Patents by Inventor Hirotaka Seki
Hirotaka Seki has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8615675Abstract: This invention provides an image forming apparatus that suppresses a control error between CPUs when the CPUs operate in cooperation with each other in distributed control by the CPUs. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus utilizes a distributed control system. Respective CPUs measure time interval concerning image formation processing using their built-in clock oscillators, and perform operations in cooperation with each other. Correction coefficients are calculated based on the time interval measured by the respective CPUs to correct a measurement error generated by the operation an error of the respective clock oscillators. Clock count values each indicating a timing to drive a load is corrected based on the correction coefficients.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2010Date of Patent: December 24, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hirotaka Seki, Atsushi Otani, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi
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Patent number: 8605306Abstract: The image forming apparatus has the plurality of control units and executes distributed processing in which any one control unit having monitoring execution authority monitors for an abnormal condition in each control unit. Each control unit determines, from its own processing load, monitoring capability information that indicates whether monitoring for an abnormal condition is possible or not. If, in a case where the control unit has the monitoring execution authority, the monitoring capability information does not satisfy predetermined information, then the control unit delegates the monitoring execution authority to another control unit whose monitoring capability information does satisfy the predetermined information.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2011Date of Patent: December 10, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Keita Takahashi, Atsushi Otani, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Hirotaka Seki
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Patent number: 8576427Abstract: There are provided an image forming apparatus which implements divisional control using a plurality of control units without an increase in cost and a control method for the apparatus. To accomplish this, this image forming apparatus includes a master control unit that controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units that control a plurality of functions for performing image formation, and a plurality of salve control units that control loads for implementing a plurality of functions. The master control unit is connected to the plurality of sub-master control units via first signal lines. The plurality of sub-master control units are connected to the plurality of slave control units via second signal lines higher in data transfer timing accuracy than the first signal lines.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2010Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Akihiko Sakai, Atsushi Otani, Shigeo Hata, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi, Hirotaka Seki
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Patent number: 8503013Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus which adopts a distributed control system and suppresses generation of radiation noise without increasing the cost. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus includes a master control unit that controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units that control a plurality of functions for performing image formation, and a plurality of salve control units that control loads for implementing a plurality of functions. The image forming apparatus performs distributed control. The image forming apparatus determines the operating frequencies of the salve control units in accordance with loads controlled by the salve control units. The image forming apparatus compares the operating frequencies of the slave control units. Based on the comparison result, the image forming apparatus changes the operating frequency of a slave control unit that is equal to the operating frequency of another slave control unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2010Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hirotaka Seki, Shigeo Hata, Atsushi Otani, Akihiko Sakai, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi
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Patent number: 8473763Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus that realizes a distributed control system with a reduced number of power lines, and that has highly reliable power supply and an effective power saving mode. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus employs a distributed control system including a master CPU, a plurality of sub master CPUs, and a plurality of slave CPUs. The master CPU supplies 5-V power to the sub master CPUs and the slave CPUs in the power saving mode, and supplies 24-V power thereto in a normal mode. Also, the sub master CPUs determine the operating mode in accordance with the level of the supplied power voltage, and operate accordingly.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2010Date of Patent: June 25, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Atsushi Otani, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi, Hirotaka Seki
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Patent number: 8341461Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus which adopts a distributed control system and increases the error detection accuracy of each control unit. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus includes a master control unit that controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units that control a plurality of functions for performing image formation, and a plurality of slave control units that control loads for implementing a plurality of functions. The master control unit determines a diagnosis path for performing a diagnosis process for an error using the signal lines and a connection bridge connected to the respective control units. The master control unit performs the diagnosis process for an error in accordance with the determined diagnosis path.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2010Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Atsushi Otani, Shigeo Hata, Akihiko Sakai, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi, Hirotaka Seki
