An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a transfer medium on the basis of image data, a feeder that feeds the transfer medium, and a control unit that manages image data and controls the image forming unit and the feeder. In a case where a base image and an overprint image are printed by the same image forming apparatus, the control unit can manage first image data of the base image and second image data of the overprint image by associating the data with each other, and when a jam of the transfer medium is detected during output of an overprint image, the control unit causes a transfer medium to which the base image is output by the image forming apparatus to be replenished for print instead of a jammed transfer medium removed by jam processing.

A position of a first registration mark printed on a substrate during an earlier printing operation is detected. A second registration mark is printed on the substrate during a current printing operation at a position on the substrate relative to the first registration mark based on the detected position of the first registration mark and a correction factor. An alignment difference between the position of the first registration mark and the position of the second registration mark is measured. A new correction factor for a subsequent printing operation is calculated by weighting the measured alignment difference according to a difference between the measured alignment difference and a previous measured alignment difference.

An application apparatus includes a removal controller, a selection controller, and a recovery controller. The removal controller performs, in a case where a removal event occurs, control for storing an operation state of an active application as an original operation state and removing the application from an operation target. The selection controller performs, before causing the removed application to be recovered as the operation target, control for allowing a user to select a specific recovery method from among plural recovery methods including a method for reproducing the original operation state. The recovery controller performs, in accordance with the selected specific recovery method, control for causing an operation of the removed application to be recovered.

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.

A reading device and an image forming apparatus are provided. The reading device includes an image reading device configured to read an image on a recording medium being conveyed, a background device serving as a background image when the image is read by the image reading device, and a foreign-object detector configured to compare a first read image obtained as the background device is read by the image reading device with a second read image obtained as the background device and the recording medium are read by the image reading device to detect an attached foreign object. The image forming apparatus includes the reading device and an image forming device.

An image forming apparatus connectable to a network includes a non-volatile auxiliary storage device containing firmware that causes the image forming apparatus to operate, a manipulation detection device that decides whether the firmware stored in the auxiliary storage device has been manipulated, using the digital signature, a firmware restoration device that deletes the firmware decided to have been manipulated, and installs the firmware provided by another image forming apparatus, a firmware provision device, and a control device. The auxiliary storage device contains firmware that realizes the manipulation detection device, the firmware restoration device, the firmware provision device, and the control device in a boot block writing in which is restricted.

An image inspection device has a first suction conveyance unit which is arranged on the upstream side with a conveyance surface as an upper surface, a second suction conveyance unit which is arranged on the downstream side with a conveyance surface as a lower surface to make the conveyance surface continuous from the upstream side, a first inspection section which inspects an image on a front surface of an inspection object which is conveyed to the first suction conveyance unit and a second inspection section which inspects an image on a back surface of the inspection object which is conveyed to the second suction conveyance unit. The inspection object is conveyed in a state of being sucked and held on the first and second suction conveyance units and therefore is stable in position and posture in conveyance and an expected accuracy is maintained in inspection performed by the first and second inspection sections.

In a device management system, a terminal device receives a replacement instruction from a user when an acceptance condition is satisfied, and obtain first device identification information before the replacement, second device identification information after the replacement, first history information representing usage history of the first device from the first device without going through the server. The terminal device then transmits, to the server, a replacement request containing the first device identification information, the second identification information and the first history information. In a case where an allowance condition is satisfied, the server stores, in the storage of the server, second management information representing a relationship among the first management identification information associated with the first device identification information by the first management information, the first history information and the second device identification information.

A pipe connection decision device includes a first material including a plurality of first pipes each having a connector receiver attached to one end, a second material including a plurality of second pipes each having a connector attached to one end, a plurality of light emitters respectively provided on the plurality of connector receivers, a plurality of light receivers respectively provided on the plurality of connectors, a storage device, a display device, and a control device. The control device causes the display device, upon deciding that the color of received light accords with an allocated color, with respect to all of the plurality of light receivers, to display a first message, and causes the display device, upon deciding that the color of received light discords with the allocated color, with respect to at least one of the plurality of light receivers, to display a second message.

An image forming system includes an image forming unit, an inspection unit, a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet to the inspection unit, a controller configured to execute a first inspection mode in which a sheet having an image formed thereon is conveyed by the conveyance unit to the inspection unit and is inspected, and a second inspection mode in which, without executing image forming by the image forming unit, a sheet is conveyed by the conveyance unit to the inspection unit and is inspected, and a setting unit configured to set a recovery process. The setting unit permits the setting of the recovery process in the first inspection mode and prohibits the setting of the recovery process in the second inspection mode.