Author: claimsbot

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a developing device;
a developer conveyance device configured to convey developer to the developing device, the developer conveyance device including,
a developer container,
a developer reservoir configured to receive developer discharged from the developer container,
a positive-displacement pump configured to discharge, from the developer reservoir, developer supplied to the developing device by alternately generating positive pressure and negative pressure due to volume changes, and
a developer amount detector configured to detect an amount of developer in the developer reservoir; and

a controller configured to control driving of the positive-displacement pump, wherein,
when the controller recognizes a developer end state of the developer container, the controller is configured to lower a developer conveyance capability of the positive-displacement pump from a setting used before the developer end state is recognized,
the controller is configured to control driving of the positive-displacement pump according to a signal from the developer amount detector,
the controller is configured to drive the developer container for a set period when the signal from the developer amount detector indicates that the amount of developer in the developer reservoir is not greater than a set amount, and
the controller is configured to recognize the developer end state of the developer container when the amount of developer in the developer reservoir is not increased by driving the developer container for the set period.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the developer conveyance capability of the positive-displacement pump is lowered, the controller is configured to drive the developing device until the controller determines that no developer remains in a developer conveyance channel from the developer reservoir to the developing device.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the developing device comprises:
a density sensor configured to detect a density of developer in the developing device, and
when a detection result generated by the density sensor indicates that the density of developer in the developing device falls to or below a set density, the controller is configured to determine that no developer remains in the developer conveyance channel from the developer reservoir to the developing device.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a driving source configured to drive the positive-displacement pump,
wherein the developer conveyance capability is lowered by reducing a rotational frequency of the driving source.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a driving source configured to drive the positive-displacement pump,
wherein the developer conveyance capability is lowered by reducing a duration of operation of the driving source.
6. A developer conveyance device comprising:
a developer container;
a developer reservoir configured to receive developer discharged from the developer container;
a positive-displacement pump configured to discharge, from the developer reservoir, developer supplied to a developing device by alternately generating positive pressure and negative pressure due to volume changes;
a developer amount detector configured to detect an amount of developer in the developer reservoir, wherein,
when a developer end state of the developer container is recognized, a developer conveyance capability of the positive-displacement pump is lowered by a controller from a setting used before the developer end state of the developer container is recognized,
the controller is configured to control driving of the positive-displacement pump according to a signal from the developer amount detector,
the controller is configured to drive the developer container for a set period when the signal from the developer amount detector indicates that the amount of developer in the developer reservoir is not greater than a set amount, and
the controller is configured to recognize the developer end state of the developer container when the amount of developer in the developer reservoir is not increased by driving the developer container for the set period.
7. A developer conveyance method comprising:
temporarily storing developer discharged from a developer container;
discharging, with a positive-displacement pump, the developer temporarily stored by alternately generating positive pressure and negative pressure due to volume changes;
judging whether or not the developer container is in a developer end state;
lowering a developer conveyance capability of the positive-displacement pump, from a setting used before the developer end state is recognized, when the developer container is judged to be in the developer end state;
detecting an amount of the developer temporarily stored;
driving the developer container for a set period after a result of the detecting indicates that the amount of the developer temporarily stored is not greater than a set amount;
recognizing that the developer container is in the developer end state when the amount of the developer temporarily stored is not increased by the driving.
8. The developer conveyance method according to claim 7, further comprising:
keeping a developing device driving when the developer conveyance capability of the positive-displacement pump is lowered;
detecting a density of the developer in the developing device;
determining that none of the developer remains in a developer conveyance channel to the developing device when it is detected that the density of the developer in the developing device falls to or below a set density; and
stopping the developing device.
9. A controller configured to control a developer conveyance device, the developer conveyance device including a developer reservoir and a positive displacement pump configured to discharge developer received from a developer container, the controller comprising:
a memory and a processor, the memory containing computer readable code that, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to:
recognize a developer end state of the developer container,
control driving of the positive-displacement pump according to a signal from a developer amount detector, the signal indicating an amount of developer in the developer reservoir, and
drive the developer container for a given period after a result of detecting the signal from the developer amount detector indicates that the amount of developer temporarily stored in the developer reservoir is not greater than a given amount.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1-18. (canceled)
19. An ultrasound emission deratization method, comprising generating two ultrasound frequencies which are alternated, with a predetermined mean emission time for each of the two, and randomly variable time range pauses between a minimum and a maximum between one and the other, said two ultrasound frequencies comprising a first frequency with a value comprised in the range between 27 and 31 kHz, and a second frequency with a value comprised in the range between 39 and 43 kHz.
20. An ultrasound emission deratization method according to claim 19, wherein said two frequencies have the trend of a sequence of pulses.
21. An ultrasound emission deratization device, comprising generation means of a first ultrasound frequency and a second ultrasound frequency which are alternated, with a predetermined mean emission time for each of the two, and randomly variable time range pauses between a minimum and a maximum between one and the other, said first frequency having a value comprised in the range between 27 and 31 kHz, and said second frequency having a value comprised in the range between 39 and 43 kHz.
22. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 21, wherein said first and second frequencies have the trend of a sequence of pulses.
23. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 22, wherein said first frequency has a value comprised in the range between 28 and 30 kHz.
24. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 22, wherein said first frequency has a value equal to 29.40 kHz.
25. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 22, wherein said second frequency has a value comprised in the range between 40 and 42 kHz.
26. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 22, wherein said second frequency has a value equal to 41 kHz.
27. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 22, wherein said pulse sequence of the first frequency has an on time of approximately 8.5\xd710\u22126 seconds.
28. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 22, wherein said pulse sequence of the second frequency has an on time of approximately 6.1\xd710\u22126 seconds.
29. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 21, wherein said mean emission time is comprised between 2 and 10 seconds.
30. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 21, wherein said mean emission time is equal to 5 seconds.
31. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 21, wherein said mean emission time is randomly variable between zero and 20 seconds.
32. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 21, wherein said pause emission time is randomly variable between 5 and 11 seconds.
33. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 21, wherein said generation means of a first ultrasound frequency and a second ultrasound frequency comprise in cascade:
an ultrasound frequency generator, based on a microprocessor unit;
a power amplification stage for frequencies it receives from said ultrasound frequency generator; and
an emission system comprising one or more ultrasound emission capsules fed by said power amplification stage.
34. An ultrasound emission deratization device according to claim 33, wherein said generation means are fed either by electrical mains at 220V, or by deriving electrical energy from a telephone twisted pair, or by battery, said battery being rechargeable by means of solar panels.

1. In a communication system, a method comprising:
adjusting a variable symbol delay m based on a rate of data demodulation in accordance with a multi-symbol differential phase shift key (DPSK) technique;
comparing a first symbol and a second symbol that are temporally separated by m\u22121 symbols in accordance with the multi-symbol DPSK technique to provide information, wherein m >1; and
delaying the first symbol for a time period corresponding to m symbols to provide the second symbol.
2. An optical communication apparatus comprising:
means for adjusting a variable symbol delay m based on a rate of data demodulation in accordance, with a multi-symbol differential phase shift key (DPSK) technique;
means for comparing a first symbol and a second symbol that are temporally separated by m\u22121symbols in accordance with the multi-symbol DPSK technique to provide information, wherein m >1; and
a multi-symbol delay module to delay the first symbol for a time period corresponding to m symbols to provide the second symbol.
3. In a communication system, a method comprising:
adjusting a variable symbol delay m based on a rate of data demodulation in accordance with a multi-symbol differential phase shift key (DPSK) technique;
receiving a first symbol and a second symbol that are temporally separated by m\u22121symbols, wherein m >1; and
comparing the first symbol and the second symbol in accordance with the multi-symbol DPSK technique to provide information;
wherein the first symbol corresponds with a first portion of an optical signal having a first phase and the second symbol corresponds with a second portion of the optical signal having a second phase.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein comparing the first symbol and the second symbol includes performing a logical exclusive-OR operation based on the first symbol and the second symbol.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first symbol is defined as a first single bit, and wherein the second symbol is defined as a second single bit.
6. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the first and second symbols includes more than one bit.
7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
changing m from a first integer value to a second integer value that is different from the first integer value.
8. In a communication system, a method comprising:
receiving a first symbol at a first time instance t0=0 and a second symbol at a second time instance tm=m, wherein m is a variable symbol delay determined based upon a rate of data demodulation, wherein m is an integer greater than one, and each symbol has a duration of t=1;
delaying the first symbol for a time period \u03c4=M; and
comparing the first symbol and the second symbol in accordance with a differential phase shift key (DPSK) technique to provide information;
wherein the first symbol corresponds with a first portion of an optical signal having a first phase and the second symbol corresponds with a second portion of the optical signal having a second phase.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein comparing the first symbol and the second symbol includes performing a logical exclusive-OR operation based on the first symbol and the second symbol.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first symbol is defined as a first single bit, and wherein the second symbol is defined as a second single bit.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second symbols includes more than one bit.
12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
changing m from a first integer value to a second integer value that is different from the first integer value.
13. A receiver comprising:
a node to receive a first symbol at a first time instance t0=0 and a second symbol at a second time instance tm=m, and to determine a variable symbol delay m based upon a rate of data demodulation, wherein m is an integer greater than one, and each symbol has a duration of t=1;
means for comparing the first symbol and the second symbol in accordance with a differential phase shift key (DPSK) technique to provide information; and
a multi-symbol delay module coupled between the node and the means for comparing to delay the first symbol for a time period \u03c4=m;
wherein the first symbol corresponds with a first portion of an optical signal having a first phase and the second symbol corresponds with a second portion of the optical signal having a second phase.
14. The receiver of claim 13, wherein the multi-symbol delay module includes a differential group delay.
15. The receiver of claim 13, wherein the means for comparing is configured to perform a logical exclusive-OR operation based on the first symbol and the second symbol.
