An image forming apparatus includes: an image former that executes image forming processing; a primary controller; a secondary controller that controls the image former; a sensor that detects a state of at least a unit of the image forming apparatus and transmits sensor data indicating the state to the secondary controller; a first transmission path for duplex communication between the primary and secondary controllers; and a second transmission path. The secondary controller: generates, from the sensor data, diagnostic data for failure diagnostics or life prediction, transmits data other than the diagnostic data to the primary controller via the first transmission path and transmits the diagnostic data to the diagnostic server via the second transmission path, or transmits data other than the sensor data to the primary controller via the first transmission path and transmits the sensor data to the diagnostic server via the second transmission path.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that performs image forming processing on a recording sheet; a primary central processing unit (CPU) and a secondary CPU, where the primary CPU receives a job externally and instructs the secondary CPU to monitor and control the image forming unit to perform the image forming processing; sensors that sense a state of the image forming unit and output sensor data indicating the state of the image forming unit, a first transceiver; and a second transceiver. The secondary CPU monitors the sensor data to generate diagnostic data. The first transceiver performs duplex communication with the primary CPU to send and receive data other than the diagnostic data. The second transceiver sends the diagnostic data to the diagnostic server without relaying via the primary CPU.

Based on a correction value that is stored in a correction value storage, correcting circuitry corrects printing data that is acquired according to a printing instruction that is transmitted from a higher-level device. When an image forming unit determines, in response to reception of the printing instruction, that timing of reception of the printing instruction meets a given condition, the image forming unit suspends the printing instruction, requests the correcting circuitry to update the correction value, and forms an image based on the printing data that is corrected by the correcting circuitry. When the image forming unit requests the correcting circuitry to update the correction value, the correcting circuitry updates the correction value that is stored in the correction value storage based on the image that is formed by the image forming unit according to measurement pattern printing data that is stored in a measurement pattern storage.

Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, software, and methods for detecting such problems and to take corrective action. One embodiment, in the form of a method, includes instructing a printer to print a document including a testing output and receiving an image of the document including the testing output from an imaging device. This method further includes analyzing the testing output included in the received image in view of an expected testing output to identify a printing issue and then storing a result of the analysis. The method may also include performing at least one remedial action to correct an identified printing issue.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that performs image forming processing on a recording sheet; a primary central processing unit (CPU) and a secondary CPU, where the primary CPU receives a job externally and instructs the secondary CPU to monitor and control the image forming unit to perform the image forming processing; sensors that sense a state of the image forming unit and output sensor data indicating the state of the image forming unit, a first transceiver; and a second transceiver. The secondary CPU monitors the sensor data to generate diagnostic data. The first transceiver performs duplex communication with the primary CPU to send and receive data other than the diagnostic data. The second transceiver sends the diagnostic data to the diagnostic server without relaying via the primary CPU.

A printer capable of performing communication with a server via a firewall over a printer network includes a roll paper printing mechanism configured to perform printing on roll paper, a cut-form paper printing mechanism configured to perform printing on cut-form paper, and a processor configured to transmit, to the server, at least pairs of address information for the printer and status information for the printer, receive instruction information having been transmitted by the server, and execute processing based on the instruction information, and the processor causes transmission timing points for the transmission of the pairs to the server to differ for each of kinds of the status information.

Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, software, and methods for detecting such problems and to take corrective action. One embodiment, in the form of a method, includes instructing a printer to print a document including a testing output and receiving an image of the document including the testing output from an imaging device. This method further includes analyzing the testing output included in the received image in view of an expected testing output to identify a printing issue and then storing a result of the analysis. The method may also include performing at least one remedial action to correct an identified printing issue.

An inkjet image forming apparatus includes a transferer and a hardware processor. The transferer transfers, onto a recording medium, ink that is ejected from an inkjet head and is borne on a transfer member. The hardware processor performs control for reducing transferability of the ink in a case where the ink borne on the transfer member is not-to-be-transferred ink, compared with a case where the ink is to-be-transferred ink.

An image forming apparatus includes a communication device and a notification transmitting unit. The communication device is capable of data communication with a server. The notification transmitting unit transmits a notification to the server using the communication device when a transmission request for the notification is generated. The notification transmitting unit: (a) determines whether or not to transmit the notification under the transmission request based on an elapsed time from a previous transmission of the notification when the transmission request is generated; (b1) immediately transmits the notification under the transmission request using the communication device if it is determined that the notification under the transmission request is to be transmitted; and (b2) does not transmit the notification under the transmission request if it is determined that the notification under the transmission request is not to be transmitted.

An image forming apparatus connected to a sheet hole punching apparatus that applies a punch process to a sheet, and a method for controlling the same, in which from a die-set mounted to the sheet hole punching apparatus, die-set information including at least identification information for identifying the die-set is obtained, and in association with the die-set information, a number of times that the punch process has been executed using the die-set is counted. Control is performed to prompt a user to lubricate the die-set when the number of times counted by the counter unit exceeds a threshold value.