Patents by Inventor Yutaka Ando

Yutaka Ando 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: 20240152078
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a fixing unit, a reading unit, a reference member, and a controller is described. The image forming unit forms an image and a detection image on a sheet. The detection image is used for detecting geometric characteristics of an image to be formed on a sheet by the image forming unit. The fixing unit fixes the image and the detection image formed by the image forming unit on the sheet. The reading unit reads the detection image on the sheet. The controller adjusts geometric characteristics of the image to be formed on a sheet based on a reading result of the detection image by the reading unit, and controls the reading unit to read the reference member and executes shading correction based on a reading result of the reference member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2024
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Koji Yumoto, Takashi Yokoya, Toshifumi Oikawa, Yutaka Ando, Akinobu Nishikata, Riki Fukuhara, Yuichiro Oda
  • Patent number: 11939177
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet accommodating portion, an image forming portion, an accommodating portion opening portion, a lifter plate, a lifter plate lifting and lowering mechanism, a lower-limit detecting portion, a control unit lowering the lifter plate and opening the accommodating portion in accordance with an operation in a set mode of a plurality of modes when the control unit receives an instruction to open the accommodating portion, wherein the modes includes a first mode in which the accommodating portion is opened irrespective of whether or not the lifter plate lowers to the lower-limit position and a second mode in which the accommodating portion is opened after the lifter plate lowers to the lower-limit position; and an operating portion operable by an operator for changing setting of the mode, between the modes, executed when the control unit receives the instruction to open the accommodating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroto Nishihara, Yohei Katto, Yutaka Ando, Teruhito Kai, Akihiro Kawakita
  • Patent number: 11933903
    Abstract: An optical transmission unit (3) transmits an optical signal having a light intensity set as a Low level component of a pulse. An optical partial reflector (6) is provided on a path through which transmission light is transmitted from a circulator (5) to the atmosphere, and reflects the optical signal. A detection unit (11) performs coherent detection on reception light using, as local light, a signal in a Low level section in the optical signal reflected by the optical partial reflector (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shumpei Kameyama, Eisuke Haraguchi, Yutaka Kajiyama, Nobuki Kotake, Takayuki Yanagisawa, Toshiyuki Ando
  • Patent number: 11936500
    Abstract: An in-vehicle network system deployed in a vehicle includes a plurality of first nodes configured to perform an operation relevant to a first function in the vehicle, a second node configured to perform an operation relevant to a second function different from the first function in the vehicle; and a relay device configured to relay communication between the first nodes and the second node. The relay device is configured to start relay of communication between the first nodes earlier than the relay of communication between the first node and the second node at a time of startup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shu Ishizuka, Hiroya Ando, Taichi Matsumura, Masashi Amesara, Yutaka Ueda, Toshio Kawamura, Tomomi Kawamura, Yoshifumi Ohmori, Toshio Shimada, Yoshiro Hirata
  • Patent number: 11934121
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a fixing unit, a reading unit, a reference member, and a controller is described. The image forming unit forms an image and a detection image on a sheet. The detection image is used for detecting geometric characteristics of an image to be formed on a sheet by the image forming unit. The fixing unit fixes the image and the detection image formed by the image forming unit on the sheet. The reading unit reads the detection image on the sheet. The controller adjusts geometric characteristics of the image to be formed on a sheet based on a reading result of the detection image by the reading unit, and controls the reading unit to read the reference member and executes shading correction based on a reading result of the reference member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Yumoto, Takashi Yokoya, Toshifumi Oikawa, Yutaka Ando, Akinobu Nishikata, Riki Fukuhara, Yuichiro Oda
  • Patent number: 11496632
    Abstract: An apparatus including: a forming unit configured to form a measurement image on a sheet; a fixing unit configured to fix the measurement image; a measurement unit provided downstream of the fixing unit in a sheet conveyance direction and configured to measure a color of the fixed measurement image; a detector configured to detect whether a cooling device having a cooling function valid is connected between the fixing unit and the measurement unit; and a controller configured to determine, in a case in which the color of the measurement image is measured, a time to be taken after the sheet has passed through the fixing unit until the measurement unit starts measuring the color of the measurement image based on a result of the detector, and to control sheet conveyance based on the determined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yutaka Ando, Hiroto Nishihara, Yohei Katto, Akihiro Kawakita, Tomohiro Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11470213
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an image forming unit configured to form an image based on an image forming condition; a reading unit configured to read a test image on a sheet; a controller configured to: control the image forming unit to form the test image; obtain read data related to the test image output from the reading unit is formed; and update the image forming condition based on the read data. The controller operates in a first mode and a second mode, the first mode is a mode in which, the controller controls the image forming unit to form the image for the second sheet after the image forming condition is updated based on the reading data related to the test image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Riki Fukuhara, Takashi Yokoya, Toshifumi Oikawa, Yutaka Ando, Akinobu Nishikata, Koji Yumoto, Yuichiro Oda
