Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Kaoru Hashimoto

Hirofumi Hasegawa

Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Yoshikazu Ikenoue

Syuzi Maruta

Hirokazu Yamada

Hiroyuki Ideyama

Kazuhiro Araki

Kenzo Nagata

Takeshi Morikawa

Yoichi Kawabuchi

Keiji Kusumoto

Keiji Nakatani

Kadotaro Nishimori

Naoyoshi Kinoshita

Akio Kato

Kouji Ito

Hirohisa Miyamoto

Kanji Wada

Masahiro Higaki

An image processing system having operating and stand-by modes of operation which are to be selectively put into effect, including a plurality of slave data processors each operative to execute a set of predetermined functions assigned thereto, a master data processor for controlling the operation of each data processor, the master data processor being operative to output a data processing command requesting any of the slave data processors to execute any of the predetermined functions assigned to the slave data processor and a control command predominant over the communication of data dictating the operation of each slave data processor, and an interface bus providing connection between the master data processor and each slave data processor for allowing transmission therethrough of the data processing command and the control command to any of the slave data processors, the master data processor being operative to detect a state in which the master data processor is currently coupled to any one of the slave data processors through the interface bus to allow transmission of the data processing command or the communication control command to the particular one of the slave data processor, wherein, in an operating mode of operation of the system, the data processing command or the control command is distributed through the interface bus exclusively to the particular slave data processor which is detected to be currently coupled to the master data processor.

Image processing system having slave processors for controlling standard

Image processing system

A document scanning device includes an index lever for indicating a boundary between a plurality of areas dividing a document on a platen and a photoelectric detector for detecting the position of the boundary. The index lever includes a marker which gives information about the boundary to the detector and a lever which moves the marker between a detectable position where the detector can detect the marker and a non-detectable position where the detector cannot detect the marker. The document scanning device is effective to be applied to a copying machine equipped with an editing function of the document.

Position indexing indicators for editing an image forming apparatus

A plurality of index members movable in a scanning direction of a scanner are arranged at desired positions on a front portion of a platen glass. A black mark is applied on the rear surface of each of the index member and the original as well as the mark are read by an image reader, so that the position of the index member is detected. When the index member is detected as the scanner moves, the image data of the original included in the scanning area scanned by the scanner are not stored in the bit map memory until the next index member is detected. When the scanning is completed, the desired edited images are formed on a paper whose size is determined based on the amount of the stored image data.

Copying machine providing copy paper corresponding to read image area

A copying machine of the scanning exposure type has a device for entering the position on a copy sheet where a copy image corresponding to a document image is to be formed. According to the input from the device, the operation timing of a feeder is controlled which feeds the copy sheet to a position where an image formed by scanning exposure on a photosensitive member is transferred from the member to the sheet, such that the copy image is formed on the specified position on the sheet. When an edition copy mode is set or the image forming position input is given with the setting of this mode, the scanner is controlled to move a distance which permits a shift of the document image as specified by the position input.

Electrophotographic copying machine with device for shifting an image

When a print switch is pressed, the color of the switch changes from green to orange. A wait indication prohibiting removal of an original placed on a platen glass is turned on. When reading of original images by an image reader is finished, the wait indication is turned off, permitting the removal of the original. Meanwhile, the color of the print switch is kept as it is until the end of image formation on a paper. The color of the print switch is turned into green when the image formation is finished, and the copying machine is returned to a stand-by state. Therefore, the next original can be set before the end of image formation, and the copying operation can be facilitated.

Copying machine capable of storing image data

When a book copy mode is selected, a scanning system is set to a size corresponding to divided original areas. If an automatic paper selection function is being set, a size of paper used for copy is determined based on an input copying magnification and the thus set size for the scanning ssystem. Existence of paper of the determined size in a paper feed cassette is examined and if the paper exists, copy operation is performed. If it does not exist, a display of the paper size is caused to blink. In the book copying mode, the area size of one page of the book is manually designated by the operator, and this area designation parameter is used to set the projection magnification of the optical scanning system. On the other hand, if an automatic magnification selection function is being set, the copying magnification is determined based on an input paper size and the thus set size for the scanning system. Then, copy operation is performed by using the determined copying magnification.

