Konica Corporation

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd.

Konica-minolta Holdings, Inc.

Konishiroku Photo Ind. Co., Ltd.

Seitaro Kasahara

Susumu Kurihara

Haruo Itakura

Hiroshi Ishii

Akira Sawaki

Minoru Asakawa

Mitsuo Motohashi

Tetsuhiro Kodera

Masahiko Kamei

Yasunori Ohgo

Yuichi Atarashi

Toshio Shida

Satoshi Sakata

Akitoshi Matsubara

Utami Soma

Motoki Nakamichi

Shigeo Konuma

Tatsumi Horiuchi

Shun Kawata

Kazuhisa Maruyama

Tomoo Kudo

Kimikazu Saitoh

Masari Ohtsuka

There is provided a bookbinding system which can carry out a process from image formation to glued bookbinding in-line. The bookbinding system comprises a book content data input sectionto which book content data regarding a content of a book is entered, a cover sheet data input sectionto which cover sheet data regarding a cover sheet display is entered, a book content image formation sectionwhich forms images on recording sheets based on the book content data entered from the book content data input section, a cover sheet display image formation sectionwhich forms an image on a case cover based on the cover sheet data entered from the cover sheet data input section, back gluing meansfor back-gluing the recording sheets on which the images have been formed, and casing meansfor casing the recording sheets back-glued by the back gluing means with a case cover to bond the sheets.

Bookbinding system

An image forming system includes: a first and second stacking sections arranged at a position different from each other for stacking a sheet with an image formed thereon by an image forming section; a first conveyance path and a second conveyance path longer than the first one for conveying the sheet to the first and second stacking sections, respectively through a common conveyance path, wherein an interval between sheets fed along the common conveyance path is smaller than the difference between the second and first conveyance paths; a switching section for switching a conveyance path of the sheet conveyed along the common conveyance path between the first and second conveyance paths; and a control device controls such that an (N+1)th sheet is stacked on the first stacking section after the N-th sheet has been stacked on the second stacking section.

Image forming system having plural sheet stackers and image forming method thereof

An image forming apparatus having an operation improved in view of use of normal healthy persons and handicapped persons. The image forming apparatus comprising an operation panel having a display and an input section, has: a specifying section for specifying whether a user is a normal healthy person or a handicapped person; a storage for storing an operation function when the normal healthy person uses the apparatus, and an operation function when the handicapped person uses the apparatus; and an operation function changing section for reading a corresponding operation function out of the storage, and changing an operation function of the operation panel according as the normal healthy person or the handicapped person is specified by the specifying section.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming system including: an image forming section for forming an image on a paper; a transporting path for transporting the paper on which the image has been formed in the image forming section; a plurality of stackers for stacking the paper transported by the transporting path; a switching section for selecting and switching to, on a way of the transporting path, a transporting destination of the paper among the plurality of stackers; and a controller for controlling the image forming section and the switching section; wherein when transportation of papers, on which images have been formed, is switched from a first copy set to a second copy set, the controller controls the switching section to switch the transporting destination for the second copy set to another stacker within the plurality of stackers.

Image forming system having switching section for stackers and image forming method thereof

A book on-demand system having reading data for reading book contents and printing and bookbinding data for printing and bookbinding on the server thereof and also having a function to transmit the reading data to a reading device via a network at a user's request and also transmit the printing and bookbinding data to a printing and bookbinding device, wherein the server separately handles reading charge data concerning a reading charge applied to reading data transmission and printing and bookbinding charge data concerning a printing and bookbinding charge applied to printing and bookbinding processing.

Book on-demand system

A finishing apparatus is provided which includes a stacker for stacking recording sheets; a first and second conveyor for conveying a recording sheet to an image forming apparatus; a sheet accommodating device for accommodating a sheet to be inserted at an insertion position which is at least one of the top of, the bottom of or a middle portion between the recording sheets; a sheet feeder for feeding the sheet accommodated in the sheet accommodating device to the stacker; an input device for designating the insertion position of the sheet; and a finishing controller for controlling the sheet feeder so that the sheet to be inserted into the recording sheets is stopped and thereafter reconveyed. The feeding interval between the first and second conveyors is made larger when a sheet is inserted between recording sheets.

