An image processing apparatus includes a processing target selection unit. The processing target selection unit inquires which image data obtained by a conveyed-document reading unit or by a fixed-document reading unit, to be set as a processing target when a user determination unit has determined that users are identical, determines image data obtained by a conveyed-document reading unit as a processing target when the user determination unit has determined that the users are not identical and a determination unit has determined that the document on the platen is a left document, and inquires which image data image data obtained by the conveyed-document reading unit or by the fixed-document reading unit, to be set as the processing target when the user determination unit has determined that the users are not identical, and the determination unit has determined that the document on the platen is not a left document.

A medium-discharging device includes: a device main body including a medium-discharging section that discharges a medium; a medium-receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the medium-discharging section; and a pressing member that is configured to be attached to and detached from to the device main body and presses the medium discharged by the medium-discharging section against the medium-receiving tray in a state in which the pressing member is attached to the device main body, in which the pressing member is configured to switch, in the state in which the pressing member is attached to the device main body, between a first state in which the pressing member comes into contact with the medium-receiving tray and a second state in which the pressing member retreats upward so as to be apart from the medium-receiving tray.

An automatic document feeder includes: a recording-medium set unit, on which a recording medium is set; a recording-medium set detecting unit that detects whether the recording medium is set on the recording-medium set unit; a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium; a sheet-feeding cover section that constitutes part of the conveying unit and that includes an openable and closable sheet feeding cover; and a control unit that separately receives a power-on signal, which is output when a power source of an image forming device including the automatic document feeder is turned on, and an energy-saving return signal, which is output when a return is made from an energy saving state where a power source of part of the device is disconnected. When the power-on signal is received, the control unit performs an initialization operation to initialize each unit of the automatic document feeder.

A discharge unit discharges the sheet has an image. A switching unit switches between stacking the sheet discharged from the discharge unit on a stacking unit or conveying the sheet the discharge unit toward an image reading apparatus. A conveyance unit conveys the sheet conveyed via the switching unit to a reading unit. A cooling unit cools the sheet discharged from the discharge unit or cools the reading unit.

According to an automatic document feeder of a multifunction peripheral according to the present invention, two tilt sensors are provided in the middle of a document conveyance path to detect a tilt degree of a document being conveyed along the document conveyance path. Here, for example, if the positional deviation representing the tilt degree of the document is greater than a predetermined threshold value ΔLs, the conveyance of the document is stopped. On the other hand, if this is not the case, the conveyance of the document is continued. In addition, the threshold value is set in accordance with the width dimension of the document, and in particular, the larger the width dimension, the smaller the threshold value.

An image forming apparatus comprises a printing module, a transporting mechanism and a sorting module. The printing module prints data on media in order. The transporting mechanism transports the media past the printing module. The sorting module is disposed downstream of the transporting mechanism, and comprises an output mechanism, a rack and a driving pinion. The output mechanism transports the media out in a first direction. The rack is connected to the output mechanism. The driving pinion meshing with the rack drives the rack and the output mechanism to reciprocate in a second direction, different from the first direction, to sort the media into stacks. Thus, the sorting function can be achieved without providing a larger space and moving a discharge tray, and this is advantageous to the miniaturization of the image forming apparatus.

A PWM signal generation unit generates a PWM signal based on a driving voltage so that a midpoint of the longer period out of an H level period and an L level period in each PWM period matches a midpoint of the PWM period. FETs of a full bridge circuit (a driving circuit) are driven according to a PWM signal, and a driving current that corresponds to an A-phase is supplied to a stepping motor. A current detector detects a driving current flowing through an A-phase winding of the motor based on a voltage that is generated across a shunt resistor, at a fixed time point that is in each PWM period and in the H level or L level period that is at the center of the PWM period.

A document sheet conveyance device includes an inner guide and an outer guide defining a curved sheet conveyance passage for allowing conveyance of a document sheet from a document sheet feeding section to a predetermined document reading position, and a movable guide projectable into the sheet conveyance passage. The outer guide includes an outer curved guide surface defining an outer surface of the sheet conveyance passage. The inner guide includes an inner curved guide surface defining an inner surface of the sheet conveyance passage, and a first flat part. The movable guide includes a projecting portion projectable into the sheet conveyance passage, and a second flat part provided in the projecting portion. The movable guide is attached to the outer guide in such a way as to allow the first and second flat parts to face each other with the projecting portion projecting in the sheet conveyance passage.

An image recording apparatus including a first tray having a first holding portion for holding sheets, a second tray disposed above the first tray and including a second holding portion for holding sheets, a sheet feeder that selectively feeds a sheet from one of the first tray and the second tray in a sheet feed direction, a recording unit that records an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeder, and a discharge roller that discharges the sheet on which the image is recorded by the recording unit. The second holding portion of the second tray moves above the first holding portion of the first tray. The second tray further includes a discharged sheet receiving portion for receiving the sheet discharged by the discharge roller. The second tray including the discharged sheet receiving portion pivots relative to the first tray.

A billing system used together with an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet and discharging the sheet includes: a counting unit for counting, when a print job is interrupted, a billing unit number for a sheet which already has an image formed thereon when the interruption occurs and which has not discharged from the image forming apparatus; a determination unit for determining whether the print job is continued or cancelled after the print job is interrupted; and a billing unit for counting a billing counter corresponding to an amount for which the image forming apparatus is used, and billing a user who uses the image forming apparatus according to the billing counter, wherein the billing unit switches whether the billing counter is counted by using a count result of the counting unit in accordance with a determination result of the determination unit.