Patents Examined by Madeleine A Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7884980
    Abstract: A graphical scanner for scanning a graphical image includes a source for producing an optical beam, a monochromator for dividing the optical beam into a plurality of component beams for hyperspectral bandpasses, a director for directing the component beams to illuminate portions of the graphical image, a sensor for measuring a light intensity for the one or illuminated portions, and a translator for transforming the measured light intensities for each of the one or more portions into hyperspectral traces each representing a spectral power distribution. The translator further transforms the hyperspectral traces into one or more device-independent representations of color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Inventor: Larry Kleiman
  • Patent number: 7872785
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to provide image quality particularly with regard to rendering spot color objects in image forming devices. Input spot color objects are assessed based on an object type and one or more parameters associated with the object, to include, but not be limited to, a desired tint value. A plurality of spot color rendering mechanisms are available within the individual system and/or method. A determination is made automatically regarding which of the plurality of color rendering mechanism to be employed to enhance specific image quality based on sensed and/or obtained parameters regarding the object, to include, but not be limited to, type and/or desired tint values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Guo-Yau Lin, Zehlam Ramnath, Mike Lacagnina
  • Patent number: 7864371
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first storage unit, a second storage unit, a selecting unit, a first converting unit, a second converting unit, and a compressing unit. The second storage unit stores therein data on a color reproduction area of an output device. The first storage unit stores therein data on virtual color reproduction areas. The selecting unit selects one of the virtual color reproduction areas similar to the color reproduction area of the output device. The first converting unit compresses and maps image data to a virtual color reproduction range based on the selected one of the virtual color reproduction areas. The compressing unit compresses and maps the image data to a color reproduction range of an output device. The second converting unit converts the image data to a control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisao Shirasawa
  • Patent number: 7852531
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for digital correction of a plurality of color channels and color image data. In color reproduction, a color image may be composed of a plurality of superimposed color channels in a color space. In order to assure the proper alignment of color channels and exemplary applications such as color printing, one or more of the plurality of color channels which compose a complete color image may be scaled to an output resolution, and corrected in order to ensure proper alignment and authentic reproduction of a color image. In place of a plurality of independent clocks, one for each channel, a single clock is provided for every channel, and additional unit is supplied to scale each channel according to independent characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Aron Nacman, John Adam Handwork, Theresa M. Marconi, Xing Li, Peter D. McCandlish, Gregory B. Marshall
  • Patent number: 7839512
    Abstract: Printing apparatus including a layout setting screen. The layout setting screen includes a layout selection area for displaying choices of a layout corresponding to a selected print media, a list display area for displaying a list of printing previews of a plurality of pages in accordance with the selected layout, and a preview display area for displaying the printing preview of the page selected in the list display area, on a larger scale than that in the list display area. If the choice of the layout in the layout selection area is changed while the layout setting screen is being displayed, the apparatus changes the display in each of the list display area and the preview display area to a display corresponding to the layout of the changed choice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Kotani, Kunihiro Yamamoto, Kiyoshi Kusama
  • Patent number: 7826112
    Abstract: A color conversion apparatus includes: an original data analyzing unit configured to extract background color information of an original and color information of a character and line drawing object on the background; a background color changing unit configured to change the background color of the original when necessary, on the basis of the result of comparing the background color information acquired from the original data analyzing unit with a preset threshold value; and a character and line drawing color correcting unit configured to change lightness of the character and line drawing color in a way that increases a lightness difference between the background color for printing and the character and line drawing color on the background when necessary, on the basis of the background color information of the original acquired from the original data analyzing unit, the background color information for printing acquired from the background color changing unit, and the character and line drawing color informati
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takayuki Sawada
  • Patent number: 7817317
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus capable of generating accurate shading correction data while removing noise. A shading reference plate is arranged at a location having different optical distance between the location and an image sensor in an image reading unit from optical distance between original reading position and said image sensor. The shading reference plate is read by the image reading unit whereby secondary reference data is acquired, and a reference sheet is read which is put on a position substantially identical to the original reading position whereby primary reference data is acquired. Primary and secondary correction data is generated based on the primary and secondary reference data, and correction coefficient data is generated based on the primary and secondary correction data. Shading correction data is generated based on read data of the shading reference plate and the correction coefficient data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yohei Ito
  • Patent number: 7804622
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image reading apparatus including: an original transporting device for transporting an original; an image reader for reading an image of the original in a first reading region or a second reading region while transporting the original by the original transporting device; and a correcting device for correcting image data read in the second reading region by the image reader so as to give the image data the same white level as image data read in the first reading region based on the ratio of the white level of the second reading region to that of the first reading region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Hiromatsu, Noriaki Matsui
  • Patent number: 7796299
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product for transforming data from a source device color space to a destination device color space using a source device color profile, a source rendering intent, a destination rendering intent, and a destination device color profile, such that the source rendering, intent and the destination rendering intent determine a method of mapping colors from the source device color space to the destination device color space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventor: Peter S. MacLeod
  • Patent number: 7796294
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming a color image, including a charging device configured to charge a moving image bearing member; a writing device configured to form a latent image the image bearing member by exposing a plurality of colors according to image information; and a developing device configured to develop the latent image with toner, wherein the writing device and the developing device are configured to perform exposure and development more than once to the image bearing member, which is charged once by the charging device so that the color image is formed from superimposed toner of each of the plurality of colors on the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuo Sakai, Tomoko Takahashi, Youichiroh Miyaguchi
  • Patent number: 7777915
