An image reading device and an image forming apparatus. The image reading device includes an image reader to read an image of a document, and a color reference component arranged to face the image reader. In the image reading device, the image reader reads the color reference component at a prescribed timing to obtain color reference image data, and correction data generating processes are executed based on the obtained color reference image data to generate correction data used to correct data of the image read by the image reader. In the image reading device, wherein the color reference component is moved relative to the image reader in a direction orthogonal to a direction toward and away from the image reader. The image forming apparatus includes the image reading device, and an image is formed on a recording material based on data of the image read by the image reading device.

Conveyance modes include a registration mode accompanied with skew correction and a registrationless mode unaccompanied with skew correction. When a jam occurs, the controller interrupts a job, and invokes blank-feed processing starting from a state with all sheets re-set. On invoking blank-feed processing, the controller checks the conveyance mode and recognizes the number of jams. If the conveyance mode is the registration mode and in addition the number of jams has not reached a threshold number of jams, the controller invokes blank-feed processing in the registrationless mode.

An image forming system includes: an image forming device that is disposed at a first conveyance path and forms an image on a recording medium that is a continuous sheet or a long sheet; a first conveyor that conveys the recording medium on the first conveyance path in a conveyance direction; an image reader that reads the image formed on the recording medium at a second conveyance path on a downstream side of the first conveyance path in the conveyance direction; a second conveyor that conveys the recording medium on the second conveyance path; and a controller that controls a speed of a drive source of the first conveyor and controls a torque of a drive source of the second conveyor.

A medium feed device includes edge guides provided at a medium placement part including a placement surface on which a medium is placed and including guide surfaces that guide edges in a direction intersecting with a feed direction of the medium; and a restriction part configured to take a position between the edge guides such that a position of the restriction part in a direction normal to the placement surface is a position at which the restriction part suppresses a lift of the medium from the placement surface and a position at which the restriction part suppresses separation of the edges of the medium from the guide surfaces. The position of the restriction part at which the restriction part suppresses the lift is located on a placement surface side with respect to an intermediate position between upper ends of the guide surfaces and the placement surface.

A media scanner including an input tray, an output tray disposed above the input tray, a media feeder to advance media along a media path from the input tray to the output tray, an upper scanning device to generate a first scan line, and a lower scanning assembly. The upper scanning device is disposed to face downward to scan a first side of the media. The lower scanning assembly is disposed to face upward to scan a second side of the media. The media path extends from the input tray to below the upper scanning device, to above the lower scanning assembly, and to the output tray. The upper scanning device is disposed at an angle with respect to the media path to cause a front edge of the media advancing along the media path to contact the upper scanning device at or before the first scan line.

An image forming apparatus includes a reception unit and a controller. The reception unit is configured to receive a plurality of image data in a sequential manner. The controller is configured to perform control, in a case where first image data among the plurality of image data is received, so as not to start printing upon reception of the first image data in a case where the first image data has a different print setting from second image data received before the first image data, and perform control, in a case where third image data received after the first image data has a same print setting as the second image data, so as to arrange, in a main scan direction of a sheet, image data having the same print setting and including not the first image data but the second image data and the third image data to start printing.

An image reading apparatus, including a feed tray, a conveyance guide, a feed roller, a separator, a reading sensor, and a controller, is provided. The feed tray supports sheets for being fed and has a movable plate movable between a standby position and a feedable position. The feed roller is movable and feeds the sheets to be conveyed along the conveyance guide. A positional relation between the feed roller and an uppermost sheet in the sheets is maintained within a predetermined range by the movable plate located at the feedable position. The controller controls at least rotating-and-stopping movements of the feed roller and the separator and ascending-and-descending movements of the movable plate. While the feed roller feeds the sheets, the controller conducts a vibrating action, in which the movable plate located at the feedable position is moved to ascend and descend for a plurality of times.

An information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a storage medium that execute density characteristics acquisition processing at an appropriate timing are provided.

An image scanner is configured to perform: controlling the sheet feed roller to feed the document supported on the sheet feed tray, controlling the conveyor to convey the fed document to the reading position, controlling the image sensor to read the image of the document at the reading position, and controlling the sheet discharge unit to discharge the read document to the sheet discharge tray; in response to detecting, by the sheet feed sensor, a state change from the first state to the second state, moving the movable plate upward until the sheet feed roller changes from the second state to the first state; after moving the movable plate, controlling the distance sensor to detect the document distance; and moving the sheet discharge unit vertically based on the detected document distance.

Method and systems of automated document processing described herein include activating in sequence a plurality of illumination modules of an illumination source to illuminate a document, where the plurality of illumination modules are located at different positions relative to the document. The document can be imaged each time the document is illuminated by an illumination module to provide a plurality of images. A shadow profile of the document can be obtained based on the plurality of images. One or more of a boundary of the document and presence of a fastener attached to the document can be identified using the shadow profile. Any fasteners present may be removed using a robot arm.