Log Report Patents (Class 399/10)
  • Patent number: 11966194
    Abstract: A memory holder cover holds a memory holder so as to be movable with respect to the memory holder cover. An electrical contact contacts an electrical contact surface of a memory from above in a state where a cartridge is located at an attached position at which the cartridge is attached to a main housing. The main housing includes a guide groove having upper and lower guide surfaces. The upper guide surface guides movement of a memory holder from above when the cartridge is attached and detached. The lower guide surface guides movement of the memory holder from below when the cartridge is attached and detached. In a state where the cartridge is located at the attached position, the electrical contact surface is parallel to at least part of the upper guide surface or at least part of the lower guide surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Mori, Ryuji Noda, Shinya Kusuda
  • Patent number: 11809124
    Abstract: A cleaning unit is attachable to and detachable from a main body of an image forming apparatus including a photosensitive drum and a belt configured to contact the photosensitive drum. The cleaning unit includes: a frame; and a handle. The frame is configured to accommodate therein developing agent collected from the image forming apparatus. The handle includes: a pair of first parts; and a second part. Each of the pair of first parts extends from the frame in an extending direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the photosensitive drum in a state where the cleaning unit is attached to the main body. The pair of first parts includes a lock mechanism for locking the cleaning unit to the main body. The second part extends in the axial direction and connects the pair of first parts to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Ozawa, Yohei Hashimoto, Hikaru Iino
  • Patent number: 11623452
    Abstract: An apparatus controller performs: updating a number of mounting stored in an apparatus memory when a new consumable is mounted on an image processing apparatus; updating a life stored in the apparatus memory in response to execution of image processing; and transmitting, at a particular timing, the number of mounting and the life to a server. A server controller performs: in response to receiving the number of mounting and the life, not placing an order for the new consumable when the number of mounting is larger than a number of orders or the life is longer than or equal to a particular value, and placing the order for the new consumable when the number of mounting is smaller than or equal to the number of orders and the life is shorter than the particular value; and when the order is placed, updating the number of orders in a server memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takatsugu Yamada
  • Patent number: 11375080
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a volatile memory that stores data, a controller that controls an operation of a device, an interface that temporarily stores data input from the device, a writing unit that controls writing of the data on the volatile memory, a first communication pathway that connects the interface to the writing unit and is used to transmit the data acquired by the interface to the volatile memory and to transfer the data written on the volatile memory, a second communication pathway that connects the interface to the writing unit and does not share a route with the first communication pathway, and a switching unit that switches a communication path used to transmit data from the interface to the volatile memory from the first communication pathway to the second communication pathway if the interface has received image data from the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yuya Hirayama, Tsutomu Nakaminato, Kenji Kuroishi
  • Patent number: 11209769
    Abstract: A recovery container includes a container body that is removably attached to an attachment target and that is capable of recovering powder; a projection provided at a distance from the container body in a direction intersecting with an attachment direction of the container body and having a slip-off preventing portion that is formed at a portion on a side opposite to an attachment direction side and that is engaged with an engaging part provided at the attachment target; an urging member that is provided between the container body and the projection and that urges the projection away from the container body; and an inclined portion formed at the projection and inclined so as to be gradually separated from the container body, in the attachment direction from the slip-off preventing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yusuke Sakai, Lei Yuan, Satoshi Hashimoto, Hirohisa Hoshino
  • Patent number: 11095777
    Abstract: A maintenance apparatus includes a controller including a processor. The processor has programmed instructions to acquire maintenance operation information indicating (i) a failure that occurred with an image forming apparatus and (ii) content of a maintenance operation performed on the image forming apparatus to fix the failure, determine whether predetermined information included with the maintenance operation information exceeds a threshold value, and generate support information based on the maintenance operation information that indicates the content of the maintenance operation in response to the predetermined information exceeding the threshold value. The support information is accessible by a maintenance person when performing future maintenance on the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyo Tanaka, Kazuhiro Ogura, Masaki Narahashi, Sou Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11030580
    Abstract: A system that creates an environment for using, transmitting, and storing data from a CEW and other equipment. The information from a CEW includes a log maintained by the CEW. The log may include information related to the operation, maintenance, software, and deployment units used by the CEW. The information may be used alone or in combination with other information received and stored by an evidence management system for managing inventory, generating use-of-force reports, incident reports, and/or providing information related to equipment, such as a CEW, to the supplier of the equipment. Sources of information provided to an evidence management system includes equipment suppliers, CEWs, other cooperating equipment, records management systems of an agency, a dispatch system of an agency, and third parties. A CEW or other equipment may also receive information for storing in the log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Axon Enterprise, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Charles Dimino, Jr., Siddharth Heroor, Michael E. Gish, Reinhard J. Gagnon, Teri Dawn Michaels
