Patents by Inventor Yoshihiro Itogawa

Yoshihiro Itogawa 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: 8936340
    Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus, including: an image-data storage; a droplet ejection head; a post-processing mechanism configured to perform drying processing and curl correction processing by a common processing technique on an image-formed recording medium; and a controller configured to: calculate a liquid ejection amount for each evaluation region on the recording medium; determine a first processing amount required for the drying processing, based on a maximum liquid ejection amount; determine, for each evaluation region, a second processing amount for the curl correction processing, based on the liquid ejection amount and a position of the evaluation region on the recording medium; and control the post-processing mechanism to perform the drying processing and the curl correction processing according to a maximum control amount of the post-processing mechanism among the first processing amount and the second processing amounts of the respective evaluation regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Itogawa
  • Patent number: 8922819
    Abstract: An image recording system includes: a mobile terminal and an image recording apparatus. The mobile terminal and the image recording apparatus transfer communication setting information about the mobile terminal or the image recording apparatus over a first wireless communication. The mobile terminal transmits image data to the image recording apparatus over a second wireless communication. Each time when the first wireless communication is established, the mobile terminal obtains a signal relating to its position. The mobile terminal or the image recording apparatus creates change information about a change of the position based on a plurality of the signals and sets, based on the change information, at least one setting value respectively for at least one setting item relating to image recording. The image recording apparatus records an image on a recording medium based on the received image data and based on the set at least one setting value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Itogawa
  • Patent number: 8914852
    Abstract: When authentication information is input via an IC card reader and includes predetermined information. A portable terminal corresponding to the authentication information is identified, and specific identification information that identifies an image-data file associated with the authentication information is extracted. The extracted specific identification information is transmitted to the identified portable terminal, and the portable terminal displays a list of the received specific identification information on its touch panel. The operation of a printing mechanism is controlled, so that the image-data file corresponding to the specific identification information that selected with a touch panel on the portable terminal is accessed, and an image defined by the image-data file defines is printed on a sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Itogawa, Noriaki Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 8851595
    Abstract: A liquid discharger is provided, which includes a condition determining unit configured to, based on a remaining amount of first liquid detected by a first liquid remaining amount detector and a remaining amount of second liquid detected by a second liquid remaining amount detector, determine whether a predetermined condition is satisfied under a situation where the remaining amount of the second liquid is less than the remaining amount of the first liquid. When the condition determining unit determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, a second liquid discharge head is controlled to discharge onto image formation areas the second liquid of an amount smaller than an amount of the second liquid to be discharged onto the image formation areas in a case where the condition determining unit determines that the predetermined condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Itogawa, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8830496
    Abstract: An image recording system is provided. The image recording system includes an image recording apparatus, a mobile terminal to wirelessly manipulate the image recording apparatus and including a display device, a receiver to receive a signal from one of the image recording apparatus and the mobile terminal, a distance determining unit to determine a distance between the image recording apparatus and the mobile terminal, a range determining unit to determine a range, which includes the detected distance amongst a plurality of continuously incremental ranges partitioned by a predetermined reference distance originating from the image recording apparatus, a storage to store information concerning a plurality of operation screens associated with the plurality of ranges respectively, and a display controller to control the display device to display one of the plurality of operation screens associated with one of the plurality of ranges, which includes the detected distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Itogawa, Noriaki Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 8827404
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a plurality of liquid ejecting heads configured to eject liquids of a plurality of colors respectively from a plurality of ejection nozzles; an image data storage device configured to store image data with respect to an image to be recorded on a recording medium; a mode receiving device which receives one image quality mode from at least two image quality modes including a low image quality mode and a high image quality mode, as an image quality mode with respect to an image quality of the image; a control device configured to control the plurality of ejecting heads and generate a plurality of preliminary ejection data related to preliminary ejections for recovering ejection performances of the plurality of liquid ejecting heads for the plurality of liquid ejecting heads respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Itogawa
  • Publication number: 20140240777
