stabilizer device capable of effectively improving quality of images produced by an image forming apparatus of a type that changes the size of a basic pixel by controlling an irradiation time of write-in light, and to offer a pattern image reader device used for the purpose. A pattern image reader device 100 is constituted by a reader unit 2 that at least contains a semiconductor laser 3, converging lens 6, and photosensor 5 for reading the amount of reflected light, and the driving section 7 that contains a drive coil 7c for moving the reader unit 2 in the principal scanning direction, and can measure on the order of microns the size of a toner image formed on the surface of a transfer and transport belt 26 in the principal scanning direction by monitoring the output of the photosensor 5 while moving in the principal scanning direction under the control by the CPU 48.

Abstract: A conventional image forming device having a plurality of image optical scanning recording sections has had a drawback of being incapable of correcting printing positions of the image optical scanning recording sections with high precision by using a small-scale circuit. In the case of an image forming device of the present invention, a variable clock generator 114 having a voltage control oscillator (VCO) 114a is provided therein as reference clock signal generating means of laser control system of each of image optical scanning recording sections (LSU) for cyan, yellow, and magenta. By so doing, during an invalid printing period prior to a valid printing period, frequencies of the reference clock signals of the LSUs for cyan, yellow, and magenta are adjusted in accordance with offsets of printing start positions of these LSUs with respect to that of the LSU for black, so that printing offsets are eliminated.

Abstract: When a user approaches a digital copying machine, an ID card which the user is holding is detected (S1), and an ID number of the same is checked by communication between the ID card and the digital copying machine (S2). Print jobs corresponding to the detected ID number areb listed up (S4), and the print jobs corresponding to the ID number are outputted (S6). An order of output, timings of output, and a current state of output, of the print jobs can be displayed according to the ID number. Thus, an image output processing apparatus which is capable of controlling print jobs according to ID numbers is designed so as to execute various controls such as output processing control according to ID numbers, thereby to be an image output processing apparatus highly convenient for the users.

Abstract: An image forming system, wherein a second digital copying machine stores image data temporarily on behalf of a first digital copying machine at its request and returns the stored image data upon receipt of a return request. When the second digital copying machine has not received any return request from the first digital copying machine within a predetermined period, the second digital copying machine erases the stored image data to utilize its own memory efficiently.

Abstract: An image transfer roller cleaning system for operation in conjunction with a retractable image transfer roller in an image forming apparatus. A transfer belt extends through a gap between the transfer areas of a group of photoreceptor drums and corresponding image transfer rollers from an upstream side to a downstream side. The photoreceptor drums are arranged in parallel to one another. The transfer rollers urge the transfer belt into engagement with the respective transfer areas of the photoreceptor drums during the transport of a printing medium through the gap. A cleaning brush located upstream from the gap acts to clean the inner side of the belt prior to its entry into the gap. Cleaning blades also clean the outer surfaces of the transfer rollers when predetermined transfer voltages are not being applied thereto. In addition, the cleaning system may include features such as checking sensors and/or circuits for monitoring purposes.

Abstract: An image-forming system is constituted by connecting a plurality of digital copying machines to a communication apparatus so that the digital copying machines can transmit and receive image information with each other. As an instruction for image processing is inputted at any of the digital copying machines, a control section of the digital copying machine outputs the image information to a digital copying machine that is capable of carrying out the image processing. The digital copying machine that is assigned the image processing carries out a predetermined image processing on the image information and returns the processed image information via the communication apparatus. The image information is then visualized by a digital copying machine that receives the image information.

Abstract: In this digital color copier, laser beam scanner units of the same configuration are arranged in parallel with each other, and all are controlled in a unified manner by a laser control unit provided outside the units. In order to synchronously rotate the polygon mirrors in a precise manner, the speeds of rotations of their motors, fed back from tacho-generators are compared to the reference frequency generated from an oscillator so as to allow a motor control circuit to control the driving motors of the polygon mirrors. Further, the BD signals from beam detectors (BD) are fed back to the laser control unit so that all the BD signals from the laser scanner units for black and the three colors can become synchronized with each other, thus enabling control of the polygon mirrors.

Abstract: A request condition managing table is provided to a request-sender digital copying machine. For example, when the request-sender digital copying machine is reset to a predetermined condition, the PCU of the request-sender digital copying machine outputs a clear signal to a request-receiver digital copying machine through a transmitting apparatus, so that the image data stored therein on behalf of the request-sender digital copying machine are cleared. Alternatively, the operator can erase such image data manually by checking the request condition managing table. In this manner, when the image data read by the request-sender image forming apparatus and stored temporarily in the request-receiver image forming apparatus become useless, the request-sender image forming apparatus so notifies the request-receiver image forming apparatus and directs the same to erase the image data, thereby preventing the request-receiver image forming apparatus from storing useless image data over a long period.

