Abstract: The invention provides, as an aspect thereof, an image formation apparatus that includes: an image carrier that carries a latent image; a toner carrier that has, on a surface of the toner carrier, a concave portion arrayed in a regular pattern so as to carry toner, and develops the latent image that is carried on the image carrier by means of the toner carried in the concave portion; and a voltage application section that applies a development voltage to the toner carrier for the purpose of the development of the latent image. In the configuration of an image formation apparatus according to the above-described aspect of the invention, immediately after that the toner carrier has developed the latent image, which is carried on the image carrier, by means of the toner carried in the concave portion in response to the application of the development bias to the toner carrier by the voltage application section, at least one layer of the toner remains carried in the concave portion.

Abstract: A developing device is provided with a toner bearing member that bears toner having core particles and a particulate external additive externally added to the core particles, and that develops a latent image borne on an image bearing member using the toner, the toner bearing member being rotatable and having projecting sections arranged in a regular manner on a surface of the toner bearing member; and a regulation member that regulates an amount of toner borne on a surface of the toner bearing member by coming into contact with that surface at a contact section, the regulation member being arranged so that a longitudinal direction of the regulation member runs along an axial direction of the toner bearing member, and so that a leading edge of the regulation member in a lateral direction and a thickness direction faces an upstream side in a rotating direction of the toner bearing member, wherein in the case where a volume mean particle size of the toner is set to a toner particle size A, a volume mean particle

Abstract: The present invention provides a developing device that includes a toner bearing member that includes regularly arranged projection sections and depressed sections for bearing toner, and that develops a latent image borne on an image bearing member with the toner borne on the projection sections and the depressed sections, wherein the latent image is developed in a state in which a projection section covering ratio at which toner contacting the projection sections covers the projection sections is smaller than a depressed section covering ratio at which toner contacting the depressed sections covers the depressed sections.

Abstract: A developing device includes a rotatable toner bearing roller and a regulation blade. The toner bearing roller has regularly-arranged projecting sections and non-projecting sections, bears toner whose volume average particle diameter is smaller than a depth of the non-projecting section relative to the projecting section, and develops a latent image borne on an image bearing member with the toner borne on the toner bearing roller. The regulation blade is for regulating an amount of the toner borne on the toner bearing roller, and abuts, with a predetermined width, against a circumferential surface of the toner bearing roller in a circumferential direction thereof in such a manner that a longitudinal direction of the regulation blade is along a direction of a rotation axis of the toner bearing roller. A tip edge of the regulation blade in a lateral direction and a thickness direction thereof is located within an abutting section having the predetermined width.

Abstract: A developing device that can be mounted to and dismounted from a mounting and dismounting section provided in an image forming apparatus main unit, the developing device includes: a developing device main unit; a positioning member for positioning the developing device main unit with respect to the mounting and dismounting section by engaging the mounting and dismounting section when the developing device is mounted to the mounting and dismounting section, the positioning member being fixed on a one end side in a longitudinal direction of the developing device main unit; a coupling member that is to be coupled to the mounting and dismounting section when the developing device is mounted to the mounting and dismounting section, the coupling member being attached to the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the developing device main unit in such a manner that its relative position to the developing device main unit can be changed; and an element capable of communication in a noncontacting manner with

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes development cartridges which develop an electrostatic latent image with toner, a rotary unit provided with the developing cartridges, an intermediate transfer belt which receives the toner image, and a controller. A length of the intermediate transfer belt is set such that a length of the image forming region is corresponded to a length of a set recording medium having a predetermined size and a length of the non-image forming region is corresponded to a distance between a rear end of the preceding one of the set recording mediums and the front end of the subsequent one. A rotational movement period of the intermediate transfer belt corresponding to the length of the non-image forming region is equal to or greater than a time required for switching the developing cartridges. The controller performs an switching operation of the developing cartridges in accordance with a size of a recording medium.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image sensing unit. After photographing of an image of a face, for example, a characteristic data selection menu is displayed for addition of a characteristic to the face image. The characteristic data selection menu offers a plurality of characteristics expressed by words, for example. A user selects by word(s) a characteristic to be added to the face image. The face image is modified on basis of an image modification pattern corresponding to the selected characteristic data. The image modification pattern data is set with a relative increasing/decreasing value with respect to color data (RGB) of each pixel of the face image. Then, displayed is a final face image which has been modified according to a plurality of image modification patterns corresponding to the plurality of selected characteristic data, for example.

Abstract: A photographed image composing apparatus includes a CPU and an imaging unit. In this photographed image composing apparatus, an operator photographs an object's face in at least two partial images successively while aligning a predetermined region of the face with an imaging index displayed on a display, and boundary processing between partial images is performed and a montage image is produced. In the boundary processing, pixel data adjacent to a boundary line is extracted from a first image on one side of the boundary line and a second image on the other side of the boundary line, as first basic pixel data and second basic pixel data, respectively. Then, the pixel data of the first image and the second image are mixed with the second basic pixel data and the first basic pixel data in a pixel row that corresponds to the relevant pixel, respectively, based on previously stored mixing ratios in accordance with the distance from the boundary line.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging unit configured to charge the image carrier, an exposing unit configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the charged image carrier, a developing unit configured to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier with a development material for forming a development image, an intermediate transfer member that includes a multilayer structure having a conductive layer; a transfer unit configured to transfer the development image on the intermediate transfer member, and a control unit that controls a transfer potential and a charging potential so that a potential difference between the transfer potential and a non-image portion potential on the image carrier in a transfer position falls within a predetermined range.

