An image forming apparatus including: a hard disk configured to store data; a hard disk malfunction detecting unit configured to detect malfunction of the hard disk; a partition confirmation unit configured to determine as to whether a malfunctioning portion of the hard disk is in a preliminary determined partition; and a partition formatting unit configured to format the partition, wherein, when the malfunctioning portion of the hard disk detected by the hard disk malfunction detecting unit is determined as being in the partition preliminary determined by the partition confirmation unit, the partition formatting unit formats the partition.

An information processing system includes a processor configured to: obtain instruction information for an image forming apparatus and an inspection result within a range of a setting condition which has been set in advance, the inspection result being obtained by an inspection apparatus which inspects an image formed on a recording medium by the image forming apparatus on the basis of the instruction information; and output an abnormality monitoring result obtained in accordance with division-by-division-basis counts of abnormalities in an inspection, the divisions being obtained by dividing an inspection area inspected by the inspection apparatus.

A method to diagnosis an electro-mechanical part on an image forming device comprises: determining an incident count for a first time interval for the electro-mechanical part; determining if the incident count for the first time interval exceeds a first threshold level; marking the incident count as a high rate if the incident count exceeds the first threshold level; marking the incident count as a low rate if the incident count is more than 0 but equal to or less than the first threshold level; marking the incident count as a zero rate if the incident count is equal to 0; monitoring the electro-mechanical part for a second time interval, wherein the second time interval is a plurality of first time intervals; cumulating a number of first time intervals with the low rate during the second time intervals; and marking the electro-mechanical part as needing to be one of repaired or serviced when the number of first time intervals with the low rate during the second time intervals exceeds a second threshold level.

An image forming apparatus including: a hard disk configured to store data; a hard disk malfunction detecting unit configured to detect malfunction of the hard disk; a partition confirmation unit configured to determine as to whether a malfunctioning portion of the hard disk is in a preliminary determined partition; and a partition formatting unit configured to format the partition, wherein, when the malfunctioning portion of the hard disk detected by the hard disk malfunction detecting unit is determined as being in the partition preliminary determined by the partition confirmation unit, the partition formatting unit formats the partition.

A terminal device includes a detection unit that detects sound, and an output unit that outputs information regarding a position of the detection unit relative to a target apparatus which is a target to detect the sound by the detection unit.

A method of measuring a display delay time includes a step where a display pattern displayed on a first display including i (i is a natural number greater than 2) display elements is switched to a display pattern other than the display pattern at every elapse of a pattern continuation time, and j (j is a natural number, 1<j<i) display elements brought into a first display state is switched at every elapse, a step where an image of the display pattern on the first display is captured, a step where the captured image is displayed on a second display, and a step where the display delay time from capturing the image on the first display to displaying the image on the second display is measured based on a difference between the display pattern on the first display and the display pattern on the second display.

An image forming apparatus has a power-saving mode in which the image forming apparatus is switched from a normal power consumption state to a low power consumption state where less energy is supplied than in the normal power consumption state. This image forming apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect an operating state of the image forming apparatus, and a memory unit configured to store a detection result by the detection unit. In the power-saving mode, the detection unit detects an operating state of the image forming apparatus, and the memory unit stores a detection result by the detection unit. When the image forming apparatus returns from the low power consumption state in the power-saving mode to the normal power consumption state, control of a return operation for the image forming apparatus from the power-saving mode is executed, based on the detection result by the detection unit stored in the memory unit.

Image descriptions described using an image description language are provided for a plurality of images. Image bitmaps are determined by processing the image descriptions, each image bitmap including an array of image pixels. The image bitmaps are stored in an array of digital storage devices, with different portions of the image bitmaps being stored in different digital storage devices, where an allocation table is used to indicate where each portion is stored. When one of the digital storage devices fails, the allocation table is analyzed to determine which portions of the image bitmaps were stored in the failed digital storage device. The lost portions are re-rendered by processing corresponding portions of the image descriptions, and the re-rendered portions are stored in the array of digital storage devices.

Image descriptions described using an image description language are provided for a plurality of images. Image bitmaps are determined by processing the image descriptions, each image bitmap including an array of image pixels. The image bitmaps are stored in an array of digital storage devices, with different portions of the image bitmaps being stored in different digital storage devices, where an allocation table is used to indicate where each portion is stored. When one of the digital storage devices fails, the allocation table is analyzed to determine which portions of the image bitmaps were stored in the failed digital storage device. The lost portions are re-rendered by processing corresponding portions of the image descriptions, and the re-rendered portions are stored in the array of digital storage devices.

An example image forming apparatus includes a main board having a processor, a power unit to provide driving power to the main board, a wired interface to connect with an external apparatus through a wired connection, a detection circuit to detect an operation status of the power unit, a display, and a processor. The processor, based on the power unit being detected to be in a non-operating status by the detection circuit in a state wherein a turn-on instruction was input, is to be provided with power from the external apparatus through the wired interface and is booted, and, based on the booting being completed, is to control the display to display a status of the power unit.