Patents Examined by David L Suazo
  • Patent number: 7742195
    Abstract: An image printing process of the invention first specifies a pixel group tone value of each pixel group consisting of a preset number of multiple pixels and refers to one of correlation maps selected for the pixel group to convert the specified pixel group tone value to a multivalue code. Each of the correlation maps sets multivalue codes in correlation to pixel group tone values. The multivalue codes of all pixel groups constituting an image are output as control data to an image output device. The image output device determines the dot on-off state in respective pixels of each pixel group according to the received control data and actually creates dots on an output medium to complete an output image. Each correlation map referred to for the multivalue coding has a slightly lower tone resolution in a higher tone value area than in a lower tone value area. This arrangement desirably reduces the data volume of the control data, while preventing deterioration of the picture quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiaki Kakutani
  • Patent number: 7733533
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for generating threshold values in a dither matrix. A dither matrix of threshold values is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: InfoPrint Solutions Company LLC
    Inventors: Mikel John Stanich, Chai Wah Wu, Gerhard Robert Thompson
  • Patent number: 7733545
    Abstract: A disclosed image processing method is for generating and processing image data to be sent to an image forming apparatus including a recording head for ejecting droplets of a recording liquid, the image forming apparatus forming an image on paper based on input data. The image processing method includes: color space conversion processing upon converting input data to color space values for the image forming apparatus in accordance with a specified density or color space conversion processing upon converting input data to color space values for the image forming apparatus in accordance with characteristics regarding permeability of the paper to a coloring agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigetaka Sakakibara, Masakazu Yoshida, Masanori Hirano
  • Patent number: 7692832
    Abstract: A method for identifying and correcting for spatial variation within scanning bars includes performing diagnostic scans of at least one sheet, in which a sheet(s) is scanned in various orientations and translations, with each of the orientations identified. The diagnostic scans are registered with one of the individual diagnostic scans to produce registered scans. The registered scans are averaged to create a master scan corresponding to the sheet, such that the master scan is indicative of the spatial variation within the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: R Victor Klassen
  • Patent number: 7675660
    Abstract: The first color difference between the second color space value showing the second color tone and the first color space value showing the first color tone is found when the first color tone is a target of color adjustment and the second color tone is a output of the target, the first color space value is corrected by a predetermined correction amount, the moved ratio of the predetermined correction amount to a moved amount which is derived from the second color space value and the third color space value showing the third color tone is found when the third color tone is a output of the first color space value with the predetermined correction amount, and the color adjustment is conducted based on the first color space value with a amount obtained correcting the first color difference with the moved ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventor: Toru Hoshino
  • Patent number: 7633645
    Abstract: A hard copy is produced by steps of recording an image on a recording medium according to an image signal which represents an image density of the image to be recorded; applying a surface roughness control to an image area on the recording medium on which the image is recorded; and correcting, before recording the image on the recording medium, the image signal used for the recording so that a viewed image density provided after the surface roughness control equals the image density of the image to be recorded, using information on a density difference between an image density before the surface roughness control and an viewed image density after the surface roughness control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshirou Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7620359
    Abstract: A method for processing a duplexed document having a first side with a first image and a second side with a second image includes scanning only the first side of the document under a first imaging condition to retrieve first information relating to each of the first image and the second image; scanning only the first side of the document under a second imaging condition to retrieve second information relating to each of the first image and the second image; and determining from the first information and the second information a show-through contribution of the second image with respect to the first side of the duplexed document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: William Everett Gardner, Scott Michael Heydinger, Khageshwar Thakur
  • Patent number: 7619783
    Abstract: A method and a system of calibrating a scanner that has a scanning element. The method includes scanning data with the scanning element, and determining an intermediate value of the scanned data. The method also includes determining a variation value of the scanning element, and determining a data freedom value based on the intermediate value and the variation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Aditya J. Angal, Matthew D. Carter
  • Patent number: 7620360
    Abstract: A method for processing a duplexed document having a first side with a first image and a second side with a second image includes scanning only the first side of the duplexed document under a first imaging condition to retrieve first information relating to each of the first image and show-through contribution of the second image; scanning only the first side of the duplexed document under a second imaging condition to retrieve second information relating to each of the first image and show-through contribution of the second image; and comparing the first information and the second information to reduce an amount of the show-through contribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Heydinger, William Everette Gardner, Khageshwar Thakur
  • Patent number: 7619780
    Abstract: A method for performing duplex copying of a document having a first side with a first image and a second side with a second image includes scanning only the first side of the document under a first imaging condition to retrieve first information relating to each of the first image and the second image; scanning only the first side of the document under a second imaging condition to retrieve second information relating to each of the first image and the second image; determining from the first information and the second information contents of the first image on the first side of the document; and determining from the first information and the second information contents of the second image on the second side of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Heydinger, William Everette Gardner, Daryl Edward Janisch, Khageshwar Thakur
  • Patent number: 7612924
    Abstract: A carriage module with an image capture unit for using in a scanning device is disclosed. The module includes a carriage having a sliding seat and a cam; a lens attached to the carriage device; an image capture unit capturing the light images from the lens; a PC board mounting the carriage; and a supporting plate supporting the PC board. The supporting plate includes a pin and formed on the carriage. The simple trimming mechanism adjusts the distance between the lens and the image sensor easily. So, the device not only improves the quality of the formation of image and also promotes the efficiency of operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Microtek International Inc.
