Patents by Inventor Satoshi Sakata
Satoshi Sakata 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: 7010251Abstract: A toner conveyance device for conveying toner particles including: a toner mixing unit having a toner introducing portion to introduce toner particles, for mixing the toner particles from the toner introducing portion with air to make a toner fluid; a first conveyor for receiving the toner fluid in the toner mixing unit and conveying; a toner separation unit for separating the toner fluid conveyed by the first conveyor into air and toner particles, the toner separation unit having a toner discharging portion for discharging the separated toner particles to an outside; a second conveyor for conveying the air separated by the toner separation unit back to the toner mixing unit; and a tightly closed circulation path of air, formed starting at the toner mixing unit which leads to the toner separation unit through the first conveyor and returning back to the toner mixing unit through the second conveyor.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2003Date of Patent: March 7, 2006Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.Inventors: Kazumichi Yamauchi, Ritsuo Fujii, Satoshi Sakata, Seiji Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Isokawa, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Yasuo Shiokawa
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Publication number: 20050281184Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus comprises an attaching section 63 used to attach register mark information 61 which can be read by a cutting machine on image information 60, where the register mark has a specified shape, size and position. When a printing range of the image information 60 with the register mark exceeds a printing output range representing a size of page memory 64 or a recording medium size, a warning is given to discontinue printing. Thus, erroneous reading of the register mark by the cutting machine is prevented, defective output of a recording medium from the cutting machine is reduced and printing efficiency is improved.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2005Publication date: December 22, 2005Inventors: Satoshi Sakata, Utami Soma
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Publication number: 20040105704Abstract: A toner conveyance device for conveying toner particles including: a toner mixing unit having a toner introducing portion to introduce toner particles, for mixing the toner particles from the toner introducing portion with air to make a toner fluid; a first conveyor for receiving the toner fluid in the toner mixing unit and conveying; a toner separation unit for separating the toner fluid conveyed by the first conveyor into air and toner particles, the toner separation unit having a toner discharging portion for discharging the separated toner particles to an outside; a second conveyor for conveying the air separated by the toner separation unit back to the toner mixing unit; and a tightly closed circulation path of air, formed starting at the toner mixing unit which leads to the toner separation unit through the first conveyor and returning back to the toner mixing unit through the second conveyor.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2003Publication date: June 3, 2004Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC.Inventors: Kazumichi Yamauchi, Ritsuo Fujii, Satoshi Sakata, Seiji Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Isokawa, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Yasuo Shiokawa
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Patent number: 6687471Abstract: There is described an image-forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a recording medium, a size of which is larger than that of the toner image being a fixed form size, based on image data corresponding to the fixed form size. The image-forming apparatus includes an image-forming section to form the toner image in a region of the fixed form size, based on the image data corresponding to the fixed form size, and to form a specific toner image in a specific region outside the fixed form size, both the region and the specific region being shared each other within a whole area of the recording medium; and a controlling section to control the image-forming section so as to form a predetermined patch image, serving as the specific toner image, in the specific region outside the fixed form size.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2002Date of Patent: February 3, 2004Assignee: Konica CorporationInventors: Satoshi Sakata, Akira Okamoto, Hideo Yamane, Kenji Kato
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Publication number: 20030218643Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an operation improved in view of use of normal healthy persons and handicapped persons. The image forming apparatus comprising an operation panel having a display and an input section, has: a specifying section for specifying whether a user is a normal healthy person or a handicapped person; a storage for storing an operation function when the normal healthy person uses the apparatus, and an operation function when the handicapped person uses the apparatus; and an operation function changing section for reading a corresponding operation function out of the storage, and changing an operation function of the operation panel according as the normal healthy person or the handicapped person is specified by the specifying section.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2003Publication date: November 27, 2003Applicant: Konica CorporationInventors: Satoshi Sakata, Seitaro Kasahara, Shigeo Konuma
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Publication number: 20030147093Abstract: An image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of reducing a waste of papers, and confirming contents of a plurality of copies of images, when outputting the copies of images. The image forming apparatus has: a one-sheet output mode instructing section for instructing a one-sheet output mode for outputting one copy of images as a confirmation for every sheet, when outputting a plurality of copies of images formed on the basis of inputted image data; and a one-sheet output control section for outputting the one copy of images as the confirmation for every sheet, when the one-sheet output mode is instructed by the one-sheet output mode instructing section.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2003Publication date: August 7, 2003Applicant: Konica CorporationInventors: Akira Okamoto, Satoshi Sakata
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Publication number: 20030117943Abstract: Difference between a received signal which is an OFDM modulated signal having a guard interval and a delayed signal acquired by delaying the received signal by time equivalent to a data interval is calculated, a reference signal of an FFT calculation window is generated based upon the acquired result of the calculation of the difference and a predetermined threshold and a boundary between symbols is detected. As a result, the boundary between symbols can be stably detected, compared with a method of detecting a boundary between symbols based upon the result of the correlation calculation of the guard interval and the demodulation of received data is also stably enabled in multipath phasing and ghost.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 26, 2002Publication date: June 26, 2003Inventors: Satoshi Sakata, Nobuo Tsukamoto
