Patents Examined by Allen H. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11645021
    Abstract: In a communication system including a communication apparatus and a communication terminal which are able to perform wireless communication with each other, the communication apparatus includes a first wireless communication interface conforming to a Bluetooth standard and including a plurality of antennas, and the communication terminal includes a second wireless communication interface conforming to the Bluetooth standard and one or more controllers configured to acquire angle information and radio field intensity information based on a result of a plurality of radio waves respectively emitted from the plurality of antennas having been received by the second wireless communication interface, and, in response to the angle information and the radio field intensity information having satisfied a predetermined condition, transmit a request for establishment of wireless communication conforming to the Bluetooth standard to the first wireless communication interface via the second wireless communication interface
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Manabu Hada, Tsunahito Nakashita, Motoki Koshigaya, Koichi Ito, Tatsuya Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11645019
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for printer analytics. One embodiment includes a printer analytics server. The server includes a memory, an interface configured to collect performance data from a population of printers and a subject printer on an ongoing basis for storage in the memory, and a controller able to determine a production target for the subject printer relative to the population of printers based on the performance data. The production target dynamically varies over time as a function of the performance data of the population of printers. The controller is further able to generate reports indicating deviation of the subject printer from the production target, as the performance data for the subject printer and the population of printers changes over time, and to transmit the reports to a print server of a print shop that operates the subject printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Maryamossadat Nematollahi Mahani, Lisa Oakleaf, Vlad Alin Iordachescu
  • Patent number: 11635924
    Abstract: There is disclosed a device, method and program, wherein the method comprises detecting a power increase, during which power usage increases by at least a threshold amount over an expected power usage during movement of a printer carriage over a print medium along a scan axis. The increase method further comprises detecting a location of the printer carriage at a time of the detected power usage increase and determining, based on the detected location of the printer carriage, whether the print medium is damaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Josep Maria Bel Calavia, Antonio Gracia Verdugo, Andrei Alexandru Dafinoiu
  • Patent number: 11630616
    Abstract: According to aspects of the present disclosure, when a print instruction is input from an editing application to a general-use printing program, and image data included in the print instruction contains barcode information indicating a barcode, a support program corresponding to a printer generates substitute image. The substitute image is generated by the general-use printing program and substitutes for an image of the barcode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Kunimatsu
  • Patent number: 11627235
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an acquirer, a storage, and a controller. The acquirer acquires supplies-specific information uniquely attached to supplies used or consumed in image formation. The storage stores apparatus-specific information. The controller generates a one-time code as authentication information and also generates application code information for applying for apparatus use permission using the one-time code, the supplies-specific information, and the apparatus-specific information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Usui, Tomoki Minamikawa
  • Patent number: 11620092
    Abstract: A image forming apparatus includes a power control unit, an operation mode control unit, and a first timer. The power control unit performs control so as to switch between a normal power state for supplying the operation power supply voltage to the image forming unit, a first power saving state for not supplying the operation power supply voltage to the image forming unit, and a second power saving state having less power consumption than the first power saving state. The operation mode control unit performs control so as to switch a normal mode corresponding to a normal power state, a first power saving mode corresponding to a first power saving state, and a second power saving mode corresponding to a second power saving state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11604617
    Abstract: The printer (10) of the present disclosure is a printer connectable to a network (30) and an information processing terminal (20), including a control section (15) configured to: when obtaining data in accordance with the network class from the information processing terminal (20), extract a first frame based on a first communication standard used for communications between the printer (10) and the network (30), from the data; when determining that destination information included in the first frame specifies the printer (10), extract and interpret print information included in the first frame; and when determining that the destination information included in the first frame does not specify the printer (10), forward the first frame to the network (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignees: STAR MICRONICS CO., LTD., KCodes Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Tokita, Tangen Chiu
  • Patent number: 11597214
    Abstract: A printing system includes a printing unit, a determination unit, and a switching unit. The printing unit prints an image on a recording medium. The determination unit compares a prestored reference image and a read image corresponding to a reading result of a printed document in which the image is printed on the recording medium and determines whether a result of the comparison satisfies a predetermined condition. The switching unit switches a discharge destination of the recording medium based on a result of the determination. The switching unit switches a conveyance path of the recording medium based on whether the determination is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Mutsuno
  • Patent number: 11579828
    Abstract: A printing apparatus registers the printing apparatus in a cloud print service, and generates a printer queue storing a print job to be transmitted to the printing apparatus on the cloud print service. If the printing apparatus is associated with a virtual printer on the cloud print service, the printing apparatus acquires information of print jobs managed by the virtual printer from the cloud print service. If an operation for printing the print jobs managed by the virtual printer is received, the printing apparatus gives an instruction for moving a print job that is specified on the basis of at least the acquired information of the print jobs to the printer queue for the printing apparatus provided on the cloud print service, and acquires the moved print job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Go Inoue
  • Patent number: 11579821
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a printing section including a plurality of printing elements that performs printing on a medium; a power supply circuit supplying power to the printing section; a control circuit controlling the printing section and the power supply circuit; and a USB-Type-C interface configured to couple an external device and including a data transmission/reception terminal, a power input/output terminal, and a state identification terminal. When the state identification terminal detects that the external device that receives the power via the power input/output terminal is coupled, and the printing section performs printing, an amount of power supplied to the external device is large in a case in which a drive rate of the plurality of printing elements is low as compared with a case in which the drive rate of the plurality of printing elements is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takuto Mori, Katsuo Takeuchi, Toru Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 11579813
