An information processing apparatus communicating with an image forming apparatus on which toner containers containing toners of different colors are mounted and which forms an image using the toners of different colors includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire, for each color, a stock request of a toner container to be stocked being different from the toner containers mounted on the image forming apparatus, and a display unit configured to display, for each color, stock information indicating that stocking of a spare toner container is required, in accordance with the stock request acquired by the acquisition unit.

One variation of a method for controlling dissemination of instructional content to operators performing procedures at equipment within a facility includes: at a computing device, accessing a digital procedure containing a first instructional block comprising a first instruction in a set of formats including a text format corresponding to a first degree of guidance, an audio format corresponding to a second degree of guidance different from the first degree, and a visual format corresponding to a third degree of guidance greater than the first and second degrees; accessing a minimum instruction guidance specification for a current instance of the digital procedure; and, in response to initiation of the first instructional block in the digital procedure, presenting the first instruction in a particular format, in the set of formats, corresponding to a particular degree of guidance approximating the minimum instruction guidance specification.

An image forming apparatus has a controller with a first input terminal configured to receive a first signal indicating a state of a first opening/closing portion, a second input terminal configured to receive a second signal indicating a state of a second opening/closing portion, and a third input terminal configured to receive a third signal indicating a state of the first opening/closing portion and the second opening/closing portion. The controller is configured to delay a first notification of an open state of the first opening/closing portion and a second notification of an open state of the second opening/closing portion for a predetermined period after any one of the first signal, second signal, or third signal initially indicates an open state.

An image forming apparatus includes an enquirer that temporarily suspends production of a printed material, after at least one set of the printed materials has been produced, upon deciding that a print request has been sent from a predetermined remote location distant from an installation site of the image forming apparatus, and enquires whether the production of the printed material may be resumed, to a user through a network I/F, a response receiver that receives a response from the user, to the enquiry made by the enquirer, and a controller that resumes the production of the printed material, upon deciding that the response receiver has received a permission to resume the production of the printed material, from the user.

An information processing device includes a reception unit, a generation unit, and a display control unit. The reception unit receives, for a screen on which a first instruction part for issuing an instruction to execute a first process for which a set value for a setting item is set and a second instruction part for issuing an instruction to execute a second process for which a set value for a setting item is set are displayed, a synthesizing operation for synthesizing the first instruction part and the second instruction part. The generation unit integrates, by the received synthesizing operation, the first process regarding the first instruction part and the second process regarding the second instruction part to generate a specific process. The display control unit performs control such that a specific instruction part for issuing an instruction to execute the specific process is displayed on the screen.

An information processing apparatus is different from an image forming apparatus, with the image forming apparatus forming an image by using toner supplied from a toner container mounted on the image forming apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes a communication unit to communicate with the image forming apparatus, an acquisition unit to acquire, via the communication unit, a remaining day count until a date which is expected as a date that the toner container mounted on the image forming apparatus is replaced, and acquire, via the communication unit, a stock request signal for stock request of a toner container for stocking different from the toner container mounted on the image forming apparatus, and a display to display stock information relating to the toner container for stocking based on the stock request signal, and display the remaining day count.

A sheet conveyance device includes a sheet receiving part, a first discharge part, a sheet conveyance path, an escape conveyance path, a branch guide, an escape tray, a second discharge part, and a first sheet detection part. When a device failure occurs, the branch guide switches the conveyance direction such that the sheet remaining on the sheet conveyance path is discharged on the escape tray by the second discharge part, through the escape conveyance path sequentially. Then, the second discharge part stops a discharging of the sheet in a state where the sheet remains in the second discharge part when the sheet is a last sheet to be conveyed to the escape tray. Then, a receiving of a new sheet to the sheet receiving part from the image forming apparatus is inhibited while the first sheet detection part detects the last sheet.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer belt, a secondary transfer member, a voltage source, a current detecting portion, and a controller. The controller is operable in a first mode in which when a recording material is absent in a secondary transfer portion, a current flowing through the secondary transfer member under application of a first test voltage is detected by the current detecting portion and then information on a current-voltage characteristic of the secondary transfer member is acquired, and in a second mode in which a predetermined test image is transferred from the transfer belt onto the recording material under application of second test voltages and then a test chart for adjusting a transfer voltage set during transfer is outputted. On the basis of the information, the controller changes an interval of the second test voltages applied in the operation in the second mode.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet, a reading unit for reading the image on the sheet and an inspection unit for inspecting whether an image formation failure has occurred by comparing the image read by the reading unit with a reference image registered in advance. The image forming apparatus executes the inspection with the inspection unit in a first inspection mode or a second inspection mode. The first inspection mode is a mode in which the inspection unit executes the inspection on all sheets on which the image is formed by the image forming unit. The second inspection mode is a mode in which the inspection unit executes the inspection on some of the sheets on which the image is formed by the image forming unit, and the inspection unit does not execute the inspection on the other sheets.

An image forming device includes: a sheet feeder that feeds a sheet; a controller that: discriminates a sheet type of the sheet, and receives a user input to specify a sheet type; and an image forming device that has two setting modes including an automatic discrimination mode in which an image is formed based on the discriminated sheet type and a user specified mode in which an image is formed based on the sheet type specified by the user input. The controller automatically switches one of the two setting modes to the other based on a defined condition.