Minolta Company, Ltd.

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Masao Kondo

Toshiya Furubayashi

Masazumi Ito

Akiyoshi Johdai

Shinichi Yabuki

Takashi Honda

Shigeki Nozawa

Takeshi Nomura

Akira Ohhata

Koji Ohara

Yoshinori Maruyama

Tomoyuki Atsumi

Hirokazu Matsuo

Masatoshi Hitaka

Tohru Murakami

Noritoshi Maruchi

Makoto Kumagai

Kazutaka Takemura

Koji Higashikawa

Hirokazu Higashiuchi

In order to properly count the number of sheets printed which serves as the basis on which a charge is calculated, an MFP that acts as a designated printer includes a job accepting portion to accept a print job, a job executing portion to carry out printing based on the print job, a requesting portion to, when the job executing portion is not available for executing the print job, transmit an alternative instruction including the print job to an alternative printer, and an adding portion to add the number of alternative sheets printed by the alternative printer based on the print job included in the alternative instruction to the number of sheets printed by the job executing portion.

Image forming apparatus provided with function to calculate charge based on the number of sheets printed, print system including image forming apparatus, method for counting the number of sheets printed executed by image forming apparatus, and program for counting the number of sheets printed executed by image forming apparatus

When carrying out monochrome printing, an engine unit of a printer calculates an amount of toner consumed as lubricant by a color photoreceptor according to the number of sheets to be printed (S). When carrying out color printing, the engine unit calculates an amount of toner remaining on the color photoreceptor after the printing based on an amount of toner necessary for printing calculated from a printing rate and an amount of actually transferred toner that is calculated from the transfer rate (S). The toner remaining on the color photoreceptor is used as lubricant, and the engine unit calculates an amount of toner by subtracting the residual toner amount from the amount of toner as lubricant calculated from the number of sheets for monochrome printing (S), and supplies the calculated amount of toner as lubricant to the color photoreceptor when carrying out monochrome printing.

Image forming device that reduces consumption of toner used for non-printing purpose

Data comprising a pulse signal is divided into predetermined data segments. The number of pulse-signal fluctuations in the data segment is counted. A transmitter transmits the unchanged data to a receiving portion in a case where the number of pulse-signal fluctuations does not exceed a predetermined number. On the other hand, in a case where the number of pulse-signal fluctuations exceeds the predetermined number, the pulse signal is converted so as to be unchanged at the fluctuation of the pulse signal but to be fluctuated when the pulse signal does not fluctuate. Then, the transmitter transmits the converted pulse signal to the receiving portion wherein only the converted pulse signal is converted to the original pulse signal.

Image forming apparatus and data communication method

Provides is an image forming system, comprising an image forming device and an information processing device connected to the image forming device, further comprising a function-detecting unit detecting that a second function is added to the image forming device having a first function, and a notification unit notifying the user using the first function of the fact that the second function is added when addition thereof is detected by the function-detecting unit.

Image forming system, image forming device and information processing device

In a printer, three toner patches are primary-transferred successively to an intermediate transfer belt. Here, after the first toner patch passes through a belt cleaner and before the second toner patch reaches the belt cleaner, and after the second toner patch passes through the belt cleaner and before the third patch reaches the belt cleaner, the belt cleaner is operated to change the state of contact to the intermediate transfer belt to a different state. A density sensor detects density of the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt, and presence/absence of the toner patch is detected. When presence/absence of the first to third patches is detected alternately, it is determined that the belt cleaner is performing the operation described above.

Image forming apparatus with contact/separation mechanism to/from intermediate transfer body

In an image forming apparatus employing a process cartridge for image forming apparatus which is equipped with a chip including a rewritable non-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory at least includes a read-only region and an arbitrarily rewritable region, a control program for writing data to the read-only region is installed in the arbitrarily rewritable region, and the use of the control program is limited after the completion of the writing of data to the read-only region.

Process cartridge for use in image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus

A printer determines the condition of connection with a peripheral device. When detecting a paper ejector is connected, the printer reads out the model name and the serial number, for identifying the paper ejector, stored in a memory, and transmits the model name and the serial number to a server connected to a network. Then, the printer receives a program for controlling the paper ejector from the server, and writes the received control program into a rewritable nonvolatile memory. The printer executes the control program to thereby control the peripheral device connected to the printer.

