Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed unit which feeds a sheet to an image forming unit forming an image on the sheet; a re-transport roller which reverses the sheet with a toner image fixed on the sheet and re-transports the sheet to the image forming unit; and a control unit which controls a sheet feed operation of the sheet feed unit for feeding the sheet, wherein, as the temperature of the re-transport roller sensed by the temperature sensing unit is lower, the control unit retards a timing to cause the sheet feed unit to start the sheet feed operation when a duplex image formation in which the image is formed on both sides of the sheet is performed after a one-side image formation is completed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet feed unit that feeds a sheet to an image forming unit forming a toner image on the sheet; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image formed in the image forming unit to the sheet; and a control unit that controls the sheet feed unit, when starting duplex image formation for forming both sides of the sheet after an one-side image formation, the control unit retards a timing to cause the sheet feed unit to start the sheet feed operation as the number of sheet with an image formed on one side thereof in the one-side image formation is greater.

Abstract: A transporter is adapted to transport a sheet in a transport direction in a transport path that includes a detecting range. A measurer is disposed at an upstream end of the detecting range in the transport direction, and is operable to measure a moving distance of the sheet. A detector is disposed at a downstream end of the detecting range in the transport direction, and is operable to detect a leading end edge of the sheet. A processor is operable to detect a jam in case that the moving distance is longer than a distance of the detecting range in the transport direction while the leading end edge of the sheet is not detected by the detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which can expand the space of a discharging unit includes a scanner rotating unit provided below a scanner unit to rotate the scanner unit, to open the top of a discharging unit, and to expand a space of the discharging unit if the collective height of sheets accumulated in the discharging unit reaches or exceeds a predetermined value, and a control unit arranged to detect whether the collective height of the sheets accumulated in the discharging unit reaches or exceeds the predetermined value to operate the scanner rotating unit in accordance with the detection result.

Abstract: A printing medium detecting device capable of accurately detecting an amount of printing media in a paper cassette, an image forming apparatus including the printing medium detecting device, and a method to detect a printing medium. The printing medium detecting device of the image forming apparatus includes a light source to emit a light beam to one side of a stack of printing media housed in a paper cassette, a scanning unit to scan the light beam reflected from the stack and generate a signal based on the light beam, and a computing unit to compute information related to the stack based on the signal, wherein the information includes a number of printing media sheets in the stack.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a pre-transfer conveying portion that conveys a recording medium, an image bearing member that moves while bearing a toner image, a conveying belt that attracts the recording medium conveyed from the pre-transfer conveying portion and conveys the recording medium at the same speed as the image bearing member, a detecting portion that detects the recording medium attracted to the conveying belt, and a control unit that controls the speed at which the pre-transfer conveying portion conveys the recording medium. On the basis of the detection of the recording medium, the control unit changes the speed of the pre-transfer conveying portion from a speed slower than the speed of the conveying belt to a speed equal to or faster than the speed of the conveying belt, and thereby causes the leading edges of the toner image and the recording medium to coincide.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit forming an image on a recording medium; a recording medium transportation unit transporting, along a transportation route, the recording medium on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit, and interrupting transportation operation for the recording medium in a state where one part of the recording medium is discharged from the transportation route and the other part of the recording medium is held in the transportation route; a detection unit detecting pull out operation by a user for the recording medium containing the other part held in the transportation route by the interruption of the transportation operation by the recording medium transportation unit; and a controller controlling the recording medium transportation unit so that the transportation operation having been interrupted is restarted, upon the detection of the pull out operation by the user by the detection unit.

Abstract: A laser printer forms images on a recording sheet fed from a paper cassette. A conveying gap between consecutively fed recording sheets is adjusted such that a conveying gap between consecutively fed thin sheets is larger than a conveying gap between consecutively fed thick sheets.

Abstract: A device for measuring a length of a recoding material, includes: a rotating body that rotates in contact with a recording material which is transported; a length measuring unit that measures a length of the recording material based on a rotation of the rotating unit; a detecting unit that detects at least one of a rotation and an oblique advance of the recording material; and a correcting unit that corrects a value measured by the length measuring unit based on an output of the detecting unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit to thermally fix an image transferred onto a sheet thereto, an endless belt to carry the sheet in a feeding path toward the fixing unit, a pattern forming unit to form an image pattern on the belt, a sensor to detect presence of the sheet being carried by the belt, and a judging unit to judge as to whether the sheet is in one-sided alignment, in which the sheet is aligned to one of the widthwise sides in the feeding path based on a result detected by the sensor.

