An electronic apparatus includes a drive unit having a drive roller, a driving motor, and a limited-life component, a sound collecting device that collects sound from the limited-life component, and outputs sound data, a storage device storing in advance a sound pressure level corresponding to a specific frequency of the limited-life component, with respect to each of different lengths of the remaining service life, and a controller that analyzes frequency of the sound data at predetermined time points; acquires the sound pressure level corresponding to the specific frequency of the limited-life component, on a basis of a result of the frequency analysis; compares the acquired sound pressure level with the sound pressure level of each of the lengths of the remaining service life; predicts the remaining service life of the limited-life component, on a basis of comparison result; and displays the predicted remaining service life on a display device.

An image forming apparatus includes: a state monitor that monitors an apparatus state; an electrostatic noise detector that detects electrostatic noise; and an erroneous detection determiner that determines whether or not the state monitor has erroneously detected a change in the apparatus state due to electrostatic noise from a detection result of the change in the apparatus state by the state monitor and a detection result of the electrostatic noise detector.

A transmitter transmits ultrasonic wave of a predetermined volume. A reflected ultrasonic wave receiver receives reflected ultrasonic wave, transmitted from the transmitter and reflected by a sheet. A permeated ultrasonic wave receiver receives permeated ultrasonic wave, transmitted by the transmitter and permeated through the sheet. A volume detector detects reflected volume of the reflected ultrasonic wave, and permeated volume of the permeated ultrasonic wave. The decider identifies a thickness of the sheet being transported by a transport device, and decides whether multifeed of the sheets is occurring, on a basis of a comparison result between the detected reflected volume and a reference reflected volume, and a comparison result between the detected permeated volume and a reference permeated volume.

An image forming apparatus includes a conveying unit, an image forming unit, a fixing unit, a first driving unit, a second driving unit, a transmission unit to transmit an ultrasonic wave, and a reception unit. Where a determination is made that a timing at which excitation of the first driving unit is switched or a timing at which excitation of the second driving unit is switched overlaps with a timing to obtain a value of the ultrasonic wave received by the reception unit, the transmission unit does not transmit an ultrasonic wave. Where a determination is made that the timing at which the excitation of the first driving unit is switched or the timing at which the excitation of the second driving unit is switched does not overlap with the timing to obtain the value of the received ultrasonic wave, the transmission unit transmits an ultrasonic wave.

An image forming apparatus includes a first detector detecting an operation sound based on a sound wave received by a receiver; a second detector detecting basis weight of recording material based on an ultrasonic wave transmitted from a transmitter and received by the receiver; a switching unit that switches destination of a reception signal from the receiver between a first path to the first detector and a second path to the second detector; and a controller that controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the first path at a first timing and to the second path at a second timing. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the controller controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the second path at the first timing or to the first path at the second timing.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having a plurality of members, a control unit, and a sound collecting unit. The control unit controls operations of the plurality of members in a first operation mode in which the image forming unit forms an image on a recording material. The sound collecting unit collects a sound that arises in the image forming apparatus during the first operation mode execution to generate a sound signal. When it is determined, based on the generated sound signal, that an abnormal sound has arisen, the control unit determines a source of the abnormal sound by transitioning to a second operation mode after the first operation mode has ended and causing, in the second operation mode, one or more members, from the plurality of members, that are possible sources of the abnormal sound to operate separately from the remaining plurality of members.

An example print apparatus is described as including a fuser roller, a pressure device that generates wear on a section of the fuser roller surface, and a wear detection engine that identifies a degree of wear on the surface of the fuser roller. An example fuser roller may include a tube, a heating element, and a plurality of layers having a detectable pattern. An example print apparatus may include a wear detection engine having an emitter, a detector, and a controller that identifies a wear pattern based on data provided by the detector in response to activation of the emitter and determines a degree of wear based on the identified wear pattern.

A recording material determination apparatus includes a transmission unit, a reception unit, and a determination unit. The transmission unit transmits an ultrasonic wave to a recording material. The reception unit vibrates when the reception unit receives the ultrasonic wave having been transmitted from the transmission unit and having passed through the recording material, and outputs a signal corresponding to a vibration state. The determination unit determines a basis weight of the recording material in accordance with the signal output from the reception unit. A resonance frequency of the reception unit differs from a resonance frequency of the transmission unit, and the reception unit is capable of receiving a sound wave in an ultrasonic range and a sound wave in an audible range.

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of members for forming an image; a transmitting unit configured to transmit a sonic wave; a receiving unit configured to receive a first sonic wave that has been transmitted from the transmitting unit and has passed through a sheet and a second sonic wave that is generated from at least one of the plurality of members; a detection unit configured to detect information regarding a type or state of the sheet based on the first sonic wave; and a determination unit configured to determine a state of a member that has generated the second sonic wave based on the second sonic wave.

A recording material determination apparatus includes a transmission unit, a reception unit, and a determination unit. The transmission unit transmits an ultrasonic wave to a recording material. The reception unit vibrates when the reception unit receives the ultrasonic wave having been transmitted from the transmission unit and having passed through the recording material, and outputs a signal corresponding to a vibration state. The determination unit determines a basis weight of the recording material in accordance with the signal output from the reception unit. A resonance frequency of the reception unit differs from a resonance frequency of the transmission unit, and the reception unit is capable of receiving a sound wave in an ultrasonic range and a sound wave in an audible range.