Electrophotographic copying apparatus with book mode magnification

An image duplicating apparatus having optical scanning and image reproducing stages for reproducing images on a sheet medium, a plurality of sheet feeding stages each for feeding a sheet medium to the image reproducing stage, the sheet feeding stages being respectively operative to store sheet media of different sizes, a first size indicating device for indicating the size of the sheet media stored in each of the sheet feeding stages, a first controller for controlling the optical scanning and image reproducing stages so that the image reproducing stage reproduces images on one of the opposite faces of a sheet medium fed from one of the sheet feeding stages, a sheet recovery and supply stage for temporarily storing the sheet medium having images reproduced on one of its faces under the control of the first controller and thereafter supplying the sheet medium for a second time to the image reproducing stage, a second controller for controlling the optical scanning and image reproducing stages so that the image reproducing stage reproduces images on the other face of the sheet medium supplied from the sheet recovery and supply stage, a second size indicating device for indicating the size of the sheet media which can be stored in the sheet recovery and supply stage, and a sheet-feed selecting device for comparing the sizes of sheet media respectively indicated by the first and second size indicating device and automatically selecting the particular one of the sheet feeding stages that stores sheet media of the size identical with the size of sheet media indicated by the second size indicating device.

Image duplicating apparatus having plural copying modes and plural sheet

An exposure control device of a copying machine is provided with a white member at an end portion of an original document holding surface of a platen so as to prevent adhesion of toners to a top end portion of the copying paper. While a scanning optical system moves from the scan start point to the border between the original document and the white member, sufficient light quantity to prevent fogging of the image of the white member is supplied by the exposure lamp. The light quantity of the exposure lamp is changed to a suitable value corresponding to the original document in response to a signal for detecting the border.

Exposure control device of copying machine

A copying apparatus having the capability to write optional pattern information on a copy sheet. The apparatus comprises an original glass plate, a photosensitive drum, plural devices for forming copied image of the original document on the photosensitive drum, an editor 900 for inputting arbitrary coordinates data, an eraser including an LED array, a control circuit for controlling the eraser in accordance with the input data, and a transfer device for transferring the copied image and the pattern image on the same surface of copy sheet.

Copy apparatus with pattern writing capability

An electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of a photoconductor drum 61 of a copying apparatus is caused to be visible by a developing device 4. The developing device 4 comprises a toner tank 43 and a toner supply roller 44 for supplying toner to a developer container 45. A toner density in the developer container 45 is detected by a sensor 11 and a detecting circuit 1. When irregular supply of toner is requested through a switch 91, a control circuit 2 compares the detected toner density with a prescribed density and drives the roller 44 to supply toner till the detected density attains the prescribed density. If copy operation is instructed through a switch 92 during the supply of toner, the control circuit 2 permits the copy operation and the supply of toner is continued during the copy operation.

Image forming apparatus

An electrophotographic copying apparatus which is so arranged that control of its copying functions has been simplified for efficient copying operation by reducing the number of signals for controlling the copying functions, whereby respective devices for corona charging, transferring, separating and developing may be controlled by a single signal, while the number of high voltage sources for supplying power to the corona charger, transfer charger, separating charger and developing sleeve, etc. has also been reduced for simplification.

Electrophotographic copying apparatus

A pyroelectric thermal sensor for measuring the surface temperature of an object on a non-contact basis using the signals produced by a pyroelectric element and a reference thermal sensor is operative to reduce the level of the output signal from the pyroelectric element proportionally by switching an interruptive time for interrupting a heat ray incident to the pyroelectric element when the output of an amplifier for amplifying the pyroelectric element signal approaches the state of saturation.

Pyroelectric thermal sensor

A temperature control arrangement for a heat roller, which includes an infrared sensor unit disposed in the vicinity of the heat roller and including a pyroelectric infrared sensor, a chopper mechanism and a reference temperature measuring heat sensitive element, a set temperature signal generation circuit for the heat roller, a comparison circuit for comparing a temperature detection value of the heat roller as detected by the sensor unit with the set temperature signal from the set temperature signal generation circuit, and a control circuit for subjecting a heater element of the heat roller to on/off control based on a comparison signal of the comparison circuit.

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Hyogo, Japan

Kaoru Hashimoto