An image reading apparatus includes an image capturing module, a reference member, a light source for emitting light to the reference member, a foreign object determining module for determining whether or not a foreign object appears in a specific image, and a position determining module for determining whether the foreign object exists on the image capturing module side or on the reference member side, based on an absolute value of a difference between a gradation value in a region included in two images and corresponding to a region where the foreign object appears when the foreign object appears in the specific image. One image is an image of the reference member captured under illumination of light with a first light quantity from the light source, and other image is an image of the reference member captured under illumination of light with a second light quantity from the light source.

A scanner includes a second glass member, a main body frame, a sheet member, a document transport unit, a reading unit, and a control unit. The sheet member is arranged on the second glass member. The document transport unit transports a document such that the document is brought into contact with the second glass member in a first position and the document is brought into contact with the second glass member in a second position. The reading unit reads the document in a third position between the first position and the second position, the third position in which the document is out of contact with the sheet member and the second glass member. The control unit identifies the third position in accordance with a position of the sheet member detected by the reading unit.

In a case where a recording medium is to be stopped on a conveyance path and a length of the recording medium is a first length, the first controller stops a first motor upon a first sensor detecting the front end of the recording medium, and a second controller stops a second motor upon first sensor detecting the front end of the recording medium. In a case where the recording medium is to be stopped on the conveyance path and the length of the recording medium is a second length, the first controller stops the first motor upon the first sensor detecting the front end of the recording medium, and the second controller continues driving of the second motor even if the first sensor detects the front end of the recording medium.

A print apparatus is disclosed. In some examples, the print apparatus comprises a print head to deposit print agent onto a substrate; a detector to detect a fiducial; a first light source to back-illuminate the substrate, such that light from the first light source is to be detected by the detector through the substrate; and processing apparatus. The processing apparatus is to operate the print head to deposit print agent to form a first fiducial on a first side of the substrate, the first fiducial comprising a shape of a first colour and having a first dimension, and a background of print agent of a second, different colour, wherein the first dimension of the shape does not exceed a corresponding dimension of the background; operate the print head to deposit print agent to form a second fiducial on a second, opposite side of the substrate, the second fiducial comprising an inverted version of the shape of the first colour; operate the first light source to back-illuminate the substrate; operate the detector to detect the first and second fiducials; and determine whether the first fiducial is aligned with the second fiducial. A method and a machine-readable medium are also disclosed.

An image reading apparatus includes a scanner, a sensor, and a controller. The sensor is configured to detect an original at a predetermined position. The controller is configured to determine whether or not an immediate execution mode in which no user operation is needed to cause the scanner to start scanning is set, and in case the immediate execution mode is determined to be set, determine whether or not a scan start condition is satisfied. The scan start condition includes the sensor detecting the original at the predetermined position. The controller is configured to control the scanner to start scanning, upon a standby time of a predetermined amount being passed since the scan start condition is satisfied.

A position detection device includes a background member, a reader, and processing circuitry. The background member has a higher absorption characteristic in an invisible wavelength region than in a visible wavelength region. The reader opposite the background member irradiates a recording medium having a mark and the background member with light of a visible wavelength to output a visible image or with light of an invisible wavelength to output an invisible image. The processing circuitry is configured to: detect an end position of the recording medium and a position of the mark on the recording medium from a read image output from the reader; and select the visible or invisible image as the read image used for position detection, according to an absorption characteristic of a color material forming the mark read by the reader and an absorption characteristic of the recording medium in the invisible wavelength region.

An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyor that transports a sheet; an image former that forms an image on front and back surfaces of the sheet being transported in a transportation path and forms marks on the front and back surfaces; a reader that comprises a first line sensor that is disposed on a front surface side and reads the front surface; and a second line sensor that is disposed on a back surface side and reads the back surface; and a controller that: calculates a positional deviation between the images formed on the front and back surfaces based on positions of the marks on the front surface read by the first line sensor and positions of the marks on the back surface read by the second line sensor, and controls the image former to adjust positions of the images formed on the front and back surfaces.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet conveying member; a guide portion configured to define a sheet conveying path; a pressing portion configured to press the sheet to curve the sheet as viewed in a sheet conveying direction in the sheet conveying path; and a moving portion movable by an edge of the sheet passing through the sheet conveying path and arranged so that at least a part of a movable range of the moving portion is overlapped with the pressing portion. The moving portion includes a first abutment portion configured to abut against the sheet passing through the sheet conveying path on one side in the width direction with respect to a conveyance center of the sheet conveying member and a second abutment portion configured to abut against the sheet passing through the sheet conveying path on the other side with respect to the conveyance center.

Provided are systems and methods for identifying, isolating, and/or aligning sheets. An identification system can facilitate accurate identification of a sheet by (i) vacating one or more components of the system that are not the sheet from a zone of detection, and/or (ii) determining a reference axis of the sheet. An isolation system can facilitate accurate isolation of a sheet by (i) providing targeted air flow, and/or (ii) introducing a wave into the sheet. Identification systems and/or isolation systems described herein may facilitate isolation of sheets that were previously fastened together by one or more fasteners. An alignment system can facilitate accurate alignment of a first sheet at an upstream location relative to a second sheet at a downstream location via machine learning.

A recording medium conveyance device includes a storage, a conveyer that conveys a conveyed object, an ultrasonic sensor that outputs a value indicating an attenuation amount of an ultrasonic wave caused by the conveyed object, and a hardware processor. The hardware processor executes a type detection process of detecting a type of the conveyed object based on output of the ultrasonic sensor and storing the type in the storage and an overlay detection process of detecting whether the conveyed object is in an overlay state in which a gap is present based on output of the ultrasonic sensor, and switches to either one of the type detection process and the overlay detection process. The hardware processor executes the type detection process when the type is not stored in the storage and executes the overlay detection process when the type is stored in the storage.