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Patent number: 8272640Abstract: A first lower layer control unit controls a conveyance unit, that conveys the medium in a first conveyance section of a conveyance path. A second lower layer control unit controls a conveyance unit, that conveys the medium in a second conveyance section located downstream of the first conveyance section. An upper layer control unit determines whether the medium is at a position where both the first lower layer control unit and the second lower layer control unit engage with conveyance control of the medium, instructs the first lower layer control unit and the second lower layer control unit to operate in synchronization with each other when the medium is at the position, and instructs the second lower layer control unit to operate asynchronously to the first lower layer control unit when the medium is not at the position.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2011Date of Patent: September 25, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi, Atsushi Otani, Shoji Takeda, Hirotaka Seki
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Publication number: 20120008159Abstract: The image forming apparatus has the plurality of control units and executes distributed processing in which any one control unit having monitoring execution authority monitors for an abnormal condition in each control unit. Each control unit determines, from its own processing load, monitoring capability information that indicates whether monitoring for an abnormal condition is possible or not. If, in a case where the control unit has the monitoring execution authority, the monitoring capability information does not satisfy predetermined information, then the control unit delegates the monitoring execution authority to another control unit whose monitoring capability information does satisfy the predetermined information.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2011Publication date: January 12, 2012Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Keita Takahashi, Atsushi Otani, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Hirotaka Seki
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Patent number: 8077347Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a scanning unit capable of forming a plurality of lines of an image simultaneously by scanning, in a main scanning direction, laser beam that has been emitted from a plurality of laser emitting devices. The apparatus has a memory for storing an error characteristic, in a sub-scanning direction with respect to an ideal scanning line in the main scanning direction, of a scanning line scanned by the scanning unit. A line on which image data is read out is changed over in accordance with a line changeover position in the main scanning direction based upon the error characteristic and a revised pixel position in the main scanning direction in the image data.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2011Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hirotaka Seki
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Publication number: 20110267635Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a scanning unit capable of forming a plurality of lines of an image simultaneously by scanning, in a main scanning direction, laser beam that has been emitted from a plurality of laser emitting devices. The apparatus has a memory for storing an error characteristic, in a sub-scanning direction with respect to an ideal scanning line in the main scanning direction, of a scanning line scanned by the scanning unit. A line on which image data is read out is changed over in accordance with a line changeover position in the main scanning direction based upon the error characteristic and a revised pixel position in the main scanning direction in the image data.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2011Publication date: November 3, 2011Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Hirotaka SEKI
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Publication number: 20110241289Abstract: A first lower layer control unit controls a conveyance unit, that conveys the medium in a first conveyance section of a conveyance path. A second lower layer control unit controls a conveyance unit, that conveys the medium in a second conveyance section located downstream of the first conveyance section. An upper layer control unit determines whether the medium is at a position where both the first lower layer control unit and the second lower layer control unit engage with conveyance control of the medium, instructs the first lower layer control unit and the second lower layer control unit to operate in synchronization with each other when the medium is at the position, and instructs the second lower layer control unit to operate asynchronously to the first lower layer control unit when the medium is not at the position.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2011Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi, Atsushi Otani, Shoji Takeda, Hirotaka Seki
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Publication number: 20110225443Abstract: The present image forming apparatus includes a first control unit and a second control unit driven by built-in clock oscillators to realize the distributed control. The first control unit generates, using a first timer driven by the built-in clock oscillator of the first control unit, a pulse signal corresponding to a predetermined clock rate and outputs the pulse signal to the second control unit. The second control unit measures, using a second timer driven by the built-in clock oscillator of the second control unit, a pulse width of the pulse signal outputted from the first control unit, and calculates a correction coefficient using reference pulse width corresponding to the predetermined clock rate and the measured pulse width. The processing unit processes using the calculated correction coefficient.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2011Publication date: September 15, 2011Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Keita Takahashi, Atsushi Otani, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Hirotaka Seki
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Patent number: 8004715Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a scanning unit capable of forming a plurality of lines of an image simultaneously by scanning, in a main scanning direction, laser beam that has been emitted from a plurality of laser emitting devices. The apparatus has a memory for storing an error characteristic, in a sub-scanning direction with respect to an ideal scanning line in the main scanning direction, of a scanning line scanned by the scanning unit. A line on which image data is read out is changed over in accordance with a line changeover position in the main scanning direction based upon the error characteristic and a revised pixel position in the main scanning direction in the image data.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2008Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hirotaka Seki
