Abstract: A sheet discriminator, which is incorporated in an image forming apparatus and an image forming system, includes a sheet loader on which a recording medium is loaded, an information detector including a light emitter to emit light to a surface of the recording medium loaded on the sheet loader and a light receiver to receive the light emitted by the light emitter and detecting information of the recording medium, a sheet distinguisher to distinguish a type of the recording medium based on the information detected by the information detector, and a light emission controller to control activation and stop of the light emitter and activate the light emitter before the information detector starts detection of the information of the recording medium.

Abstract: A sheet discriminator, which can be included in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet loader on which a recording medium is loaded, an information detector including a light emitter to emit light to a surface of the recording medium loaded on the sheet loader and a light receiver to receive the light emitted by the light emitter and detecting information of the recording medium, a sheet distinguisher to distinguish a type of the recording medium based on the information detected by the information detector, and a detector body encasing at least the information detector therein and having an opening formed on an opposing face facing the sheet loader. The opposing face has an opening formed thereon. The opening has at least one arc-shaped side.

Abstract: When data of image information is compressed and is recorded on a recording medium, additional information about the image information is recorded in a conveniently usable state. There is provided read/write unit information as a unit of reading and writing the compressed image information to the recording medium. The read/write unit information contains a plurality of units of decoding and reproducing unit information that comprises one frame (or one field) of the image information. At least one piece of decoding and reproducing unit information is subject to compression encoding through the use of only image information in the decoding and reproducing unit. In the read/write unit information, there is multiplexed and recorded additional information about the decoding and reproducing unit information for a plurality of units within the read/write unit in an extractable manner separately from the compressed image information.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a cartridge identification system includes a cartridge type detection station in which a cartridge can be inserted, and apparatus that determines the extent to which the cartridge protrudes from the detection station, the extent of protrusion being indicative of the cartridge type.

Abstract: The invention provides a disk changer wherein a disk can be replaced between different accommodation portions of a rotatable tray. The disk changer includes a rotatable tray having a plurality of annularly arranged accommodation portions, a tray rotating mechanism, a detection section for detecting an address of each accommodation portion and presence or absence of a disk in each accommodation portion, a recording/reproduction section for recording and/or reproducing an information signal onto and/or from a disk, and a disk takeout mechanism for taking out and transporting a disk from an accommodation portion to the recording/reproduction section and for taking out and transporting the disk from the recording/reproduction section to an accommodation portion.

Abstract: When a medium is stored or removed manually, all slots must be checked to find any change in medium information, and as a result, updating medium storage information takes a long time. A medium controller, having a plurality of media and a medium transfer unit to take a medium in and out of storage and move the medium for reading or writing information, comprises slots in which media are store, sensors each mounted in a slot for detecting whether there is a medium in the slot; a sensor manager for holding a log of the status transitions of the sensors in a period when media are likely to be stored or removed manually and deciding the status transitions; and means for reading medium information. Only when it is decided from a decision result of the sensor manager that the medium has been replaced, the media controller causes the means for reading medium information to read medium information in order to update the medium storage information.