Patents by Inventor Masao Kato

Masao Kato 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).

  • Patent number: 9044952
    Abstract: A process of detecting a defective recording element and a process of correcting the defective recording element are performed with appropriate processing loads. When the detection process and the correction processes are performed with small loads, for example, at a time of recording, a resolution used for reading an inspection pattern is set lower than that set in a case where the processes can be performed with small loads, for example, at down time before recording. The reading resolution to be set may be determined by an apparatus in accordance with a processing load or may be arbitrarily determined by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Murase, Masao Kato, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minako Kato, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Satoshi Azuma, Kentarou Muro
  • Patent number: 9039112
    Abstract: In a line-head type inkjet printing apparatus that ejects a plurality of types of inks, an inkjet printing apparatus is provided in which the change of its ejection properties different depending on the type of ink is prevented from occurring. The line-head type printing apparatus includes an acquisition unit that counts the ejection number of liquid from each of print heads in each of a plurality of print heads. Furthermore, the printing apparatus compares the ejection number of liquid from each of the print heads counted by the acquisition unit with a threshold value set for each of the print heads. The printing apparatus includes a change unit that can move a holder in the main scanning direction when the counted ejection number of liquid exceeds the threshold value set for the print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Murayama, Takeshi Murase, Masao Kato, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Minako Kato, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Satoshi Azuma, Kentarou Muro
  • Patent number: 9028029
    Abstract: A printing method is performed on a plurality of inkjet print heads to which humidified air is supplied to retain the humidity in the print heads. Ink colors for the plurality of heads are arranged in a sequence corresponding to ink characteristics. The plurality of print heads is divided into groups, with one of the groups being subjected to preliminary ejection on a sheet. The other print head group not subjected to preliminary ejection is located in a more upstream area with respect to a conveyance direction of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Azuma, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Takeshi Murase, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Publication number: 20150062653
    Abstract: An apparatus including an acquisition unit configured to acquire at least one image group including at least one image; a creating unit configured to create a plurality of layout candidates, by selecting at least one image from an image group acquired by the acquisition unit, and arranging the at least one selected image; an evaluation unit configured to evaluate the layout candidates created by the creating unit; a deciding unit configured to decide a presentation order of a plurality of selected layout candidates, based on evaluation results from the evaluation unit; and a presenting unit configured to present layout candidates in the presentation order decided by the deciding unit; wherein the deciding unit decides the presentation order so that the presentation order is different from an order of evaluation values from the evaluation unit, based on the evaluation results of the evaluation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Masao Kato, Yusuke Hashii, Kiyoshi Umeda, Hiroyasu Kunieda, Hiroyuki Sakai, Naoki Sumi
  • Patent number: 8967751
    Abstract: When an image is recorded using a multichip recording head including a plurality of chips each having a plurality of nozzle arrays, a change in image density can occur due to a registration error between chips in an overlapping part where two chips are connected. To suppress the change in image density, input image data is distributed to two chips such that there are dots overlapping each other between the two chips in the overlapping part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Azuma, Yoshiaki Murayama, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Takeshi Murase, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato, Tomokazu Ishikawa, Fumitaka Goto, Mitsuhiro Ono, Akitoshi Yamada, Yugo Mochizuki
  • Publication number: 20150055201
    Abstract: Because the spectral characteristics of an original of a printing sheet and those of an original of a photographic image are different, in the case where the same color conversion table is applied at the time of color conversion processing, a deviation occurs in color reproducibility. By determining a sheet type with accuracy based on the feature of fiber that occurs in manufacture of paper and by applying color conversion processing in accordance with the determination result, a highly accurate color reproduction method of an image is implemented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suwa, Yugo Mochizuki, Masao Kato
  • Patent number: 8955959
    Abstract: A first reading unit that reads a pattern or an image formed on a sheet by a print unit for recognizing a print unit state, a second reading unit that reads a cut mark formed on the sheet on a downstream thereof, a cutter that cuts the sheet on a downstream thereof, and a reverse unit that reverses the sheet fed to the print unit again are provided. In duplex printing, the sheet where images are sequentially printed on a first surface is led to the reverse unit, the front and rear faces are reversed, and the sheet is fed to the print unit again. The sheet where images and cut marks are sequentially printed on a second surface is cut by the cutter for each piece and discharged. The sheet is cut on the basis of a reading of the cut mark by the second reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Teshigawara, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Takeshi Murase, Yutaka Kano, Satoshi Azuma, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Publication number: 20150022863
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus executes color conversion so that when printing is performed based on image data compressed and decompressed with a lossy compression method, the image data reproduces expected colors of the image data before compression. More specifically, a range of a signal value of a black image affected by compression of image data, such as black character to be printed with black ink, is obtained, and a color separation table is generated such that color ink is not used but black ink is used within this range. This allows the image data to reproduce expected colors of the image data before compression when printing is performed based on the image data compressed and decompressed with a lossy compression method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Takashi Fujita, Hiroyuki Sakai, Tetsuya Suwa, Yusuke Hashii, Akitoshi Yamada, Masao Kato
  • Patent number: 8919906
    Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus including recording heads each including a plurality of nozzle arrays that are arranged so as to overlap, wherein the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively high frequency overlap in an intersecting direction that intersects an array direction of nozzles is smaller than the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively low frequency overlap in the intersecting direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Satoshi Azuma, Yoshiaki Murayama, Minoru Teshigawara, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Takeshi Murase, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Patent number: 8873112