  • Patent number: 11435685
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to perform a first image forming process and a second image forming process to form an image and a test image on a sheet; a reader, arranged in a conveyance path along which the sheet is conveyed, configured to read the test image on the sheet, the test image being formed by the image forming unit; a member; a controller configured to obtain, from the reader, reading data related to the test image on the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akinobu Nishikata, Takashi Yokoya, Toshifumi Oikawa, Yutaka Ando, Koji Yumoto, Riki Fukuhara, Yuichiro Oda
  • Patent number: 11305955
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet being conveyed on a horizontal path and a double feed sensor configured to execute double feed detection processing of detecting a state in which a plurality of sheets being conveyed on the horizontal path are conveyed in a duplicate manner. The image forming apparatus includes a double feed detection function table, in which whether to enable or disable the double feed detection processing is set according to a type of a sheet. The image forming apparatus determines whether to execute the double feed detection processing at a time of image formation in accordance with sheet setting information including information on a characteristic of a sheet to be used for the image formation and setting information on whether to execute the double feed detection processing, and the double feed detection function table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Yokoya, Koji Yumoto, Riki Fukuhara, Akihiro Kawakita, Yutaka Ando
  • Publication number: 20210382421
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image and a detection image on a sheet, wherein the detection image is used for detecting a geometric characteristics of an image to be formed on a sheet by the image forming unit; a fixing unit configured to fix the image and the detection image formed by the image forming unit on the sheet; a reading unit configured to read the detection image on the sheet; a reference member; and a controller configured to: adjust geometric characteristics of an image to be formed on a sheet based on a reading result of the detection image by the reading unit; and control the reading unit to read the reference member to execute shading correction based on a reading result thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Koji Yumoto, Takashi Yokoya, Toshifumi Oikawa, Yutaka Ando, Akinobu Nishikata, Riki Fukuhara, Yuichiro Oda
  • Patent number: 11186104
    Abstract: An image forming system includes a first feeding portion to feed a recording sheet, a second feeding portion to feed an inserting sheet from one of a plurality of supporting portions, and a controller capable of executing a job. In a case of performing a feeding process on a current recording sheet subsequent to a preceding inserting sheet, the controller starts the feeding process of the current recording sheet at a predetermined timing in a state in which sheets of a first amount are supported on the first supporting portion, and starts the feeding process of the current recording sheet at a timing later than the predetermined timing in a state in which sheets of a second amount smaller than the first amount are supported on the first supporting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Yumoto, Toshiyuki Miyake, Takashi Yokoya, Yutaka Ando, Riki Fukuhara, Akihiro Kawakita
  • Publication number: 20210368055
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an image forming unit configured to form an image based on an image forming condition; a reading unit configured to read a test image on a sheet; a controller configured to: control the image forming unit to form the test image; obtain read data related to the test image output from the reading unit is formed; and update the image forming condition based on the read data. The controller operates in a first mode and a second mode, the first mode is a mode in which, the controller controls the image forming unit to form the image for the second sheet after the image forming condition is updated based on the reading data related to the test image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Riki Fukuhara, Takashi Yokoya, Toshifumi Oikawa, Yutaka Ando, Akinobu Nishikata, Koji Yumoto, Yuichiro Oda
  • Publication number: 20210356894
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to perform a first image forming process and a second image forming process to form an image and a test image on a sheet; a reader, arranged in a conveyance path along which the sheet is conveyed, configured to read the test image on the sheet, the test image being formed by the image forming unit; a member; a controller configured to obtain, from the reader, reading data related to the test image on the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Akinobu Nishikata, Takashi Yokoya, Toshifumi Oikawa, Yutaka Ando, Koji Yumoto, Riki Fukuhara, Yuichiro Oda
  • Patent number: 11150586
    Abstract: An image forming system includes a first feeding portion configured to feed a recording sheet, a second feeding portion configured to feed an inserting sheet from one of a plurality of supporting portions, and a controller configured to execute a determination process of determining whether or not there is a supporting portion usable as a new feeding source other than a supporting portion serving as a current feeding source of an inserting sheet. The controller is capable of switching between first control and second control in which a feeding process of a recording sheet is executed respectively in a first mode and a second mode in a case where it has been determined in the determination process that there is no supporting portion usable as the new feeding source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Riki Fukuhara, Toshiyuki Miyake, Takashi Yokoya, Yutaka Ando, Koji Yumoto, Akihiro Kawakita
