Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.

Tadashi Miyazaki

Masaya Fujimoto

Shinji Hayashi

Hidechika Kumamoto

Haruo Yamamoto

Yasuyoshi Kobayashi

Tomoyoshi Sugihara

Akizo Otani

Koji Eto

An image forming system includes a recording processing portion, an acquirement processing portion, and an output processing portion. The recording processing portion records a consumed amount of a consumable consumed by an image forming apparatus per predetermined unit time. The acquirement processing portion acquires prediction data that indicates a predicted consumed amount of the consumable per the unit time for a time period from a predetermined standard time, based on a comparison result between: a first record result corresponding to a first time period extending to a reference time; and a second record result corresponding to a predetermined second time period extending to the standard time, among a record result recorded by the recording processing portion, the reference time being a predetermined specific time period earlier than the standard time. The output processing portion outputs the prediction data acquired by the acquirement processing portion.

Image forming system capable of predicting consumed amount of consumable, prediction data output method

An image forming apparatus includes: an image formation section, a fan, a filter, a contamination detection section, an exhaust path, a circulation path, an air amount adjustment section, and a control section. The fan suctions and exhausts air at surroundings of the image formation section. The filter permits the air exhausted by the fan to pass through the filter. The contamination detection section detects a contamination level of the air which has passed through the filter. The exhaust path discharges the air to an outside. The circulation path returns the air towards a suction side of the fan. The air amount adjustment section increases and decreases an amount of the air flowing through the exhaust path and an amount of the air flowing through the circulation path oppositely to each other. The control section controls the air amount adjustment section in accordance with the contamination level of the air.

Exhaust and filter appratus and image forming apparatus comprising the same

In an image forming apparatus, a calculation processing portion includes an input portion and an input-portion abnormality determining portion. The input portion is connected to a temperature detection portion. When an abnormality detection circuit has detected that a temperature detected by the temperature detection portion is an abnormally heated temperature, the input-portion abnormality determining portion determines whether or not a first temperature calculated as a temperature of a fixing member is lower than a predetermined second temperature, and upon determining that the first temperature is lower than the second temperature, determines that the input portion is abnormal.

Image forming apparatus having abnormality determination function

An image forming apparatus () includes a biological information acquiring unit () that, upon accepting a print job transmitted by a user through a preset terminal device (), identifies the terminal device () including a biological information detecting unit based on the terminal device's () identification information assigned to the print job, and acquires the user's biological information detected by the biological information detecting unit through a biological information receiving unit, a biological information determining unit () that determines whether or not the acquired biological information corresponds to reference biological information indicating that the user is in a hurry, and a calibration control unit () that, if the determination result shows that the acquired biological information corresponds to the reference biological information, disables regularly scheduled calibration at a time of, or during execution of the accepted print job.

Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and method for forming images including external devices

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing section, a low voltage detection circuit, an arithmetic control section, and a storage section. The fixing section has a heater and fixes a toner image on recording paper with heat of the heater. The low voltage detection circuit detects a drop in an input voltage from a power source. The arithmetic control section determines, when a drop in the input voltage is detected by the low voltage detection circuit, whether the drop in the input voltage is linked to working of the heater. The arithmetic control section lowers the temperature of the heater when the drop in the input voltage is linked to the working of the heater, and causes the storage section to store a result of the detection by the low voltage detection circuit when the drop in the input voltage is not linked to the working of the heater.

Image forming apparatus and control method

A light source section of the image reading apparatus illuminates a document with light. An image sensor outputs image signals. An operating section accepts input of an enlargement factor and selection of a document scanning mode. An image processing section generates image data, from pixels (lines) in a quantity according to an enlargement factor. A stepper motor moves the document or the light source section. During a quiet mode, a signal generating section inputs to the stepper motor a pulse signal of a fixed frequency within a quiet mode frequency band. The quiet mode frequency band is a frequency band in which vibration of the stepper motor is at or below a predetermined normal vibration level.

Image reading apparatus, image forming device, and method for controlling reading so frequency of pulse signal to stepper motor reduces vibration during quiet scanning mode

An image processing circuit which adds, by means of a yellow color image data, forgery tracing information to yellow, magenta and cyan color image data obtained by reading out of an original. A tracing information adder replaces the read-out yellow color image data with a yellow color image of a higher density in a low-density area where the density of the read-out yellow color image data is equal to or below a set threshold value. In a high-density area where the density of the read-out yellow color image data exceeds the set threshold value, the tracing information is added by adding a predetermined value to the read-out yellow color image data.

Image processing circuit

An image processor is provided which emphasis-processes an image to be copied with attention to the detection of black edges so that clear color copy outputs are obtained. R, G and B data read out from an original by a scanner are converted into C, M and Y complementary color data by a complementary color reversing circuit. The complementary color data are transmitted to a black edge processing circuit and to a black edge detecting circuit. The black edge detecting circuit detects the inside or the outside of a black edge, and in accordance therewith, the black edge processing circuit, for example, changes the coefficient of a spatial filter. The output of the black edge processing circuit is outputted to a printer through a black generating circuit, a tone correcting circuit and a half tone processing circuit.

Image processor with image edge emphasizing capability

A color image is by an optical scanner for conversion into three primary color data corresponding to the respective densities of the three primary colors. An edge detector detects a pixel of an edge based on the three primary color data. A pixel color judging device judges a color of a target pixel based on the three primary color data of the target pixel and its adjacent pixels. Based on edge detection results of the edge detector and pixel color judgment results of the pixel color judging device, detected is a pixel of a black edge. Judgement conditions for the pixel color judgement are established based upon characteristics that depend upon the order of arrangement of color filters in a scanner.

Image processing apparatus

An image processor performs emphasis processings suitable for materials to be copied to produce clear copy outputs. The image processor has a digitizing circuit which outputs a digital signal produced by digitizing an image. The processor further has a first detecting circuit which detects an area of the digital signal including a periodic component, a second detecting circuit which detects a character area of the digital signal, and a smoothing circuit which smoothes the digital signal to output a smoothed signal. Either the digital signal or the smoothed signal is selected and outputted by a changeover circuit according to an output of the first detecting circuit. The output of the changeover circuit is differentiated into a plurality of differentiated signals by a differentiating circuit by use of a plurality of different coefficients. One of the differentiated signals is selected and outputted according to the outputs of the first and second detecting circuits.

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Osaka, Japan

Tadashi Miyazaki