    Abstract: A signal value representing at least one of a plurality of types of optical characteristics are calculated for each pixel from the read signal obtained and output by reading light reflected by a document placed on a document table and a document table cover while the document is covered with the cover. It is determined, based on the signal value calculated, whether or not a target pixel is a pixel in a document region. A document region is detected from the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suwa, Minako Kato, Yugo Mochizuki, Takashi Nakamura, Masao Kato
  • Patent number: 8830539
    Abstract: A signal value representing at least one of a plurality of types of optical characteristics are calculated for each pixel from the read signal obtained and output by reading light reflected by a document placed on a document table and a document table cover while the document is covered with the cover. It is determined, based on the signal value calculated, whether or not a target pixel is a pixel in a document region. A document region is detected from the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suwa, Minako Kato, Yugo Mochizuki, Takashi Nakamura, Masao Kato
  • Publication number: 20140247307
    Abstract: A printing method is performed on a plurality of inkjet print heads to which humidified air is supplied to retain the humidity in the print heads. Ink colors for the plurality of heads are arranged in a sequence corresponding to ink characteristics. The plurality of print heads is divided into groups, with one of the groups being subjected to preliminary ejection on a sheet. The other print head group not subjected to preliminary ejection is located in a more upstream area with respect to a conveyance direction of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Azuma, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Takeshi Murase, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Patent number: 8757754
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plurality of inkjet print heads to which humidified air is supplied to retain the humidity in the print heads. Ink colors for the plurality of heads are arranged in a sequence corresponding to ink characteristics. The plurality of print heads are arranged in a sequence such that a print head configured to eject ink characterized by having a larger amount of volatile components evaporated within a predetermined time is located in a more upstream area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Azuma, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Takeshi Murase, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Publication number: 20140092164
    Abstract: A process of detecting a defective recording element and a process of correcting the defective recording element are performed with appropriate processing loads. When the detection process and the correction processes are performed with small loads, for example, at a time of recording, a resolution used for reading an inspection pattern is set lower than that set in a case where the processes can be performed with small loads, for example, at down time before recording. The reading resolution to be set may be determined by an apparatus in accordance with a processing load or may be arbitrarily determined by a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Murase, Masao Kato, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minako Kato, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Satoshi Azuma, Kentarou Muro
  • Patent number: 8675250
    Abstract: A waiting time Ts is decided on the basis of ink type information and ink feed amount information, referring to waiting time table A (Step 6). Along with this, a dried printing paper is carried to and stopped in a waiting area 9 (Step 7), a time period T is measured after stopping, and measurement processing in the next step is delayed until the time period T reaches the waiting time Ts. Then, when the time period T reaches the waiting time Ts, a measuring instrument 10 is used to measure a density of a patch printed on the printing paper (Steps 8 and 9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kentarou Muro, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Takeshi Murase, Satoshi Azuma, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Patent number: 8662613
    Abstract: An inkjet recording system including a separation unit configured to obtain separated data which corresponds to each of a plurality of nozzle arrays from input image data, a gradation correction unit configured to perform gradation correction by one-dimensional conversion on the separated data obtained by the separation unit, and a quantization unit configured to quantize the data on which the gradation correction is performed by the gradation correction unit to generate the recording data, wherein the separation unit obtains the separated data so that first separated data and second separated data corresponding to at least a pair of nozzle arrays for adjusting an effect of an air current have a same value, and the gradation correction unit performs different gradation correction on the first separated data and the second separated data which have the same value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masao Kato, Okinori Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20140022303
    Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus including recording heads each including a plurality of nozzle arrays that are arranged so as to overlap, wherein the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively high frequency overlap in an intersecting direction that intersects an array direction of nozzles is smaller than the width with which the overlapping portions of the recording heads for colors that are simultaneously used with a relatively low frequency overlap in the intersecting direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Satoshi Azuma, Yoshiaki Murayama, Minoru Teshigawara, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Takeshi Murase, Kentarou Muro, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Patent number: 8628164
    Abstract: A process of detecting a defective recording element and a process of correcting the defective recording element are performed with appropriate processing loads. When the detection process and the correction processes are performed with small loads, for example, at a time of recording, a resolution used for reading an inspection pattern is set lower than that set in a case where the processes can be performed with small loads, for example, at down time before recording. The reading resolution to be set may be determined by an apparatus in accordance with a processing load or may be arbitrarily determined by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Murase, Masao Kato, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minako Kato, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Satoshi Azuma, Kentarou Muro
  • Patent number: D699284
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuo Nanjo, Yasuo Kotaki, Kenta Udagawa, Wataru Takahashi, Kazuya Yoshii, Masao Kato, Minako Kato, Eiichiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: RE45267
    Abstract: There is disclosed an image processing apparatus which applies an adjusting process to an image that includes a pixel to be processed. The image processing apparatus extracts an image area with a predetermined size including the pixel to be processed. The apparatus calculates a variation associated with the pixel to be processed from signal values of pixels included in the image area. The apparatus calculates a variation time count in the image area from the signal values of the pixels included in the image area. The apparatus calculates adjusting levels Fz1, Fz2, and Fe from the variation time count and the variation using a definition unit which defines correspondence among the variation time count, the variation, and the adjusting levels, and applies an adjusting process to a signal value of the pixel to be processed by the calculated adjusting levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumitaka Goto, Kentaro Yano, Fumihiro Goto, Masao Kato, Akitoshi Yamada, Tetsuya Suwa, Mitsuhiro Ono, Arata Miyagi, Yusuke Hashii