An image forming apparatus includes a control device. The control device acts, when a built-in processor executes a control program, as a decider that decides whether the image forming apparatus has been used for business, depending on whether the terminal device that has requested a job to the image forming apparatus, or is to receive an output from the image forming apparatus, is registered in advance as a device for business use, or a device for private use, a used time detector that detects a time decided by the decider to have been used for business by the image forming apparatus, with respect to each of operation modes, and a transmitter that transmits information indicating the time used for business, with respect to each of the operation modes, detected by the used time detector, to a management computer installed in an office, through a network I/F.

Methods and apparatus for predicting colorant usage by printing devices are provided. A prediction server can receive a request to predict colorant usage for a first printing device. The prediction server can determine first plurality of functions to predict colorant usage for the first printing device. The first plurality of functions can include at least one linear function and at least one non-linear function. The first plurality of functions can be based on colorant-usage rates indicating historical rates of change in colorant used by the first printing device. The prediction server can determine a prediction of colorant usage for the first printing device using the first plurality of functions. The prediction server can provide an output involving the prediction of colorant usage for the first printing device, where the prediction of colorant usage can include a confidence interval related to the prediction.

An electronic apparatus includes: a storage device; an application program execution circuit that executes an application program for managing input/output of data to/from the storage device; a counter control circuit that counts the number of execution of the application program and records a time and date of the execution; a retention period setting circuit that obtains execution frequency of the application program based on the time and date recorded by the counter control circuit, and sets a retention period of the data stored in the storage device depending on the obtained execution frequency; and a data deletion circuit that deletes the data from the storage device when the retention period has passed.

A communication method is provided between a chip and an imaging device. Accordingly, the chip receives a clock pulse signal from the imaging device via a clock line; and receives a READ instruction from the imaging device via a data line. Within one clock pulse signal period, the chip transmits at least one bit of implicit data and one bit of master data that are stored in an internal memory to the data line within different time slots, respectively, and the imaging device collects data from the data line while the chip is transmitting the master data to the data line. Further, the chip receives a WRITE instruction from the imaging device via the data line, wherein the chip receives master data sent from the imaging device, writes the master data into the memory arranged in the chip, and updates the implicit data stored in the memory.

The direct marketing system and method is disclosed that receives information from two parties, referred to as the sending party and the receiving party, and delivers a message or advertisement between the two. The message is then immediately printed on the receiving party's printer, and a small fee is paid by the sending party. A portion of this fee is sent to the receiving party as reimbursement for paper costs, ink costs, and printer maintenance.

An image processing apparatus includes: an operation receiver, an image processor configured to perform image processing to add a digital watermark containing address information of the image processing apparatus to a first image to thereby generate a second image; a communication controller configured to receive a taking-out request to take out the digital watermark contained in the second image from an information processing device; and a storage controller configured to store a log in a storage unit. When receiving the taking-out request, the image processor performs image processing to take out the digital watermark contained in the second image to thereby generate the first image. The communication controller transmits the first image generated by the image processor to the information processing device. The storage controller stores, in the storage unit, the log containing identification information identifying the user of the information processing device from which the taking-out request is transmitted.

To provide a sleep mode control system restricting power consumption while an image forming apparatus (ifma) is in a sleep mode (slm) and allowing a user to deactivate the sleep mode without impairing his/her convenience. The sleep mode control system includes the imf entering the slm to reduce power consumption and a power generator provided below a passage floor on which the imf is mounted. The power generator has a power generation unit, when stepped, provides a private power generation and an electromotive force detection unit detecting an electromotive force generated at the power generation unit successively, generating a pulse signal using the resulting electromotive force, and outputting the resulting pulse signal successively. The ifma has a sleep control part deactivating the slm, while the ifma is being in the slm, based on a signal pattern of the pulse signal outputted from the electromotive force detection unit.

According to one embodiment, provided is a component management device includes a detection unit, a correlation determination unit, and an update unit. The detection unit detects a first-class component whose used amount exceeds the threshold value and which is used without causing a failure, and detects a first-class device that is a device including the detected first-class component and not causing a failure related to the first-class component. The correlation determination unit determines the presence or absence of a correlation with respect to a first correlation that is a correlation between the used amount of the detected first-class component and an operating condition of the first-class device. When it is determined that there is no correlation for the first correlation, the update unit determines a first update value that is an update value of the threshold value based on the used amount of the first-class component in the first-class device.

A printer is caused to perform a checking print for a job in a case that a predetermined user's instruction is received via a user interface. The printer is caused to perform the checking print for the job without receiving the predetermined user's instruction in a case that the job meets a predetermined condition.

An example device capable of predicting print substance end-of-life (EOL) comprises a container to hold a print substance, the container comprising a refill port through which print substance is to be introduced into the container. The example device also comprises a processor to receive signals indicative of an amount of print substance introduced via the refill port. The processor is also to predict a print substance end-of-life (EOL) based on the amount of print substance introduced.