Patents Examined by Ted Barnes
  • Switching mode power supply, apparatus and method of supplying power by using the same, and image forming apparatus therefor
    Patent number: 9397553
    Abstract: A switching mode power supply (SMPS) usable with an image forming apparatus receives an alternating current (AC) power from an external electric power supply source and outputs a direct current (DC) power. When a supply state of an electric power to the image forming apparatus is turned off, electric charges charged in a capacitor of the SMPS are discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hong-ki Jung
  • Slanted lens interlacing
    Patent number: 9383588
    Abstract: A method of interlacing images into an interlaced print file for controlling an output device. The interlacing method involves arranging a set of pixels in a line that is transverse but non-orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of a slant lens or lenticule. Each of these pixels is associated with a different frame/image, e.g., six or more frames are used in each interlaced image, with one being visible through the lens or lenticule at a time by a viewer. The slant lens interlacing method does not involve slicing each frame and then splicing these slices together. Instead, individual pixels from each frame are combined within a digital print file in a unique pattern to provide the non-orthogonal interlacing described herein (e.g., the new interlacing may be considered “matrix interlacing” or “angular-offset interlacing”), and a significantly larger amount of information is presented under each slant lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: LUMENCO, LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Raymond, Hector Andres Porras Soto
  • Image forming apparatus having image reading device
    Patent number: 9380172
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, when a pivot plate is at a closed position, a free end of the pivot plate is at a vertical level higher than first and second hinge portions which are arranged apart from each other in a width direction along a horizontal direction. A free end of the pivot plate moves in a space defined between first and second virtual vertical planes. The first virtual vertical plane is defined as a virtual vertical plane, on which a widthwise inner end of a first hinge portion is disposed, and which is perpendicular to a rotational center axis of the first hinge portion. The second virtual vertical plane is defined as a virtual vertical plane, on which a widthwise inner end of the second hinge portion is disposed, and which is perpendicular to a rotational center axis of the second hinge portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Miwa, Shougo Sato
  • Image processing apparatus, method for displaying preview image, and recording medium
    Patent number: 9374482
    Abstract: When an input unit receives a predetermined operation on a preview image during execution of a real-time preview, an image processing apparatus stores information that specifies the preview image for which the predetermined operation has been received, in a specific information storage unit. The image processing apparatus executes a first preview display of displaying a preview image for which the predetermined operation has been received or a preview image for which the predetermined operation has not been received among preview images of a job after completion of the real-time preview, based on the information stored in the specific information storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Daiki Nishioka
  • Electronic apparatus
    Patent number: 9367273
    Abstract: An MFP stores identification information and address information in correlation with each other for each interface. The MFP sends first identification information to a PC when receiving an inquiry of identification information from the PC through a first interface in preparation communication such as installation of a printer driver. In addition, when a request of address information using the first identification information is acquired from the PC, the MFP sends first address information corresponding to the first identification information in a case where the request of address information is acquired through the first interface, and sends second address information corresponding to second identification information in a case where the request of address information is acquired through a second interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Shibata
  • Booting a printer
    Patent number: 9367333
    Abstract: A method for booting a printer includes storing a configuration image of the printer on a network storage device. The configuration image includes an input/output (I/O) initialization sequence for at least one component of the printer and I/O flow control steps and timing. The method further includes downloading the configuration image from the network storage device to the printer and playing back the initialization sequence and flow control based on the configuration image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Xiang-Qin Wen, Marvin D. Nelson
  • Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable medium
    Patent number: 9357088
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a screen information storage unit configured to store screen information of a home screen that displays a user interface component list including an application user interface component for accessing an application, a screen generating unit configured to generate the home screen based on the screen information, a display unit configured to display the home screen generated by the home screen generating unit, an image generation control unit configured to issue an instruction to generate a general-purpose image of a document when a request for scanning the document is issued while the home screen is displayed, and an image processing unit configured to generate the general-purpose image based on image data obtained from scanning the document upon receiving the instruction to generate the general-purpose image from the image generation control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Kuroyanagi
  • Print control system
    Patent number: 9348548
    Abstract: A print control system 1 includes a control server 10 that opens a communication path for asynchronous duplex communication, generates print data, and outputs the generated print data by the opened communication path; and a printer 12 that opens a communication path, receives the print data by the opened communication path, and prints based on the received print data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Tajima, Koji Nishizawa, Yuichi Sugiyama
  • Methods and systems for performing queue-based routing of print jobs in a multi-site print production environment
    Patent number: 9342764
    Abstract: A system for performing queue-based routing of print jobs in a multi-site print production environment may include a computing device having a scheduling queue and a processor, and a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the computing device. The computer-readable storage medium may include one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to receive a plurality of print jobs from one or more client computing devices, store the received print jobs in the scheduling queue, determine that a released print job has been released by a print production environment, identify a similar print job from the received print jobs in the scheduling queue, remove the identified similar print job from the scheduling queue, and route the identified similar print job to the print production environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Michael Gross, Tulia Plumettaz, Pallavi Manohar, Manoj Gupta
  • Low-capacity power supply, power supply system, and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 9262708
    Abstract: A system for minimizing damage based on excess current or voltage is described in which a connection between an AC power supply and a smoothing circuit is interrupted. The system may include capacitors and relays located between the AC power supply and a rectifier. By determining that a voltage or current is greater than a threshold level, the relay or relays may be opened. For instance, the increased voltage or current may be due to a failure of one or the capacitors, resulting in a short circuit across the capacitor. By opening the relay or relays, damage due to the excess current or voltage may be prevented from damaging downstream components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shunsuke Gomi
