Patents Examined by Andrew H Lam
  • Patent number: 11968334
    Abstract: Described herein is a multi-user retail photo kiosk system that includes multiple touch screen and Graphic User Interface (GUI) controlled consumer photo editing, photo print and product selection, and photo order placement terminals and multiple photo printers. The user photo kiosk terminals can receive images. Billing and payment is accomplished using barcoded receipts provided at the user terminal for payments for purchased photo products. A printer array incorporating various printers capable of producing prints or various sizes and formats can be configured as a horizontal counter or as a vertical tower and includes means to alert the user that their photo print order is complete. In addition, the system automatically notifies operators if equipment service, maintenance, media refilling, and/or post printing finishing procedures are required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: KODAK ALARIS INC.
    Inventors: Richard H Repka, Stephen J. Pasquarette, Scott C. Robinson, Michael S. Graham, Nicole Petra Ellsaesser, Lydia C. Powers
  • Patent number: 11968343
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first obtaining unit configured to obtain an original image, a second obtaining unit configured to obtain a first multiplexed image created by embedding first information in the original image by a first method in which a shape of a pattern is changed, a third obtaining unit configured to obtain a second multiplexed image created by embedding second information in the first multiplexed image by a second method in which a density of a pattern is changed, the second information being a different type of information from the first information, and a control unit configured to perform control of outputting print data for a print original by using the second multiplexed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akitoshi Yamada, Hiroyasu Kunieda, Yoichi Kashibuchi, Jun Nagai
  • Patent number: 11960782
    Abstract: Provided is an information processing system that can restore an old version of a task file via an image forming workflow. The information processing system has a cloud server and a local server to execute the image forming workflow for a document. The cloud control unit allocates each of tasks of the workflow to the cloud server or the local server. The update accumulation unit accumulates update information of task files allocated to the local server by the cloud control unit. The client control unit sends and receives an execution result of a task allocated to the local server from the cloud server and update information of a file related to the task to and from the cloud server. The local storage unit stores the file related to the task allocated by the local server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hidenori Shoji
  • Patent number: 11956400
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments may include a system for measuring document legibility. The system may automatically receive document image data from a user device. The system may then process the image data using optical character recognition to create language data containing a plurality of words. The system may then obtain an overall number by counting the plurality of words in the language data. The system may then identify and count the common words within the plurality of words by comparing the plurality of words to words in a database. A score may be obtained by dividing the common word number by the overall number. The score may then be compared to a legibility threshold. If the score is below the threshold, the system may determine the document is illegible. If the score is above the threshold, the system may determine the document is legible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: CAPITAL ONE SERVICES, LLC
    Inventor: Aaron Attar
  • Patent number: 11943409
    Abstract: An image forming system includes: an information processing apparatus configured to output information related to a print job to form an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus being configured to be operable in a plurality of power modes including a first normal power mode in which the information is output and a first power saving mode in which power consumption is less than the first normal power mode; and an image forming apparatus having: an image forming unit configured to form an image on the recording medium based on the print job output from the image processing apparatus, and an operation unit to be operated by a user to instruct to form the image by the image forming unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yosuke Kagawa
  • Patent number: 11936831
    Abstract: A communication apparatus capable of communicating with an access point includes a memory containing instructions and a processor for executing the instructions to function as a storage unit configured to store, in at least one memory, each of first setting information, which can be changed by a first user and cannot be changed by a second user whose authorization is lower than that of the first user, and second setting information, which can be changed by the second user. The communication apparatus is operated using the first setting information when a predetermined authentication method is used in communication in which connection in which connection between the access point and the communication apparatus is established is used, and the communication apparatus is operated using the second setting information when the predetermined authentication method is not used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Takaoka, Aran Kunimatsu
  • Patent number: 11934715
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a consumable including a consumable memory storing type information; a main casing to which the consumable is attached; a communication interface; and a controller. The type information indicates whether the consumable is a special consumable that can be used when the image forming apparatus is under a concluded agreement or a normal consumable that can be used irrespective of whether or not the image forming apparatus is under the concluded agreement. The controller is configured to perform: when determining that the attached consumable is the special consumable and when printing is performed based on a print instruction after the image forming apparatus is registered to be subjected to a newly concluded agreement, transmitting to an external device print information indicating that the printing is performed based on the print instruction to cause a concluded agreement for another image forming apparatus to be cancelled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinsuke Kaigawa
  • Patent number: 11930143
    Abstract: There is provided an image reading apparatus in which a low output mode is a mode that can be controlled in a coupling state where a low power-feeding USB device is coupled, a high output mode is a mode that can be controlled in a coupling state where a high power-feeding USB device capable of feeding power higher than the low power-feeding USB device is coupled, and a control section does not perform image reading at a second reading speed faster than a first reading speed and performs image reading at the first reading speed in the low output mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Fukumitsu, Masahiko Mizoguchi
  • Patent number: 11917115
    Abstract: A printing system is disclosed. The printing system includes at least one physical memory device to store compensation logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the compensation logic to receive a contone image, receive a first halftone threshold array, receive alignment correction data and generate a halftoned print image based on the contone image, first halftone threshold array and the alignment correction data by applying the alignment correction data to shift one or more of the contone image, the halftoned print image and the halftone threshold array based on one or more non-zero values of the alignment correction data, wherein for non-zero values of the alignment correction data, the contone image and the halftone print image are shifted in relation to each other and the halftone threshold array is shifted based on the alignment correction data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Walter F. Kailey, Florin Neagu
  • Patent number: 11912017
    Abstract: A print consumable may include a rotatable core, a roll of dispensable print substrate, and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag. The roll of the dispensable print substrate may be dispensably secured to the core. The RFID tag may be secured to the core and configured to rotate about a core axis. The RFID tag includes an RFID antenna coupled to an RFID chip. The RFID chip may include a print counter, a stock-keeping unit (SKU) code, and a consumable authentication code. A print system may include a housing, a holder to hold the print consumable, a print head, a transceiver, a trace antenna for reading an RFID tag of the print consumable, and a controller. The controller may be configured to receive a signal from the transceiver indicative of one or more of the print counter, the SKU code, and the consumable authentication code received from the RFID antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Sanford, L.P.