Abstract: A method and system move a media sheet in a processing direction of a media path from a first nip to a second nip and move the media sheet in the processing direction of the media path from the second nip to a third nip. The method senses, using a sensor positioned between the second nip and the third nip, the position of the media sheet relative to the sensor. The method automatically calculates the amount of curl the media sheet contains based on the difference between the predetermined position and the position of the leading edge of the media sheet (relative to the sensor) as the leading edge of the media sheet passes between the second nip and the third nip, using the processor. Further, the method automatically calculates the thickness of the media sheet based on the difference between the predetermined position and the position of the media sheet (relative to the sensor) as the media sheet passes between the second nip and the third nip, using the processor.

Abstract: An image forming device comprises a tray parameter table in which tray IDs for identifying one or trays of the image forming device and tray parameters for the respective tray IDs are stored in a mutually associated manner. A replacing unit receives an input tray ID and an input tray change parameter specified by an externally supplied printer control protocol, and replaces a tray parameter contained in the tray parameter table and corresponding to a tray ID which is the same as the input tray ID, by the input tray change parameter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which includes: an image forming section to form an image on a transfer sheet conveyed to the image forming section; an edge detecting sensor which detects an edge position of the transfer sheet in a main scanning direction while the transfer sheet is conveyed to the image forming section; and a controller which controls an image writing position at the image forming section based on a result of an edge position detection by the edge detecting sensor; wherein the edge detecting sensor comprises a plurality of light sources each having a different wavelength, and the controller comprises a light source controller which controls lighting of the plural light sources.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeding portion, an image forming portion, a discharge portion, a paper transport path, a plurality of detection members, and a control portion. The image forming portion forms images on sheets of paper fed from the feeding portion. The path transports paper from the feeding portion to the discharge portion via the image forming portion. The detection members detect transport state of paper at respective locations on the path including the feeding portion, between the feeding and image forming portions, within the image forming portion, between the image forming and discharge portions, and the discharge portion. Upon detection of paper jam at any of the locations, the control portion displays, on an indicator, information identifying a location where the jam has occurred, and the image forming portion where paper is detected by the detection members, as locations of paper to be eliminated from the path.

Abstract: In a method for monitoring hardware devices of the hardware devices network to detect failures, past logged jobs are analyzed to determine a pattern of past usage of hardware devices by users of the hardware devices network. A failure of a hardware device is inferred based on a deviation in usage of the hardware devices from the pattern of past usage. In some embodiments, a state model is constructed that assigns one of two or more available operational states to each hardware device of the hardware devices network based on a recent load of jobs logged to the hardware device and a stored history of logged jobs indicative of typical loading of the hardware devices. One or more failing hardware devices are identified based on the assigned operational states.

Abstract: A detection unit is disposed between a feeding unit and a secondary transfer unit on a conveyance path, and detects a transfer material that is conveyed. A control unit, if the detection unit cannot detect the transfer material by a predetermined timing after a feeding operation by a feeding unit, moves the secondary transfer unit away from a intermediate transfer member, causes the intermediate transfer member to continue rotating, and causes the feeding unit to retry feeding the transfer material.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that forms a plurality of images using a plurality of image carriers respectively corresponding to the images and stacks those images, the apparatus having a first group to which at least one image carrier among the plurality of image carriers belongs, a second group to which at least one image carrier among the remaining image carriers belongs, and a single detection sensor that detects a first detection information for identifying a rotation timing of the first group image carrier and also detects a second detection information for identifying a rotation timing of the second group image carrier.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus and a sheet conveying method for the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus including: a sensor arranged halfway in a sheet conveying path and configured to output a signal corresponding to thickness of a sheet; a sheet feeder configured to extract sheets one by one; and a storage configured to store weighting and a threshold for each type and store an outlet corresponding to the sheet feeing unit, when a difference of thickness that is an absolute value of a difference between weighting of set thickness and weighting of detected thickness is equal to or larger than a threshold, the image forming apparatus discharges the sheet to the outlet of the sheet corresponding to the sheet feeder without causing the sheet to pass through a transfer device.

Abstract: An image forming device is provided which is capable of printing paper fingerprint data encoded into code data on a paper sheet without inducing significant degradation of printing performance due to the slowing of the printing speed. In order to halt paper sheet transport until the processing of sending composite image data, including paper fingerprint data, to a printer has completed, a control component issues to a paper sheet transport control component instructions to halt paper sheet transport temporarily after the scanning of paper fingerprint. The paper sheet transport control component halts paper sheet transport after receiving these instructions. Subsequently, when composite image data is sent to the printer and is ready to be printed on the paper sheet, the control component issues to the paper sheet transport control component instructions to resume paper sheet transport. The paper sheet transport control component resumes paper sheet transport after receiving these instructions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a media sensor which a sheet carrying device has at a halfway part in a sheet carrying path, a damper table which stores a frequency band of vibration to be absorbed for each type of vibration isolator, and a controller which samples an output from the media sensor, performs Fourier transform on a waveform acquired as a result of the sampling, thus calculates a frequency, then searches the damper table on the basis of the resulting frequency, reads an optimum vibration isolator, and outputs the optimum vibration isolator to a control panel.

