Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to fix an image on a recording medium by heating the recording medium, multiple heat storing devices to store heat generated at the fixing device, an electric generating element to generate power by converting the heat into power, and a switch to switch connection and disconnection between the electric generating element and at least one of the multiple heat storing devices.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a first lens layer; and a second lens layer, wherein the second lens layer is formed at least at a periphery of each first microlens formed based on the first lens layer, and the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the first microlenses is thinner than the second lens layer present at the periphery of the first microlens or no second lens layer is present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heat generator configured to generate heat in the image forming apparatus; a converter including a capacitor to convert AC power supplied from an external power supply into DC power for a load unit; a thermoelectric transducer configured to convert the generated heat into DC power for the load unit; a detector configured to detect a voltage of the AC power; and a controller configured to cause the converter to continue supplying the DC power to the load unit when a first elapsed time elapsed since the detected voltage drops below a rated voltage is shorter than a first time period shorter than an upper limit of a period of time over which the capacitor is dischargeable, and cause the thermoelectric transducer to supply the DC power to the load unit when the first elapsed time exceeds the first time period.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device with microlenses having a first lens layer and a second lens layer, the second lens layer being formed at least at a periphery of each microlens with either a portion of the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the microlenses being thinner than a portion of the second lens layer present at the periphery of the microlens or no portion of the second lens layer being present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses. Between first pixel portions there is an interpixel gap, and the solid-state imaging device includes light blocking layers in alignment with the gaps.

Abstract: A fixing control device includes an image detection unit that determines presence of an image in each of areas obtained by division of an image formation region in which the image is formed, a heater selection unit that selects from heaters of a fixing device heaters at positions corresponding to areas in which the presence of the image is determined, a heating amount computation unit that computes a heating amount of a heating area heated by each of the selected heaters in a fixing region corresponding to the image formation region, a change amount computation unit that computes an amount of change of the heating amount between adjoining ones of the heating areas, and a heating amount correction unit that corrects one of the heating amounts of the adjoining heating areas so that the amount of change after the correction is less than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heat-generating component, a power generation device including a thermoelectric element, a heat radiation device, a cooling device, a temperature detector that detects a temperature increase of the heat-generating component, and a controller. The heat radiation device includes a first radiator plate interposed between the heat-generating component and a surface of the thermoelectric element and a second radiator plate attached to another surface of the thermoelectric element. The cooling device cools the first radiator plate. The controller controls operations of the cooling device and the power generation device by operating the cooling device if the detected temperature increase reaches at least a predetermined threshold value, and causing the power generation device to generate power without operating the cooling device to cool the first radiator plate passively if the detected temperature increase falls below the predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A fixing control device includes an image detection unit that determines presence of an image in each of areas obtained by division of an image formation region in which the image is formed, a heater selection unit that selects from heaters of a fixing device heaters at positions corresponding to areas in which the presence of the image is determined, a heating amount computation unit that computes a heating amount of a heating area heated by each of the selected heaters in a fixing region corresponding to the image formation region, a change amount computation unit that computes an amount of change of the heating amount between adjoining ones of the heating areas, and a heating amount correction unit that corrects one of the heating amounts of the adjoining heating areas so that the amount of change after the correction is less than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An activation control apparatus includes a voltage fluctuation obtainer to obtain voltage fluctuation amplitude of an external power source at a given voltage, the voltage fluctuation caused when activating an apparatus using the external power source; a voltage fluctuation detector to detect the voltage fluctuation of the external power source at the given voltage; an activation controller to determine whether the voltage fluctuation amplitude obtained by the voltage fluctuation obtainer at the given voltage of the external power source, detected by the voltage fluctuation detector, is within a preset allowable voltage fluctuation range, and to control activation of the apparatus using the external power source based on a result of the voltage fluctuation determination made by the activation controller.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a first lens layer; and a second lens layer, wherein the second lens layer is formed at least at a periphery of each first microlens formed based on the first lens layer, and the second lens layer present at a central portion of each of the first microlenses is thinner than the second lens layer present at the periphery of the first microlens or no second lens layer is present at the central portion of each of the first microlenses.