An image processing apparatus decides first growth points indicating positions at which dots for generating a screen having a low ruling are generated based on a predetermined screen ruling and screen angle, and second growth points that indicate positions at which dots for increasing the screen ruling of a screen represented by the first growth points are generated. The apparatus generates a screen for growing, in accordance with increase in pixel values of an input image, dots generated centered on the first growth points, and switching, when the pixel values exceed a threshold value, growth points from the first growth points to the second growth points, and growing, in accordance with increase in the pixel values, dots generated centered on the second growth points, and uses the generated screen for screen processing on image data to be printed.

In an image forming apparatus, a recognition tag is an electronic tag in which recognition information is recorded in advance. A displacement mechanism holds a displacement portion at a first position so as to make a communication access from a tag reader to a recognition tag possible in a case where a replenishment unit is not attached to a unit attachment portion, and holds the displacement portion at a second position so as to make the communication access from the tag reader to the recognition tag impossible in a case where the replenishment unit is attached to the unit attachment portion. The state determining portion determines a state from among a unit attachment state, a unit non-attachment state, and an exceptional state based on information obtained via the tag reader.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body and a cover to openably close the apparatus main body in a front-back direction. The cover includes an inner cover and an exterior cover outside the inner cover in the front-back direction. The exterior cover is fitted to the inner cover to form a single body with the inner cover.

As one example, a printer includes a density calculator to determine a content density of data on page to be printed and a controller. In that example, the controller may perform operations to determine a dry time for a swath of the page to be printed based on the content density and an environmental variable and adjust a parameter for the page to be printed to mitigate a drying time of the page to be printed based on the dry time determined for the swath.

A control device includes a prohibition unit that prohibits use of an electronic apparatus in a case where a sum of a cumulative amount of use of the electronic apparatus for a predetermined period of time and a new amount of use which is newly instructed by an user exceeds a permitted amount in the period of time which is permitted for the user, and a permission unit that permits use of the electronic apparatus by an amount based on an unused amount which is a difference between the permitted amount and the cumulative amount of use in an unreaching period when the unreaching period is present before the period of time in an accounting period including the period of time, in a case where the use of the electronic apparatus is prohibited by the prohibition unit.

A printing system capable of dynamically changing a billing method for an ink usage amount for other than printing is provided. The printing system including a server and a device includes an accepting unit to accept printing instructions, a printing unit to perform printing by an inkjet printing method, a counting unit to count an ink amount used for printing for each user, a counting unit to count an ink amount used for other than printing, a counting unit to count the number of printed sheets for each user, a setting unit to set a billing method to one of a billing method based on the unit price for the number of printed sheets and a billing method based on the unit price for an ink amount, and a billing unit to perform a billing processing based on at least one of counting results obtained by the counting units.

In an image processing apparatus, a processor acquires first and second profiles. The processor generates a third profile. The processor acquires a first boundary defining a first boundary value. The processor determines a second boundary by using first and second boundary output values. The second boundary defines a second boundary value. The first boundary output value is determined from output values in the first profile on the basis of the first boundary. The second boundary output value is determined from output values in the second profile on the basis of the first boundary. The first and second boundary values define first, second, and third ranges. The third profile maps a specific input value in the second range to an output value by using a value to which the first profile maps the specific input value and a value to which the second profile maps the specific input value.

Provided is technology enabling uploading device management information more appropriately. A communication device that manages a device, including: a storage device configured to store management information related to the device; a communicator configured to execute communication with an external device through a network; and a controller configured to cause the communicator to send the management information to a server specified by address information as the transmission destination when the communicator receives from a management server address information specifying a server to manage the device. The controller causes the communicator to send device identification information to the management server; and the communicator receives the address information corresponding to the identification information from the management server as a response to transmission of the identification information.

An information processing apparatus that includes a plurality of communicating units, and that is capable of performing at least one function, includes an identifying unit and a processing unit. The identifying unit identifies the communicating unit connected to an external device. The processing unit performs processing corresponding to the communicating unit identified by the identifying unit, by using correspondence information that indicates correspondence between the communicating unit and regulation information.

A method for transmitting a parameter of a storage chip of an imaging cartridge, a storage chip and an imaging cartridge are provided. The method includes: receiving an instruction transmitted by a print imaging device; and determining that the instruction is an instruction for reading a key parameter, and transmitting the key parameter to the print imaging device, where the key parameter is generated by the storage chip. In the application, the parameter to be read by the print imaging device is generated by the storage chip. When the printing imaging equipment transmits the reading instruction, the storage chip transmits the parameter generated by itself to the print imaging device. Therefore, the parameter cannot be directly read by the printing imaging equipment at any moment, and thus a certain important parameter in the storage chip can be prevented from being obtained maliciously.