Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Minolta Camera Co., Ltd.

Kazuyuki Fukui

Takanobu Yamada

Yoshinobu Hada

Yoshikazu Ikenoue

Hiroyuki Ozawa

Norihisa Takayama

Shuichiro Kaneko

Mikio Masui

Yoshihiro Hattori

Hiroyuki Ideyama

Yoshikazu Naito

Yasuo Nakamura

Yoshihiro Hanada

Chujiro Yokoyama

Masaki Tanaka

Kouichi Etou

Yasuhiro Ohno

Hideaki Kodama

Masaaki Nishiyama

Haruki Iwatsuki

In order to promote reception of transmitted data, an image-processing apparatus is connected to a plurality of image-processing apparatuses through a network and has a designation unit to receive a designation of an arbitrary destination user as a receiver of data; a storing unit to store the data in a storing device so as to enable reading of the data by an operation by the destination user designated by the designation unit; and a control unit to execute a predetermined action with respect to the destination user designated by the designation unit when no reading operation for the data is executed by the destination user after a predetermined elapse of time from storing the data in the storing device.

Image-processing apparatus, image-processing system, and method for transmitting and receiving data suited for transmitting and receiving data among a plurality of image-processing apparatuses

In order to share user identification information among a plurality of MFPs without using a server, each of a plurality of MFPs forming an image processing system stores in a HDD registered user information which at least includes the user identification information for identifying a user, requests another MFP to transmit registered user information stored in the HDD provided in that MFP, receives the registered user information transmitted by that MFP according to the request made by a request portion, and stores in the HDD user data that at least includes the received registered user information.

Image processing system, image processing apparatus, and image processing program product suited for transmitting and receiving data among a plurality of image processing apparatuses

In order to efficiently store data that is to be transmitted or received, an image-processing system is provided with a plurality of MFPs and has: a designation unit to designate an arbitrary destination user as a receiver of data; a specifying unit to specify an MFP among the plurality of MFPs, the destination user designated by the designation unit belonging to the specified MFP; and a control unit to control switching between a first mode and a second mode in accordance with a predetermined condition, the first mode being for storing the data in a predetermined storing device on the network so as to enable reading of the data by an operation by the destination user designated by the designation unit, the second mode being for, instead of storing the data in the predetermined storing device, transmitting the data to the MFP specified by the specifying unit, the destination user belonging to the specified image-processing apparatus.

Information-processing system, method for transmitting and receiving data, image-processing apparatus suited especially for transmitting and receiving data among a plurality of image-processing apparatuses connected to network

The data processing system includes a storage portion to store user data that at least includes user identification information for identifying a user, a destination designation portion to display a user identified by the user identification information stored in the storage portion so as to allow designation of the user as a destination and a data designation portion to designate data to be delivered to the destination designated by the destination designation portion, a processing method designation portion to designate a processing method for processing the data, a user identification information input portion to accept an input of user identification information, a data extracting portion to extract data whose destination is the user specified by the user identification information inputted, and a data processing portion to process the extracted data by a processing method designated by the processing method designation portion.

Data processing system, data processing apparatus, and data processing program product suited for transmitting and receiving data among a plurality of image processing apparatuses

To allow inputting and outputting of data using any apparatus of a plurality of MFPs, each of the plurality of MFPs includes a HDD to store user data including user identification information for identifying a plurality of users, a job attribute information generating portion to generate job attribute information which associates location information on the network of data inputted in a scanner with one of a plurality of user identification information, a control portion to control so as to store the job attribute information in HDDs of other MFPs connected to the network, a user identification information input portion to accept an input of the user identification information, a job attribute information obtaining portion to obtain from the HDDs of other MFPs connected to the network the job attribute information including the user identification information inputted, and a data obtaining portion to obtain data associated by the job attribute information obtained.

When a new MFP is connected in a state where a plurality of MFPs are connected to a network, each of a plurality of MFPs obtains an IP address of MPF from the new MFP, and if user data including the obtained IP address is stored, then transmits to the new MFP the registered user information associated with the obtained IP address by the user data. On the other hand, if user data including the obtained IP address is not stored in HDD, the new MFP is requested to transmit registered user information. Upon reception of the registered user information, the new MFP displays a confirmation window to ask the user for permission to write that registered user information into HDD. Upon reception of the request, the new MFP transmits registered user information. This facilitates the setting for newly connecting an apparatus to the network.

