Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Norio Muraishi

Tetsuya Yano

Kazuhito Kishi

Naoki Sato

Sumihiro Inokuchi

Toshitaka Semma

Yoshihisa Kimura

Kengo Tanaka

Masashi Hommi

Kazuyuki Sato

Hiroshi Adachi

Shingo Nishizaki

Kazushi Takei

Naohiro Funada

Kouji Yamanobe

Mitsufumi Yamamoto

Takuya Kemmochi

Toyokazu Aoki

Shugo Okamura

Takumi Kawamura

Yoichi Kitahara

Masaki Karakawa

Atsushi Kuramoto

A powder detector includes a driver to drive a motor, a stirrer to stir powder in a vessel, a vibration plate disposed in the vessel and vibrated by a flip of the stirrer rotated by the motor, and circuitry. The circuitry detects a vibration of the vibration plate, estimates an amount of powder based on a detection result of the vibration, and causes the driver to drive the motor from a starting point, so as to move the stirrer to a preset halt position. The starting point is a rotation angle of the motor on detection of the vibration.

Powder detector, control method of same, and image forming apparatus incorporating same

An electronic apparatus to which a removable device can be set is provided. The removable device includes a first memory to store first status information indicating a status of the removable device, first identification information identifying the removable device, and second identification information identifying the electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus includes a second memory to store second status information indicating a status of the removable device that is set to the electronic apparatus, third identification information identifying the removable device set to the electronic apparatus, and fourth identification information identifying the electronic apparatus, and a processor to determine, when connected to the first memory of the removable device set to the electronic apparatus, whether the first identification information matches the third identification information and the second identification information matches the fourth identification information and update the second status information with the first status information based on a result of the determination.

Electronic apparatus and method of managing status information of the same

An information processing apparatus includes an information storage to store information indicating a state of the information processing apparatus; an information writing processor to write the information to the information storage; a main power source and an auxiliary power source to supply power to the information writing processor; and a discharge controller to control a discharge speed of the auxiliary power source. When a voltage output of the main power source becomes a reference voltage, the discharge controller switches a power source for the information writing processor from the main power source to the auxiliary power source, and then after completing information writing to the information storage by using the information writing processor and the auxiliary power source, the discharge controller controls the discharge speed of the auxiliary power source to decrease a voltage output of the auxiliary power source to a given voltage within a given time period.

Information processing apparatus, power source control method thereof, program thereof, and storage thereof

Disclosed is an image forming device including an engine unit that performs image processing; an engine control unit that controls the engine unit; and a controller that generates items of starting information. The controller transmits a first item of the starting information indicating a cause of the starting process, and transmits a second item of the starting information when a content of the second item of the starting information is fixed. A time period required for fixing the second item of the starting information depends on the cause of the starting process. The engine control unit obtains the second item of the starting information, based on the first item of the starting information and timing information obtained in advance that indicates a timing at which the second item of the starting information is expected to be fixed.

Image forming device and starting method therefor

An image forming apparatus includes a fuser unit configured to make an image fused to a recording medium, a selecting unit configured to select a duplex scanning mode or a single-side scanning mode, a check unit configured to determine which one of the duplex scanning mode and the single-side scanning mode is selected, a duplex scanning unit configured to perform a scan when both sides of a document sheet are scanned upon the duplex scanning mode being selected, a setting unit configured to determine power supplied to the fuser unit upon determining, by the check unit, that the single-side scanning mode is selected, and a supply unit configured to supply the determined power to the fuser unit, wherein the determined power is equal to a sum of power consumed by the duplex scanning unit and power that is consumed by the fuser unit upon the duplex scanning mode being selected.

Image forming apparatus with fuser unit

Stored DC power is supplied to a load after a return to a normal-power mode or a power-up of an image forming device. An auxiliary power supply does not supply the stored DC power to the load, and a main power supply supplies AC and DC power to the load if it is determined that a predetermined processing is performed upon a starting of the image forming device. The auxiliary power supply supplies the stored DC power to the load, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed, and the main power supply does not supply the AC and DC power to the load if it is determined that the predetermined processing is not performed upon the starting of the image forming device. A decision whether the predetermined processing is performed is based on at least one of a number of sheets, an elapsed time, and an environmental temperature.

Image forming device to supply DC power to a load from both a main power supply device and a capacitor supply device

An image forming apparatus having (1) a main power supply unit (PSU), which converts an AC power source into an AC power and a first DC power, provides the AC power to a fusing unit, and provides the first DC power to a plurality of DC-powered units in the image forming apparatus, (2) a supplemental power supply unit, which accumulates the AC power source and provides a second DC power to the plurality of DC-powered units for a predetermined period, and (3) a controller, which increases or decreases the AC power to be provided to the fusing unit and selects the DC power source from the main PSU and the supplemental PSU by detecting that the supplemental PSU can provide the DC power to the plurality of DC-powered units or not. When the supplemental power supply unit can provide DC power to the Plurality of DC-powered units, the controller increases the AC power from the main power supply unit to the fusing unit and shortens the recovery time.

Image forming apparatus with a supplemental power supply unit

An image formation apparatus is disclosed. The image formation apparatus includes a manuscript reading unit for reading a manuscript, a main power supply for supplying electric power to an alternating-current load and a direct-current load, and an auxiliary power supply that is capable of storing electric power for supplying electric power to the direct-current load. Power supply to the direct-current load is switched between the main power supply and the auxiliary power supply when reading the manuscript is not being carried out.

System for controlling power supplies of an image formation apparatus

A capacitor power supply unit includes detectors for detecting an output voltage of a capacitor group, which includes a plurality of capacitors, and a charge controller that sets a long-time time limit if the output voltage is lower than a set value, and sets a short-time time limit if it is higher than the set value, starts counting the time when the reaching signal is generated, and stops charging performed by the chargers after the time limit elapses.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Norio Muraishi