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide an image forming apparatus configured to print files stored in a plurality of servers. The image forming apparatus comprises a retaining unit configured to retain files transmitted according to an instruction issued by a user, a display control unit configured to control a display of a print instruction screen that includes a first list generated based on a storage file list showing files, which are files stored in any one of the plurality of servers and correspond to user authentication information inputted when logging into the image forming apparatus, and a second list showing the retained files, and a printing unit configured to print files selected by the user on the print instruction screen. The first list is a list obtained by synthesizing a plurality of the storage file lists that are transmitted from the plurality of servers, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoya Kakutani, Akira Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 11582361
    Abstract: A storage medium storing a program causes a computer of an information processing apparatus to execute a method including obtaining information about a predetermined program stored in a communication apparatus, and controlling issuance of a predetermined notification about update of the predetermined program based on the obtained information about the predetermined program. The predetermined notification is controlled to be issued in a case where a version of the predetermined program is not a latest version, and the predetermined notification is controlled so as not to be issued in a case where the version of the predetermined program is the latest version.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuyuki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 11573756
    Abstract: An image processing device may include a controller configured to, in a case where a disabling instruction to cause a service state to shift to a disabled state is obtained under a situation where the service state is an enabled state, shift the service state from the enabled state to the disabled state, and in the case where the disabling instruction is obtained under the situation where the service state is the enabled state, send a first event deletion instruction to a server. The first event deletion instruction may be an instruction to delete, from an event which is to be notified to the image processing device, an acceptance of a job sending request by the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11567706
    Abstract: A server device receives a request over a network for settings for a printing device having an identifier. The server device determines whether the settings for the printing device were previously received from the printing device and responsively saved by the server device, based on the identifier of the printing device. In response to determining that the settings for the printing device were previously received from the printing device and responsively saved by the server device, the server device transmits the settings over the network to reconfigure the printing device according to the settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian C. Mayer, Paul L. Jeran
  • Patent number: 11563864
    Abstract: An application server recognizes a content of voice input to a smart speaker connected via a network interface. In a case where the recognized content of voice is a content indicative of a user's dissatisfaction or request for an image formed by a printer, the application server executes processing for determining an item of a setting parameter and a value thereof to be changed in the printer, based on the recognized content of voice, generates a command including the determined item and value of the setting parameter, and transmits the generated command to the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoki Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 11561744
    Abstract: A server includes: a first interface performing communication based on a predetermined protocol with a client; a second interface performing communication based on a USB standard with a printing device having at least one paper feeder; a controller; and a storage. The controller performs control to acquire medium information of a medium stored in the paper feeder of the printing device, via the second interface, and store the medium information in the storage. When receiving an acquisition request for the medium information from the client, the controller performs control to transmit the medium information read out from the storage to the client via the first interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Furuta
  • Patent number: 11561746
    Abstract: A terminal apparatus including: a communication interface configured to communicate with an information processing apparatus; and a controller configured to: detect a status change indicating that a specific change has occurred in a status of the terminal apparatus; based on detecting the status change, transmit a first notification to the information processing apparatus via the communication interface, the first notification not including change information indicating the detected status change; receive a response transmitted from the information processing apparatus, the response being transmitted based on the information processing apparatus receiving the first notification; and based on receiving the response, transmit a second notification to the information processing apparatus via the communication interface, the second notification including the change information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro Kunimoto
  • Patent number: 11556287
    Abstract: The printing device includes a printing unit, an interface, and a controller. In a case that a print job is received while electric power is being supplied to an external device from the interface, the controller determines whether a first condition or a second condition is met. The print job is for commanding the printing unit to execute printing. The second condition is different from the first condition. The controller executes printing based on the print job while limiting a level of the electric power being supplied to the external device from the interface in a case that the controller determines that the first condition is met. The controller holds the print job without limiting a level of the electric power supplied to the external device from the interface in a case that the controller determines that the second condition is met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Usami, Yasuhiro Shimamura, Seigo Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11550525
    Abstract: A terminal device may execute a first attempt process in which the terminal device attempts to communicate with a server on the Internet via a communication interface by using a specific LAN to which the terminal device is currently connected; and in a case where the attempt to communicate with the server is successful in the first attempt process, send connection information to a communication device different from the terminal device, the connection information being for connecting the communication device to the specific LAN, wherein in a case where a specific condition is fulfilled, the connection information is not sent to the communication device, the specific condition including a condition that the attempt to communicate with the server fails in the first attempt process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryoya Tsuji
  • Patent number: 11550526
    Abstract: An image forming system that is capable of causing an image forming apparatus to suitably carry out communication using a mobile communication system, the image forming system including an image processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus. Control information used to carry out an image forming process in which an image is formed on a sheet based on image data generated by an image processing apparatus is output from first and second millimeter wave communication interfaces of the image processing apparatus. The output control information is received by third and fourth millimeter wave communication interfaces of the image forming apparatus. Response information that is a response to the control information is output from the third and fourth millimeter wave communication interfaces and sent to the image processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Arima, Ryohei Yamada, Kazuhiro Oyoshi, Yoshikazu Sato, Mizuki Wakabayashi