Image processing system including plurality of image processing apparatuses used by plurality of users, image processing apparatus included in the image processing system

An image processing system includes a plurality of MFPs (Multi Function Peripheral) connected to a network, and each of the plurality of MFPs is provided with an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) to store registered user information associating user identification information for identifying a user and personal information related to that user, and when the user identification information is inputted, it determines whether the personal information associated with the user identification information is stored in the HDD or not, and if the personal information is stored, the personal information is read from the HDD, and if the personal information is not stored, it transmits a personal information transmission request including the user identification information to another MFP, and receives the personal information from the MFP that stores the registered user information including the user identification information, and controls a prescribed apparatus operation based on the read or received personal information.

Image processing system having a plurality of users utilizing a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected to network, image processing apparatus, and image processing program product executed by image processing apparatus

In order to facilitate the designation of a destination of data while allowing the data to be delivered in a processing method desired by a user at the destination, an MFP includes a registration portion to register for each user a processing method for processing data, a destination designation portion to display a user registered in the registration portion in such a manner that the user can be designated as a destination, a data designation portion to designate data to be delivered to the destination designated by the destination designation portion, and a data processing portion to process data by the processing method registered in the registration portion for the user if data whose destination is the user registered in the registration portion has been delivered.

Data processing system, data processing method, and data processing program product suited for transmitting and receiving data among a plurality of image processing apparatuses

When user identification information is input, if user data including the input user identification information is stored, an MFP serving as an operation terminal requests an MFP serving as a home terminal specified by the apparatus identification information associated with the accepted user identification information by the user data to transmit the registered user information including the input user identification information and stores the registered user information received in response to the transmission request. Therefore, with a user's simple operation of inputting user identification information at an MFP as an operation terminal, the registered user information is transmitted from an MFP as a home terminal storing the registered user information and is then stored in the MFP as an operation terminal.

Image processing system including plurality of image processing apparatuses connected to network for use by plurality of users, and image processing apparatus included in the image processing system

In a digital image forming apparatus wherein a user can change a gradation curve of the density of reproduced image plotted against the input image signal obtained by reading a document, it is needed to compensate a change of color of a reproduced image accompanied by the selection of a changed gradation curve. Then, when input multi-tone image signals of R, G and B are converted to multi-tone image signals of Y, M and C for printing, the masking coefficient used for the conversion from R, G and B to Y, M and C is changed according to the changed gradation curve. Then, the multi-tone image signals of Y, M and C are converted to light quantity data of a beam for exposing a photoconductor to form an image on the photoconductor according to the gradation curve.

Digital image forming apparatus

In a digital image forming apparatus, a document image is read as digital data, and an image type of bi-level image or multi-level image is discriminated from the digital data. For a bi-level image, an intensity of laser beam for exposing a photoconductor is modulated according to the image data with a duty ratio of 100%. On the other hand, for a multi-level image such as a photograph image, the intensity of laser beam is modulated with a duty ratio in the unit of two or more dots according to the image data. The duty ratio and the laser output power are changed according to a type or document image or according to sensitivity characteristic of the photoconductor.

In order to control development condition and/or transfer condition for stable image forming, toner patterns of the same density are formed on a photoconductor and are transferred onto a paper or the like while changing the transfer current. Then, the transfer efficiencies of the toner patterns are measured. Other characteristics such as the resistance of the paper and charge of toners may also be monitored. Then, the development condition and/or transfer condition is controlled according to the detected data.

Image forming apparatus with transfer efficiency control

In a method for forming a digital image with use of electrophotographic process wherein the gradation is expressed by changing the laser intensity according to image information, at least one of the surface electric potential V.sub.O of photoconductor and the development bias electric voltage V.sub.B is controlled, and the laser intensity is controlled for gradation correction to compensate a change in gradation due to the control of V.sub.O and V.sub.B.

Apparatus for forming an image with use of electrophotographic process

In a digital image forming apparatus, a document image is read as digital data, and an image type of bi-level image or multi-level image is discriminated from the digital data. For a bi-level image, an intensity of laser beam for exposing a photoconductor is modulated according to the image data with a duty ratio of 100%. On the other hand, for a multi-level image such as a photograph image, the intensity of laser beam is modulated with a duty ratio in the unit of two or more dots according to the image data. The duty ratio and the laser output power are changed according to a type of document image or according to sensitivity characteristic of the photoconductor.

In a apparatus for forming a digital image with use of electrophotographic process wherein the gradation is expressed by changing the laser intensity according to image information, at least one of the surface electric potential V.sub.O of photoconductor and the development bias electric voltage V.sub.B is controlled, and the laser intensity is controlled for gradation correction to compensate a change in gradation due to the control of V.sub.O and V.sub.B. A ratio of variable differences of potential in the apparatus, (V.sub.B -V.sub.I)/(V.sub.O -V.sub.I), is kept constant to control the gamma characteristic in the apparatus.

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Toyohashi, Japan

Kazuyuki Fukui