Measuring, Testing, And Calibrating Patents (Class 358/504)
  • Patent number: 9001377
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs density correction. An image forming section forms a density detection image on a belt. A light source irradiates the image with light. A light receiving section receives light reflected from the image and outputs a plurality of intensity signals of the received light. An intensity obtaining section drives the belt and the light source, thereby illuminating the image a first number of times at intervals of a first distance as the belt runs, and the light receiving section receives the light reflected from the image, the first number of times being determined by at least the first distance and a second distance in which the first distance lies. A selecting section selects a second number of levels of light intensity from the plurality of intensity signals. A density correcting section performs print density correction using the second number of levels of light intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kato
  • Patent number: 9001383
    Abstract: Correction amounts of pixels in a sub-scanning direction for correcting misregistration of an image are determined based on interpolation using the correction amount in the sub-scanning direction corresponding to a first segment and the correction amount in the sub-scanning direction corresponding to a second segment, both of which are configured by pixels in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichirou Haruta
  • Patent number: 9001399
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for compensating for side 1 to side 2 differences in a document scanning device. In one embodiment, the present method involves selecting at least one solid area patch printed in at least one reference color of a color space. The scan head of side 1 scans the patch to capture a first set of color values. The scan head of side 2 scans the same patch to capture a second set of color values. A regression method generates a coefficient matrix which minimizes a ?E color difference metric between the first and second sets of color values. An image processing module associated with the side 2 scanner is programmed with the coefficient matrix and uses the coefficient matrix to adjust a color response of the side 2 scanner to compensate for side 1 to side 2 differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Mihai Cuciurean-Zapan, Michael John Wilsher
  • Patent number: 8995009
    Abstract: A color conversion portion generates, when fluorescent color is not included in an image of document sheet, image data according to color coordinate system of a printing device for image of the document sheet, in predetermined color conversion mode, based on image data of read image, and, when a fluorescent color is included in an image of a document sheet, generates, for colors other than the fluorescent color, image data according to the color coordinate system of a printing device for the image of the document sheet, in the predetermined color conversion mode, based on image data of a read image, and generates, for the fluorescent color, image data according to the color coordinate system of the printing device for the image of the document sheet, based on the image data of the read image, by using a color value of a color patch corresponding to the recorded fluorescent color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kazunori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8995010
    Abstract: A digital printer is equipped with a built-in color measurement device in the form of a colorimeter or spectral photometer, as well as with color management support. The built-in color measurement device is used for control and optimization of the print output, especially for the simplification, optimization and automation of the work processes and for the verification of the output results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: X-Rite Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Senn, Francis Lamy
  • Patent number: 8994981
    Abstract: A calibration system includes a plurality of printers, a grouping unit, a printer-selecting unit, a corrections data acquiring unit, a group determining unit, and a print-data creating unit. A set of condition data is set for each printer. The grouping unit allocates each printer into either one of at least one group, based on the set of condition data for each printer. The printer-selecting unit selects, for each group, a printer among at least one printer belonging to the each group. The correction data acquiring unit acquires, for each group, one set of correction data created by the selected printer. The group determining unit determines one group, to which one of the printers that is desired to perform printing belongs. The print-data creating unit creates a set of print data based on the set of correction data corresponding to the determined group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryuji Yamada
  • Patent number: 8988730
    Abstract: When a recording agent amount limiting process is carried out, a color reproduction range is narrowed, and therefore gradation properties of dark areas are deteriorated and information originally held by an image is sometimes undesirably lost. By obtaining (401) a colorant amount for each target pixel of input color image data, calculating (402) a colorant amount of a peripheral area of the target pixel, and correcting (400) a density range of the input color image data based on the colorant amount of the target pixel and the colorant amount of the peripheral area of the target pixel, amounts of recording agent are limited and reductions in image quality are prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 8988746
    Abstract: In the aforementioned image scanning apparatus of this embodiment, a condensation detection patch includes pluralities of patch areas with different reflectances arranged adjacently. A data acquiring unit acquires measurement values of the condensation detection patch by an image sensor as condensation detection patch data. A condensation determining unit determines whether condensation occurs or not on the basis of the condensation detection patch data corresponding to one with a low reflectance of two patch areas arranged adjacently in the patch areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hironori Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 8988745
