Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yutaka Ohmiya

Hideki Hashimoto

Masamoto Nakazawa

Daisuke Nikaku

Tadashi Shinohara

Yasuhiro Abe

Hiroaki Nishina

Hirofumi Ono

Tadaaki Oyama

Tatsuya Ishii

Takayuki Kawamoto

An image reading device includes a reading unit, a background member, and processing circuitry. The reading unit includes alight source to emit light to a passage area through which an object passes and an imaging device to capture reflected light of the light emitted to generate a visible image and an invisible image. The background member is disposed opposite the light source across the passage area. The processing circuitry is configured to: detect a change in an image characteristic due to a change in an optical characteristic of the reading unit, in invisible images obtained by capturing of invisible marks on the background member; determine a correction amount of an image characteristic to be used for correcting an image of the object generated by the imaging device, based on the change in the image characteristic detected; and correct the image characteristic based on the correction amount determined.

Image reading device, image forming apparatus, and image reading method

A position sensing apparatus and a method of detecting a position. The position sensing apparatus includes a scanner configured to emit light to an object to scan an image of the object, and a position detector. In the position sensing apparatus, the scanner outputs a first result of scanning obtained by irradiating the object with visible light and a second result of scanning obtained by irradiating the object with invisible light to the position detector, and the position detector corrects the second result of scanning based on the first result of scanning, and to detect an invisible alignment image based on the corrected second result of scanning. The method includes emitting light to an object using a scanner, obtaining a first result of scanning as the scanner irradiates the object with visible light, and obtaining a second result of scanning as the scanner irradiates the object with invisible light.

Position sensing apparatus, image forming apparatus, and position detection method

An abnormal-pixel detecting device includes an image sensor and an image processor. The image sensor is configured to capture an image of a subject. The image processor is configured to calculate: a ratio between a first plurality of pixel values captured by the image sensor and a second plurality of pixel values whose reference position is shifted relative to the first plurality of pixel values in a main scanning direction to obtain a third plurality of pixel values; and detect an abnormal pixel in the third plurality of pixel values.

Abnormal-pixel detecting device, image forming apparatus, and method of detecting abnormal pixel

An information processing apparatus is configured to perform information processing on a target. The information processing apparatus includes one or more processors; and one or more memories storing program instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform a plurality of processes, the plurality of processes including a first process of adding information to the target and a second process of obtaining the information; control each of the plurality of processes; and perform a correcting process of concurrently performing corrections with respect to the plurality of processes.

Information processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, information processing method, and image forming method

A reading device, an image forming apparatus, and a method of correction. The reading device includes a scanner configured to read an image in a first wavelength range and an image in a second wavelength range from light reflected by a surface of a recording medium, a detector configured to detect a change from a reference position in a reading-depth direction when the surface of the recording medium is read by the scanner, based on an amount of characteristic read from the image in the second wavelength range, and a corrector configured to correct the image in the first wavelength range based on the change detected by the detector. The image forming apparatus includes the reading device, and an image forming device configured to form an image corrected by the corrector of the reading device on a recording medium. The method includes reading the image in the first wavelength.

Reading device, image forming apparatus, and method detecting and correcting reading-depth change based by reading image in first and second wavelength range

An image reading device includes a light source configured to irradiate a subject; a reading unit configured to detect reflected light generated by a subject reflecting light emitted from the light source, to perform reading; and a control unit configured to perform turn-on control on the light source. The control unit is configured to perform the turn-on control to change a turn-on condition such that the light source is turned on during a period when at least a detection region including an image pattern on the subject passes through a reading position of a reading unit, based on position information of the image pattern of the subject in a first operation mode for reading the subject, and perform the turn-on control to make the turn-on condition of the light source constant regardless of the image pattern of the subject in a second operation mode for reading the subject.

Image reading device, image reading method, and computer-readable medium

A position detection device includes a background member, a reader, and processing circuitry. The background member has a higher absorption characteristic in an invisible wavelength region than in a visible wavelength region. The reader opposite the background member irradiates a recording medium having a mark and the background member with light of a visible wavelength to output a visible image or with light of an invisible wavelength to output an invisible image. The processing circuitry is configured to: detect an end position of the recording medium and a position of the mark on the recording medium from a read image output from the reader; and select the visible or invisible image as the read image used for position detection, according to an absorption characteristic of a color material forming the mark read by the reader and an absorption characteristic of the recording medium in the invisible wavelength region.

Position detection device, image forming apparatus, and position detection method

An image processing device includes a light source, a reader, and circuitry. The light source is configured to irradiate an object at least with invisible light. The reader is configured to read a first image from the object irradiated with the invisible light. The circuitry is configured to generate a second image from the first image read by the reader. The circuitry is configured to recognize first information in the second image.

Image processing device, image forming apparatus, image processing method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

An image processing device includes a light source, an image reader, and circuitry. The light source is configured to irradiate an object at least with invisible light. The image reader is configured to read first information and second information. The first information is included in the object and indicating a first characteristic in response to the object being irradiated with the invisible light. The second information is included in the object and indicating a second characteristic in response to the object being irradiated with the invisible light. The circuitry is configured to selectively output the first information read by the image reader.

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

An image forming apparatus includes: at least one first image carrier configured to carry an electrostatic latent image thereon; an image writing unit; a second image carrier configured to move along a transfer position facing to the at least one first image carrier; a first transfer unit provided opposite to the at least one first image carrier; a second transfer unit configured to transfer the subject image to a transfer material; a test pattern detection unit configured to detect the test pattern image; a control unit configured to correct an image forming condition of the subject image based on a result from the detection of the test pattern image, wherein the test pattern image is provided on the second image carrier at an area being out of the image forming area and being at the same range as the subject image in a scanning direction.

Image forming apparatus, image correcting method, computer readable storage medium, image correction unit and image forming system

An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit that forms toner images based on image data on first image carriers; a second image carrier, on which the toner images formed on the first image carriers are transferred; a second image forming unit that transfers the toner images transferred on the second image carrier onto a transfer medium; a test pattern generating unit that generates a test pattern group with a predetermine length in a moving direction of the second image carrier; and an adjusting unit that determines a method to adjust an image formation condition for the first image forming unit using the test pattern group, based on a relationship between the predetermined length and a length of an image area, in which a print image based on the image data is formed, in a sub-scanning direction corresponding to the moving direction of the second image carrier.

Image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus control method

An image forming apparatus comprising: at least one first image carrier; an image writing unit configured to write the electrostatic latent image including a test pattern; a second image carrier configured to move along a transfer position facing to the at least one first image carrier; an image forming unit configured to transfer the subject image transferred on the second image carrier to a transfer material; a detector configured to detect the test pattern image; and a controller configured to correct an image forming condition of the subject image, wherein during a period from the detection of the test pattern to the writing a subsequent subject image, the controller calculates a correction amount of a correction matter, and reflects the calculated amount in the image forming condition of the subject image.

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Tokyo, Japan

Yutaka Ohmiya