A sensor unit (12) includes a thermistor (21) and a connector (22). A protection unit (13) includes a thermal cutoff (31) and a connector (32). First and second intermediate connector units (14-1, 14-2) electrically connects the connectors (22, 32) and an external connection connector (11) to each other, respectively. An intermediate wire (53) electrically connects the first and second intermediate connector units (14-1, 14-2) to each other. The first intermediate connector unit (14-1) electrically connects an end of a loopback wire (23) of the connector (22) to the external connection connector (11), the second intermediate connector unit (14-2) connects an end of the thermal cutoff (31) to the external connection connector (11), the intermediate wire (53) electrically connects an other end of the loopback wire (23) and an other end of the thermal cutoff (31) to each other.

A sheet conveying apparatus of an embodiment includes a conveyance path along which a sheet can be conveyed, and a plurality of conveyance rollers configured to move a sheet along the conveyance path. A wireless tag reader/writer is configured to read information from, and write information to, a wireless tag of a sheet on the conveyance path. A phase change detector is configured to detect a phase change in response waves received by the wireless tag reader/writer from a wireless tag. A tag specifying unit is configured to identify whether a wireless tag is moving along the conveyance path based on the detected phase change in response waves from the wireless tag. A controller controls the wireless tag reader/writer to write information to the wireless tag identified as moving along the conveyance path.

According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a reading unit, a heating unit, and an updating unit. The reading unit reads area designation information for designating an area to be decolored in areas of a sheet on which an image that can be decolored by heating is formed and history information for indicating the number of times of performing decoloration in the past for each area of the sheet from a wireless tag attached to the sheet. The heating unit heats the area based on the area designation information read by the reading unit. The updating unit updates the history information stored in the wireless tag which corresponds to the area heated by the heating unit.

A toner container includes a cylindrical container body having a head with an opening in the head, a cap into which the head of the container body is inserted, and a sheet member attached inside the cap. The cylindrical container body rotates around a rotation axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the container body to transport toner contained in the container body toward the opening. The cap has a toner outlet through which the toner discharged from the opening is discharged outside the toner container. The sheet member includes a first elastic-deformation portion that is elastically deformable and located near the toner outlet, and a second elastic-deformation portion that is elastically deformable and located in the container body and near the opening.

An image forming apparatus that utilizes a communication device is disclosed. A communication unit of a housing which corresponds to an antenna portion is provided at a position at which the communication unit can be seen without obstruction from the upper side. A communication device such as a smartphone can be brought close to or into contact with the communication unit readily. Accordingly, wireless communication between the antenna portion and the communication device can be established.

An authentication operation of a communication device is facilitated without making an outer appearance of an image forming apparatus complicated. An image forming apparatus 1 includes an image reading portion 41 for reading an original image, an image forming portion 44 for forming the image on a recording material, communication devices 32 and 33 capable of communication with a storing device 52 for storing information through rear-range wireless communication, and a mounting portion 23 to which the communication devices are mounted, and the mounting portion is provided between the image reading portion and the image forming portion.

There is provided a method and apparatus for monitoring conditioning of a rendering material in a storage structure, where the storage structure comprises a passive transceiver. The passive transceiver may generate a varying response signal where a strength of the varying signal can be monitored and used to determine a pre-conditioning parameter indicative of a condition of the storage structure.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body that includes a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed and a development unit configured to develop the photosensitive member with toner. The main body is configured to discharge a recording material on which an image is formed with the toner onto a discharge tray. The image forming apparatus also includes a toner supply port on which a supply container is mounted to supply toner to a toner containing portion of the development unit. The image forming apparatus further includes a non-contact communication portion including an antenna and configured to receive a signal for user authentication. The discharge tray, the toner supply port, and the non-contact communication portion are provided at an upper portion of the main body. The non-contact communication portion is provided outside the discharge tray when the main body is viewed from above.

A method for determining authenticity of a security device of a component in an imaging device includes receiving, by the security device, an authentication challenge including one or more commands and executing, by the security device, the one or more commands in response to receiving the authentication challenge. A magnetic field profile is generated based on current drawn by the security device from a power source while the security device is executing the one or more commands, the generated magnetic field profile indicating an authentication response of the security device to the authentication challenge for use in determining authenticity of the security device.

Systems and methods for determining authenticity of a security device of a component in an imaging device includes receiving, by the security device, an authentication challenge including one or more commands and executing, by the security device, the one or more commands in response to receiving the authentication challenge. A magnetic field profile is generated based on current drawn by the security device from a power source while the security device is executing the one or more commands, the generated magnetic field profile indicating an authentication response of the security device to the authentication challenge for use in determining authenticity of the security device.