Abstract: There is provided an image output method including the steps of reading image data in a predetermined format, outputting an image based on the read image data according to a first output method, outputting an image based on the read image data according to a second output method, and inputting a parameter for a process of the read image data in parallel to the reading of the image data, wherein the predetermined format is adaptable to the first output method and the second output method.

Abstract: A method of synchronizing the timing of a plurality of physically coupled print engines wherein the receiving sheet is inverted between a first and a second print engine including determining a position of one or more timing marks on a first primary imaging member in a first print engine having a first timing, directing a receiving sheet from the first print engine to a second primary imaging member in a second print engine having a second timing, determining an actual arrival time of the receiving sheet relative to a fixed position in the second print engine, and calculating an optimum timing offset using the one or more timing marks on the first primary imaging member, the actual arrival time of the receiving sheet and the distance of the non-printable area to the fixed position in the second engine.

Abstract: A printing system includes printing apparatuses connected to a network. A control apparatus of the printing system may send a print job to each printing apparatus and instruct each printing apparatus to execute the print job. When a first printing apparatus is instructed to execute the print job, the control apparatus makes a substitute printing reservation. The substitute printing reservation is for a second printing apparatus to execute the print job instead of the first printing apparatus. The second printing apparatus is set to a waiting state in which the second printing apparatus waits to execute the print job instead of the first printing apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of preventing toner fusion between recording sheets to thereby offer high usability, with a construction that does not cause increase in cost and size of the apparatus and an undue reduction in productivity. In the image forming apparatus, a toner use amount in a partial region of an toner image transferred from an intermediate transfer belt to a recording sheet is detected. When it is determined that the toner use amount detected for the partial region is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, a recording sheet conveyance interval is widened.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring a length of a recording material, includes: a rotating member that rotates while contacting a conveyed recording material; a detecting section that detects a rotation amount of the rotating member; an information obtaining section that obtains at least one of information of an image formed on the recording material and information of the recording material; and a calculating section that calculates a length of the recording material in a direction of the conveyance, based on an output from the detecting section and the information obtained by the information obtaining section.

Abstract: A media includes a set of adjacent edges of material and a segment along only a portion of the set of edges. The segment has a first identifiable end and a second identifiable end.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and an image forming method in the invention include a scanner unit, an image forming unit, and a discarding unit. When time during which a recording medium having an image formed thereon is discharged to a paper discharge tray has exceeded a set time set in advance, the recording medium is discarded to the discarding unit to prevent the recording medium from being inspected by a third party and secure confidentiality.

Abstract: A method of inducing a substrate transport fault in an image forming apparatus having a substrate transport assembly includes prompting a user to provide one or more substrate transport fault conditions, starting an image forming job, and inducing a substrate transport fault during the image forming job in accordance with the one or more fault conditions. An image forming machine is described having a substrate transport assembly for moving substrate sheets through the image forming apparatus for forming images thereon, a User Interface for prompting a user to provide one or more substrate transport fault conditions, and a controller for inducing a substrate transport fault in the image forming apparatus in accordance with the one or more substrate transport fault conditions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the invention conveys paper fed by a paper feeding mechanism piece by piece to a paper discharging unit through a paper conveying path. An image forming unit is arranged in a midway portion of this paper conveying path and executes an image forming process for printing an image based on image data on paper being conveyed. A sensor that detects a type of the paper conveyed is arranged on an upstream side with respect to the image forming unit on the paper conveying path. Image forming process conditions for the image forming unit are set in accordance with a detection result of the sensor. When the paper fed to the paper conveying path is paper not detected by the sensor, the image forming process is started awaiting a detection result by the sensor. On the other hand, when the paper is detected by the sensor, the image forming process is started without awaiting paper type detection.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which is capable of detecting the direction and amount of an image shift in the main scanning direction without wasting toner, to thereby provide a higher-quality image with reduced running costs. A conductor is disposed such that the conductor partially overlaps an electrostatic latent image line formed on a photosensitive drum in a manner extending in a main scanning direction of the photosensitive drum, while moving relative to the electrostatic latent image line. The conductor generates induced current by the relative motion. An image shift in the main scanning direction is detected based on a result of measurement of the induced current generated by the conductor.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: an image holder that is movably provided; a first image forming unit that forms a first image on the image holder; a second image forming unit that forms a second image on the image holder including the first image formed thereon; a transfer portion that transfers, onto a recording medium, the first image and the second image formed on the image holder; a supply unit that transports the recording medium and that supplies the recording medium to the transfer portion; an acquisition unit that acquires information on a position of displacement on the recording medium in a transport direction of the recording medium, the displacement occurring between the first image and the second image transferred onto the recording medium; and an adjustment unit that changes a supply speed of the recording medium at the supply unit on the basis of the information on the position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reader, an image forming unit, an output portion, and a notifying mechanism for notifying the operator of the apparatus. The image reader is configured to read an image on an original sheet to create image data. The image forming unit is configured to form a toner image on a sheet according to the image data. The output portion is disposed between the image reader and the image forming unit and includes a bin tray configured to receive the sheet having the toner image. The notifying mechanism includes a signal generator and a notifying member. The signal generator is configured to generate a signal when the sheet is output onto the bin tray. The notifying member is configured to notify that the sheet is output on the bin tray in accordance with the signal generated by the signal generator.