    Abstract: A color image control system and method are provided for improving the image control of printing systems, including digital front-end processors, color printers and post-finishing system. This automatic image control system, including measurement and calibration, by registering the captured reproduced document with the extracted virtual device document and automatically locating a plurality of regions in which to measure captured color values, using colorimetric measurements of an aim reproduction of the document at these same region positions, and finally relating the captured color values, the colorimetric color values, and the virtual device color values to create the an accurate color mapping. One embodiment of this method combines a global regression polynomial with local mapping refinement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Chung-Hui Kuo, Eric K. Zeise, Di Lai
  • Patent number: 7773263
    Abstract: A multimedia pen having a plurality of modular components with male and/or female connectors linkable via a four wire serial bus. The pen includes a camera module having an image sensor for capturing an image in an RGB (red, green, blue) color space, along with a central processing module arranged in communication with the camera module, the central processing module having a central processing unit with program memory for storing program steps for execution by the central processing unit to operate the camera module, along with image storage memory for storing the captured image. The pen also includes an image processing module arranged in communication with the image storage memory, the image processing module configured to dynamically convert the stored image from a L*a*b* color space to a CMY color space. Finally, the pen has a printer module having a drop-on-demand inkjet printhead operatively producing bi-level dots for printing the CMY image on business card-sized media fed through the printer module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Simon Robert Walmsley, Paul Lapstun
  • Patent number: 7768668
    Abstract: A fax account is described and creates an association between users and documents that are faxed. A fax account allows a user to secure their faxed documents and organize and streamline fax communication via different transports. In at least some embodiments, security is enhanced through the use of an authentication model that authenticates individual users before giving them access to the fax functionality or, more accurately, their fax account. In at least some embodiments, fax accounts also provide users with an infrastructure through which they can manage their documents. In addition, in at least some embodiments, fax accounts can be used to manage and direct received faxes to the intended recipient, thus reducing the possibility of an unintended recipient gaining access to the fax.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hubert Van Hoof, Manoj K. Jain, Raghavendra Rachamadugu, Grandhi V. A. Srinivasulu
  • Patent number: 7760405
    Abstract: A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to supply, in an editor mode, a first set of data modeling objects in a document. A user request to enter a print preview mode is accepted. The print preview mode is entered while the editor mode remains active. The document is applied to a page layout with a set of pages. A set of pages to print are specified, where individual pages in the set of pages to print contain a subset of data modeling objects in the first set of data modeling objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Business Objects Software Ltd
    Inventor: Christophe Guy Ricard
  • Patent number: 7755800
    Abstract: What is provided herein is a novel system and method for estimating the amount of color in a document to be printed, with the capability to handle composite black, in those environments without access to all the original four color planes simultaneously. In one embodiment, input CMYK values are pre-adjusted via a look-up table to take into account the neutral balance characteristics. The planes are then scaled and quantized so that all four planes become available simultaneously. The difference among the quantized CMYK color values is compared against a threshold that is input level dependent. A pixel is classified into one of several color categories such as, for example, true neutral, fuzzy neutral, true color or fuzzy color. A color billing strategy can then be automatically determined based on the amount of color content. The method advantageously provides flexibility to support multi-tier billing in systems with various marking technologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Amal Z. Malik, Xing Li
  • Patent number: 7755817
    Abstract: Mapping of color gamut in a three-dimensional color space is performed by converting coordinates of source reference points to coordinates of destination reference points, and converting coordinates of an initial point to coordinates of a target point based on a first relationship among a first set of volumes and a second relationship among a second set of volumes. The first set of volumes are defined at least in part by the initial point and at least a subset of the source reference points, and the second set of volumes are defined at least in part by the target point and at least a subset of the destination reference points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Chimei Innolux Corporation
    Inventors: I-Lin Ho, Peng Kuo-Shiuan, Chang Chia Ping, Chung Jun Shih
  • Patent number: 7751074
    Abstract: In case of outputting data mixedly including plural different-type images, productivity and cost performance are improved without an operator's complicated assistive operation. To do so, a color printer, a black and white printer and a finisher are electrically connected with others through a data communication path such that these devices can perform data communication with others, and also these devices are mechanically connected with others such that the sheets discharged from the respective printers can be carried to a sheet carrying path of the finisher without any operator's manual working.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7746495
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus provided with a reader for reading an original image, a connection unit for connection with a network to which plural computers are connected, and a transfer unit for transferring the image data, read by the reader, to a computer through the connection unit, the apparatus comprising a specifying unit for specifying a desired one among the computers connected through the connection unit, and a designation unit for designating image reading by the reader, wherein the transfer unit is adapted to transfer the image data, read by the reader in response to the designation by the designation unit, to a computer specified by the specifying unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Kajita, Toshihiro Kadowaki, Seishi Ejiri, Soichi Yamamuro, Masaya Kondo, Takekazu Kumagai, Takeshi Tsukamoto, Masaru Saruwatari, Masaki Toyama
  • Patent number: 7746498
    Abstract: A computer system is provided for delivery of a facsimile using an interactive document printed on a substrate provided for entry of a message using a sensing device. The document includes user information and coded data on a document identity and locations on the document. The sensing device reads the coded data when placed in an operative position relative to the document. The method and computer system allocating and recording an identifier for the document, associating the document with the identifier, causing the document to be printed on the substrate by a networked printer, receiving interaction data representing interaction of the sensing device with the coded data, electronically capturing the message using the interaction data and the recorded identifier and transmitting the message to a designated recipient address for facsimile delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Paul Lapstun, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7733548
    Abstract: A method is provided for processing image data read from a book document placed on a platen of an image reading apparatus. The method includes determining a background pixel of the image data based on a luminance difference or a color difference between neighboring pixel arrays, identifying a shadow region based on a luminance change between the neighboring background pixel arrays, discriminatively detecting a shadow of a binding portion and a shadow of a front edge in a document region with reference to a changing direction of shadow luminance, and performing a luminance correction on the shadow region according to characteristics of the shadows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoichiro Makino, Koji Kobayashi, Nobuyuki Bannai