  • Patent number: 10692130
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program which, when executed by a computer, causes an information processing terminal to perform displaying a first screen including a plurality of apparatus objects corresponding to each of a plurality of image processing apparatuses, receiving a user operation of designating one of the apparatus objects, receiving, from the designated apparatus, consumable information indicating a status of a consumable to be used for an operation of the image processing apparatus, determining whether a status indicated by the consumable information satisfies a replacement condition of the consumable, and when it is determined that the replacement condition is satisfied, transmitting, to a server, first ship request information for requesting the server to ship the consumable, for which it is determined in the determining of the status that the replacement condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norihiko Asai
  • Patent number: 10664312
    Abstract: Systems and methods of managing computing resources of a computing system are described. A computing resource list and computing resource information may be stored at a data store. The computing resource list may identify a set of computing resources of a computing system, and the computing resource information may respectively describe the computing resources. The computing resource list may be updated in response to a new computing resource being added to the computing system or in response to an existing computing resource being removed from the computing system. Evaluation tasks for the computing resources may be performed, and a resource evaluation report may be generated during performance of at least one of the evaluation reports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Armen Moloian, Ronald W. Ritchey
  • Patent number: 10565557
    Abstract: In the system, the image forming apparatus includes a unit that sends the status information of the image forming apparatus to the management server, and a unit that requests the web service provided by the service server to register device information, and the service server includes a unit that register and manage user information of a user of the web service provided by the service server, a unit that, in response to a request from the image forming apparatus, registers the device information of the image forming apparatus and user information managed in association with each other, and a unit that issues, to the user of the image forming apparatus that is registered with the web service, a notification related to the image forming apparatus, using the status information provided by the management server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuusuke Suzuki, Nozomu Ogawa, Yousuke Sugai, Naohiro Iwata, Taiki Mouri, Takahiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10509604
    Abstract: The invention relates to a print system comprising a plurality of printers for printing print jobs, a user interface screen connected to the print system, each printer of the plurality of printers comprising a print job scheduling module for planning a print job schedule for print jobs submitted to the printer and an operational action scheduling module for planning an operational action schedule of operational actions to be applied to the printer, a control unit comprising a first merging module for merging for each printer the print job schedule and the operational action schedule into a first merged schedule, the control unit configured to control for each printer display of the first merged schedule on the user interface screen, wherein the control unit comprises a second merging module for merging the operational action schedules of the plurality of printers chronologically into a second merged schedule, and the control unit is configured to control display of the second merged schedule along the first m
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: OCÉ-TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventor: Susanna C. Langeveld
  • Patent number: 10496957
    Abstract: A system that creates an environment (e.g., ecosystem) for using, transmitting, and storing data from a CEW and other equipment. The information from a CEW includes a log maintained by the CEW. The log may include information related to the operation, maintenance, software, and deployment units used by the CEW. The information may be used alone or in combination with other information received and stored by an evidence management system for managing inventory, generating use-of-force reports, incident reports, and/or providing information related to equipment, such as a CEW, to the supplier of the equipment. Sources of information provided to an evidence management system includes equipment suppliers, CEWs, other cooperating equipment, records management systems of an agency, a dispatch system of an agency, and third parties. A CEW or other equipment may also receive information for storing in the log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: TASER INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Charles Dimino, Jr., Siddharth Heroor, Michael E. Gish, Reinhard J. Gagnon, Teri Dawn Michaels
  • Patent number: 10462309
    Abstract: A method to determine an operating status of an image forming device comprises: monitoring a plurality of operating parameters of the image forming device during a first time interval; calculating a correlation coefficient during a second time interval between at least two of the plurality of operating parameters; identifying the image forming device as an abnormal operating status when the correlation coefficient calculated during the second time interval is a positive correlation coefficient above a predetermined level associated with a model of the image forming device; and determining a maintenance action for the image forming device based on the abnormal operating status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Oleg Y. Zakharov
  • Patent number: 10423109
    Abstract: Techniques pertaining to printing a document are disclosed. A printer may include a replaceable marking supply that is either an unrestricted trade supply or a restricted subscription supply. The printer may accommodate either of the unrestricted trade supply or the restricted subscription supply at any given moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Amy Shipman, Rowdy K. Webb, Jefferson P. Ward, Stephen D. Panshin, Mark Hickman
