Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Kohei Hayashi

Kazuo Okunishi

Yoshihiko Yoshizaki

Masashi Saito

Atsushi Kawai

Tetsuya Sakai

Yutaka Otsuka

Tatsutoshi Yamada

Harumitsu Fujimori

Hironori Akashi

Tomohiro Kato

Kanji Nakayama

Shigeki Nozawa

Takahiro Kuroda

Yasuyuki Kamai

Ryohei Matsuo

Yusuke Mamiya

Shigeo Tomita

Yasufumi Naitou

Tomoyoshi Yukimoto

Toshihito Kobayashi

Hideaki Komiyama

A posture determination method is to determine, based on an image acquired for a component having a plurality of surfaces, a posture of the component. This posture determination method includes recognizing an outer shape of the component from the image, detecting a feature amount of a surface shape in a determination area being a part of the component based on the outer shape of the component recognized in the recognizing, and determining. In the determining, the posture of the component is determined by comparing a first reference amount indicating a reference feature amount in the determination area of a first surface of the component and a second reference amount indicating a reference feature amount in the determination area of a second surface of the component with the feature amount detected in the detecting.

Posture determination method, computer-readable recording medium storing program, and component feeding apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier configured to carry a toner image; a transfer member configured to transfer the toner image onto a transfer target member by applying a transfer voltage of the opposite polarity of the polarity of the toner image to the transfer target member, the transfer member being in contact with the image carrier; an accepting unit configured to accept a setting for changing a preset current range to a new current range, the preset current range being defined by one of a lower limit of a current flowing in the transfer target member and an upper limit of the current; a sensing unit configured to sense a magnitude of the current flowing in the transfer target member; and a control device configured to control the transfer voltage so that the magnitude of the sensed current falls within the new current range.

Image forming apparatus, control method, and control program in which a magnitude of a current to flow in a paper sheet at the time of toner image transfer can be set

An image formation apparatus includes: a fixer that fixes a toner image onto a sheet by heat and pressure, and includes: a heat source; a first rotary member that is heated by the heat source; a temperature sensing unit that senses a temperature of the first rotary member; and a second rotary member that forms a nip with the first rotary member for applying heat and pressure to the sheet; and a controller that calculates a nip width of the nip in a passing direction of the sheet with use of a rotation period and a rest period of the first rotary member during which the heat source operates, and changes a target temperature of the first rotary member in accordance with the calculated nip width.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a sheet conveying unit, a TOD (Top of Data) control module for instructing the image forming unit to start generation of a toner image, a timing roller driving module for instructing the sheet conveying unit to start driving of the timing roller, an image synchronization module designed depending on the sheet conveying unit and the image forming unit, and a sheet information module for generating an image synchronization identifier for designating a pattern of image synchronization control related to printing of the toner image on the sheet, depending on a type of the sheet designated. The image synchronization module is activated when the formation of the toner image on the sheet has become possible, and activate each of the TOD control module and the timing roller driving module, with a relative time lag based on the image synchronization identifier.

Image forming apparatus

A sheet positional information updating unit of a sheet conveying device updates positional information on a leading end of a sheet by adding a sheet feed amount of a second-stage vertically conveying roller. The sheet positional information updating unit stops the update of the positional information when a first-stage vertically conveyance sensor does not detect the leading end of the sheet in the case that the positional information on the leading end of the sheet arrives at a position on an upstream side of a leading-end detection position of the first-stage vertically conveyance sensor. The sheet positional information updating unit resumes the update of the positional information on the leading end of the sheet in the case that first-stage vertically conveyance sensor detects the leading end of the sheet.

Sheet conveying device

A computer readable storage medium stores a feeding and conveyance control program. The feeding and conveyance control program causes a computer to perform executing sequence control of a feeding sequence module with respect to a feeding mechanism that feeds the recording medium. The sequence control includes two kinds of sequence control executed in accordance with an identifier indicating whether the vertical conveyance mechanism exists. Sequence control of a vertical conveyance sequence module is executed with respect to a vertical conveyance mechanism that relays conveyance of the recording medium. Sequence control of a resist conveyance sequence module is executed with respect to a resist conveyance mechanism that conveys the recording medium to the transfer position at a predetermined timing. Overall management of the above-described modules is executed. The overall management includes determining, based on the identifier, whether to execute the sequence control of the vertical conveyance sequence module.

Storage medium and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus performs image stabilization after a printed page count exceeds a first threshold, if either an end of a job or a mode switch from monochrome mode to color mode has been detected. Even if neither the end of the job nor the mode switch from monochrome mode to color mode has been detected, the image forming apparatus performs image stabilization if the printed page count exceeds a second threshold that is larger than the first threshold.

Color imaging forming apparatus with image stabilization control and method therefore

In an MFP, when a count of printed sheets of paper exceeds a predetermined count, a controller reads, from internal counters, a frequency of a stabilization process executed in return, a frequency of a stabilization process executed automatically in printing, a frequency of a stabilization process executed manually based on a user's instruction, and a frequency of return, respectively. When the frequency of the stabilization process executed automatically is small while the frequency of the stabilization process executed manually is large, the controller raises a frequency level of execution of the stabilization process. When the frequency of the stabilization process executed manually is small, the controller lowers the frequency level of execution of the stabilization process.

Image forming apparatus executing stabilization process at proper frequency

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Okazaki, Japan

Kohei Hayashi