  • Patent number: 11093807
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image processor performing image processing to image data, an image forming unit forming an image on a sheet based on the image data, and a controller changing an image forming condition of the image forming unit based on user information, in a case where a first measuring image is formed by the image forming unit to generate a first conversion condition for image data conversion in image processing to be performed by an external image processing apparatus, controlling the image forming unit based on the changed image forming condition, and in a case where a second measuring image is formed by the image forming unit to generate a second conversion condition for image data conversion in image processing to be performed by the image processor, controlling the image forming unit based on a default image forming condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Riki Fukuhara, Toshiyuki Miyake, Yutaka Ando, Akihiro Arai, Yuichiro Oda
  • Publication number: 20210250448
    Abstract: An apparatus including: a forming unit configured to form a measurement image on a sheet; a fixing unit configured to fix the measurement image; a measurement unit provided downstream of the fixing unit in a sheet conveyance direction and configured to measure a color of the fixed measurement image; a detector configured to detect whether a cooling device having a cooling function valid is connected between the fixing unit and the measurement unit; and a controller configured to determine, in a case in which the color of the measurement image is measured, a time to be taken after the sheet has passed through the fixing unit until the measurement unit starts measuring the color of the measurement image based on a result of the detector, and to control sheet conveyance based on the determined time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Yutaka Ando, Hiroto Nishihara, Yohei Katto, Akihiro Kawakita, Tomohiro Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11036163
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to control a first image forming unit such that while a plurality of images are being sequentially formed, a first pattern image is formed in a first sheet-to-sheet area between a first black image and a second black image among the plurality of images on a first photosensitive body, and control the second image forming unit such that while the plurality of images is being sequentially formed, a second pattern image are formed in a second sheet-to-sheet area between a first color image and a second color image among the plurality of images on a second photosensitive body. The first sheet-to-sheet area in a case where the first pattern image is formed without the second pattern image being formed is narrower than the first sheet-to-sheet area in a case where the first pattern image and the second pattern image are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyake, Yutaka Ando, Riki Fukuhara
  • Publication number: 20210163242
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet accommodating portion, an image forming portion, an accommodating portion opening portion, a lifter plate, a lifter plate lifting and lowering mechanism, a lower-limit detecting portion, a control unit lowering the lifter plate and opening the accommodating portion in accordance with an operation in a set mode of a plurality of modes when the control unit receives an instruction to open the accommodating portion, wherein the modes includes a first mode in which the accommodating portion is opened irrespective of whether or not the lifter plate lowers to the lower-limit position and a second mode in which the accommodating portion is opened after the lifter plate lowers to the lower-limit position; and an operating portion operable by an operator for changing setting of the mode, between the modes, executed when the control unit receives the instruction to open the accommodating portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Hiroto Nishihara, Yohei Katto, Yutaka Ando, Teruhito Kai, Akihiro Kawakita
  • Patent number: 11016429
    Abstract: A control unit of an image forming device determines a remaining amount threshold value and selects a first mode or a second mode. In the first mode, a sheet feeding unit of the image forming device starts feeding a sheet based on presence/absence of an insertion sheet that is to be inserted by an inserter device immediately prior to a sheet fed from the sheet feeding unit. In the second mode, the sheet feeding unit starts feeding a sheet regardless of presence/absence of an insertion sheet that is to be inserted by the inserter device immediately prior to a sheet fed from the sheet feeding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Ando, Toshiyuki Miyake, Akihiro Arai, Riki Fukuhara, Yuichiro Oda
  • Patent number: 10947076
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that is capable of reducing influence of a failure on execution of a print job even if a post-processing apparatus that has a sheet stacking unit breaks down. Post-processing apparatuses are connected at a downstream side of an image forming apparatus in a sheet conveyance direction and apply post-processes to the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus. A specifying unit specifies an available downstream-most apparatus from among the post-processing apparatuses. A setting unit can set a forced discharge mode in which a sheet is discharged to the downstream-most apparatus when the downstream-most apparatus is not provided with a sheet stacking unit. When the forced discharge mode is set, apparatuses at an upstream side of the downstream-most apparatus are controlled so as to discharge a sheet to the downstream-most apparatus and the downstream-most apparatus is controlled so as to discharge the sheet outside the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yutaka Ando, Toshiyuki Miyake, Riki Fukuhara