Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Satoru Kuwabara

Masanari Kobayashi

Yuji Sato

Shunichi Higashiyama

Kazuma Aoki

Jun Sakai

Kenji Sakakibara

Michitoshi Akao

Takashi Nakata

Atsushi Yokochi

Yukichi Sawaki

Masatoshi Yoshiyama

Yuji Asano

Naoyuki Hatta

Takeshi Izaki

Mitsuru Ohta

Takashi Tomizawa

Hiroshi Kawahara

Keiko Suzuki

Tsuyoshi Kushida

Hisanori Okamoto

Shin Asai

Kanae Imaeda

When a user inputs a URL character string indicating data for an order document, the CPU receives data for the order document indicated by the URL and reading method data from the web server at the URL destination and prints the order document on a recording unit. The user then fills in circles on the order document to indicate desired content and feeds the order document into the manual-feed paper tray on the facsimile device. At this time, the facsimile device reads a user number and data regarding printing details and scrapbook entry details and transmits order data described as a URL to the web server.

Image forming device that prepares and transmits formatted order data to web server

A printing apparatus includes a command input portion, an acquiring portion that acquires image data, a judging portion that determines if specified image data is included in the image data, a control portion and a printing portion that prints an image based on the image data onto a medium. Upon receiving the print command, a determination by the judging portion is performed, and when the judging portion determines that the specified image data is included, a first copy that includes invalidation processing on at least a section of the image is produced, and a second copy that includes invalidation processing on all of the image and the image in all subsequent copies that are printed thereafter is produced, to thereby execute printing of a number of copies that are specified by the print command and subsequently enter a state in which a next print command can be executed.

Printing apparatus

In an image signal input apparatus that performs high-speed input processing of an image signal and, in particular, a brightness signal, a video signal is processed by a clamping circuit so as to achieve a constant reference level, and then input to an A/D converter. The A/D converter samples the video signal synchronously with a clock signal of a frequency 4fsc. The output of the A/D converter is input to a selector directly or via a 4-data arithmetic mean circuit. The 4-data arithmetic mean circuit obtains an arithmetic mean of every four consecutive data output from the A/D converter. The obtained 4-data arithmetic mean data correspond to the brightness signal. After the 4-data arithmetic mean data is stored in a memory through a DMA controller, the data is output to a personal computer via a Centronics&reg; interface, thereby reducing the amount of data memory necessary for input processing to a quarter of the normal amount.

Image signal input apparatus

An image processing apparatus includes a memory for storing image data which includes plural groups of image data, each group of image data corresponding to a line of pixels arranged in a primary scanning direction which is perpendicular to a secondary scanning direction. The image processing apparatus further includes a writing reduction circuit for reducing the image in secondary scanning direction by deleting selected groups of image data before storing the set of image data in the memory, and a reading reduction-enlargement circuit for enlarging the image in said another scanning direction and for reducing or enlarging the image in said one scanning direction at the time of reading out the stored set of image data from the memory.

Image processing apparatus wherein the image data is reduced before the image data is stored in a memory or a buffer

An image recording apparatus which records an image of an original document on an image receiving sheet with the use of a photosensitive recording medium, the image receiving sheet having front and rear faces differing in reflection ratio. To detect error in sheet face orientation, a sheet face sensor unit is provided upstream of a pressure developing unit which discriminates a face of the image receiving sheet. The sensor unit includes a light emitting element for emitting light toward the face of the image receiving sheet and a light receiving element for receiving light emitted from the light emitting element and reflected on the face of the image receiving sheet. A central processing unit computes a reflection ratio based on the data supplied thereto and produces a discrimination signal indicative of the face of the image receiving sheet based on the reflection ratio being computed. A predetermined number of most recently detected data regarding light receiving amount at the light receiving element and the associated discrimination signals are accumulated in a memory. On the basis of the accumulated data, a threshold value for determining the face of the image receiving sheet or the light emission amount of the light emitting element is set.