Image forming apparatus controlling peripheral device, method for installing control program, installation program, and recording medium thereof

A digital copying machine which feeds a document picked up from a tray or inserted in a manual feed tray to an image reading section. The machine is operable in a first mode in which a document is fed at a speed to achieve the registered copying magnification and in a second mode in which a thin paper document is fed at a lower speed than the speed to achieve the copying magnification.

Digital copying system and image reading apparatus

The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet in recirculation. The apparatus comprises a feed tray, a feed mechanism, a recirculation conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet fed by the feed mechanism to return it to the feed tray. The recirculation conveying mechanism includes a discharge tray on which the plurality of sheets are temporally discharged and accumulated and a moving mechanism for moving the sheets accumulated on the discharge tray to the feed tray. The apparatus further comprises a feed sensor detecting whether or not any sheets present on the feed tray. The sheets discharged on the discharge tray are moved to the feed tray by the moving mechanism when all sheets on the feed tray are fed and the feed sensor detects none of the sheet.

Sheet conveying apparatus

A document scan apparatus comprises a document scanner unit 1 which scans a document by illuminating the document with light, a feed path 10 which extends from a document stack portion 4 to a document discharge portion 8 through the document scan portion 7 of the document scan unit 1, driving units 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 which drive the document on the document path and document size detection units 23 and 24. The document size detection units 23 and 24 detect the document size during the document is carried by the driving units 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. Then, the documents 4 are fed to the document scan position 7 without passing the document discharge portion 8.

Document scan apparatus, imaging forming apparatus having the document

The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet in recirculation. The apparatus comprises a feed tray on which a plurality of sheets are set, a discharge tray on which the plurality of sheets are discharged, a feed mechanism for feeding the plurality of sheets set on the feed tray one by one, a recirculation conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet fed by the feed mechanism to discharge it on the discharge tray and return it to the feed tray, and a plurality of stoppers. The stoppers are disposed at different positions along the sheet conveying direction correspondingly to the sheet size. Each of the plurality of stoppers is moveable between an operation position and a withdrawal position and restricts the front end of the sheet discharged on the discharge tray to align the sheet in the operation position.

A copying machine for copying a document in two-in-one mode comprises a scale (120), an automatic document feeder (ADF) (60), a document selection key (105) and a control circuit (CPU2). A scale (120) is arranged upstream or downstream of the glass platen (29) in the document conveying direction and protruded upward from an upper surface of the glass platen (29). The ADF (60) has a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode the ADF (60) conveys two document sheets to an exposure position (SP) with their ends made coincident with each other without restricting them by the scale (120). In the second mode the ADF (60) conveys two documents sheets on the glass platen (29) with an interval provided therebetween and making the ends of the two document sheets coincident with each other by restricting one of the two sheets arranged on one side close to the scale (120). The ADF (60) is controlled by the control circuit (CPU2) in the mode selected by the document selection key (105) according to the quality of the document.

Copying method and apparatus for copying a document in two-in-one mode

An automatic document feeder having a pick-up roller for feeding a document out of a tray, a conveyer belt for conveying and stopping the document on a platen and ejecting the document from the platen, and a register roller for stopping the document fed by the pick-up roller once and feeding the document onto the platen. A driving mechanism for driving the belt and the register roller is connected with the belt and the register roller with no clutches in-between. The driving mechanism is driven by pulses, and the document conveying amount is controlled by detecting the number of pulses. In the automatic document feeder, if two successive documents are of a size smaller than a half of the platen, the two documents are set on the platen side by side, and a next document is fed out of the tray. If a latter document of two successive documents is of a size larger than a half of the platen, feeding of a next document is inhibited. Further, if two successive documents are of a size smaller than the platen, the documents are fed successively and intermittently to a pre-step position where the leading edge of a document is positioned at an intermediate reference point which is located substantially in the center of the platen and then to a scanning position where the leading edge of a document is positioned at a scanning reference point which is located in a downstream portion of the platen, and a next document is fed to an entrance of the platen.

Growing community of inventors

Toyokawa, Japan

Masao Kondo