Patents Examined by Ted W Barnes
  • Patent number: 11868072
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a scanner configured to read an image formed on a sheet along a reading direction and generate image data thereof, and a processor. The processor is configured to select a first region of the generated image data into which a first image indicating the reading direction is to be combined, set a pixel value of the first image in accordance with a pixel value of a pixel around the first region, and combine the first image having the determined pixel value into the first region of the image data and output the combined image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihito Hiroe
  • Patent number: 11863727
    Abstract: Provided is an image calibration method, an image formation device and a storage medium. The image calibration method includes: acquiring at least one of a first end color density value or a second end color density value of a calibration reference image along a direction to be calibrated; calculating a difference between the at least one of the first end color density value or the second end color density value and a target color density value, to obtain at least one of a first end color density difference value or a second end color density difference value; and performing uniformity calibration on an image to be calibrated if the at least one of the first end color density difference value or the second end color density difference value is greater than or equal to a preset difference threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: ZHUHAI PANTUM ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yangxiao Ma
  • Patent number: 11856163
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a reader that reads an image on a print medium, and is arranged at a reading position of a conveyance path for conveying the print medium that is continuous and has a long length; a shading unit including a reference color member to perform shading correction of correcting a read value of an image sensor in the reader; a mover that moves the shading unit between the reading position of the reader and a retreated position; and a retractor that retracts the print medium from the reading position of the reader, wherein the retractor arranges the print medium at the reading position of the reader at a time of reading by the reader, and retracts the print medium from the reading position of the reader at an end of reading by the reader, to secure a predetermined space between the reader and the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Kenji Kawatsu
  • Patent number: 11849096
    Abstract: A printing system includes: a scanner configured to scan a document to generate a document image; a determination section configured to automatically determine a first color in accordance with a situation; a specification section configured to cause a user to specify a color with recommendation of the first color; and a print section configured to perform two-color copying on a medium by using a color specified by the specification section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Sakai
  • Patent number: 11847563
    Abstract: An auto-rotation module having a single-layer neural network on a user device can convert a document image to a monochrome image having black and white pixels and segment the monochrome image into bounding boxes, each bounding box defining a connected segment of black pixels in the monochrome image. The auto-rotation module can determine textual snippets from the bounding boxes and prepare them into input images for the single-layer neural network. The single-layer neural network is trained to process each input image, recognize a correct orientation, and output a set of results for each input image. Each result indicates a probability associated with a particular orientation. The auto-rotation module can examine the results, determine what degree of rotation is needed to achieve a correct orientation of the document image, and automatically rotate the document image by the degree of rotation needed to achieve the correct orientation of the document image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: OPEN TEXT SA ULC
    Inventor: Christopher Dale Lund
  • Patent number: 11829820
    Abstract: A colorimetric method is executed by a server that communicates with an information processing apparatus coupled to a printing apparatus and to a colorimetric device. The method includes: creating work information that includes print commanding information related to a command to print a chart image based on chart information and also includes colorimetry commanding information related to a command to perform colorimetry for the chart image; storing the work information; transmitting the print commanding information to the information processing apparatus; causing the information processing apparatus to command, according to the print commanding information, the printing apparatus to print the chart image; transmitting the colorimetry commanding information to the information processing apparatus; and acquiring colorimetry result information created as a result of the colorimetry performed for the chart image by the colorimetric device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuichi Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 11831845
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes circuitry. The circuitry acquires a first colorimetric value of a target color mixture from a chart printed out in a first state. The circuitry acquires a second colorimetric value of an adjacent color mixture and acquires a second colorimetric value of an adjacent color mixture from a chart printed out in a second state. The circuitry acquires a third colorimetric value of a pre-correction color mixture. The circuitry adds a difference between the first colorimetric value and the second colorimetric value to the third colorimetric value and calculates a predicted colorimetric. The circuitry determines whether a color difference between the predicted colorimetric value and the first colorimetric value. The circuitry acquires, as a correction value, the second gradation value corresponding to the second colorimetric value. The circuitry corrects a corresponding one of the one or more first gradation values by using the correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Moriwaki
  • Patent number: 11831848
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus, accessible to a color expert who manages colors of an image to be printed in a plurality of printing devices and a plurality of operators each of whom is capable of operating at least the one printing device out of the plurality of printing device, registers a patch image to be printed by any of the plurality of printing devices and/or a color management setting information piece defining a condition for printing by the printing device in accordance with an instruction provided by the color expert, sets the patch image and/or the color management setting information piece accessible to the one or more operators, and in response to a request from any of the plurality of operators, permits access to the patch image and/or the color management setting information piece set accessible to the operator who has made the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Haruka Kurumaya
  • Patent number: 11831849
    Abstract: An information processing device includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire color information on a specific color included in an inspection image, and a determination condition for determining a color shift with respect to the specific color; and a controller configured to: determine, based on the color information and the determination condition acquired by the acquisition unit, test image data representing a plurality of test images to be formed by an image forming apparatus; output the determined test image data to the image forming apparatus in order to form the plurality of test images; acquire luminance data on the plurality of test images, the luminance data being output from a color sensor; acquire spectral data on the plurality of test images, the spectral data being output from a spectroscopic sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazusa Morimoto, Norio Negishi
  • Patent number: 11818322
    Abstract: Systems and methods manage information relating to paper media to enhance the quality of printing by printers. Systems and methods efficiently maintain color management profiles for different papers and ensure that the most appropriate (e.g., optimal) color management profile is employed for color conversion on a specific paper. In particular, embodiments may employ dynamic management of data stored in paper catalogs of printing systems. As such, a paper catalog of a printer can effectively associate a paper with a color management profile that provides the best possible color reproduction on that paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Javier A. Morales
