Patents by Inventor Yasuo Katano

Yasuo Katano 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).

  • Publication number: 20120295192
    Abstract: To provide a toner which contains a binder resin, a colorant, and capsules, wherein the binder resin contains a thermoplastic elastomer, and wherein the capsules each encapsulate a plasticizer capable of softening the thermoplastic elastomer and the capsules are fractured upon application of predetermined pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo KATANO, Yukimichi Someya, Shinji Tezuka, Fuminari Kaneko, Kohji Takeuchi, Kohji Matsuoka, Takuma Nakamura, Tsuneo Kurotori, Hidekazu Yaginuma
  • Publication number: 20120257048
    Abstract: It is desired to check a difference of a given movement performed on different date. An action of a person in a real space is recognized for each of a plurality of videos of the real space captured on different dates. An amount of movement in each of the plurality of captured videos is analyzed. Based on the amount of movement, a plurality of comparison-target videos are extracted from a plurality of videos including the given action of the person. Each of the comparison-target videos is reconstructed in a three-dimensional virtual space so that video information is generated that indicates a difference between the person's action in each of the plurality of comparison-target videos and the person's action in another comparison-target video. The generated video information is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mahoro Anabuki, Yasuo Katano
  • Patent number: 8243061
    Abstract: In an image processing method of determining the positional relationship among virtual objects in virtual space and generating a virtual shadow of the virtual objects, a plurality of virtual objects are rendered in a first plane to which a first axis passing through a virtual light source is normal, and the positional relationship among the plurality of virtual objects is determined based upon the result of rendering acquired. Shadow information of the plurality of virtual objects is generated using the result of acquired rendering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Dai Matsumura, Yasuo Katano
  • Patent number: 8202359
    Abstract: An image quality improvement treatment liquid is disclosed that improves quality of an image formed on a medium by reacting with color materials in ink and agglutinating the color materials upon contact with the ink including water and color materials to be ionized in water or color materials to be ionized in water due to absorption with components having ionic characteristics in water. The image quality improvement treatment liquid includes at least one of cationic components and components capable of acidizing water, at least one of nonionic surfactant and amphoteric surfactant as a foaming agent, and water-insoluble fatty acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Katano, Tomoaki Sugawara, Minori Ichimura, Manabu Izumikawa, Kazuyoshi Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20120135342
    Abstract: To provide a fixing solution for fixing fine resin particles to a recording medium, the fixing solution including: a diluent which contains water; a foaming agent which allows the fixing solution to be in the form of foam; and plasticizers which soften or swell at least part of the fine resin particles, wherein the plasticizers contain a liquid plasticizer which is liquid at normal temperature and soluble in the diluent, and a solid plasticizer which is solid at normal temperature and soluble in the diluent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Katano, Tsuneo Kurotori, Yukimichi Someya, Yuko Arizumi, Shigeo Takeuchi, Shigenobu Hirano, Hidenori Tomono, Hidekazu Yaginuma
  • Patent number: 8170457
    Abstract: A disclosed cleaning device for removing adhering matter from a surface of a member subject to cleaning includes a belt-shaped film member arranged in a stretched configuration capable of being wound or endlessly move in a direction opposite to a surface movement direction of the member subject to cleaning while being in contact with the surface of the member subject to cleaning, and a cleaning blade configured to abut on the surface of the member subject to cleaning via the belt-shaped film member at a position where the belt-shaped film member is brought into contact with the member subject to cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Aoyama, Yasuo Katano, Yukimichi Someya, Takuma Nakamura, Tetsurou Sasamoto, Shunichi Abe, Masafumi Yamada
  • Patent number: 8165514
    Abstract: A fixing device, and an image forming method and an image forming apparatus using the fixing device. The fixing device includes an application unit to apply a foam-like fixing agent including a softener to particulates including a resin on a medium, the softener softening the particulates by at least partially dissolving or swelling the resin and a thickness control unit to control a layer thickness of the foam-like fixing agent such that an application time during which the foam-like fixing agent is applied to the particulates is not shorter than a penetration time required for the foam-like fixing agent to penetrate through a layer of the particulates to the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yasuo Katano, Tsuneo Kurotori, Tomoyasu Hirasawa, Tomoaki Sugawara, Takuma Nakamura, Yuko Arizumi
  • Patent number: 8139087