Abstract: A digital image forming system includes a digital copying machine and a portable telephone which can be carried independently of the digital copying machine and can communicate with the digital copying machine and other communication device. The digital copying machine includes a scanner section for converting document image as read into image data, image memory for storing the image data obtained from the scanner section and a main CPU for storing image data obtained from the scanner section into the image memory and reading the image data from the image memory to be transferred to the portable telephone. The portable telephone includes a memory for storing image data and a CPU for storing the image data as transmitted from the digital copying machine in the memory and transmitting the image data as read from the memory to other communication device.

Abstract: An image forming system, wherein a second digital copying machine stores image data temporarily on behalf of a first digital copying machine at its request and returns the stored image data upon receipt of a return request. When the second digital copying machine has not received any return request from the first digital copying machine within a predetermined period, the second digital copying machine erases the stored image data to utilize its own memory efficiently.

Abstract: An image data input portion captures one line of data. The captured RGB data is color-converted into image information of a different set of colors, through the image processing portion. The converted data is written at a set up address on an HD. One page of image information is written onto the HD whilst the HD's address is sequentially incremented by 2. When two colors of data need to be retrieved in parallel from the HD, the data of the colors can be alternately written in. A CPU controls tandem recording units Pa, Pb, Pc and Pd so as to perform printing of respective colors, with a time shift one to the next of a period equal to the pitch of photoreceptor recording units.

Abstract: A digital copying machine is provided with a control section which, based upon function information and an instruction from an operation panel requesting that desired image process be carried out on image information, selects a digital copying machine and a host computer that are capable of carrying out the desired image process, successively transfers the image information to the respective processing sections of the digital copying machine and the host computer for each image process, and supplies the finally processed image information, which has been returned thereto, to a laser printer section. Further, upon receipt of an instruction from the operation panel requesting that a plurality of image processes be carried out on image information by using a digital copying machine and a host computer in a combined manner, the control section also makes a decision as to which image process should be preferentially carried out, and gives the resulting instruction.

Abstract: A sheet discharging apparatus has a plurality of trays for receiving sheets from an image forming apparatus and discharge rollers corresponding to the respective trays. The discharge rollers are rotatable in forward and reverse directions. The sheet discharging apparatus has a transport path for connecting the trays and a sheet discharge opening of the image forming apparatus. A gate for switching the destinations of sheets is disposed at each branched point in the transport path. A selected tray for finally receiving sheets is selected from the trays, and a temporary tray is selected from the trays other than the selected tray. A sheet is temporarily fed in a non-reversed state to the temporary tray from the image forming apparatus. Then, by rotating the discharge rollers in the reverse direction, the sheet is discharged in a reversed state to the selected tray from the temporary tray. A tray which can efficiently execute reverse discharge processing is appropriately specified according to the selected tray.

Abstract: The input device for controlling an apparatus includes: a display device for displaying an image represented by a plurality of dots; a touch panel disposed over the display face of the display device for outputting information of a position where the panel is operated in accordance with the displayed image on the display device; a command content determining device for determining the content of the command selected, based on the relationship between the positional information output from the touch panel and the image displayed on the display device, wherein the image displayed on the display device includes an external outline of the apparatus having the input device; and a switching device for switching the display on the display device, into the display frame for setting the operation of a unit corresponding to the operated part of the external outline of the apparatus when part of the external outline of the apparatus displayed on the display portion is operated through the touch panel.

Abstract: In an image-forming system, when the user inputs an instruction for image processing to an input section in a digital copying machine, the control section of the digital copying machine outputs image information of a document to a host computer. The host computer carries out a predetermined image process on the inputted image information, and outputs the processed image information to the digital copying machine through a transferring device. The control section of the digital copying machine supplies the processed image information to an image-recording section, and the image-recording section forms a visual image based on the image information. With this arrangement, merely by installing necessary processing functions in the host computer, it becomes possible to eliminate the need for purchasing a new digital copying machine to replace the older one with relatively outdated functions, and also to reduce the burden on users on an economic basis.

Abstract: In the present image forming system, when a digital copying machine having no specimen image judging section makes a copy, it transfers an input image to an image processing apparatus having the specimen image judging section within the system to request to judge whether the input image is a copy-prohibited image on its behalf. When the judging result is returned within a predetermined period, the digital copying machine controls the copying operation based on the judging result: when the judging result is negative, a normal copying operation is carried out; when the copying is totally prohibited, the image processing apparatus ends the copying operation after informing the user that the copying operation is terminated because the copying of the subject image is prohibited. Consequently, whether the subject image data are a specimen image like paper money can be discovered at the image processing machine, thereby preventing a crime, such as forgery of paper money or securities.