Abstract: To provide a catalyst that has sufficient catalytic activity as a platinum catalyst and yet is readily separated from a target material and can be reused. A resin-supported platinum cluster catalyst containing a resin layer comprising a platinum particle core, the average diameter of which is from 1 nm to 10 nm, and a compound containing nitrogen (general formula R1NH2) surrounding the core.

Abstract: An information playback apparatus is provided to obtain editing effects using an optical disc in the same sense as an analog record disc is manipulated. An audio editing apparatus for playing back an optical disc such as a CD is provided with a rotatable jog dial, detecting device for detecting the amount of rotation of the jog dial, and sensing device for sensing the presence or absence of a pressing force on the jog dial. When the jog dial is rotated while being depressed with a predetermined pressing force, processing for providing sound effects is performed on the playback data to be played back from the optical disc in response to the amount of rotation detected by the detecting device. It is thereby possible to provide the same feeling of operation as provided by rotating an analog record disc through hand operations to produce playback sounds.

Abstract: In a case where there are developers belonging to Life Rank 1 representing a service life substantially as long as that of a fresh developer (Step S501), and the developers includes one which is ready to print (Step S502), it is determined that image formation can be performed without performing a preparatory operation (Step S506). In a case where there is no print-ready developer but a developer which requires an agitation operation of rotating a developing roller by a predetermined quantity (Step S503), the agitation operation is performed on the developer (Step S504) so as to make the developer in a print-ready state. In a case where the developer cannot be made print-ready by the agitation operation, a density control operation for adjusting operating conditions of an apparatus is performed (Step S505). Thus is obviated an unnecessary operation. The developer subjected to a predetermined print preparatory process is used in a printing operation so that an image of good quality may be formed.

Abstract: At least one of continuous disconnection, intermittent disconnection, and temporary disconnection, of wireless communication between the input device and the game apparatus is detected. Remaining battery amount data representing a remaining battery amount of the input device is obtained via the wireless communication. It is determined that the power of the input device is insufficient based on that the wireless communication is detected to be disconnected and that the obtained remaining battery amount data represents a remaining battery amount of a predetermined level or lower. When it is determined that the power is insufficient, the power insufficiency is notified.

Abstract: A game apparatus includes a CPU, and displays on a monitor a scene viewed from a virtual camera moving in a virtual game space. In the game apparatus, an aspect ratio of an image to be displayed on the monitor is acquired, and a moving speed of the virtual camera is set based on the aspect ratio. For example, a visual field of the virtual camera is set based on the aspect ratio, and as the image is laterally longer with respect to a longitudinal thereof, the visual field in a crosswise direction is made wider, and therefore a crosswise moving speed of the virtual camera is made smaller.

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image is formed on an image carrier. A developer includes a container containing toner, a first roller facing the image carrier and rotated to cause the toner to adhere onto the image carrier to develop the electrostatic latent image as a toner image, a second roller supplying the toner from the container to the first roller, and a control member extending in an axial direction of the first roller and brought into contact with the first roller. A tip end edge of the control member is situated in an upstream side of a contact line that extends in the axial direction so as to include at least one contact point between the control member and the first roller, relative to a rotating direction of the first roller. A distance between the tip end edge and the contact line is not constant relative to the axial direction.

Abstract: An electrostatic latent image associated with image data is formed on an image carrier. A developer includes a container containing toner a roller facing the image carrier and causing the toner to adhere onto the image carrier to develop the electrostatic image with the toner as a image, and an applier applying the toner to the roller. A controller is operable to receive the image data and to control the roller in correspondence to the image data. The image data includes first image data corresponding to a first image and second image data corresponding to a second image. The first image is formed onto a trailing end portion of the medium. The controller receives the second image data after the formation of the first image. After the formation of the first image and before the formation of the second image, the controller causes the roller to rotate without causing the toner to adhere onto the image carrier.

Abstract: An audio signal mixer capable of performing a long mix editing with simple manipulations. A second audio signal producing means is prevented from producing a second audio signal when an operating member is positioned at a first end, while a first audio signal producing means is prevented from producing a first audio signal when the operating member is positioned at a second end. As the operating member is moved away from the first end or the second end, the first and second audio signals are mixed. As the operating member is moved toward the second end, the level of the first audio signal is gradually decreased while the level of the second audio signal is gradually increased. Conversely, as the operating member is moved toward the first end, the level of the second audio signal is gradually decreased while the level of the first audio signal is gradually increased.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a rotatable rotating body to and from which a plurality of developer containers can be attached and detached, each of the developer containers being capable of containing developer of a different color. When the image forming apparatus continuously forms images on a plurality of number of sheets of media using the developer of a single color contained in one of the developer containers attached to the rotating body, the image forming apparatus causes rotational movement of the rotating body at least once at least either when the image forming apparatus starts to continuously form the images, or when the image forming apparatus ends the continuous formation of the images.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an image bearing member on which a latent image is formed, a plurality of developing devices for developing the latent image, each of the developing devices containing developer, and a turnable turning member on which the plurality of developing devices are mounted. The turning member is caused to turn based on a turn history of the turning member.

Abstract: A first rotary image carrier is adapted to support a toner image obtained by developing an electrostatic latent image formed thereon. A second rotary image carrier is adapted to support, on a toner supporting face thereof, the toner image which has been primarily transferred from the first rotary image carrier and is to be secondarily transferred onto a recording medium. A cleaner housing has wall members defining a housing space, a first one of which is formed with a first ventilation hole. A blade member is disposed in the housing space and configured to separatably come in contact with the second rotary image carrier to scrape off toner remaining thereon. A sealing member is disposed in the housing space and configured to separatably come in contact with the second rotary image carrier to form a closed space together with the blade member.