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Patent number: 6522844Abstract: A heater control apparatus is provided for controlling a plurality of heaters used for fixing operations of an image forming apparatus, wherein each of the heaters is incorporated inside one of a plurality of rollers. The heater control apparatus includes: a plurality of switching elements to switch flowing paths of electronic currents supplied to the heaters from a common power source; a switching control section to control the switching elements so that a connecting mode of the heaters is changeable between a serial connection mode and a parallel connection mode; and a plurality of temperature detecting devices to detect temperatures of the rollers heated by the heaters, each of the temperature detecting devices corresponding to each of the rollers. The switching control section controls the switching elements so as to change the connecting mode of the heaters according to temperature conditions of the rollers.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2001Date of Patent: February 18, 2003Assignee: Konica CorporationInventors: Hideo Yamane, Youbao Peng, Satoshi Sakata, Hiroyuki Watanabe
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Publication number: 20030026624Abstract: There is described an image-forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a recording medium, a size of which is larger than that of the toner image being a fixed form size, based on image data corresponding to the fixed form size. The image-forming apparatus includes an image-forming section to form the toner image in a region of the fixed form size, based on the image data corresponding to the fixed form size, and to form a specific toner image in a specific region outside the fixed form size, both the region and the specific region being shared each other within a whole area of the recording medium; and a controlling section to control the image-forming section so as to form a predetermined patch image, serving as the specific toner image, in the specific region outside the fixed form size.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2002Publication date: February 6, 2003Inventors: Satoshi Sakata, Akira Okamoto, Hideo Yamane, Kenji Kato
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Publication number: 20020012544Abstract: The invention concerns a heater control apparatus for controlling a plurality of heaters used for fixing operations of image forming apparatus, in which each of the heaters is incorporated in an interior of each of rollers. The heater control apparatus includes: a plurality of switching elements to switch flowing paths of electronic currents supplied to the heaters from a common power source; a switching control section to control the switching elements so that a connecting mode of the heaters is changeable between a serial connection mode and a parallel connection mode; and a plurality of temperature detecting devices to detect temperatures of the rollers heated by the heaters, each of the temperature detecting devices corresponding to each of the rollers. The switching control section controls the switching elements so as to change the connecting mode of the heaters according to temperature conditions of the rollers.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2001Publication date: January 31, 2002Applicant: Konica CorporationInventors: Hideo Yamane, Youbao Peng, Satoshi Sakata, Hiroyuki Watanabe
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Patent number: 6342909Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a writing device for writing an image on the basis of image data thereof; a controller for controlling a writing position in a primary scanning direction by the writing device; a conveying device for conveying a recording material; and a position detecting sensor for detecting an edge of the recording material, which is conveyed by the conveying device in the primary scanning direction as an absolute position. The controller determines the writing position in the primary scanning direction by the writing device on the basis of a position of the edge of the recording material in the primary scanning direction detected by the position detecting sensor, and controls the writing position of the writing device in the primary scanning direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2000Date of Patent: January 29, 2002Assignee: Konica CorporationInventors: Norio Joichi, Youbao Peng, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Satoshi Sakata, Makoto Ui, Fumio Haibara
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Patent number: 5467173Abstract: A speed controlling circuit for controlling an optical scanning system driving motor in use with an image forming apparatus such as a copier and a printer.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 1994Date of Patent: November 14, 1995Assignee: Konica CorporationInventors: Satoshi Sakata, Tomoo Kudo, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Tadashi Matsudaira
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Patent number: 5412295Abstract: An electric circuit provided with an abnormal condition detector for a motor, for use in a toner image forming apparatus, includes a current detection circuit for detecting a presence of a current when a power supply circuit is switched OFF; a test circuit for confirming a line connection between a control circuit and a switch by transmitting a test signal between the control circuit and the switch and a control circuit for determining an abnormal section causing an abnormal condition of a motor.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 1993Date of Patent: May 2, 1995Assignee: Konica CorporationInventors: Kazuhisa Maruyama, Masaru Ushio, Junji Sato, Satoshi Sakata, Tomoo Kudo, Tadashi Matsudaira, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Yoshikazu Maekawa
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Patent number: 5086261Abstract: A motor speed control device for use in an image forming apparatus with a differential phase detection circuit for outputting differential phase data between the clock pulse and a frequency proportional signal representative of the motor speed and a differential speed detecting circuit for outputting differential speed data between the length of the clock signal and the length of the speed signal. A pulse width modulated signal obtained from the two signals controls the speed of the motor.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 1990Date of Patent: February 4, 1992Assignee: Konica CorporationInventors: Satoshi Sakata, Kazuo Sato, Yuichi Gotoh, Mitsuo Azumai, Ikuya Hotta
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Patent number: 5028951Abstract: A copying apparatus includes an automatic document feeding unit for sequentially circulating and feeding documents to be copied, an image forming unit for forming images on the documents on both surfaces of each copying paper sheet by an electrophotographic process, a punching/binding unit for punching or binding a plurality of copying paper sheets subjected to image formation, an image shift unit for controlling a paper feed timing of a copying paper sheet with respect to a formation position of a document image, and a control unit for causing the image shift unit to perform image shift when even-numbered pages of documents are copied.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 1989Date of Patent: July 2, 1991Assignee: Konica CorporationInventors: Masaru Ushio, Chiharu Kobayashi, Satoshi Sakata, Masanobu Kawano, Seiji Takahashi