16. The receiver of claim 13, wherein the first symbol is defined as a first single bit, and wherein the second symbol is defined as a second single bit.
17. The receiver of claim 13, wherein each of the first and second symbols includes more than one bit.
18. The receiver of claim 13, wherein the receiver is an interferometer, and wherein m equals a data rate associated with the first and second portions of the optical signal multiplied by a fixed time delay associated with the interferometer.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An image forming device capable of double-side printing to form an image on each of first and second sides of a recording medium, comprising:
a calibration unit configured to perform calibration for modifying quality of the image to be formed;
a first judging unit configured to judge, for each page to be printed, whether the calibration is to be performed;
a second judging unit configured to judge whether a page to be printed is one of a first side in one-side printing and a first side in the double-side printing; and
a control unit configured to control the calibration unit to perform the calibration when the first judging unit judges that the calibration is to be performed, and the second judging unit judges that the page to be printed is one of the first side in the one-side printing and the first side in the double-side printing.
2. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising a count unit configured to count a numerical number of sequentially-printed pages,
wherein the first judging unit judges whether the numerical number of sequentially-printed pages is more than a predetermined value for each page to be printed so as to judge whether the calibration is to be performed.
3. The image forming device according to claim 2, further comprising a third judging unit configured to judge whether there is a subsequent page to be sequentially printed,
wherein the count unit includes a parameter of which an initial value is one, the parameter being incremented each time it is judged by the third judging unit that there is a subsequent page to be sequentially printed.
4. The image forming device according to claim 2, further comprising a third judging unit configured to judge whether a subsequent page is to be sequentially printed,
wherein the count unit counts a numerical number of pages that are judged by the third judging unit to be sequentially printed.
5. A calibrating method used for an image forming device configured to perform double-side printing for forming an image on each of first and second sides of a recording medium and to perform calibration for modifying quality of the image to be formed, the method comprising:
a first step of judging whether the calibration is to be performed, for each page to be printed;
a second step of judging whether a page to be printed is one of a first side in one-side printing and a first side in the double-side printing; and
a third step of performing the calibration when it is judged in the first judging step that the calibration is to be performed, and it is judged in the second judging step that the page to be printed is one of the first side in the one-side printing and the first side in the double-side printing.
6. The calibration method according to claim 5, further comprising a fourth step of counting a numerical number of sequentially-printed pages,
wherein, in the first step, it is judged whether the numerical number of sequentially-printed pages is more than a predetermined value for each page to be printed so as to judge whether the calibration is to be performed.
7. The calibration method according to claim 6, further comprising a fifth step of judging whether there is a subsequent page to be sequentially printed,
wherein the fourth step includes a step of counting the numerical number of sequentially-printed pages with a parameter of which an initial value is one, the parameter being incremented each time it is judged in the fifth step that there is a subsequent page to be sequentially printed.
8. The calibration method according to claim 6, further comprising a fifth step of judging whether a subsequent page is to be sequentially printed,
wherein the fourth step includes a step of counting the numerical number of pages that are judged in the fifth step to be sequentially printed.
9. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions stored thereon, which cause a computer, which is configured to perform double-side printing for forming an image on each of first and second sides of a recording medium and to perform calibration for modifying quality of the image to be formed, to perform:
a first step of judging whether the calibration is to be performed, for each page to be printed;
a second step of judging whether a page to be printed is one of a first side in one-side printing and a first side in the double-side printing; and
a third step of performing the calibration when it is judged in the first judging step that the calibration is to be performed, and it is judged in the second judging step that the page to be printed is one of the first side in the one-side printing and the first side in the double-side printing.
10. The computer readable medium according to claim 9,
wherein the computer readable instructions cause the computer to further perform a fourth step of counting a numerical number of sequentially-printed pages, and
wherein, in the first step, it is judged whether the numerical number of sequentially-printed pages is more than a predetermined value for each page to be printed so as to judge whether the calibration is to be performed.
11. The computer readable medium according to claim 10,
wherein the computer readable instructions cause the computer to further perform a fifth step of judging whether there is a subsequent page to be sequentially printed, and
wherein the fourth step includes a step of counting the numerical number of sequentially-printed pages with a parameter of which an initial value is one, the parameter being incremented each time it is judged in the fifth step that there is a subsequent page to be sequentially printed.
12. The calibration method according to claim 10, further comprising a fifth step of judging whether a subsequent page is to be sequentially printed,
wherein the fourth step includes a step of counting the numerical number of pages that are judged in the fifth step to be sequentially printed.
13. An image forming device capable of double-side printing to form an image on each of first and second sides of a recording medium, comprising:
a calibration unit configured to perform calibration for modifying quality of the image to be formed;
a first judging unit configured to judge, for each page to be printed, whether the calibration is to be performed;
a second judging unit configured to judge whether a page to be printed is a second side in the double-side printing; and
a control unit configured to prevent the calibration unit from performing the calibration when the second judging unit judges whether the page to be printed is the second side in the double-side printing, regardless of the judgment of the first judging unit.