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus of the present invention acquires a photographed image of an object on which indicators have been arranged, detects the indicators from the photographed image with use of a comparison reference image for pattern matching prepared in advance, and instructs to perform predetermined processing based on the detected indicators. The indicators each have a pattern where influence of geometrical image distortion generated corresponding to a photographing distance or a photographing angle with respect to the object is restrained by a central portion of the photographed image, and the comparison reference image is a partial image corresponding to a central portion of the indicator. The indicators are detected from the photographed image by comparing the comparison reference image with the acquired photographed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Hamada, Naotomo Miyamoto, Yoshihiro Teshima
  • Patent number: 8988734
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for forming an image by performing a plurality of times of recording on a same region of a recording medium by using a recording head including a plurality of recording elements for each of a first color material and a second color material, and a generation unit configured to generate recording data corresponding to each scan of the first color material and the second color material, wherein the generation unit generates, in a case where a defective recording element occurs among the plurality of recording elements for recording the first color material, recording data corresponding to each scan of the first color material by complementing a recording amount assigned to the defective recording element so that impact order between the first color material and the second color material is not changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shoei Moribe
  • Patent number: 8982435
    Abstract: A storage medium which stores a program to cause an image forming system to execute a process includes, (a1) forming a product image, which is subjected to color correction by a product LUT being applied thereto, and a verification image, which is subjected to color correction by a verification LUT being applied thereto on same paper, (b1) subjecting said verification image that is formed in (a1) to color measurement, (c1) determining whether verification LUT is applicable to color correction of the product image based on a difference between said color measurement values of the verification image that is measured in (b1) and target values, and (d1) forming the product image and the verification image, which are respectively subjected to color correction by applying the verification LUT that is determined to be applicable, and applying another verification LUT to color correction of said verification image, on same paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Katsuji Kondo
  • Patent number: 8982408
    Abstract: An image capturing unit includes: a sensor unit that captures an image of a predetermined area including an image capture object; a reference chart portion that is disposed in the predetermined area and an image of which is captured together with an image of the image capture object by the sensor unit; an illumination light source that illuminates the image capture object and the reference chart portion; and a specular reflection preventing member that prevents that specular reflection light of light emitted from the illumination light source enters the sensor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Suzuki, Nobuyuki Satoh, Mamoru Yorimoto, Suguru Yokozawa, Masato Kobayashi, Yuichi Sakurada, Tatsuhiko Okada, Tomokazu Kanzawa, Daisaku Horikawa, Hiroshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8982372
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image processing section to process gradation characteristic of the image data based on a tone curve, an image forming section to form an image based on the image data processed by the image processing section; and a control section to control processing in the image processing section. The control section has a function to adjust characteristic of output density relative to input density of image data as the gradation characteristic as a tone curve via a setting screen, saves operational situations at the time of adjustment of the tone curve on the setting screen as a history, and, when the history is designated, reproduces a state at the time of the past adjustment for the tone curve on the setting screen by using the saved operational situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoriko Noda
  • Publication number: 20150070736
    Abstract: According to a result of comparing a first color mode acquired when a first layout obtained by aggregating a plurality of pieces of input image data is employed, with a second color mode acquired when a second layout is employed, the second layout being obtained by aggregating, among the plurality of pieces of input image data, image data that has not been determined as obtained by reading a blank (e.g., by aggregating image data determined as having print information while not aggregating pieces of image data determined as having no print information), an image processing apparatus, an image processing method and/or a computer-readable storage medium for use with same according to the present invention(s) determines that the first or second layout is to be employed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventor: Hiroshi Yoneyama
  • Publication number: 20150070737
    Abstract: A glossiness determining device includes: a light source; a two-dimensional sensor that receives reflected light containing a specular reflection component of a subject illuminated by the light source, and outputs an image of the subject; and a determining unit that determines glossiness of the subject by using a saturated image, which is the image of the subject output by the two-dimensional sensor and in which pixel values of a partial area are saturated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Hirata, Nobuyuki Satoh, Yasuyuki Suzuki, Hideaki Suzuki, Satoshi Iwanami, Mamoru Yorimoto, Masayuki Fujii, Masato Kobayashi, Hiroshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8976431
    Abstract: The color of a pixel in a scanned image is represented by two color components and is adjustable by interpolating between color component values obtained from elements in a bidimensional color remap look-up table. The table is sparsely populated and may be readily implemented in most scanner circuits without adding memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: Douglas G. Keithley
  • Patent number: 8976428