    Inventor: Harnjou Yeh
  • Patent number: 7599097
    Abstract: A method and system for generating halftone tables, using a spot function, subdivides the pixels within the halftone cell of a halftone matrix into a plurality of sub-pixels, determines the value of the spot function corresponding to the position of each of the sub-pixels within the halftone matrix, repeats the subdividing and determining for all of the sub-pixels in the halftone matrix, ranks the values for the entire halftone matrix, normalizes the ranked values, generates a cumulative histogram based upon the normalized values, and stores the cumulative histogram as a halftone table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: InfoPrint Solutions Company LLC
    Inventors: Hong Li, Mikel John Stanich, Gerhard R. Thompson, Chai Wah Wu
  • Patent number: 7583412
    Abstract: An embodiment described below provides a system that allows a user to provide an exact implementation or a close approximation to any desired Holladay dot to a printer with super-resolution encoding (SRE)/decoding (SRD) capabilities. In particular, the embodiment converts a desired Holladay dot to an SRE dot. The SRE dot or SRE look-up table may be uploaded to a printer that supports SRE/SRD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: John McElvain, Charles Michael Hains
  • Patent number: 7551297
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, system, computer program and product, capable of controlling access to a portable medium inserted in a medium interface of an image processing apparatus. To control access, a medium cover is configured to be closed to cover the medium interface and to be opened to expose the medium interface. A detector is configured to detect opening or closing of the medium cover to generate a detection result. Operation of the image processing apparatus, which requires access to the portable medium, is controlled based on the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshinobu Koakutsu
  • Patent number: 7535603
    Abstract: The invention provides an image reading apparatus that scans an image from an original document including: a light source that irradiates a light to the original document; a photoelectric conversion element; a driving mechanism that relatively moves either one of the photoelectric conversion element or the original document in a predetermined direction with respect to the other; a detection sensor that detects a vector amount of movement of either one of the photoelectric conversion element or the original document in the predetermined direction with respect to the other so as to output a detection signal for each vector amount of movement that corresponds to a minimum unit of a reading area of the image; and a control unit that executes one cycle of operations each time when the detection signal is outputted from the detection sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Junya Suga
  • Patent number: 7529001
    Abstract: A scan guide upon image reading by an image reading apparatus having a driving mechanism constructed by a rack and a pinion gear is stably performed. The pinion gear is provided on a downstream side of two contact portions which are in contact with a guide rail of the reading scan. A straight line drawn in a pressure angle direction from a contact point of the rack and the pinion gear upon reading and scanning passes between the two contact portions with the guide rail, so that a stable positional relation between a driving force of the gear and the contact portions is obtained. The stable guiding can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Takahara
  • Patent number: 7508550
    Abstract: A bright luminance value, a dark luminance value, and an average luminance value relating to a face image portion included in an image represented by fed image data are calculated in calculating circuits. Further, a target bright luminance value and a target dark luminance value are calculated in a calculating circuit on the basis of a target average luminance value and a dynamic range that are inputted from an input device and the calculated bright luminance value, dark luminance value, and average luminance value. Interpolation processing based on a correspondence between the calculated bright luminance value, dark luminance value, and average luminance value relating to the face image portion and the target bright luminance value, the target dark luminance value, and the target average luminance value respectively corresponding thereto is performed in a corrected value calculating circuit, to create a look-up table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Hirokazu Kameyama
  • Patent number: 7486416
    Abstract: Spatially dependent colorant interaction effects are identified and isolated from other aspects of spatially dependent colorant appearance nonuniformities. A decorrelating function for compensating for the identified spatially dependent colorant interaction effects is determined. Spatially dependent single colorant compensating functions for compensating for the other aspects of the spatially dependent colorant appearance nonuniformities may also be determined. Image data is processed through the decorrelating function, thereby generating colorant values that are compensated for spatially dependent colorant interaction effects. Optionally, image data is also processed through the spatially dependent single colorant compensating functions, thereby generating colorant values that are compensated for both aspects of colorant appearance nonuniformities. The two kinds of compensating functions may be determined, calibrated and/or stored at different spatial and temporal frequencies or resolutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Edul N. Dalal, Wencheng Wu, Robert P. Loce, Raja Bala, Yeqing Zhang, Norman W. Zeck
  • Patent number: 7471418
    Abstract: A document analysis tool may generate a halftone image corresponding to the output of an image forming device and may display the generated halftone image for a document designer. The halftone image may include halftone dots displaced from each other, depending on a misregistration between image forming stations in the image forming device. Based on the quality of the displayed halftone image, the document designer may revise the document to account for the misregistration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: David C. Robinson
  • Patent number: 7440144
    Abstract: An image input/output apparatus having a scanner unit disposed at an upper stage of an apparatus body and a liquid jet recording unit installed at a lower stage of the apparatus body includes a window which light passes through between the scanner unit and the liquid jet recording unit; an exposure controlling unit configured to control linear irradiation by a light source which illuminates an original platen when a maintenance mode of the recording unit is selected; and a luminous flux irradiation unit configured to irradiate a periphery of a liquid jet recording head in the above liquid jet recording unit with a luminous flux emitted from the light source passing through the window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukuo Yamaguchi