Abstract: A printing apparatus including one or more feeding units includes: a sheet size determining unit which determines a sheet size of a sheet, on which print data are printed, in predetermined order; a print control unit which stores a designated size, which is the sheet size determined by the sheet size determining unit, in a storage unit; a feeding unit selector which selects the feeding unit on the basis of the designated size; and a process selection information storing unit which stores process selection information used to designate a process executed by the print control unit.

Abstract: This invention provides an image printing apparatus including a communication unit which communicatively connects to at least another image printing apparatus, a tandem output mode, a paper feed unit which feeds recording sheets, a comparison and determination unit which compares the information of recording sheets which can be fed from the paper feed unit with paper size information and paper type information in another image printing apparatus which has received by the communication unit in the tandem output mode, and determines a paper size match/mismatch and a paper type match/mismatch, and a mismatch notification unit which notifies a mismatch when one or both of the paper size and the paper type exhibits a mismatch upon receiving a determination result from the comparison and determination unit.

Abstract: A system for handling media sheets is provided which comprises a plurality of hardware components including a first image marking engine operative to mark media sheets, and a second image marking engine operative to mark media sheets. In addition, the plurality of hardware components can include a first object delivery path operative to transport media sheets presented by the first image marking engine to a first destination, and a second object delivery path operative to transport media sheets presented by the second image marking engine to a second destination. The first and second destinations may be a single destination, separate destinations, or interchangeable destinations. One of the first and second delivery paths can be redundant.

Abstract: When an error occurs in an image processor, error information including a performer of the job having been processed upon occurrence of the error, the type of the job, and the type of the error is transmitted to a host. In the host, a transmission destination of support information is determined based on the type of the job having been processed upon the occurrence of the error, and the support information is retrieved from a knowledge base, based on the type of the error in the job, and transmitted to the transmission destination.

Abstract: In an image forming system wherein manual duplex printing can be performed by printing an image on one side of a sheet and thereafter printing an image on the other side of the manually-fed printed sheet, a first instruction screen is displayed on a display apparatus at the beginning of manual duplex printing for showing how to set the sheet onto a paper rest of the image forming apparatus for the first half of manual duplex printing. The first instruction screen includes instruction on whether a distinctive side of the sheet should face up or down on the paper rest.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining whether borderless printing can be done based on media type and desired gloss level is provided. Also provided is a method, printer, and system whereby a defect-free borderless print can be achieved regardless of media type and gloss level of the finished print, wherein the method includes pre-heating of the leading edge of the media before it enters a fuser area of the printer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining whether borderless printing can be done based on media type and desired gloss level is provided. Also provided is a method, printer, and system whereby a defect-free borderless print can be achieved regardless of media type and gloss level of the finished print, wherein the method includes pre-heating of the leading edge of the media before it enters a fuser area of the printer.

Abstract: In a method and system for processing document data in a document processing system that comprises at least a document generation computer, a document processing computer, an electronic document output system, and a monitoring computer, document data are generated on the document generation computer. The document data are transmitted from the document generation computer to a processing computer. To optimize control of a subsequent data output, control data are added to the transmitted document data in the processing computer with a processing module, and the control data are additionally stored in a control data buffer file. The processed data are forwarded to an output system.

