Abstract: According to one embodiment, a charger charges a surface of an image carrier by discharge in a wide-angle. A charging bias voltage application section applies a charging bias voltage to the charger. An exposing device forms an electrostatic latent image in a charged image carrier. A toner carrier causes toner to adhere to the electrostatic latent image formed in the image carrier. A developing bias voltage application section applies the developing bias voltage to the toner carrier. In addition, the developing bias voltage application section changes the charging bias voltage in one step and changes the developing bias voltage applied to the toner carrier in multiple steps.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an erasing apparatus has a scanner, an erasing unit, a plurality of sheet discharge trays, and a processor. The processor acquires, from image data of a sheet outputted by the scanner, attribute data of the sheet. The processor controls execution propriety of erasing processing by the erasing unit, and sorting processing to discharge the sheet to the plurality of sheet discharge trays, based on the attribute data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus determines, with respect to intermediate data including a start edge and an end edge indicating a shape of an object and which do not intersect and where an edge direction of the start edge and an edge direction of the end edge are aligned, whether an edge read from the intermediate data is the start edge or the end edge based on an edge direction of the edge, determines an X coordinate of an edge to be determined for each scan line as a minimum value of a corresponding scan line, and determines, an X coordinate of an edge to be determined for each scan line, as a maximum value of a corresponding scan line.

Abstract: In an image recording apparatus, when a photograph image to be printed on a printable surface area of a circular recording medium is selected, a margin area for writing a title or a description is set. Once the margin area has been set, the photograph image is arranged in an area of the printable surface area of the recording medium excluding the margin area. Then, the photograph image is printed in the area excluding the margin area of the recording medium as arranged.

Abstract: This invention relates to a technique that prevents an image from falling outside a given range when a printer is controlled to form an image on an arbitrary medium while assuring a margin of a predetermined amount. A host computer shifts an image by only a partial amount of a target margin amount in a predetermined direction within an effective print range of a medium. Furthermore, the host computer controls a printer to form the image by further shifting the image by nearly the remaining amount of the target margin amount so as to form an image within the effective print range. In this way, since the host computer and printer add a margin in two steps, print data can be prevented from falling outside a given range upon processing a binding margin on the printer side.

Abstract: In a development device which develops an electrostatic image formed on a rotating photosensitive drum by applying a development bias to a development sleeve bearing a two-component developer, the development device includes a specific pattern determination portion which determines whether or not the electrostatic image includes a specific pattern. When the development device develops the specific pattern electrostatic image determined by the specific pattern determination portion, a potential difference between a development sleeve and a first non-image part of a predetermined range which is adjacent to the specific pattern electrostatic image and located on an upstream side in a photosensitive drum rotating direction is set smaller than a potential difference between the development sleeve and a second non-image part which is different from the first non-image part.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, in an image forming apparatus that reverses the front and back of recording paper by performing switchback transport of the recording paper to perform duplex printing of the recording paper, the image forming apparatus is provided with a control means that, when performing duplex printing of the recording paper, forms a void area at a leading end and a trailing end of the recording paper, the void area preventing curling of the recording paper around a roller.

Abstract: An image correcting apparatus is provided for preventing a degraded image quality which can be caused by a three-dimensional distortion correction made to a scanned image distorted in a trapezoidal shape. Divergent distortion angles ?, ? of a scanned image are detected using a page contour of a book document which can be found near the upper or lower edge of the scanned image in a main scanning direction. The scanned image is corrected for a divergent distortion based on the divergent distortion angles ?, ?, followed by a correction of the scanned image for a shape distortion in a sub-scanning direction. In this way, the image quality can be prevented from degradation possibly caused by the three-dimensional distortion correction, if made to such a scanned image distorted in a trapezoidal shape.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming section and a residual toner amount detection unit. The image forming section includes a photosensitive member, a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, and a toner storage unit. The residual toner amount detection unit detects an amount of toner remaining in the developing unit. The residual toner amount detection unit includes a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. After the toner is deposited on the photosensitive member to form a toner image until electric charge is given onto a photosensitive layer of the photosensitive member by the charging unit again, the light-emitting element removes electric charge remaining on the photosensitive layer.

Abstract: This invention relates to a technique that prevents an image from falling outside a given range when a printer is controlled to form an image on an arbitrary medium while assuring a margin of a predetermined amount. A host computer shifts an image by only a partial amount of a target margin amount in a predetermined direction within an effective print range of a medium. Furthermore, the host computer controls a printer to form the image by further shifting the image by nearly the remaining amount of the target margin amount so as to form an image within the effective print range. In this way, since the host computer and printer add a margin in two steps, print data can be prevented from falling outside a given range upon processing a binding margin on the printer side.

Abstract: An image forming system including a charge pre-charge erase array system that includes a plurality of pint light sources that emit a band of light onto a photoreceptor. The plurality of point light sources are variably spaced to substantially uniformly illuminate the photoreceptor.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus that loads a sheaf of originals obtained by stacking a sheaf of the originals to be copied and a sheaf of originals for front and reverse cover sheets, feeds the originals one by one from the loaded sheaf, reads the fed original and stores a read original image, reading the original images of four pages form the storage and forms the images of two pages on each of front and reverse faces of a sheet. Controlling the reading such that the original image for the cover sheet is formed on the sheet different from the sheet not for the cover sheet and such that plural sheets on which the images have been respectively formed are folded in two while being stacked.