Finishing technology in image forming system

A system for controlling data transmission comprises at least two control devices, a first common communication line to which each of the at least two control devices is connected, and a plurality of operation devices for carrying out respective processing operations. Each of the at least two control devices is connected with a different one of the plurality of operation devices and is provided with a priority rank depending on the one of the operation devices connected thereto. And each of the at least two control devices comprises: (i) a memory for storing at least one of command data and status data corresponding to the one of the operation devices connected thereto, (ii) a priority rank discriminator for discriminating whether a right to transmit data is requested by another one of the control devices having a higher priority rank, and (iii) a transmitter for transmitting the data stored in the memory to the first common communication line only if the priority rank discriminator discriminates that the right to transmit data has not been requested by another one of the control devices having the higher priority rank.

Control method and control system for a copier

An image forming apparatus wherein a recording medium stored in a storage device is first detected by a detection device and the recording medium is abutted against a second paper feed roller, the second paper feed roller being driven by a controller for feeding the abutted recording medium to an image forming unit, at the timing at which the tip of an image in the image forming unit is in accord with the tip of the recording medium for each of the size of the recording medium.

A counting device for counting a number of image forming operations of an image forming apparatus. The counting device includes a registering device for registering a plurality of identification codes and a comparing device for comparing an identification code stored in a portable memory card with the plurality of identification codes registered in the registering device. A first memory counter counts a number of image forming operations of the image forming apparatus when the comparing device matches the identification code stored in the portable memory card with at least one of the plurality of identification codes registered in the registering device. A second memory counter counts a number of image forming operations of the image forming apparatus when the comparing device does not match the identification code stored in the portable memory card with any of the plurality of identification codes registered in the registering device. Thus, the number of copying operations can be both collectively and individually counted.

Image forming apparatus counting system using individual and collective

An earth current leakage breaking circuit detects a current leakage in an AC line in a copying apparatus and breaks electrically the AC line. The circuit has a current difference detector which detects a difference in current between an incoming current and an outgoing current in AC lines which supply electric power from an AC power source to electrical loads in the apparatus. A control circuit which, when it detects an output signal from the current difference detector which continuously exceeds a reference level, turns off a relay provided to the AC lines. The control circuit has a timing generator which generates timings to start driving the loads, and a reference level generator which generates the reference level being variable in accordance with the generated timings.

Current leakage breaking circuit for a copying apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprises an inner memory, first checking means, second checking means, a mode selector, judging means and a portable memory. The portable memory is adapted to be connected to the main body of the apparatus and memorizes a portable memory identification number to identify the same portable memory and a plurality of usable apparatus numbers to represent usable image forming apparatuses which become usable by the connection of the same portable memory. The inner memory memorizes an apparatus identification number to identify the image forming apparatus and a plurality of acceptable portable memory numbers to represent portable memories acceptable for the same image forming apparatus. The first checking means checks if the apparatus identification number coincides with any of the usable apparatus numbers, and the second checking means checks if, the portable identification number coincides with any of the acceptable portable memory numbers. The mode selector selects a check mode which determines a combination of checks to be performed by the first and the second checking means, and the judging means allows usage of the image forming apparatus based on the result of the combined checks.

Image forming apparatus with memory card

An image density reading apparatus in which an image of a document is irradiated by a light source and a density signal is generated from an image light reflected from the image. In the apparatus, there is an amplifier for amplifying a density signal on the basis of an amplifying gain and a signal processor for processing the amplified density signal in accordance with a predetermined processing algorithm to output a gain control signal. The amplifier is provided with a switch for changing a gain in response to the gain control signal.

Image density reading apparatus capable of selecting a desired

The invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of performing an ordinary copy mode, whereby the entire surface of a document is scanned by an image reader to copy the entire surface on a copy sheet, and a serial page copy mode, whereby first and second half portions of the document are separately scanned to copy each half portion on a separate copy sheet. In the apparatus, copy sheets of different sizes are fed from a plurality of cassettes each storing a copy sheet of a predetermined size or a manual feed tray. There is provided a memory for memorizing a serial copy sheet size to be fed from the manual feed tray. When the serial page copy mode is selected in the manual feed mode, the image reader is controlled to separately scan the first and second half portions of the document on the basis of the serial copy sheet size.

Image forming apparatus capable of performing serial page copy

An object of the invention is to provide a copy machine for recording an additional information onto a copy of document without reducing the document original image. The copy machine has a display for indicating the additional information in the proximity of a glass platen for placing the document. The copy machine is adapted to perform copy operation at least two times so as to form both copy images of the document and the additional information on the same copy sheet.

Growing community of inventors

Hachioji, Japan

Seitaro Kasahara