Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Sharp Labushiki Kaisha

Tokiyuki Okano

Masato Tokishige

Kiyoshi Inamoto

Kazunori Sohda

Kazuyuki Ohnishi

Yoichi Shimazawa

Hidetomo Nishiyama

Kohsuke Harada

Takashi Kubo

Hiroshi Tanaka

Toshiki Ohgita

Hideo Matsuda

Hidetoshi Kaneko

Yoshiaki Masuda

Kazunori Soda

Kazunori Iwasa

Makoto Higuchi

Tomiyuki Ishikawa

Toru Adachi

Yoshiyuki Nakai

Nobuyuki Ueda

Yasutaka Maeda

Taisuke Kamimura

Yasuhiro Ono

Sohichi Takata

Hideyuki Nishimura

Atsushi Narukawa

Takeshi Takarada

Yukihiko Ueno

Fuminori Miyoshi

Kenji Matsumoto

Tsuyoshi Miyamoto

Atsushi Kurimoto

Kazuya Hamaguchi

Hidenori Ohnishi

Eiji Sato

Masanori Toyoda

Kyouichi Takata

Keiji Nakamura

Kazuyuki Onishi

Masami Uchida

Syuichi Yoshinaka

An FPGA functions as an activation mode setting circuit for loading activation data stored on a PROM into a circuit setting memory and setting an activation mode when activating the CPU. The FPGA outputs an activation mode setting signal to the CPU, and the CPU is activated in the set activation mode. After the CPU is activated, it follows predetermined processing steps, and performs a control operation to load the circuit setting data stored in a storage section into the circuit setting memory. Thus, the FPGA is constructed as a circuit having a desired function, and also constructed as an activation mode setting circuit when activating the CPU.

Image processing apparatus and image forming apparatus

A storage area where compressed data is stored is divided into a plurality of divided areas having a data length of Ls. Each divided area is divided into two areas, a first area having a data length of Ld and a second area having a data length of La. A plurality of first areas are gathered starting from the upper address to the lower address, whereby a memory area for compressed image data is composed. A plurality of second areas are gathered starting from the upper address to the lower address, whereby a memory area for compressed attribute data is composed. Compressed image data is sequentially written starting from the upper address to the lower address of the memory area for compressed image data. Compressed attribute data is sequentially written starting from the upper address to the lower address of the memory area for compressed attribute data.

Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, and image processing method

The object of the present invention is to use the same FIFO line memory for both enlargement and reduction during variable-magnification processing in the scan direction, allowing reduction in circuit board area, reduction in power consumption, and reduction in cost, and to provide an image processing apparatus that allows variable-magnification processing to be carried out such that the speed of a scanning unit that captures image data during variable-magnification processing in the cross-scan direction is constant. During processing to enlarge an image in the scan direction, image data travels from CCD circuit board, passing through gate b of selector, is written to and read from FIFO memory, and from gate b of selector is written to memory provided at variable magnification unit. At variable magnification unit, image data is read from memory a plurality of times in correspondence to enlargement ratio, changing the magnification of the image data. Furthermore, image data is output through gate a of selector to LSU unit. During processing to reduce an image, image data travels from CCD circuit board, passing through gate a of selector, is input to variable magnification unit where it is subjected to variable-magnification processing, passes through gate a of selector, is written to and read from FIFO memory, passes through gate b of selector, and is output to LSU unit.

Image processing apparatus

The data of the partial images of an original output from an original input scanning device is converted by an image reducing section into reduced images of data in accordance with the size of duplication. Each reduced image of data is stored in a data storage. A pattern matching section compares adjoining reduced partial images of data as to the overlapping image data, to check the congruency therebetween. Based on this judgement result, an address setting section generates a joining position address corresponding to the joining position in each storage area. A data output control section loads the adjoining reduced partial images of data stored in respective storage areas, in a sequentially, joinable manner, so that an image forming section forms a duplicated image of the original on a predetermined recording medium in accordance with the reduced image data.

Image forming method and an image forming apparatus therefor

In a network composed of a plurality of DPPCs and the NWPs, the NW controller respectively sums respective amounts of printing operations and copying operations executed in the network, for example, upon completing a job in execution or at a predetermined timing. Based on the result of summation, an appropriate ratio in number of printing devices to copying devices is computed. Further, an NW controller selects a DPPC to be switched from its current mode to another mode and switches the mode of the selected DPPC to satisfy a ratio obtained from computation. According to the described arrangement, since the mode of the DPPC can be switched according to the summation of the jobs executed, an effective use of the DPPCs can be achieved. Furthermore, when switching the mode, an operation by the network administrator is not required, thereby reducing a burden of the user.