    Abstract: An image presentation system which enables a user observing an image on a first display to recognize an instruction sent from a person seeing an image on a second display to the user. An HMD as the first display detects the position and orientation of the HMD and presents an image to the user. The second display presents an image to the person who gives an instruction to the user. A three-dimensional CG drawing device draws a virtual space image seen from a point of view corresponding to the position and orientation of the HMD and displays the virtual space image on the HMD and the second display. When receiving the instruction, the three-dimensional CG drawing device draws a virtual space image to be displayed on the HMD such that the virtual space image reflects the input instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kuroki, Sonoko Maeda, Kazuki Takemoto, Yasuo Katano, Yasuhiro Okuno
  • Publication number: 20120057748
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an input unit configured to input a plurality of time-sequential still images, a setting unit configured to set, in a still image among the plurality of still images, a candidate region that is a candidate of a region in which an object exists, and to acquire a likelihood of the candidate region, a motion acquisition unit configured to acquire motion information indicating a motion of the object based on the still image and another still image that is time-sequential to the still image, a calculation unit configured to calculate a weight corresponding to an appropriateness of the motion indicated by the motion information as a motion of the object, a correction unit configured to correct the likelihood based on the weight, and a detection unit configured to detect the object from the still image based on the corrected likelihood.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuo Katano
  • Patent number: 8127709
    Abstract: A disclosed image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium; and a foam application unit configured to apply foam generated by foaming a liquid and/or a gel onto the recording medium. The foam application unit includes an application part configured to apply the foam onto the recording medium, a supply opening configured to supply the foam to the application part, and a spreading part configured to spread the foam on the application part. The spreading part is disposed at an angle with respect to the movement direction of the application part; and the supply opening is disposed near the most upstream portion of the spreading part with respect to the movement direction of the application part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Matsumoto, Minori Ichimura, Shinji Imoto, Manabu Izumikawa, Yasuhisa Kato, Yasuo Katano
  • Patent number: 8086141
    Abstract: An electric charging apparatus charges a surface of a charging object. The electric charging apparatus includes an electric field forming device including two electrodes facing each other that form an electric field therebetween. An electron discharging member is provided at a portion of one of the two electrodes that faces the other electrode and discharges electrons into the electric field. The electric charging apparatus also includes a voltage applying controller that controls a voltage applied to the two electrodes. The voltage applying controller selects two or more nonzero intensities of the electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukimichi Someya, Eiichi Ohta, Naomi Sugimoto, Takuro Sekiya, Yasuo Katano, Shohji Tanaka, Yoshihiko Iijima, Toshihiro Ishii
  • Patent number: 8055061
    Abstract: A method forms a region image extracting a region of a physical object which generates three-dimensional model information from a video image of physical space. Then, from position and orientation information for the physical object and from the region image, a primitive virtual object of a size to encompass the region image is generated. From the primitive virtual object a virtual object having a shape according to the region image is generated, and the three-dimensional model information is generated as three-dimensional model information representing the physical object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuo Katano
  • Publication number: 20110268480
    Abstract: Disclosed is, for example, a fixation device of fixing a resin-containing fine particle, the fixation device being configured to foam a fixation fluid including at least a softening agent configured to dissolve or swell at least one portion of a resin to soften the resin-containing fine particle including a resin, a foaming agent, and water, and to provide a foamed fixation fluid to the resin-containing fine particle, the fixation device including a first storage part configured to contain a softening agent fluid including at least the softening agent, a second storage part configured to contain a foaming agent fluid including at least the foaming agent, and a mixed foamed fixation fluid producing part configured to mix and foam both fluids contained in independent states in the storage parts to produce the foamed fixation fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Yasuo Katano, Tsuneo Kurotori, Yuko Arizumi, Shigeo Takeuchi, Takahiko Matsumoto, Yukimichi Someya, Fuminari Kaneko
  • Patent number: 8041549