    Abstract: An evaluation chart has test patterns, a first code mark, and a second code mark. The evaluation chart is electronically read at one time to obtain first code information that specifies measuring conditions for the evaluation chart and second code information that specifies image forming conditions for the evaluation chart. Quantized information of the test patterns that is measured under the measuring conditions is associated with the image forming conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Fumito Takemoto, Yoshihiko Ishii, Koichi Tozuka
  • Patent number: 8970912
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a holding unit configured to hold image processing coefficients, each of which representing a relationship between an input density and an output density of an image signal output to an image forming unit; and an updating unit configured to update an image processing coefficient based on the relationship between densities of measurement images and densities of image signals for forming the measurement images. The updating unit is further configured to, when a maximum value of an output density of the image processing coefficients is smaller than a maximum value of the density of the image signal, form at least one first measurement image in accordance with an image signal indicating a density higher than the maximum value of the output density of the image processing coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Makino
  • Patent number: 8970931
    Abstract: An image reading device includes an imaging device including a plurality of imaging elements, a color measuring unit that detects color of an object at a color measurement area, a calibration plate having a surface on which a plurality of color patches is formed, and a processor that causes the color measuring unit to read the plurality of color patches while changing a relative position between the plurality of color patches and the plurality of imaging elements to output color measurement results of the plurality of color patches, and generates a set of reference values for the plurality of color patches based on the color measurement results of the plurality of colors. The set of reference values are compared with the reading results of the plurality of color patches to generate a set of correction values for correcting the reading results of the plurality of color patches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Kitai, Hitomi Kaneko, Hiroyoshi Ishizaki, Keiji Kojima, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Hideyo Makino
  • Patent number: 8964250
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the acquisition of color images by a sensor including a plurality of photosites comprising spectral sensitivities that can to be different between photosites. The invention provides for a digital processing of signals emitted by the photosites, which comprises applying a spatial-chromatic transfer function to said signals, taking into account a variety of spectral sensitivities of the photosites. The sensor can then be devoid of a physical matrix of color filters. Spectral calibration of the sensor is also provided for this purpose, thus comprising the following steps: obtaining spectral sensitivity data of each photosite (S91), building a spatial-chromatic transfer function (S94) taking into account a variety of said spectral sensitivities of the photosites, and applying same to the signals emitted by the photosites in order to compensate for the aforementioned variety of sensitivities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique—CNRS
    Inventor: David Alleysson
  • Patent number: 8964247
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for creating a printer model which maps device dependent color space representations of reference colors to device independent color space representations of the reference colors for a direct marking color printer. According to an exemplary method, a plurality of printer models are initially generated, each printer model corresponding to a predetermined width associated with the cross-process direction of an image receiving surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Helen Haekyung Shin, Thomas F. Wade, Lisa Michelle Bozek
  • Patent number: 8964249
    Abstract: An image test apparatus includes a color-image-data acquiring unit that acquires color image data being data of an image to be formed with a color material; a master-image-data generating unit that converts the color image data depending on transparent image data being data of an image to be formed with a transparent color material, thereby generating master image data; and an image testing unit that tests, using the master image data, a test image data which is generated by optically reading a print image from a printed matter on which the print image based on the color image data and the transparent image data has been printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Tadashi Kitai, Hitomi Kaneko, Keiji Kojima, Hiroyoshi Ishizaki, Keiichi Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 8964251
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first acquisition unit for acquiring a target value and a first surface characteristic value that is a surface characteristic of a first chart, a second acquisition unit for acquiring a second surface characteristic value that is a surface characteristic of a second chart, and a calibration unit for calibrating, when a difference between the first and second surface characteristic values is smaller than a threshold value, a mixed color using the target value and a measured value of the second chart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masanori Matsuzaki
  • Patent number: 8964221
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus not having a measuring sensor and an image forming apparatus having a measuring sensor are arbitrarily combined with each other to thereby achieve calibration with respect to the image forming apparatus not having the sensor. A color printer obtains measuring instrument information on measurement of a color in the image forming apparatus having the measuring sensor, and generates a chart image. A measuring printer measures the chart image using measurement chart information including conditions for measuring the chart image transmitted from the color printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideo Sato
  • Publication number: 20150049371
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic acquisition apparatus includes a light emitting part configured to emit light onto an object, a light dividing part configured to divide the light reflected from the object into multiple light beams by multiple aperture parts of the light dividing part, a dispersing part configured to form multiple diffraction images corresponding to the aperture parts by spectrally dispersing the light beams, a light receiving part including an array of spectral sensors that receive the diffraction images at substantially the same position on their respective light receiving surfaces and convert the received diffraction images into electrical signals, and an operation part configured to compute a spectral characteristic of the object based on the electrical signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Naohiro KAMIJO, Kohei SHIMBO, Yoichi KUBOTA
