Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Masaharu Iida

Hiroyuki Takahashi

Yasushi Nakazato

Nekka Matsuura

Tetsuo Yamanaka

Konosuke Maruyama

An image forming apparatus includes a replaceable image formation unit. The image forming apparatus includes an input device for inputting a signal representing occurrence of abnormality in one of an output image and the image forming apparatus recognized by an operator, a unit specifying device for specifying an image formation unit to be replaced for resolving the abnormality upon receiving the signal, and a notification device for notifying information related to the replacement unit based on the unit specification result.

Image forming apparatus and control system

In a data link control method, a receiver and a transmitter are connected so that the transmitter can transmit every line of a predetermined data at a first speed, the receiver plotting every line of the predetermined data on a recording paper thereof at a second speed. A predetermined mode is selected from either a buffer mode or a skip mode on the basis of a ratio of the first speed to the second speed and whether a buffer can be used by the receiver. The predetermined data is temporarily stored in the buffer and then plotted during the buffer mode. The recording paper of the receiver is fed at a third speed higher than a normal speed when a blank line of the predetermined data is plotted thereon during the buffer mode and skip mode. A data amount of the blank line being reduced to a ratio of the normal speed of the recording paper to the third speed thereof and a fill-bit representing 0 being added to the data amount of the blank line reduced during the skip mode so that the transmitting operation of the transmitter can be synchronized with the plotting operation of the receiver.

Data link control method for controlling receiver and transmitter

A data communication apparatus is connected to two telephone lines and includes a single telephone circuit, a modem and a switching circuit for selectively coupling one of the telephone circuit and the modem to a selected one of the telephone lines. A telephone call is made through the telephone circuit, and a data communication such as a facsimile communication is made through the modem.

Growing community of inventors

Ebina, Japan

Masaharu Iida