Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Atsushi Narukawa

Fuminori Miyoshi

Hidenori Ohnishi

Kenichi Maeda

Masakiyo Okuda

Toshihisa Matsuo

Yoshiyuki Noda

Yoshiyuki Nakai

Haruo Nishiyama

Yoshikado Yamada

Tokiyuki Okano

Junichi Kajiwara

Yoshiteru Mori

Hideo Taniguchi

Kazuya Hamaguchi

Masashi Toyoda

Yasushi Nakanishi

Eiji Sato

Takashi Nishimachi

Katsutoshi Ishikawa

Masanori Toyoda

Takeshi Murakami

Masanori Mori

Tadashi Okada

Yukio Nakai

Ken Iwamoto

Akihiko Iwasaki

An image processing device includes a scanner, which reads a plurality of images and inputs them as multivalue digital image data; a matching data producing section which, based on the inputted multivalue image data, produces matching data for joining the respective inputted images; a post-processing section, which binarizes the image data of each image inputted by the scanner; a joining section, which synthesizes the respective inputted images into a single image by joining the binary data produced by the post-processing section, which corresponds to the image data of the respective inputted images, on the basis of the matching data produced by the matching data producing section; and a printer for outputting the image joined by the joining section. Thus an image processing device can be provided which is capable of joining any type of image, whether from written characters, halftone dot, or photographic originals, and of performing this joining processing at high speed.

Image processing device and image processing method

An image processing portion for conducting the specified processing of an image to be reproduced by an image forming portion based on the processed image data is constructed as a single control portion. Consequently, the development of a variety of digital copying machines requires preparation of specially designated control boards according to levels of the products. This makes machines expensive and requires users to pay a considerable initial cost. An image processing device of the present invention is provided with an image information inputting means for inputting image information as a first level image, a main image-processing board for conducting the specified processing of the input image information of the first revel image, a sub image-processing board for conducting the specified processing of the image information processed by the main image processing board and outputting the information as a second level image, and a means for reproducing an image according to the image information processed by the main image-processing board or the sub image-processing board. These boards are independent from each other in the circuit configuration.

Image processing device

A network system for copiers includes a plurality of copiers each provided with a communication device for communicating with external equipment and a power-on device for powering on the copier in a hold state in response to an external signal received by the communication device and a main controller including an operation controller for controlling operation of the copiers and a time setter for setting time to power on a copier, the main controller being connected to the copiers by a network. The operation controller executes control such that only predetermined one of the copiers is powered on at the power-on time set by the time setter.

Network system for copiers

A copying machine which compares between the longitudinal dimension and the crosswise dimension of each line mark based on an output from the image information reading means and decides the coordinates of a longer line mark as the effective coordinates for the line mark, and determines an editing area based on the coordinates of each line mark decided so that the editing is performed on the image in the editing area in accordance with the preset marker editing mode.

Copying machine equippd with an image editor

A sheet feeding device, includes a lift down sensor for detecting a rotating plate of a rotatable cassette lowered down to a planar position, a lift up sensor for detecting the rotating plate lifted up to a sheet feeding position, a lateral feed position detecting sensor for detecting the rotatable cassette situated in the lateral feeding position, a longitudinal feed position detecting sensor for detecting the rotatable cassette situated in the longitudinal feeding position, and control means for controlling the drive mechanisms of the sheet feeding device. In the rotating operation of the rotatable cassette, if the lift down sensor is not turned on, the rotating plate is lowered so as to turn on the lift down sensor, thereafter the rotatable cassette is rotated to the predetermined longitudinal or lateral feeding position, and after the lateral or longitudinal feed position detecting sensor is turned on, the rotating plate is lifted up until the lift up sensor is turned on.

Sheet feeding device having movable sheet placing unit for use in a

A sheet supplying device supplies a sheet to a sheet supplied apparatus which designates the size and transport direction of the sheet. The sheet supplying device includes a movable cassette for placing the sheet thereon and movable to at least two transport positions so as to transport the sheet therefrom in at least two transport directions, a fixed cassette for placing the sheet thereon and fixed in one transport position so as to transport the sheet therefrom in one transport direction, a transport device for transporting the sheet from each of the movable cassette and the fixed cassette to the sheet supplied apparatus. The sheet supplying device further includes a control device, to which the size of the sheet placed on the movable cassette and the size and transport direction of the sheet placed on the fixed cassette are input, for selecting preferentially the fixed cassette as the cassette from which the sheet is transported by the transport device when the size of the sheet placed on the movable cassette corresponds to the designated size and, at the same time, the size and transport direction of the sheet placed on the fixed cassette correspond to the designated size and transport direction.