Image recording apparatus having front/rear sheet face sensor

The invention provides apparatus for forming images at a high speed and with small power consumption, in which a discharge lamp for exposure remains `on` and electric power supplied to the lamp is reduced to such an extent that the lamp is turned down during standby period for exposure. The invention also provides image forming apparatus including a temperature detector for detecting the temperature of an exposure lamp, plural filters, actuators for moving the filters in and out of the optical path, and a controller for regulating the actuators based on temperature data, thus forming stable images irrespective of the temperature of the lamp. The invention further provides image forming apparatus including a cooling fan for cooling an exposure lamp and lamp temperature controller for maintaining the temperature of the exposure lamp constant by activating the cooling fan based on temperature data detected by a lamp temperature detector, thus forming stable images of a desirable color or tone.

Apparatus for forming images discharge lamp and current, tone and

An image forming apparatus for feeding a photosensitive recording sheet having a leader on which characteristic information for the photosensitive recording sheet, such as exposure and development characteristics, is recorded. The apparatus having the capability to read the characteristic information and mechanisms for performing exposure, development and other processes on the basis of the read-out characteristic information, the capability comprising plural rollers disposed spacedly away from one another along a sheet feeding path for feeding the photosensitive recording sheet along the sheet feeding path and a detector disposed between two rollers of the plural rollers for reading out the characteristic information on the leader.

Image forming apparatus

An image recording apparatus which records an image of an original document on an image receiving sheet with the use of a photosensitive recording medium, the image receiving sheet having front and rear faces differing in reflection ratio. To detect error in sheet face orientation, a sheet face sensor unit is provided upstream of a pressure developing unit which discriminates a face of the image receiving sheet. The sensor unit includes a light emitting element for emitting light toward the face of the image receiving sheet and a light receiving element for receiving light emitted from the light emitting element and reflected on the face of the image receiving sheet. A central processing unit is supplied with data representative of amounts of light emitted from the light emitting element and light received at the light receiving element, wherein the central processing unit computes a reflection ratio based on the data supplied thereto and produces a discrimination signal indicative of an error in sheet face orientation of the image receiving sheet based on the reflection ratio being computed.

An image recording medium is provided with an identifying index indicative of whether or not one side of the image recording medium is a front side coated with developing agent. In another image recording medium coated with developing agent, electrical resistance material is coated on at least one side of the image recording medium. In a detecting device for the another image recording medium, an electrode unit is provided for measuring electric conductivity of one side of the image recording medium. A control unit is connected to the electrode unit for identifying the image recording medium on the basis of the electric conductivity measured by the electrode unit. In another detecting device, a light emitting unit emits light with which at least one of front and back sides of an image recording medium is illuminated. A light receiving unit receives light reflected from the at least one side of the image recording medium. An identifying unit is connected to the light receiving unit for identifying the front and back sides and presence and absence of the image recording medium on the basis of the light received by the light receiving unit.

Image recording medium and detecting device therefor

An image forming apparatus that provides consistent images on an elongated web-like recording medium. The image forming apparatus forms the image on the recording medium as it is supplied from a supply member and passes across an exposure station. An associated winding member is detachably installed in the apparatus to take up the recording medium supplied from the supply member. Placed on the winding member are indicia containing information on the exposure and developing characteristics of the recording medium. The operation of the image forming apparatus is controlled according to the characteristics information that is read by a reading device prior to the attachment of a leading edge of the recording medium to the winding member during the automatic feed of the recording medium.

Image forming apparatus using an elongated web-like recording medium

An image forming apparatus including elements such as a light source, an exposure stand heater, a heat-fixing heater, a sheet feed motor and so on for performing a series of copying processes to form an image on a sheet and at least one power source for commonly supplying a power to the elements, further comprising plural sensors for detecting an operational condition of each of the elements such as a temperature of the heater, a rotation angle of the motor and so on and outputting a detection signal representative of the operational condition, and a control unit for controlling the power supply from the power source to the elements so that when the power supply to one of the elements is carried out to drive said one of the elements, the power supply to at least one of the other elements is ceased to stop the driving of at least one of the elements, and controlling the one of the elements on the basis of the detection signal from the sensors so that the operational condition of the one of the elements is substantially equal to a predetermined operational condition.

Growing community of inventors

Chiryu, Japan

Satoru Kuwabara