Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Masahiko Banno

Yasushi Nakazato

Shigeru Yamazaki

Hiroaki Kotabe

Hidetake Tanaka

Koji Yamanobe

Masaru Kaneko

Shinichiro Wada

Kazuya Iwasaki

Akihiko Motegi

Kouji Yamanobe

Takashi Nishizawa

An information recording/reproducing apparatus includes a use condition determination part that reproduces a specific area on a rewritable recording medium and determines whether an unused area exists. A recording linear velocity changing part changes a recording linear velocity in a radial direction of the medium. A recording clock cycle changing part changes a recording clock cycle in accordance with a change in the velocity. A test writing part performs test writing with a different recording power for each step. An optimum recording power determination part reproduces test-written information and determines an optimum recording power for a recording linear velocity in test writing based on a characteristic value of a reproduction signal. When the unused area exists, test writing is performed thereon at a recording linear velocity the same as that in recording, the optimum recording power for the area is determined, and information is recorded with the optimum recording power.

Information recording/reproducing apparatus that improves recording/reproducing characteristics

An optical disk device that records and reproduces information on/from a recordable optical disk is provided. The optical disk device comprises a reference clock signal generating unit generating a data-writing reference clock signal used to obtain a data-writing timing upon recording data to the optical disk, a synchronizing signal generating unit generating a predetermined sector synchronizing signal from the data-writing reference clock signal, a data demodulating unit reading address information indicating a position on the optical disk from data recorded on the optical disk so as to demodulate the address information into a predetermined synchronizing signal, a displacement detecting unit detecting a displacement between a phase of the sector synchronizing signal and a phase of the synchronizing signal; and a data-writing control unit controlling a data-writing upon performing an additional recording to the optical disk by controlling a revolution of the optical disk dynamically according to the displacement.

Optical disk device controlling a revolution of a recordable optical disk according to a displacement between a phase of a sector synchronizing signal generated from a data-writing reference clock signal and a phase of a synchronizing signal obtained from address

OPTICAL DISK DEVICE CONTROLLING A REVOLUTION OF A RECORDABLE OPTICAL DISK ACCORDING TO A DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN A PHASE OF A SECTOR SYNCHRONIZING SIGNAL GENERATED FROM A DATA-WRITING REFERENCE CLOCK SIGNAL AND A PHASE OF A SYNCHRONIZING SIGNAL OBTAINED FROM ADDRESS INFORMATION

An image forming apparatus includes a laser beam scanning unit for scanning a recording medium in synchronism with a writing clock signal so that a dotted image is formed on the recording medium, a counter for carrying out a count operation in synchronism with the writing clock signal so that one count value or a plurality of count values determining a scanning area is/are obtained, a first controller for activating or inactivating the laser beam scanning unit based on one or the plurality of count values, a dip switch unit for specifying a dotting density, a second controller for controlling the frequency of the writing clock signal and/or a speed of scanning; and a changing unit for changing one or the plurality of count values, which should be obtained by the counter, based on the dotting density specified by the dip switch unit, so that the position of the scanning area with respect to the recording medium is constant even if the frequency of the writing clock signal and/or the scanning speed are changed by the second controller.

Image forming apparatus capable of changing dotting density

A modular type image forming system includes a laser printer main unit and a plurality of optional units, such as a both side processing unit, a large quantity paper feeding unit and a mail box unit, each of which is operatively coupled to said main unit through a commonly usable optical fiber cable through a commonly usable connector. Each unit has its own CPU and serial communications between the CPUs of different units may be carried out through the optical cables. The CPU of the main unit may determine the identity of each of the optional units connected thereto through such communications. The main unit also includes an interface circuit through which the main unit is operatively coupled to each of the optional units. The interface circuit includes a port selector which establishes a connection pattern between the main and optional units in accordance with the identity information of each of the optional units connected. When paper is fed into a transportation path, paper ID is assigned to the paper and retained until the paper is discharged. If the paper is removed from the path without passing a predetermined location, the same image is printed again.

Duplex image forming system with number of single side printed sheets in

A modular type image forming system includes a laser printer main unit and a plurality of optional units, such as both side processing unit, a large quantity paper feeding unit and a mail box unit, each of which is operatively coupled to said main unit through a commonly usable optical fiber cable through a commonly usable connector. Each unit has its own CPU and serial communications between the CPUs of different units may be carried out through the optical cables. The CPU of the main unit may determine the identity of each of the optional units connected thereto through such communications. The main unit also includes an interface circuit through which the main unit is operatively coupled to each of the optional units. The interface circuit includes a port selector which establishes a connection pattern between the main and optional units in accordance with the identity information of each of the optional units connected. When paper is fed into a transportation path, paper ID is assigned to the paper and retained until the paper is discharged. If the paper is removed from the path without passing a predetermined location, the same image is printed again.

Image system with connection to operational units

An image forming system comprises one or a plurality of image forming apparatuses and a host system coupled thereto. Each image forming apparatus is provided with a control part for reading out status information on the image forming apparatus at an arbitrary time. The obtained status information may be displayed or printed at the image forming apparatus and/or supplied to the host system.

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Yokohama, Japan

Masahiko Banno