    Abstract: An analyzation apparatus which performs an analysis simulation in accordance with analysis condition data. An analysis condition modeling unit generates an analysis condition model data by assigning an analysis condition to each region of a three-dimensional model represented with analysis object model data of the analysis simulation based on analysis condition data set for the analysis simulation. A rendering unit renders the three-dimensional model represented with the analysis condition model data and displays the three-dimensional model on a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Dai Matsumura, Yasuo Katano
  • Publication number: 20110229231
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fixation fluid, including a softening agent(s), the softening agent(s) being a saturated aliphatic carboxylic acid ester(s) of a saturated aliphatic alcohol(s) and/or a carbonic acid ester(s) of a dihydric saturated aliphatic alcohol(s), a foaming agent(s), the foaming agent(s) being a non-ionic surfactant(s) and/or an amphoteric surfactant(s), water, a pH adjustor(s), the pH adjustor(s) being an acid(s) and/or a salt(s) of the acid(s), and a pH of the fixation fluid being 6 or more and 7 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Fuminari Kaneko, Yasuo Katano, Tsuneo Kurotori, Yukimichi Someya, Yuko Arizumi, Shigeo Takeuchi, Takahiko Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8019267
    Abstract: A disclosed fixing device fixes resin particles onto a medium by applying a fixer including a softening agent onto the resin particles resting on the medium. The softening agent softens the resin particles by dissolving or causing swelling of at least part of resin included in the resin particles. A foamed fixer is generated from the fixer. The foamed fixer whose layer thickness is controlled is applied onto the resin particles resting on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd
    Inventors: Yasuo Katano, Tsuneo Kurotori, Tomoyasu Hirasawa, Hiromichi Komai
  • Publication number: 20110217098
    Abstract: A disclosed fixing device includes a fixer application unit configured to apply a fixer containing a softener, capable of softening resin by dissolving or swelling at least a part of the resin, and water to resin particles formed on a recording medium such that the resin particles are fixed on the recording medium, and an anti-tack agent application unit configured to apply a liquid anti-tack agent immiscible with the softener to surfaces of the resin particles that are mixed with the softener by the application of the fixer containing the softener.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidenori Tomono, Yasuo Katano, Yukimichi Someya, Tsuneo Kurotori, Yuko Arizumi, Shigenobu Hirano, Hidekazu Yaginuma, Shigeo Takeuchi, Fuminari Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7989133
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing liquid for fixing microparticles containing a resin to a medium, a fixing device using this fixing liquid, and an image forming apparatus comprising this fixing device. The fixing liquid of the present invention is a fixing liquid for fixing resin microparticles to a medium, and is a water-in-oil type fixing liquid comprising a continuous oil phase at least one portion of which comprises a softener for softening the resin microparticles by dissolving or swelling at least one portion of the resin microparticles, and an aqueous phase, as a separate phase, dispersed in the oil phase. As a result, the fixing liquid combines preservability during storage and drying property on a medium after application of the fixing liquid, is free of residual oily feel during application, and affords better fixing responsiveness than conventional fixing liquids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Katano, Tsuneo Kurotori, Tomoyasu Hirasawa, Hiromichi Komai, Takuma Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20110151370
    Abstract: The present invention provides a toner including: a colorant, and a binder resin, wherein the toner is fixed on a recording medium using a fixing liquid containing a softening agent for softening the toner, and wherein a weight average molecular weight of a THF soluble fraction of the toner in a molecular weight distribution measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) is 3,000 to 8,300; and a glass transition temperature of the toner measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is 50° C. to 70° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: Yasutada SHITARA, Yohichiroh Watanabe, Yasuo Katano, Shinya Nakayama, Ryota Inoue, Yoshihiro Moriya, Akiyoshi Sabu, Shingo Sakashita, Yukiko Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20110052071
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for extracting a contour of an object which extracts boundary candidate points from the image and sets reference areas each having one of boundary candidate points as a center and includes small areas. A first reference area is set from the reference areas and a first small area is set from small areas included in the first reference area. From reference areas, a second reference area is set, whose feature is similar to that of the first reference area and as a second small area, a small area is set which has a feature amount similar to that of the first small area among small areas included in the second reference area. The boundary candidate points is tracked to extract the contour of the object based on the first reference area, the second reference area, the first small area, and the second small area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Iwamoto, Kenji Tsukamoto, Yasuo Katano