  • Patent number: 10365577
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a charging member that electrostatically charges a surface of the image bearing member. Control is performed for increasing a voltage to be applied to the charging member in a stepwise manner so that the voltage becomes higher than when the image bearing member passes through a region where the image bearing member faces the charging member in a previous rotation, the control being performed as the image bearing member rotates while a single image region worth of image is being formed in an image region that is longer than a length equivalent to one rotation of the image bearing member in a rotational direction of the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuki Kuramoto
  • Patent number: 10354315
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system are described for ordering items within a zone of a physical location. An example method may include wirelessly receiving at a server via a computer network a unique identifier associated with a physical ordering device, the physical ordering device being remotely located from the server, retrieving, at the server from an information source, item information describing an item configured to be associated with the unique identifier of the physical ordering device, retrieving, at the server from the information source, shipping data including a physical location uniquely associated with the physical ordering device, and generating at the server a purchase request for re-ordering the item. The method may further include processing at the server the purchase request, and authorizing at the server shipment of the item to the physical location associated with the physical ordering device responsive to the processing of the purchase request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Staples, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Goodwin, Faisal Masud, Shiv Agarwal, Ryan Bartley, M. Steven Walker, Pratabkumar Vemana, Daniel Hailemariam
  • Patent number: 10308452
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a stacking unit, an access detecting unit, a malfunction detecting unit, a counting unit, and a process deciding unit. The stacking unit receives, as stacked, a recording material. The access detecting unit detects an access to the stacking unit by an operator. The malfunction detecting unit detects that a conveyance malfunction of the recording material has occurred on a conveying path guiding the recording material supplied from the stacking unit. The counting unit counts, after the access detecting unit detects an access to the stacking unit by the operator in a state that the malfunction detecting unit does not detect that the conveyance malfunction has occurred, the number of the conveyance malfunction detected by the malfunction detecting unit. The process deciding unit decides a process to address the conveyance malfunction based on the number of the conveyance malfunction counted by the counting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Michio Sugano
  • Patent number: 10187472
    Abstract: The invention is adapted to acquire more useful log data. A master device (4) includes a timer element (45), adapted to acquire a moment; an instruction sending element (421), adapted to synchronize a moment measured by a slave timer element (14) of slave devices (1-3) with a moment acquired by the timer element (45) according to a time synchronization instruction containing moment information corresponding to the moment acquired by the timer element (45); and a slave log receiving element (423), adapted to receive slave logs (131).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Shigenori Sawada, Taishi Kawaguchi, Yasushi Yamawaki, Kojiro Baba
  • Patent number: 10108103
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes a charger for charging a surface of a photoreceptor and that forms an image by using an electrophotographic system, the charger being configured to be cleanable, includes a guidance notification unit that causes a guidance notification prompting cleaning of the charger to be displayed and a guidance notification determination unit that, in accordance with a threshold set in accordance with usage condition of the image forming apparatus, determines whether or not to cause the guidance notification to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nishimura, Hideji Saikoh
  • Patent number: 10073665
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a management application and a common application. The management application manages a counter. The common application is other than the management application. The management application causes the image forming apparatus to function as: a counter managing unit that manages the counter that counts a count of executions of specific processing by the common application; and an execution count unit that counts the count of executions using the counter managed by the counter managing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Jumpei Takagi
  • Patent number: 10037174
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system, a method, and a device for monitoring printing devices using activity scores. In example embodiments, one or more printing devices are polled to monitor associated device states. A management device, using the associated device state and one or more requests transmitted to each of the one or more printing devices, generates an activity score. By comparing activity scores of the one or more printing devices, the management device can rank the printing devices against one another and assign priority levels to each printing device. These priority levels can then be used to establish frequencies for future polling of the one or more printing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Debashis Panda, Oleksandr Zinchenko
  • Patent number: 9891575
    Abstract: An image forming device includes an attachment part to which a toner unit having a fuse that can be molten by being supplied with an electric current is detachably attached, and a control part that applies each of a non-melting conduction signal corresponding to a first current supply state where the fuse is not molten and a melting conduction signal corresponding to a second current supply state where the fuse is molten to the fuse. The control part detects each of whether or not the fuse is molten by applying the non-melting conduction signal and whether or not the fuse is molten by applying the melting conduction signal. The control part determines whether or not the toner unit attached to the attachment part is a specific exchange unit on the basis of a detection result of whether or not the fuse is molten.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: SOC Corporation