    Abstract: An image recording system includes: a mobile terminal and an image recording apparatus. The mobile terminal and the image recording apparatus transfer communication setting information about the mobile terminal or the image recording apparatus over a first wireless communication. The mobile terminal transmits image data to the image recording apparatus over a second wireless communication. Each time when the first wireless communication is established, the mobile terminal obtains a signal relating to its position. The mobile terminal or the image recording apparatus creates change information about a change of the position based on a plurality of the signals and sets, based on the change information, at least one setting value respectively for at least one setting item relating to image recording. The image recording apparatus records an image on a recording medium based on the received image data and based on the set at least one setting value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro ITOGAWA
  • Publication number: 20140240764
    Abstract: When first wireless communication is established, a mobile terminal sends image data specific information for specifying a set of image data to an image recording apparatus by the first wireless communication. When a set of image data associated with the image data specific information corresponding to the image data specific information received by the first wireless communication is stored, an image recording apparatus records an image corresponding to the stored set of image data onto a recording medium. When such a set of image data is not stored, the image recording apparatus receives the set of image data from the mobile terminal by the second wireless communication and records an image corresponding to the received set of image data onto the recording medium. The image recording apparatus then stores the received set of image data and the image data specific information in association with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro ITOGAWA
  • Publication number: 20140240778
    Abstract: An image recording system includes a mobile terminal and an image recording apparatus. The mobile terminal successively stores signals representative of its position at least from establishment of first wireless communication between the mobile terminal and the image recording apparatus. When information produced based on the signals coincides with at least one of sets of reference information which respectively correspond to image recording conditions, the mobile terminal determines at least one command for commanding at least one image recording condition respectively corresponding to the at least one set of reference information. The mobile terminal transmits the at least one command to the image recording apparatus over the first wireless communication or second wireless communication and transmits image data to the image recording apparatus over the second wireless communication. The image recording apparatus uses at least one image recording condition to record an image based on the image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro ITOGAWA
  • Publication number: 20140184681
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a plurality of liquid ejecting heads configured to eject liquids of a plurality of colors respectively from a plurality of ejection nozzles; an image data storage device configured to store image data with respect to an image to be recorded on a recording medium; a mode receiving device which receives one image quality mode from at least two image quality modes including a low image quality mode and a high image quality mode, as an image quality mode with respect to an image quality of the image; a control device configured to control the plurality of ejecting heads and generate a plurality of preliminary ejection data related to preliminary ejections for recovering ejection performances of the plurality of liquid ejecting heads for the plurality of liquid ejecting heads respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Itogawa
  • Patent number: 8746861
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a liquid cartridge having a plurality of liquid tanks, a cartridge mount, liquid applicators, communication paths to communicably connect the liquid tanks with the liquid applicators, a subsidiary tank arranged in an intermediate position in one of the communication paths, a first remaining amount detector to detect amounts of liquids remaining in the liquid tanks, a first liquid conveyer to transfer the liquid from the communicably connected liquid tank to the subsidiary tank, and a first liquid conveyer controller to manipulate the first liquid conveyer. When an amount of one of the liquids remaining in one of the liquid tanks is smaller than a first predetermined amount, the first liquid conveyer controller manipulates the first liquid conveyer to transfer the other of the liquids remaining in the other of the liquid tanks to the subsidiary tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Itogawa
  • Patent number: 8672440
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid on recording media, an output tray that supports the recording media stacked thereon, a curl-correcting device, a detecting device, and a controller. The curl-correcting device performs curl-correction processing on the recording media, which reduces an amount of curl of the recording media. The detecting device detects information related to a stacking thickness of the recording media. The controller sets the curl-correcting device to perform the curl-correction processing on the recording media at a first processing level when the stacking thickness is greater than or equal to the threshold stacking thickness. The controller sets the curl correcting device to perform the curl-correction processing on the recording media at a second processing level when the stacking thickness is less than the threshold stacking thickness. The first processing level includes more curl-correction processing than the second processing level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Itogawa
  • Patent number: 8651634
    Abstract: An image data processing device processes image data. The image data processing device includes an image data storing unit, a correction data producing unit, and an image density value addition unit. The image density value is either a first density value that is greater than or equal to a prescribed value or a second density value that is less than the prescribed value. The ink droplet is ejected on the first subject pixel whereas the ink droplet is unejected on the second subject pixel. The correction data producing unit produces correction data including a plurality of correction density values. The image density value addition unit adds the correction density value to the second density value of the corresponding pixel. The correction data producing unit produces a first correction density value and a second correction density value as the correction density value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Itogawa