Method of dynamically managing a printer/copier network

A network system for copiers includes a plurality of copiers each provided with a communication device for communicating with external equipment and a power-on device for powering on the copier in a hold state in response to an external signal received by the communication device and a main controller including an operation controller for controlling operation of the copiers and a time setter for setting time to power on a copier, the main controller being connected to the copiers by a network. The operation controller executes control such that only predetermined one of the copiers is powered on at the power-on time set by the time setter.

Network system for copiers

A cleaning unit used for cleaning the surface of a recording medium in an image forming apparatus, the cleaning unit having a head being moved so as to contact with and separate from the recording medium on the basis of the assessment of preset image forming conditions such as paper size, document size, and copy magnification, and a control section for moving the cleaning head at a detected appropriate time, wherein the cleaning head is released so as to avoid the dispersion of toner that is likely to spoil the image.

Cleaning unit

An electrophotographic apparatus is provided with a fixing device having the first through third fixing rollers for forming the first fixing section by contacting the first and second fixing rollers as well as forming the second fixing section by contacting the second and third fixing rollers, the first fixing section being temperature-adjusted in relation to a first copying mode, the second fixing section being temperature-adjusted in relation to a second copying mode. Either the first or second fixing section is temperature-adjusted according to the order of priority in such a manner that after the completion of the temperature adjustments, temperature adjustments with respect to the other fixing section is successively carried out.

Electrophotographic apparatus having two fixing sections and control

A copying machine as an example of electrophotographic printing machines is composed of a main body which permits both black-and-white copying and full color copying, and a reverse and retransport unit provided under the main body, for reversing and retransporting a sheet after being copied on one surface thereof to the main body. The main body has a fixing means including upper and lower fixing portions formed between three heat rollers. The lower fixing portion placed closer to the reverse and retransport unit is associated with the black-and-white copying, and the upper fixing portion is associated with the full color copying. Upper and lower discharge transport paths for discharging the sheet out of the device are provided so as to respectively extend from the upper and lower fixing portions. Further, a retransport path is provided so as to extend from the lower fixing portion. Since the above three paths are provided without having any crossing point, the structure of the paths is simplified. Furthermore, when carrying out a black-and-white copying on one surface of the sheet and a color copying on the other surface, the black-and-white copying is carried out first, thereby eliminating the problem of the sheet being stuck in the device.

Electrophotographic printing machine providing both monochrome and color

A developing apparatus which includes a plurality of developing units individually provided with sensors for detecting amount of toner accommodated therein, includes a judging device for judging whether or not sensor outputs of other developing units are below a replenishable amount when a sensor output of one developing unit falls below a replenishing requiring amount, and a replenishing display device for urging toner replenishment, based on the result of the above judgement, with respect to the developing unit having the sensor output below the replenishing requiring amount and the developing unit whose sensor output is below the replenishable amount.

Developing apparatus

A developing apparatus which includes a plurality of developing units individually provided with sensors for detecting amounts of toner accommodated therein, includes a judging device for judging whether or not sensor outputs of other developing units are below a replenishable amount when a sensor output of one developing unit falls below a replenishing requiring amount, and a replenishing display device for urging toner replenishment, based on the result of the above judgement, with respect to the developing unit having the sensor output below the replenishing requiring amount and the developing unit whose sensor output is below the replenishable amount.

An electrophotographic apparatus is provided with a developing device accommodating a plurality of developer tanks and a system for preventing erroneous mounting of these developer tanks. The developer tanks contain respective developers different in color from each other and are detachably mounted in respective predetermined mounting portions of the developing device. The system includes a connector formed on each of the developer tanks, a fixed connector formed on each of the mounting portions of the developing device and a controller for outputting at least one discrimination signal and judging whether or not the discrimination signal is inputted into the controller through at least one set of connectors. The connectors in each set are electrically connected with each other when each developer tank is properly mounted in its predetermined mounting portion of the developing device.

System for preventing erroneous mounting of developer tanks accommodated

A copying apparatus having a prescanning function for obtaining density data to adjust copy parameters includes a correction function which eliminates the data obtained from a portion of a predetermined color, from the density data detected on a prescanning process. The density data can be restricted within a predetermined range. The predetermined range can be easily set by the user.

Copying apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Yamatokoriyama, Japan

Tokiyuki Okano