Abstract: A method for automatically cropping, rotating, and scaling a scanned image to ensure that a printed copy of the scanned image is the same size as the original, when possible. The method attempts to honor the default or operator designated orientation of the printed image, but will automatically rotate the image if that will eliminate unnecessary image reduction. Optimal orientation and scaling factors are automatically determined based on the target page size and the size and shape of the information of interest in the original image (not the boundaries of the original document). The operator selects a desired printed orientation (or accepts a default orientation) and selects a desired printed paper size (or accepts a default printed paper size). If an image will fit within the printable margins without rotation or cropping, the image is simply printed without modification. If the image will fit without rotation by cropping white space, then white space is cropped.

Abstract: A front illumination device for illuminating a reflective liquid crystal display cell (42) having a light source (12), a light guide (20), and a light coupling element (22). The light guide (20) has a thin plate element configured to receive light along an edge surface (28) thereof at an angle such that a majority of the light is totally internally reflected from the front surface (24) of the light guide (20). The light coupling element (22) has a thin plate element having a front surface (30) that is in contact with the back surface (26) of planar light guide (20). The front surface (30) of the light coupling element (22) has a plurality of cavities (40) disposed therein. Light impinging the interfaces (27) between cavities (40) and the back surface (26) is totally internally reflected within light guide 20.

Abstract: A control circuit for outputting a signal for controlling an amount of light emitted from a plurality of light emitting elements. The control circuit includes a controller or CPU, and a D/A converter outputting a signal for setting a voltage in multiple gradation in accordance with a lighting state of the light emitting element. An amplifying circuit amplifies an output of the D/A converter and outputs an amplified output as a control signal. A reference voltage generating circuit generates a reference voltage and a comparator compares the control signal with the reference voltage. The controller varies an output of the D/A converter based on the result of comparison by the comparator, to adjust the output of the D/A converter so that the control signal is equivalent to the reference voltage. Accordingly each voltage is reset in the multiple gradation to allow the light emitting element to appropriately emit light based on the adjusted output.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and method for setting a binding margin. When a binding margin displayed on an LCD display unit of an operation panel has been set, a main CPU calculates a position, at which writing of the image of an original document starts, and magnification (an enlargement ratio or a reduction ratio) in accordance with a program stored in a ROM and to correspond to the binding margin and the size of sheets which are set by the LCD display unit and the size of the original document read by a scanner, and causes a printer to perform printing in accordance with a result of the calculation. When a binding margin has been set, the image of an original document can accurately be printed without loss of the image of an end portion of the image of the original document while maintaining the specified binding margin.

Abstract: A lead edge lightening circuit which will lighten a scan line based on a seven by seven pixel area surrounding the current pixel. The area is divided into four sub-areas, each of four by four pixels, and each having the current pixel at one corner. Each sub-area is summed and compared to a threshold number. If the threshold number is equalled or exceeded by at least one of the four sums, an overlay bit, which can be white or black, is output. The current pixel is replaced by a white pixel if a white pixel has been output, otherwise the current pixel remains unchanged.

Abstract: In a device for processing a signal representative of a document image from a document reading unit to thereby reproduce the document image, a first comparator binarizes a multilevel image signal from the document reading unit with a first threshold value to thereby output a first bilevel image signal. A second comparator binarizes the multilevel image signal with a second threshold value to thereby output a second bilevel image signal. An area discriminating circuit outputs, in response to the second bilevel image signal, an area discriminate signal representative of the inside and or outside of an image area of the document image. An area separating circuit outputs, in response to the area discriminate signal and first bilevel image signal, an image signal representative of only an image portion of the first bilevel image signal which corresponds to the area discriminate signal. The device is capable of reproducing both a sheet document and a book document accurately.

Abstract: An image reader reads images from above a document platen upon which is placed a document such as a book or the like while using fingers or hands to press both edges of said document so as to prevent the pages of the document from rising upwardly, wherein the image reader determines the position of blank area in accordance with a background luminance, a character frequency of picture element, and position in subscan direction, and erases image data of blank area and its outside image data to erase image data of fingers or hands.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable photosensitive member, a slit for imagewise exposure of said photosensitive member to light in a slit exposure area having a width in a direction of movement of said photosensitive member, and a movable reflecting member for forming a non-image area on said photosensitive member by light from said reflecting member. When blank exposure is effected, the reflecting member is disposed at a first position or a second position. When the reflecting member is disposed at the first position, the light from the reflecting member is substantially condensed on or adjacent to an upstream end of the exposure area width on the photosensitive member with respect to the movement direction of the photosensitive member, and an area before an image area on the photosensitive member in which an image is formed by the slit exposure means is exposed to the light.

Abstract: Toner consumption and contamination in an image forming apparatus can be prevented with a device and method for presetting the paper size to be used in a manual paper feed mode and preventing printing in a region beyond the preset paper size. The device includes a paper width sensing unit that is adjusted by a user in accordance with the width of the paper. A control unit reads a value corresponding to the paper width and generates a control signal indicative of the width of the paper. An image forming unit enables formation of an image only within the range corresponding to the width of the paper.

Abstract: A document exposure apparatus includes a glass plate on which a document original is located, a press cover for covering the glass plate, an open/close discriminating unit for discriminating an open state and a close state of the press cover, an exposure unit, disposed under the glass plate, for illuminating the original with light, and a control unit for controlling the illuminating operation of the exposure unit according to an open/close state of the press cover, which is discriminated by the open/close discriminating unit.