  • Patent number: 8958128
    Abstract: In a color image processing apparatus in the present invention, correction values used for causing reproduction characteristics of multi-colors formed by an image forming unit to be close to target values are obtained using results of measurement of colors of multi-color patch images formed by the image forming unit using a plurality of recording materials. The color image processing apparatus includes a first processing unit configured to, when the image forming unit forms a color image, execute a correction process using the correction values, a second processing unit configured to, when the image forming unit forms the color image, execute the correction process without using at least some of the correction values or not to execute the correction process, and a control unit configured to selectively cause the first processing unit and the second processing unit to operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Asako Hashizume
  • Patent number: 8958081
    Abstract: This disclosure provides spot color control methods, apparatus and systems. According to one exemplary embodiment, disclosed is a method of generating device dependent color recipes for a plurality of printing devices. The method includes generating a first device dependent recipe for a target color for rendering on a first printing device, and generating a second device dependent recipe for the target color for rendering on a second printing device, whereby the second device dependent recipe is a function of the first device dependent color recipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Alvaro Enrique Gil, Lalit Keshav Mestha
  • Patent number: 8958123
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus that forms a test pattern for controlling the amount of color material, suppresses increase of the color material amount, and prevents image defects such as spattering, poor fixation due to granularity, or the like. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus forms a test pattern on printing material using color material of a plurality of colors, reads the formed test pattern, and controls the color material amount of each color by changing an image forming condition in accordance with a result of the reading. Note that the image forming apparatus forms a mixed pattern image using color material of a plurality of chromatic colors, and controls the amount of color material of a single color based on the mixed pattern image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomohisa Itagaki
  • Patent number: 8958127
    Abstract: Provided are a control apparatus for controlling an image forming apparatus including an inline sensor, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a control program. The control apparatus includes: a data analyzing section configured to extract color information contained in an image of a certain page of a job and determine whether there is missing color information necessary for color administration of the job in the extracted color information; a color patch creating section configured to create a color patch or color patches corresponding to the missing color information and arrange the color patch or color patches in the certain page; and a control section configured to send image data of the certain page in which the color patch or color patches are arranged to the image forming apparatus so as to make the image forming apparatus perform print processing and measuring color information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuro Yamamuro
  • Patent number: 8953233
    Abstract: Correction of brightness of image data outputted by an image sensor which includes a light emitting portion, a photoelectric conversion portion in which a plurality of photoelectric transducers are arrayed in line, and a charge transfer portion. For a smear occurred at the charge transfer portion, reference smear amount data is stored, corresponding to each of color components of light from the light emitting portion and a correction target pixel. A correction amount for brightness is based on a difference between brightness values of a first color component and a second color component and the reference smear amount data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Sakai
  • Patent number: 8953234
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided that is capable of very accurately and efficiently reducing uneven color caused by variation in ejection characteristics among nozzles that eject ink and that occurs in a color image that is formed by mixing a plurality of different kinds of ink. A patch is printed by ejected ink from a plurality of nozzles, a region is specified so as to perform color correction in a test color image that is printed on a printing medium, a plurality of different color correction processing is performed on color signals that correspond to a color correction region, a plurality of color correction patches are printed, a color correction patch to be used is selected from among the plurality of different color correction patches and table parameters that correspond to the nozzles are created based on the selected color correction processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryosuke Iguchi, Nobutaka Miyake, Tohru Ikeda, Akitoshi Yamada, Mitsuhiro Ono, Fumitaka Goto, Hidetsugu Kagawa, Tomokazu Ishikawa, Junichi Nakagawa, Senichi Saito
  • Patent number: 8953232
    Abstract: An image reader includes a moving portion, a transparent plate, a reference member, and a detecting portion. The reference member that is provided in at least one of a position that is not the manuscript contact surface in the first scanning direction and a position that is further to a side in a first direction from the transparent plate than the manuscript contact surface. The detecting portion is supported by the moving portion and includes a plurality of detecting elements, in the second scanning direction, detecting reflected light of light irradiated from a light source. A height position of the detecting portion when the reference member is on the side in the first direction is further to the side in the first direction than a height position of the detecting portion when the manuscript contact surface is on the side in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Kasugai, Kazuma Hojo