  • Patent number: 11818319
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus connected to an image forming unit and a reading unit is provided. The apparatus generates image data based on document data described in a page description language, encodes the document data to be multiplexed on the image data, outputs the image data to the image forming unit, restores the multiplexed document data from the image data read by the reading unit, and saves the image data read by the reading unit and the document data restored by a restoration unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akitoshi Yamada, Kentaro Yano
  • Patent number: 11812004
    Abstract: A printing apparatus causes a printer engine to print first tone correction patches of a first color on a first sheet and to print second tone correction patches of a second color being different from the first color on a second sheet, generate correction information based on a color measurement result of the first tone correction patches and the second tone correction patches printed on the first sheet and the second sheet, respectively, as measured by a sensor, and correct image data using the correction information. In the generation of the correction information, in a case where there are more than a predetermined number of sheets of a size being different from a predetermined size between the first sheet and the second sheet, the correction information using the color measurement result of the first tone correction patches and the second tone correction patches is not generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Oba
  • Patent number: 11812005
    Abstract: A method for reproducing an out-of-gamut spot color includes determining a color gamut for a color printer, and specifying a spot color by color coordinates in a three-dimensional color space. A first target color is determined corresponding to a color having a minimum color difference to the specified spot color, and a second target color is determined corresponding to a color on the color gamut surface having a hue value equal to a hue value of the specified spot color. A path is defined on the color gamut surface connecting the first target color and the second target color, wherein a control parameter is used to specify a relative position along the defined path. A user interface is provided enabling a user to adjust the control parameter to specify an aim color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Chung-Hui Kuo, Victor Ignacio Ibarluzea, Thomas L. Schwartz
  • Patent number: 11800036
    Abstract: Examples disclosed herein relate to identifying a plurality of content areas of a document to be scanned, classifying each of the plurality of content areas into a content type, determining a minimum scanning resolution to maintain readability for each of the plurality of content areas according to the classified content type, and performing a scan of the document to a digital file, wherein each of the plurality of content areas is scanned at least at the determined minimum scanning resolution to maintain readability of the respective content area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett, Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Todd J Harris, Peter Bauer, Litao Hu, Jan Allebach, Zhenhua Hu
  • Patent number: 11797806
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus with a processor and a memory storing instructions, that, when executed, cause the processor to obtain HDR data representing a high-dynamic range (HDR) image, in an image transfer function of the HDR data, a tone of each pixel is defined based on a relative luminance value, to obtain print information to perform printing based on the obtained HDR data, to set luminance information to be a target absolute luminance value, and to perform a luminance conversion on the HDR data so that a tone of each pixel is defined based on an absolute luminance value and the target absolute luminance value being a maximum luminance, to convert a dynamic range of luminance of the HDR data, on which the luminance conversion has been performed, into a dynamic range corresponding to printing of an image on a print medium performed based on the print information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichi Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11792349
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to, in a case where a first color material, a second color material, a third color material, and a fourth color material in which a difference between the first color material and the fourth color material in a color space is less than a threshold value, are capable of being used, output combinations of values of color materials reproducing a first color, which is used for expanding a color gamut of a secondary color of the first color material and the second color material, and a second color, which is used for expanding a color gamut of a secondary color of the first color material and the third color material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Toshihiro Iwafuchi
  • Patent number: 11785169
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of first color values in a device independent color space, from information defining a predetermined gamut; a setting unit configured to set predetermined first dot percentages of a fluorescent color for the plurality of first color values acquired by the acquisition unit; a calculation unit configured to calculate a second dot percentage of the fluorescent color, based on a relationship between the plurality of first color values and the first dot percentages, the second dot percentage corresponding to an arbitrary second color value in the color space; and a generation unit configured to generate a first profile to convert the second color value to dot percentages of a process color and the fluorescent color, based on the second color value and the second dot percentage calculated by the calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Yuki Matsushima
  • Patent number: 11769023
    Abstract: A distribution portion that distributes an error based on quantization of a gradation value corresponding to the one pixel, to a first pixel located in a first direction of the one pixel at a first distribution rate, to a second pixel located in a second direction of the one pixel at a second distribution rate, and to a third pixel located in a third direction of the one pixel at a third distribution rate, the second direction is a direction that intersects the first direction, and the third direction is a direction different from an extension direction of a plane defined by the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Utsunomiya, Nobuaki Ito, Satoshi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11770491
    Abstract: A quantized value for a pixel of interest in an input image is derived by using a predetermined threshold value matrix. Then, based on a pixel value group in a predetermined reference area including the pixel of interest in the input image and a threshold value group corresponding thereto, directionality of correction is determined. Further, based on the pixel value group and the threshold value group, whether or not the pixel of interest satisfies a predetermined condition for changing the quantized value is determined. Then, based on both the determination results, the quantized value is corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryosuke Otani, Hisashi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 11758073
    Abstract: For determining a match factor regarding color match of a printed product with target values for colors, measuring fields of a printout are spectrally measured and actual measured values of the printout recorded. The target values are compared with actual measured values by determining for the printed product a color value axis from a unique color value as a start point to a second unique color value as end point and interpolation points between the first and second unique color values; determining target values for start and end points and interpolation points; determining actual measured values for start and end points and interpolation points of the printout from the actual measured values; determining a distance value representing the distance between target value and actual measured value for each start point, end point, and interpolation point; and calculating and outputting the match factor as statistical average of the distance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: GMG GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Philipp Tröster, Eva Jüde-Löffler, Marc Levine, Darrian Young