Sheet supplying device

After a two-component developer with known toner concentration is poured into a tank and begins to be stirred, its toner density is measured quickly at least three times by a toner density sensor and the final value to which the output of this sensor is expected to converge is calculated from these measured values such that a reference value by which the supply of toner is controlled can be estimated much more quickly than by waiting for the output of the sensor to stabilize.

Method of adjusting toner density

An image forming apparatus comprising rotatable cassettes rotated by cassette rotating means between a longitudinal feeding station from which paper is fed in a longitudinal direction thereof and a lateral feeding station from which paper is fed in a lateral direction thereof, wherein memory means stores a cassette rotation signal, when the cassette rotation signal is entered therein and cassette rotating means is controlled in accordance with the cassette rotation signal stored in the memory means when a cassette rotation permission signal for permitting the rotation of the rotatable cassette is generated, so that the rotatable cassette is set in a predetermined feeding station. The invention also provides an image forming apparatus capable of storing the feeding station of the rotatable cassette in the memory means and rotating the rotatable cassette to the feeding station stored in the memory means when the rotatable cassette is out of both longitudinal feeding station and lateral feeding station. Further, the invention provides an imagae forming apparatus capable of selecting a desired cassette from a plurality of cassettes and instructing to rotate the rotatable cassette by depressing a minimum number of operation keys. The invention further provides an image forming apparatus wherein the rotatable cassette is taken out therefrom by setting the rotatable cassette in either of the longitudinal feeding station and the lateral feeding station, characterized in that the rotatable cassette is set in the feeding station specified as a rotatable cassette taking-out/insertion position each time an image formation is completed.

Image forming apparatus

An automatic exposure control device for use in a copying machine in which a light source for illuminating the light to an original document is controlled based on the signal representing the light amount of the original document sensed by a light senses. There are two kinds of HIGH level limiter for limiting the upper limit of the power supplied to the light source. The HIGH level limiters are selected depending on whether the amount of light of the light source has been raised sufficiently or not, whereby over exposure copy or foggy copy can be prevented.

Automatic exposure device

A document detector for a copying machine includes a rectangular document support atop the machine housing and being of corner aligning type which has at least first and second side edges orthogonal to each other for the support thereon of a document with corresponding adjoining sides of the document held generally in abutment with the first and second side edges, and a hingedly supported, generally flat cover mounted on the machine housing for covering the document support when the cover is moved to a closed position. The detector includes a light emitting member and a light receiving member both disposed inside the machine housing at a location beneath one of the first and second side edges of the document support, a reflecting medium secured to the cover for reflecting a beam of light, emitted from the light emitting member, towards the light receiving member, a reflector carried inside and by the machine housing and positioned immediately below such one of the side edges of the document support for guiding the light beam from the light emitting member upwardly towards the reflecting medium and also for guiding the light beam, which has been reflected from the reflecting medium, towards the light receiving member, and a circuit for providing an output indicative of the presence of the document on the document support.

Document size detector for copying machine

A copying machine uses a belt-like photosensitive member installed between a pair of rollers from which the belt-like photosensitive member is freely detachable or mountable on these. The preferred embodiments are capable of controlling the copying process timing using sensor means provided in the copying machine which detects either a plurality of cutout portions or markers on the lateral sides of the photosensitive member wherein the preferred embodiments comprise; a timer starting the counting operation when the photosensitive member diagnosis mode is entered simultaneous with the start of the roller rotation after turning the power of the copy machine ON; means for identifying whether the output signal from sensor means varies or not during a period when the timer counts a specific period of time; and means for alarming the operator that the photosensitive member is improperly installed onto rollers only when the output signal from sensor means remains unchanged within a specific period of time counted by the timer.

Growing community of inventors

Yamatokoriyama, Japan

Atsushi Narukawa