Patents by Inventor Tatsuji Hirakawa
Tatsuji Hirakawa 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: 7227659Abstract: It is determined in S202 whether or not a mismatch between the paper information for the job A and the paper information existing in the printer (the printer 1A, for example) has occurred, and if there is a mismatch between the two types of paper information, it is determined in S205 whether or not another job B exists in the queue. Where another job B exists in the queue, it is determined in S206 whether or not the job B is a job that uses the multi-purpose cassette 19. If the job B is a job that uses the multi-purpose cassette 19, it is determined in S208 whether or not paper that matches the paper information for the job B exists in the fixed-size paper supply cassette 18.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2001Date of Patent: June 5, 2007Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hironobu Nakata, Takeshi Morikawa, Tatsuji Hirakawa, Hiroshi Sumiyama, Munetaka Fujita
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Patent number: 7110131Abstract: An image forming system and image forming apparatus capable of suppressing reduced productivity and avoiding the troublesome task of sorting output materials even when image formation becomes impossible. The system and apparatus include a transfer controller that permits job data transfer to another image forming apparatus if image formation of the job data has not started when an impaired image forming state is detected in an image forming apparatus, and that prohibits job data transfer to another image forming apparatus if image formation of job data has already started. In this way, the image formation process can be executed without processing congestion by having another image forming apparatus perform the job data image formation. Moreover, the task of sorting the output material is unnecessary because the job data is not dispersed between the transfer origin and the transfer destination.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2001Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hironobu Nakata, Takeshi Morikawa, Tatsuji Hirakawa, Hiroshi Sumiyama, Munetaka Fujita
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Patent number: 6928564Abstract: In a client personal computer, when a user starts a remote copy program, the initial remote copy and setting screens are displayed on a screen. Together with this display, power consumption information and status information describing the operating state of each image processing device such as printers and scanners are collected over a network. This information is updated as necessary. The power consumption is estimated for each combination of image processing devices cooperatively processing a job based on the collected information. The combination having the least power consumption among the possible combinations is displayed on a screen. When a user presses the start key, operation specification information including specification for cooperatively executing a job are transmitted to each selected image processing device. In this way, the combination having the least power consumption is selected when a plurality of image processing devices connected on a network cooperatively process a job.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2002Date of Patent: August 9, 2005Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kaoru Tada, Jiro Goto, Tatsuji Hirakawa, Katsuhisa Toyama
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Publication number: 20020144162Abstract: In a client personal computer, when a user starts a remote copy program, the initial remote copy and setting screens are displayed on a screen. Together with this display, power consumption information and status information describing the operating state of each image processing device such as printers and scanners are collected over a network. This information is updated as necessary. The power consumption is estimated for each combination of image processing devices cooperatively processing a job based on the collected information. The combination having the least power consumption among the possible combinations is displayed on a screen. When a user presses the start key, operation specification information including specification for cooperatively executing a job are transmitted to each selected image processing device. In this way, the combination having the least power consumption is selected when a plurality of image processing devices connected on a network cooperatively process a job.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2002Publication date: October 3, 2002Inventors: Kaoru Tada, Jiro Goto, Tatsuji Hirakawa, Katsuhisa Toyama
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Publication number: 20020141776Abstract: On a display device of an operation panel of a copier, the user can input an operation condition of a job, and various statuses of the copier can be displayed. When an operation by the user on the operation panel is not performed for a predetermined period of time, the operation panel shifts to an energy saving mode and the display device is turned off. In a case where the copier is connected to a network, when a print job is received from a client terminal, it is determined whether the operation panel is in the energy saving mode or not. When the operation panel is not in the energy saving mode, it is shifted to the energy saving mode. When an error such as a paper jam occurs during printing, the energy saving mode of the operation panel is canceled, and an error message is displayed on the display device. When an error is removed, printing is resumed, and the operation panel is shifted to the energy saving mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2002Publication date: October 3, 2002Inventors: Tatsuji Hirakawa, Jiro Goto, Katsuhisa Toyama, Kaoru Tada