  • Patent number: 8947729
    Abstract: There is provided a color processing apparatus comprising: a calculation unit configured to calculate, for each of a plurality of light sources, a first colorimetric value that is obtained by measuring a color having a spectral reflectance indicated by spectral reflectance information under the light source; a mapping unit configured to obtain, for each of the plurality of light sources, a second colorimetric value by mapping the first colorimetric value of the light source within a gamut under the light source; a color separation unit configured to obtain the output information from a plurality of the second colorimetric values, by adjusting the output information such that an error between a colorimetric value obtained by measuring a color output by the image output apparatus according to the output information under each of the light sources and the second colorimetric value for the light source is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ayato Imai
  • Patent number: 8947724
    Abstract: An image capturing unit includes a sensor section that images a predetermined range including a subject; a reference chart section that is imaged by the sensor section with the subject; and an illumination light source that illuminates the subject and the reference chart section. The illumination light source is arranged at a position where a mirror reflection region that mirror reflects light entering from the illumination light source to the sensor section is outside a region of the subject and the reference chart section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Suguru Yokozawa, Nobuyuki Satoh, Yasuyuki Suzuki, Masato Kobayashi, Yuichi Sakurada, Mamoru Yorimoto, Tatsuhiko Okada, Daisaku Horikawa, Masahiro Shigemoto, Kazushi Takei, Hideaki Suzuki, Satoshi Iwanami
  • Patent number: 8947731
    Abstract: An imaging unit includes a frame having an opening; a sensor unit that captures, via the opening, a subject located outside the frame; a reference chart unit that is arranged on the frame and is captured by the sensor unit together with the subject; and a cover member that covers the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Suzuki, Nobuyuki Satoh, Mamoru Yorimoto, Suguru Yokozawa, Yuichi Sakurada, Masato Kobayashi, Tatsuhiko Okada, Tomokazu Kanzawa, Daisaku Horikawa, Hiroshi Matsumoto, Ryo Honda, Makoto Moriwaki
  • Patent number: 8947739
    Abstract: Color conversion conditions corresponding to medium types belonging to the same group as a selected representative type are collectively updated based on calibration results. It is judged whether or not there is a fluctuating factor concerning color reproduction characteristics between a print medium that is used at present in the calibration and a print medium that was used in the past. If a fluctuating factor is determined to exist, then only the color converting condition corresponding to the representative type is updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Teraue
  • Patent number: 8947745
    Abstract: A imaging scanner identifies first and second locations in a first and second captured image of a document, analyzes each character in the identified locations, and produces a first and second string, each including a character and a confidence value. The device determines that a first measurement of the confidence values in each of the first and second string is beyond a range of a first threshold. The device compares the confidence value for each character in the first string with a corresponding confidence value in the second string, selects a character from one of the first or second string with a higher confidence value; and produces a combined string including the selected characters and the confidence value associated with each selected character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ming-Xi Zhao
  • Patent number: 8947728
    Abstract: A luminance value for a second printing medium that has been obtained by reading a pattern image formed on the second printing medium different from a first printing medium is converted into a corresponding density value on the first printing medium. Calibration for the first printing medium can then be performed using the second printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuhiko Zaima
  • Patent number: 8937751
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image evaluating apparatus, an image evaluating method, and a non-transitory storage medium. In the present invention, two-dimensional relative positions between the image formation position of one color plate of a plurality of color plates and the image formation positions of other color plates are calculated based on known positional information of registration marks formed by the color plates and positional information of the registration marks that are actually formed as images on a recording medium. A position expressing image is generated which represents the calculated relative positions by way of two-dimensional positional coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Fumito Takemoto, Toshiki Inoue
  • Patent number: 8938629
    Abstract: A power control apparatus uses a job history stored in a second storage unit to update, at a predetermined time interval, a power-off sequence table defining a sequence in which power supply is to be stopped for devices when a smart power meter has requested power supply reduction, inquires the smart power meter regarding the amount of power to be reduced when a power reduction request has been received therefrom, and stops power supply to devices in accordance with the reduction power amount, the device power consumption amounts, and the power-off sequence table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Hirano
  • Patent number: 8934156
    Abstract: In an image processing apparatus and an image processing method according to the present invention, a gradation correction table creation unit prints stored chart data on a print paper by an image forming device, determines a target color from the color measuring result of the printed chart by a color measuring device, and creates a gray reproduction estimation model function according to the measured color result of the chart. Next, after the gradation correction table is created such that the gray of each gradation is adequately close to the target color, the gradation correction table is changed such that the color difference of neighboring gradations is included in a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ishii
  • Patent number: 8928938