Abstract: A printing system includes a movable tray for holding recording media. The movable tray includes spaced-apart reference marks for determining distance traveled by the tray. A reference-mark optical detector is positioned to provide a field of view through which the reference marks pass. An identifying-mark optical detector provides a field of view through which media-type identifying marks on a piece of recording medium pass. A signal processor provides an output relative to: a) amount of reference marks passing through the field of view of the reference-mark optical detector, and b) signal variation in a signal provided by the identifying-mark optical detector. A look-up table includes media identification signal patterns that are correlated to corresponding media types. Finally, a comparator compares the output of the signal processor to the media identification signal patterns in the look-up table in order to identify type of recording medium.

Abstract: A paper wrinkle sign monitoring device includes: at least one timing detecting unit that is set on a transport path of a printing medium, and that detects transport timing of the printing medium; and a sign output unit that detects a sign of paper wrinkle generation in the transporting time of the printing medium based on the transport timing of the printing medium detected by the timing detecting unit, and that outputs the sign.

Abstract: In a method and system for processing document data in a document processing system that comprises at least one document generation computer, a document processing computer, an electronic document output system comprising a printing device, and a monitoring computer, document data are generated on the document generation computer. The document data are transmitted from the document generation computer to a processing computer. Control data are added to the document data in the processing computer with a processing module via which print stock generated from the document data are separately processed segment-by-segment. A document data stream generated by the processing computer is forwarded to the output system.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance part; a detecting part; a control part which prints image data on the printing medium based on a detecting signal from the detecting part; a masking part configured to perform a masking process on the detecting signal generated by the detecting part between when the printing medium starts being conveyed from the printing medium receiving part and when the printing medium passes through a designated section; a conveyance distance measuring part configured to measure a conveyance distance of the head end of the printing medium conveyed from a receiving position of the printing medium receiving part; a determining part configured to determine whether the printing medium stops in an uncertain position not detected by the detecting part when the conveyance part stops while the printing medium is being conveyed by the conveyance part; and a masking process section setting part configured to set.

Abstract: A method for detecting a media change includes the steps of comparing a previous media condition to a current media condition, detecting a media change when the previous media condition is in one state and the current media condition is not that one state and, prompting a user to make appropriate menu selections when the media change is detected.

Abstract: A sheet size to be set for a sheet feed section, which feeds a sheet, is stored in a memory. If there is a possibility that a sheet is set in the sheet feed section, image formation is not performed on the first sheet fed from the sheet feed section, but the sheet is conveyed and the length thereof in a conveyance direction is detected. If the detected length of the sheet coincides with the sheet size stored in the memory, the sheet is again conveyed to the image formation section and an image is formed. If the detected length of the sheet does not coincide with the sheet size stored in the memory, the sheet is discharged.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing on sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus. The image forming system includes a feeding unit configured to store a plurality of sheets and successively feed the sheets; a stack unit configured to stack sheets processed by the post-processing apparatus; a state detection unit configured to detect a predetermined state of the stack unit; and a control unit configured to restrict the number of sheets fed from the feeding unit so that the number of sheets existing in a sheet conveyance path extending from the feeding unit to the stack unit does not exceed a predetermined number. The predetermined number is the number of sheets that the post-processing apparatus can receive from the image forming apparatus after detection of the predetermined state by the state detection unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a maintenance method thereof are provided to enable rotation and replacement of a peeling claw at a suitable timing before the peeling claw is deformed or damaged. Several peeling members are disposed in a width direction of a drum-shaped photoreceptor. Each peeling member is disposed with a peeling claw and a collision sensor detecting that the peeling claw collides with a sheet. A collision history value of each peeling claw is stored and managed based on a collision detection signal from the collision sensor; if the peeling claw reaching a preset rotation request value exists in the read collision history values of the peeling claws, a rotation request of the relevant peeling claw is reported; the collision history value of the rotated peeling claw is rewritten; and if the peeling claw reaching the rotation request value does not exist, a print process is performed.

Abstract: A printer for printing a continuous sheet with position detection marks has a mark detection function and a feed amount detection function that are normally enabled. Further, the printer is provided with a mechanism that operates in a sheet feed mode (mark detection mode) that utilizes the mark detection function and a sheet feed mode (feed amount detection mode) that utilizes the set feed amount detection function. If the mark detection function suffers an error, the sheet feed mode is switched from the mark detection mode to the feed amount detection mode, and a printing operation is continued.

Abstract: A multi-functional print platform includes at least two marking engines that process information at different processing rates and a scheduler that distributes portions of a job across the at least two marking engines based at least on a content of the job and the different processing rates of the at least two marking engines.