  • Job processing apparatus, method for controlling the same, and storage medium
    Patent number: 9253344
    Abstract: A job processing apparatus includes a display unit that displays a job setting screen for receiving a job setting, an obtaining unit for obtaining information indicating a configuration of the job processing apparatus after the job processing apparatus is started, and a display control unit that causes the display unit to display a first job setting screen before the obtaining unit obtains the information indicating the configuration of the job processing apparatus. The display control unit causes, after the obtaining unit obtains the information indicating the configuration after the job processing apparatus is started, the display unit to display a second job setting screen based on the obtained information indicating the configuration. The display control unit also causes the display unit to display the second job setting screen which has taken over setting of a job via the first job setting screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiko Utsumi
  • Printing system, information processor, and storage medium
    Patent number: 9250849
    Abstract: A printing system includes an identification part configured to identify a printing protocol to be used with respect to an image processor in creating a print queue for displaying a status of the image processor and a reflection part configured to reflect, in the print queue, a definition of a communication setting used for bidirectional communications between an information processor and the image processor, the definition corresponding to the identified printing protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshinari Chigusa
  • Printing control terminal device and method of printing XML paper specification (XPS) file
    Patent number: 9250833
    Abstract: A printing control terminal device includes a user interface to receive a command to print an XPS file on an XPS viewer, an analyzing unit to analyze at least one of a print ticket, a core property, and a digital signature included in the XPS file, and to distinguish a first setting information to be applied to a printing job and a second setting information not to be applied to a printing job, a conversion unit to convert at least one of the print ticket, the core property, and the digital signature corresponding to the second distinguished setting information to be applied to the printing job, a driver to generate print data using the second converted setting information and the first setting information, and a communication interface to transmit the generated print data to the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Na-young Kim
  • Processing print requests
    Patent number: 9235371
    Abstract: A request to print a file at a printer is received at a first computer system over a public network. Responsive to receiving the request, an indication of the request is exposed to the printer to enable fulfillment, by the printer, of the request to print the file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Harish B Kamath, Hean Koon Koay, Rahul Kumar Srivastava
  • Recording medium and label production processing method
    Patent number: 9230197
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a label production processing program for executing steps on an arithmetic device of an operation terminal, to operate a label producing apparatus is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yongqi Sun
  • Display processing apparatus, control method, and computer program
    Patent number: 9232089
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus displays an input screen including a setting area in which setting items are selectably arranged, and detects an operation on the input screen. When a flick operation has been detected in the setting area, the image processing apparatus enlarges the setting area, and moves the setting items in the setting area based on the speed of the flick operation. Then, the image processing apparatus sets a setting item in a selection area among a plurality of the setting items arranged in the enlarged setting area to a selected state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kaori Nishiyama
  • Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program
    Patent number: 9225878
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an image-forming unit configured to form an image, a measuring unit configured to measure the image, a control unit configured to control execution of single-color calibration to correct reproduction characteristics of a single-color formed by the image-forming unit based on a measuring result of a single-color image formed with a single-color recording agent, and execution of multi-color calibration to correct reproduction characteristics of a multi-color formed by the image-forming unit based on a measuring result of a multi-color image formed with a plurality of color recording agents, and an evaluation unit configured to evaluate single-color reproduction characteristics with reference to a target value usable to evaluate the single-color reproduction characteristics by measuring the single-color image after execution of the single-color calibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Matsuzaki
  • Relay server
    Patent number: 9225856
    Abstract: A relay server may register combination information in an information memory. The combination information may include specific account information for a user who uses a communication device and first account information for the user. The first account information may be registered in the service providing server. The relay server may relay a data communication between the service providing server and the communication device by using the first account information included in the combination information including the specific account information in a case where the specific account information is received from the communication device after the combination information has been registered in the information memory. The data communication may be a communication for the communication device to receive a provision of a service from the service providing server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kiyotaka Ohara
  • Method and apparatus of processing information in an environment with multiple devices and limited resources
    Patent number: 9223529
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed that provide processing data associated with a job request. In one example, the job request may be a printer job to print a particular document based on predefined settings. The data processing operation may include determining at least one job specific resource available to fulfill the job request, and performing at least one of a prioritization computation, a job specific requirement computation, and a geographical determination computation. Additional operations may include selecting at least one appropriate device to fulfill the job request based on the at least one computation operation and the at least one available job specific resource, and processing and completing the job using the at least one appropriate device based on the at least one computation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Open Invention Network, LLC
    Inventor: Margarita Khafizova
  • Electronic content management workflow
    Patent number: 9223528
    Abstract: A method for managing an electronic document (ED) using an electronic content management (ECM) system. The method includes: receiving, by the ECM system, a submission having the ED; generating an archived document corresponding to the ED; storing, by the ECM system, the ED and the archived document; distributing, by the ECM system, the archived document to multiple users including a first user and a second user; receiving, by the ECM system and from the first user, a first request for the ED; sending, by the ECM system, the ED to the first user in response to the first user having access rights to the ED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventor: Kirk Steven Tecu