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image forming section for forming a test image including a plurality of patterns in which at least one pattern is more easily affected by a variation factor for density than another pattern, an accepting section for accepting an amount of adjustment for density, and an adjusting section for adjusting density of an image to be formed by the image forming section based on the amount of adjustment for density accepted by the accepting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masakazu Ohira
  • Patent number: 8928943
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a designating unit that designates a color to be output in a target color, an analyzing unit that extracts, with regard to input image data, coordinates of a location to be output in the designated target color, and page information that specifies a page that includes the coordinates, a colorimetry unit that measures a color of an image that is on a page prior to a page with respect to which the color to be output in the target color was designated, and that was obtained by forming an image based on data including the designated color, a generating unit that generates correction data for approximating a color resulting from the colorimetry to the target color, and a correcting unit that corrects color data of the location in the targeted page to be output in the target color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Jun Nagai
  • Patent number: 8922838
    Abstract: Application of treatments for treating a colorant for printing an image is described herein. In an example, an amount of a treatment to be applied on a substrate portion is determined considering color calibration of a printing system for specific conditions of printing the image. The treatment is for treating the amount of colorant on the substrate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jaime Fernandez del Rio, Jacint Humet Pous, Eduardo Amela Conesa, Marc Serra Vall
  • Patent number: 8922850
    Abstract: Contamination of a reading window is detected between documents by a contamination detection section when a plurality of sheets of documents are transferred and a transferred document is read through a reading window, transfer of the document is stopped by a stopping section based on the detection result, and a corresponding purport is displayed on a display section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideyuki Hiro
  • Patent number: 8922853
    Abstract: A dynamically applicable system to calibrate a number of printers having a controller including a processor and memory to control printing a document relative to characteristics of the document using the printer. Calibration settings for the printer may be manipulable. Calibration may be performed by comparing a calibration pattern to a marking on a calibration document. Additionally, calibration may be performed by comparing a calibration pattern with a crease. The controller may calculate calibration settings from calibration information received using an interface. Calibration settings are storable on memory or a database. The system may communicate with other devices over a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: WILopEN Products LC
    Inventor: Richard Wilen
  • Patent number: 8913289
    Abstract: A control device according to the present invention is a control device that controls a print device that forms an image on a recording medium based on image data in which density values of multiple colors are defined every pixel, including: a stored color setting unit that sets a stored color indicating a color of which a toner amount is not restricted in each object indicating an area in which a predetermined type of image in the image data is drawn, in response to designation from a user; and a determination unit that determines density values of each of colors, in the each object, other than the stored color, such that a total sum of the density values of the colors is within a value subtracting a density value of the stored color from a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Yoshida, Hiroaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8914479
    Abstract: An image-processing system comprising a peripheral device 10, a web server 12 associated with the peripheral device 10 an application server 13 and a mobile phone 11. The web server 12 is configured to send a registration request to register communication parameters of the peripheral device 10 in association with a piece of identification information at the application server 13. The mobile device 11 is configured to determine the piece of identification information and to send a request to the application server 13 with the determined piece of identification information. The application server 13 is configured to associate the registered details of the peripheral device 10 with the request from the mobile device 11 thereby allowing a connection to be configured between the mobile device 11 and the peripheral device 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Europa N.V.
    Inventors: Benjamin John Parks, Pierre-Jean Champault, Ricardo Jose Teixeira dos Santos
  • Patent number: 8913308
    Abstract: A light collecting member includes a lens to make incident light be collected on a light receiving member, a lens barrel to house the lens, an end portion into which a light enters of the lens barrel being arranged near the light receiving member and a fence member to cover the end portion into which a light enters of the lens barrel and the light receiving member, the fence member having an exhaust port formed in a manner extending in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignees: NEC AccessTechnica, Ltd., NEC Engineering, Ltd.
    Inventors: Namie Sugiyama, Koushi Takano, Hiroyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 8908229
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain a gamma correction table used for image formation on non-reference paper using a correlation between a characteristic of reference paper and a characteristic of the non-reference paper and a gamma correction table obtained through calibration using the reference paper, a first reading unit configured to form a pattern on plain paper and read the formed pattern, a second reading unit configured to form a pattern on an image bearing member and read the formed pattern, a comparison unit configured to compare a value read by the first reading unit with a value ready by the second reading unit, and a correction unit configured to correct the characteristic indicating the correlation used for obtaining the gamma correction table for the non-reference paper by the obtaining unit when a difference of values compared by the comparison unit exceeds a first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukichika Ichihashi