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Patent number: 7952637Abstract: A display apparatus in which a long-time depression of a button for predetermined operations is discriminated, and a light-intensity of a display apparatus is modulated to a maximum or minimum intensity when a long-time depression is identified. This allows for setting a light intensity of a display apparatus by a simple operation.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2006Date of Patent: May 31, 2011Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hirotaka Seki
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Publication number: 20110107128Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus that realizes a distributed control system with a reduced number of power lines, and that has highly reliable power supply and an effective power saving mode. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus employs a distributed control system including a master CPU, a plurality of sub master CPUs, and a plurality of slave CPUs. The master CPU supplies 5-V power to the sub master CPUs and the slave CPUs in the power saving mode, and supplies 24-V power thereto in a normal mode. Also, the sub master CPUs determine the operating mode in accordance with the level of the supplied power voltage, and operate accordingly.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2010Publication date: May 5, 2011Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Atsushi Otani, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi, Hirotaka Seki
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Publication number: 20110047403Abstract: This invention provides an image forming apparatus that suppresses a control error between CPUs when the CPUs operate in cooperation with each other in distributed control by the CPUs. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus utilizes a distributed control system. Respective CPUs measure time interval concerning image formation processing using their built-in clock oscillators, and perform operations in cooperation with each other. Correction coefficients are calculated based on the time interval measured by the respective CPUs to correct a measurement error generated by the operation an error of the respective clock oscillators. Clock count values each indicating a timing to drive a load is corrected based on the correction coefficients.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2010Publication date: February 24, 2011Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hirotaka Seki, Atsushi Otani, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi
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Publication number: 20100272454Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus which adopts a distributed control system and suppresses generation of radiation noise without increasing the cost. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus includes a master control unit that controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units that control a plurality of functions for performing image formation, and a plurality of salve control units that control loads for implementing a plurality of functions. The image forming apparatus performs distributed control. The image forming apparatus determines the operating frequencies of the salve control units in accordance with loads controlled by the salve control units. The image forming apparatus compares the operating frequencies of the slave control units. Based on the comparison result, the image forming apparatus changes the operating frequency of a slave control unit that is equal to the operating frequency of another slave control unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2010Publication date: October 28, 2010Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hirotaka Seki, Shigeo Hata, Atsushi Otani, Akihiko Sakai, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi
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Publication number: 20100268989Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus which adopts a distributed control system and increases the error detection accuracy of each control unit. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus includes a master control unit that controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units that control a plurality of functions for performing image formation, and a plurality of salve control units that control loads for implementing a plurality of functions. The master control unit determines a diagnosis path for performing a diagnosis process for an error using the signal lines and connection bridge connected to the respective control units. The master control unit performs the diagnosis process for an error in accordance with the determined diagnosis path.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2010Publication date: October 21, 2010Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Atsushi Otani, Shigeo Hata, Akihiko Sakai, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi, Hirotaka Seki
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Publication number: 20100231962Abstract: There are provided an image forming apparatus which implements divisional control using a plurality of control units without an increase in cost and a control method for the apparatus. To accomplish this, this image forming apparatus includes a master control unit that controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units that control a plurality of functions for performing image formation, and a plurality of salve control units that control loads for implementing a plurality of functions. The master control unit is connected to the plurality of sub-master control units via first signal lines. The plurality of sub-master control units are connected to the plurality of slave control units via second signal lines higher in data transfer timing accuracy than the first signal lines.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2010Publication date: September 16, 2010Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Akihiko Sakai, Atsushi Otani, Shigeo Hata, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Keita Takahashi, Hirotaka Seki
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Publication number: 20100231948Abstract: This invention provides an image forming apparatus to which a distributed control system is applied and which improves error detection accuracy in each control unit. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus includes a master control unit which controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units which control a plurality of functions required to implement image formation, and a plurality of slave control units which control loads required to implement the plurality of functions. Each slave control unit includes a monitoring unit which monitors the operation of the other active slave control unit and performs an error diagnosis when the slave control unit is inactive.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2010Publication date: September 16, 2010Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Atsushi Otani, Akihiko Sakai, Keita Takahashi, Hirotaka Seki, Shoji Takeda, Satoru Yamamoto, Shigeo Hata