A reading device and an image forming apparatus are provided. The reading device includes an image reading device configured to read an image on a recording medium being conveyed, a background device serving as a background image when the image is read by the image reading device, and a foreign-object detector configured to compare a first read image obtained as the background device is read by the image reading device with a second read image obtained as the background device and the recording medium are read by the image reading device to detect an attached foreign object. The image forming apparatus includes the reading device and an image forming device.

An image reading device includes an image reading unit and a control unit. The image reading unit reads the image information of the reading target as target image information. The control unit controls the image reading unit. The control unit detects whether or not the image information of the streak not included in the reading target is included in the target image information each time the target image information is read by the image reading unit, and performs the process related to suppression of streak occurrence based on the number of times of streak appearance in which the image information of the streak is included in the target image information.

A printing system includes a company server and a printing apparatus. The printing apparatus is used in business-use printing and private-use printing. The printing apparatus includes: a printing section performing printing on a medium by using a printing agent; and a waste agent collecting section collecting as a waste agent, the portion of the printing agent that is consumed by the printing section but is discarded without being used in printing on the medium. The printing system includes a determination section and an estimation section. The determination section determines whether the printing agent as the waste agent is discarded in business-use printing or private-use printing. The estimation section estimates an amount of printing agent determined by the determination section to be discarded in business-use printing.

A scanner includes a scanning module. The scanning module has a scan channel and a scanning glass. A lower surface of the scanner is defined as a bottom wall of the scan channel. The scanning glass is positioned above the scan channel. A bottom surface of the scanning glass is defined as a top wall of the scan channel. The lower surface of the scanner has an upstream turn connected between an upstream section and a middle section of the lower surface of the scanner, the middle section of the lower surface of the scanner is parallel with the bottom surface of the scanning glass.

Provided are an image forming apparatus and an inspection method of an image reading section capable of precisely detecting dirt that adheres to a dustproof glass. The image forming apparatus is provided with an image forming section, an image reading section, and a controlling section. The image reading section has a light source, a sensor, and a dustproof glass. At the time of the compensation processing operation of the image reading section, the controlling section detects dirt on the dustproof glass on the basis of a detection value acquired by the sensor when light is emitted from the light source onto a reflective member for compensation that specularly reflects the light.

An image forming apparatus includes a paper transport unit, an image forming unit, a reading unit, a foreign matter detection signal generation circuit, and a foreign matter detection control circuit. The foreign matter detection signal generation circuit generates a first foreign matter detection signal, based on an analog image signal to be output from a line sensor. In foreign matter detection processing, when a pixel that reads foreign matter continues by a specific first consecutive number or more in a signal based on the analog image signal of each pixel to be output from the line sensor, the foreign matter detection signal generation circuit sets a level of the first foreign matter detection signal to a level indicating the presence of foreign matter.

An image reading apparatus for reading image information from a sheet includes a cover unit, a sheet feeding member, a conveying guide, and a reading unit including a transparent member and a reading portion. The cover unit is rotatable between a closed position where the cover unit forms a sheet conveying passage in cooperation with the conveying guide and an open position where the sheet conveying passage is open. In a state in which the cover unit is positioned in the closed position, the transparent member is exposed to an outside of the image reading apparatus by rotation of the conveying guide and the reading unit.

An image reading apparatus includes a transparent member, a conveyance unit, a reading unit reading an image information through the transparent member from the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit, and a guide member provided upstream of a reading position where the reading unit reads the image information from the sheet with respect to a sheet conveyance direction. The guide member includes a sheet-like sheet member having elasticity. A leading end of a downstream side of the guide member in the sheet conveyance direction is a folded portion formed by folding back the sheet member.

An apparatus includes, among other components, a frame adapted to be connected to the exterior surface of a device that has a touchscreen. A retractable cover is operatively connected to the frame. The size of the retractable cover is equal to at least the size of the touchscreen, and the retractable cover is positioned to extend so as to cover the touchscreen. At least one ultraviolet light is also operatively connected to the frame. The ultraviolet light is positioned to direct ultraviolet lighting toward the touchscreen when the retractable cover extends to cover the touchscreen.

An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to: recognize an authenticated user by user authentication; and perform a process of displaying, on a display unit, an image indicating a region on an operation unit touched by an unauthenticated user other than the authenticated user.