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Publication number: 20020085850Abstract: An image forming system and image forming apparatus capable of suppressing reduced productivity and avoiding the troublesome task of sorting output materials even when image formation becomes impossible. The system and apparatus include a transfer controller that permits job data transfer to another image forming apparatus if image formation of the job data has not started when an impaired image forming state is detected in an image forming apparatus, and that prohibits job data transfer to another image forming apparatus if image formation of job data has already started. In this way, the image formation process can be executed without processing congestion by having another image forming apparatus perform the job data image formation. Moreover, the task of sorting the output material is unnecessary because the job data is not dispersed between the transfer origin and the transfer destination.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2001Publication date: July 4, 2002Inventors: Hironobu Nakata, Takeshi Morikawa, Tatsuji Hirakawa, Hiroshi Sumiyama, Munetaka Fujita
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Patent number: 6415116Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a memory for storing a first job and a second job, an output unit for sequentially outputting the first and second jobs stored in the memory, a setter for setting a recall function effective to the first job and a job controller. The recall function is a function enabling a re-output of the first job in accordance with a request of an operator after a completion of the first job. The job controller controls the output unit so as to output the second job a predetermined time later after a completion of the first job where the recall function is set effective to the first job, or output the second job immediately after a completion of the first job where the recall function is set ineffective to the first job.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2001Date of Patent: July 2, 2002Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Sumiyama, Hironobu Nakata, Munetaka Fujita, Tatsuji Hirakawa, Takeshi Morikawa
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Publication number: 20020063881Abstract: It is determined in S202 whether or not a mismatch between the paper information for the job A and the paper information existing in the printer (the printer 1A, for example) has occurred, and if there is a mismatch between the two types of paper information, it is determined in S205 whether or not another job B exists in the queue. Where another job B exists in the queue, it is determined in S206 whether or not the job B is a job that uses the multi-purpose cassette 19. If the job B is a job that uses the multi-purpose cassette 19, it is determined in S208 whether or not paper that matches the paper information for the job B exists in the fixed-size paper supply cassette 18.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2001Publication date: May 30, 2002Inventors: Hironobu Nakata, Takeshi Morikawa, Tatsuji Hirakawa, Hiroshi Sumiyama, Munetaka Fujita
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Publication number: 20020036798Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a transfer unit for transferring image data to an image memory of a memory-incorporating apparatus via a network in response to a data transfer instruction, a reread unit for loading the image data stored in the image memory of the memory-incorporating apparatus in response to a data reread instruction, and an image output unit for outputting image data loaded by the reread unit. Thus, the image forming apparatus has the memory recall function without using an incorporated image memory.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2001Publication date: March 28, 2002Inventors: Hiroshi Sumiyama, Takeshi Morikawa, Hironobu Nakata, Munetaka Fujita, Tatsuji Hirakawa
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Publication number: 20020036799Abstract: In An image forming system having a plurality of printers and an image processing apparatus connected each other through a network, a printer to be sent a print job from the image processing apparatus is selected based on a degree of matching of a comparison between kinds of image size in the job and kinds of paper size installed in each printer.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2001Publication date: March 28, 2002Inventors: Hiroshi Sumiyama, Hironobu Nakata, Takeshi Morikawa, Munetaka Fujita, Tatsuji Hirakawa
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Publication number: 20010026700Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a memory for storing a first job and a second job, an output unit for sequentially outputting the first and second jobs stored in the memory, a setter for setting a recall function effective to the first job and a job controller. The recall function is a function enabling a re-output of the first job in accordance with a request of an operator after a completion of the first job. The job controller controls the output unit so as to output the second job a predetermined time later after a completion of the first job where the recall function is set effective to the first job, or output the second job immediately after a completion of the first job where the recall function is set ineffective to the first job.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2001Publication date: October 4, 2001Inventors: Hiroshi Sumiyama, Hironobu Nakata, Munetaka Fujita, Tatsuji Hirakawa, Takeshi Morikawa
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Patent number: 5940652Abstract: An image forming apparatus provided with a memory which stores predetermined data, receiver which receives data via a communications line, a first modifier which changes predetermined data based on data received by the receiver, a second modifier which changes predetermined data based on data input from an operation panel provided on the apparatus, wherein modification of predetermined data by the first modifier is allowed and modification of predetermined data by the second modifier is prohibited insofar as data can be transmitted via the communications line.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1998Date of Patent: August 17, 1999Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tatsuji Hirakawa