  • Patent number: 8596748
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a conveying mechanism, a first head for ejecting a first liquid; a second head for ejecting a second liquid for coagulating or precipitating components of the first liquid, and a controller. A pair of second ejection openings of the second head are arranged side by side. The second liquid is to be ejected respectively from the pair of second ejection openings at different timings onto a pair of unit areas arranged side by side. The controller controls the second head so as to reduce an amount of the second liquid ejected from at least one of the pair of second ejection openings, when an amount of the second liquid to be ejected from one of the pair of second ejection openings at an earlier one of the different timings is equal to or larger than a first predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Itogawa
  • Patent number: 8579429
    Abstract: A droplet ejection device includes a head that ejects droplets onto a recording medium so as to form an image, an extract unit that extracts a part of the image as a specific image portion, and a control unit that controls a treating-agent application member to apply treating agent to a first section and a second section of the recording medium. The specific image portion is formed in the first section, and at least a part of a non-specific image portion of the image is formed in the second section. When a remaining amount of the treating agent is less than a first amount, the treating-agent application member applies the treating agent to the second section by an amount less than an amount of the treating agent that is applied to the second section when the remaining amount is not less than the first amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Itogawa
  • Publication number: 20130257959
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a liquid ejection head that ejects a liquid onto a recording medium; a drying device that dries the recording medium; a sheet discharged tray including a sheet placed face; a sheet discharging device that discharges the recording medium to a space over the sheet placed face; a stopper that causes the recording medium discharged by the sheet discharging device to collide with the stopper; an obtaining device that obtains a height of the plurality of recording media stacked on the sheet placed face; and a controller that controls the drying device so that a degree of drying of the recording medium becomes larger in a case in which the height obtained by the obtaining device is equal to or more than a set specific value, than in a case in which the height is less than the set specific value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro ITOGAWA
  • Publication number: 20130257961
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: (a) a storage device for storing an image data set representing a plurality of images; (b) a liquid ejection head for performing an image formation on each recording medium; (c) a curl reduction device for reducing curl caused in each recording medium having the corresponding image formed thereon by the liquid ejection head; (d) an output tray for receiving each recording medium whose curl has been reduced by the curl reduction device, such that the received recording media are stacked on the output tray; and (e) a control device configured to control the curl reduction device, such that the curl caused in an earlier one of the recording media is reduced by a smaller degree than the curl caused in a later one of the recording media that has been subjected to the image formation later than the earlier one of the recording media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro ITOGAWA
  • Publication number: 20130257964
    Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus, including: an image-data storage; a droplet ejection head; a post-processing mechanism configured to perform drying processing and curl correction processing by a common processing technique on an image-formed recording medium; and a controller configured to: calculate a liquid ejection amount for each evaluation region on the recording medium; determine a first processing amount required for the drying processing, based on a maximum liquid ejection amount; determine, for each evaluation region, a second processing amount for the curl correction processing, based on the liquid ejection amount and a position of the evaluation region on the recording medium; and control the post-processing mechanism to perform the drying processing and the curl correction processing according to a maximum control amount of the post-processing mechanism among the first processing amount and the second processing amounts of the respective evaluation regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro ITOGAWA
  • Publication number: 20130257957
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid on recording media, an output tray that supports the recording media stacked thereon, a curl-correcting device, a detecting device, and a controller. The curl-correcting device performs curl-correction processing on the recording media, which reduces an amount of curl of the recording media. The detecting device detects information related to a stacking thickness of the recording media. The controller sets the curl-correcting device to perform the curl-correction processing on the recording media at a first processing level when the stacking thickness is greater than or equal to the threshold stacking thickness. The controller sets the curl correcting device to perform the curl-correction processing on the recording media at a second processing level when the stacking thickness is less than the threshold stacking thickness. The first processing level includes more curl-correction processing than the second processing level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro ITOGAWA
  • Patent number: 8511773
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus including: a flushing-operation-data producing section which produces flushing-operation data for flashing of ink; a second-liquid-ejection-data producing section which produces data about ejection of treatment liquid such that (i) the treatment liquid is to be landed on a dot area on which the ink is to be landed upon forming an image dot among dot areas and (ii) the second liquid is not to be landed on at least one dot area on which the first liquid is to be landed on the basis of the control of the flushing-operation controlling section by referring the flushing-operation data produced by the flushing-operation-data producing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Itogawa