An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly including an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet; a front cover mounted on a front side of the main assembly and configured to expose the image forming portion by being rotated from above toward below about a rotational axis crossing a vertical direction; a fixing portion configured to fix a position of the front cover in an open state; an exchange unit detachably mountable to the image forming portion in the open state of the front cover; and a projecting portion provided above the front cover in the vertical direction and configured to project information on exchange of the exchange unit onto an inner surface of the front cover in the open state when the exchange unit is to be exchanged.

A method and apparatus for generating a game piece are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises launching an application on a mobile device that has a camera; selecting a game character using the application; displaying an overlay for the selected game character in an image from a field of view of the camera, the overlay being an augmented reality layer; capturing an image of an individual in the field of view of the camera; sending the captured image to a printer that is coupled to the mobile device; and printing the captured image with a border of unequal size around the image, wherein printing the capture images comprises printing the captured image upside down to cause a border area larger at a top of the image than around other portions of the image for use in handling the image when using the image as part of a game piece.

A method and apparatus for generating a game piece are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises launching an application on a mobile device that has a camera; selecting a game character using the application; displaying an overlay for the selected game character in an image from a field of view of the camera, the overlay being an augmented reality layer; capturing an image of an individual in the field of view of the camera; sending the captured image to a printer that is coupled to the mobile device; and printing the captured image with a border of unequal size around the image, wherein printing the capture images comprises printing the captured image upside down to cause a border area larger at a top of the image than around other portions of the image for use in handling the image when using the image as part of a game piece.

An image capturing apparatus includes: a casing having an opening; a light source arranged inside the casing; a sensor arranged inside the casing and configured to capture, through the opening, an image of an object present outside the casing while the light source is on; and a distance calculator to calculate a distance between the casing and the object, based on an image that has been captured by the sensor and contains, within an image region of the object defined by the opening, a high-luminance region and low-luminance regions located more outside than the high-luminance region.

A printer includes an imaging unit, an imaging light unit, a transmitter, and a receiver. The transmitter transmits designation information via visible light communication by using the imaging light unit. The designation information is information for designating the printer as a destination of wireless communication. The receiver receives a print instruction from a mobile information processing apparatus via the wireless communication in accordance with the designation information.

An image forming apparatus and method for controlling an image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a detecting unit, a projecting unit, and a control unit. The detecting unit is configured to detect an event that needs user work on the image forming apparatus. The projecting unit is configured to project an image onto a projection target. The control unit is configured to control projection by the projecting unit. When an event that needs user work on the image forming apparatus is detected, the projecting unit projects an image onto a projection target so that a target portion of the user work can be identified and also projects an instruction image for performing the user work.

A communication apparatus comprises a first obtaining unit configured to obtain a captured image; a recognizing unit configured to recognize another communication apparatus from within the captured image obtained by the first obtaining unit; and a transmitting unit configured to, in a case where a plurality of other communication apparatuses were recognized by the recognizing unit, transmit to the plurality of other communication apparatuses a predetermined instruction whereby the plurality of other communication apparatuses connect to each other or disconnect from each other.

An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly including an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet; a front cover mounted on a front side of the main assembly and configured to expose the image forming portion by being rotated from above toward below about a rotational axis crossing a vertical direction; a fixing portion configured to fix a position of the front cover in an open state; an exchange unit detachably mountable to the image forming portion in the open state of the front cover; and a projecting portion provided above the front cover in the vertical direction and configured to project information on exchange of the exchange unit onto an inner surface of the front cover in the open state when the exchange unit is to be exchanged.

A printer includes an imaging unit, an imaging light unit, a transmitter, and a receiver. The transmitter transmits designation information via visible light communication by using the imaging light unit. The designation information is information for designating the printer as a destination of wireless communication. The receiver receives a print instruction from a mobile information processing apparatus via the wireless communication in accordance with the designation information.

An image processing apparatus for coupling to an imaging apparatus that generates a captured image covering substantially a 360-degree field of view and for transmitting an output image to an image forming apparatus includes a setting unit configured to select a type of a polyhedron that is to be constructed by folding a development printed on a medium according to the output image, a converter configured to convert coordinates in the captured image into coordinates in the development that is to be printed on the medium and folded to construct the polyhedron, such that a zenith in the captured image is printed at a topmost point of the polyhedron constructed by folding the development printed on the medium, and an image generator configured to generate the output image based on the converted coordinates.