    Inventors: Annemie Lauwers, Hendrik Cannoodt, Geert Van Aerde, Dirk Van Britsom, Peter D'Hoye
  • Patent number: 11917114
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus capable of preventing deterioration in accuracy of image position adjustment due to erroneous detection of a marker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumiaki Hirose, Keita Hidaka, Eri Okuda
  • Patent number: 11915069
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the printing on wire or cable. The apparatus including a processor, a bus connected to the processor, a user input connected to the bus, a display screen connected to the user input and the bus, a first storage system connected to the bus, data stored in the first storage system and displayable on the display screen, wherein the data includes manufacturing and print information, a printer connected to the bus, wherein the printer prints the data on the wire or cable, a communication device connected to the bus, and an identification device connected to the bus, wherein identification device receives information from a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Encore Wire Corporation
    Inventors: William T. Bigbee, Jr., Clifton S. Thompson, Ferrin E. Gomez, Tony Ornelas, III
  • Patent number: 11909938
    Abstract: A printing method includes: a color space conversion step; a gradation determination step of determining whether a pixel group forms a gradation; and a gradation region ink amount calculation step of calculating an ink amount of the pixel group determined to form the gradation. The gradation region ink amount calculation step includes an array information acquisition step of acquiring whether pixel values are arranged linearly, in a planar manner, or in a polyhedron manner in a uniform color space, a grating color value calculation step of determining a grating color value which is a color value of a grating point in the array, a grating ink amount calculation step of calculating, using the determined grating color value, a grating ink amount which is an ink amount of the grating point in the array, and an interpolation calculation step of calculating an ink amount of the pixel group determined to form the gradation by interpolation using the calculated grating ink amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuko Yamamoto, Takahiro Kamada, Mitsuhiro Yamashita, Takuya Ono
  • Patent number: 11907594
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a hardware processor configured to control an image former on a basis of a job pertaining to a printing execution command. The hardware processor is configured to divide the job pertaining to the printing execution command into a plurality of short jobs, and configured to stop conveyance of the roll sheet and forcibly eject degraded toner from a developing device of the image former at a pause timing between short jobs temporally adjacent to each other among the plurality of short jobs; and the hardware processor sets a job content of each of the plurality of short jobs such that an image of a printing target is inverted upside down for each job switching of the plurality of short jobs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Ken Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11899998
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a display configured to display at least one object, a lock setter configured to set, on the at least one object, a lock that is either a first lock with which the at least one object is selectable or a second lock with which the at least one object is non-selectable, and a display controller configured to cause the display to display lock information indicating whether the first lock or the second lock is set on the at least one object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mikihiro Kajihara
  • Patent number: 11899995
    Abstract: A processing system includes an acquisition portion that acquires authentication result information for face authentication based on a captured image of a user, and a processor that performs a process for a print job. When it is determined that the user successfully logs in by the face authentication based on the authentication result information, the processor performs a process of displaying, on a display of a printing device, a screen having a different display mode according to a situation of the print job corresponding to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 11880613
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a CPU, the CPU stores, in an HDD, a print job received via a network connection circuit. The CPU analyzes PDL data for each page of the print job, and executes a PDL process for generating bitmap data. When an unrecoverable error occurs in analyzing of the PDL data, only the PDL process is restarted, a print job in which an unrecoverable error occurs is re-input, and analysis is resumed from the page in which the unrecoverable error occurs. When an unrecoverable error occurs on the same page again, only the PDL process is restarted again, the page in which the previous unrecoverable error occurs is skipped, and analysis and printing of a next page are performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Katsuya Kitayama
  • Patent number: 11870959
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image reading apparatus sets a scan speed corresponding to an operating speed input by the operation panel. The image reading apparatus executes a scan job at the set scan speed. In addition, the image reading apparatus updates a scan counter in accordance with the number of pages of an image read at the set scan speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Motoki Ii
  • Patent number: 11870955
    Abstract: An example image forming apparatus may include a scanner module to scan a document to be sent to a recipient and store electronic raw data representing the document. Further, the image forming apparatus may include a controller to receive a destination address as an input to perform a user-selectable scanning feature. The controller may retrieve a first user profile and a second user profile associated with the destination address from a database. The first user profile and the second user profile may include first setting information and second setting information, respectively. The controller may process the electronic raw data to generate a scan image in accordance with the first user profile. The first user profile may be selected based on a characteristic of the electronic raw data. The controller may transmit the scan image to the destination address in accordance with the user-selectable scanning feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Shinoj Bhaskaran
  • Patent number: 11858280
    Abstract: A delivery determination apparatus for determining to deliver a consumable obtains information related to a remaining amount of the consumable, obtains information related to a contract of service for providing the consumable, and determines whether to deliver the consumable in a case where the remaining amount of the consumable is less than or equal to a predetermined amount. It is also determined not to deliver the consumable in a case where a number of remaining days up to an end of the contract is less than or equal to a predetermined number of days, even in a case where the contract is within a contract period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ruriko Mikami