    Inventors: Toshitaka Ogawa, Hiroo Arikawa, Yuji Kuwana
  • Patent number: 9769333
    Abstract: A server includes: a storage; and a control device which determines whether the server is permitted to collect data of the image forming device when receiving inquiry information; transmits to the image forming device first permission information for checking whether a user permits data collection; transmits active information when receiving second permission information representing that data collection is permitted; when the server receives device identification information for identifying the image forming device of which data collecting function is activated, stores the received device identification information in the storage, and transmits instruction information for instructing the image forming device to transmit the data which should be collected, to the image forming device; and when receiving the collection data for generating the notification data from the image forming device, stores the received collection data in the storage in association with the device identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masafumi Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 9753676
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system, a method, and a device for monitoring printing devices using activity scores. In example embodiments, one or more printing devices are polled to monitor associated device states. A management device, using the associated device state and one or more requests transmitted to each of the one or more printing devices, generates an activity score. By comparing activity scores of the one or more printing devices, the management device can rank the printing devices against one another and assign priority levels to each printing device. These priority levels can then be used to establish frequencies for future polling of the one or more printing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Debashis Panda, Oleksandr Zinchenko
  • Patent number: 9665826
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure are directed towards automatically inferring the significant parts of bug reports, including by querying a knowledge base built by mining information from a large number of earlier bug reports. Common phrases in the earlier bug reports are filtered to provide a subset of phrases relevant to a bug domain, which are stored in the knowledge base and mapped to an ontology model of the knowledge base. When a new bug report is received for inference/analysis, the phrases therein are tagged based upon the ontology model, and the knowledge base queried with the tagged phrases to determine problems, activities and actions that are likely related to the new bug report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Navendu Jain, Rahul Potharaju
  • Patent number: 9507971
    Abstract: Methods and systems for barcode integration in packaging design and printing are described. The method includes receiving a request for a For Position Only (FPO) image file which is a placeholder for a final barcode. The method includes accessing barcode data, wherein the barcode data contains information usable to produce the final barcode, generating the FPO image file including an FPO image and including metadata containing the barcode data, and sending the FPO image file including the metadata to a second computer device. A final barcode can be generated from the metadata and by accessing at least one printing parameter of a prepress system, and the final barcode can be used to replace the FPO image file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Barcode Graphics Inc.
    Inventor: John Herzig
  • Patent number: 9405259
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing processing unit, a paper jam detection unit, and an operation display unit. The printing processing unit performs printing on a plurality of index sheets having index labels in different positions. The paper jam detection unit detects a paper jam in the plurality of index sheets. The operation display unit displays, when the paper jam is detected, a paper jam handling pattern selection screen for selecting a paper jam handling pattern of the printing processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Daijiro Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 9274478
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a paper pickup section configured to pick up paper from a cassette; a calculating section configured to measure the time from the moment the paper is picked up to the moment the conveyance of the paper is detected by a sensor arranged at a given distance away from the paper pickup section, to calculate a delay time with respect to a specified time; and a control section configured to count the number of times the calculated delay time exceeds a delay time stored in a storage section in which a plurality of delay times different in length are stored, and output message information different from each other according to the length of the calculated delay time and the counted times when a plurality of paper is fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akira Nuita
  • Patent number: 9227448
    Abstract: A solution for determining survival state of a print head. In one aspect, the cleaning behavior of a print head can be used for reflecting health status of the print head, so survival state of a print head can be determined according to cleaning behavior of the print head. Specifically, there is provided a method for determining survival state of a print head, comprising: obtaining cleaning behavior data and cumulative printing amount upon failure occurrence of print head(s) of reference printer(s) as well as cleaning behavior of a print head of a current printer; obtaining printing amount of the current printer; determining survival state of the print head of the current printer according to cleaning behavior data and cumulative printing amount upon failure occurrence of the print head(s) of the reference printer(s) as well as cleaning behavior data and printing amount of the current printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Xuan Chen, Chang Rui Ren, Fei Liu, Qin Hua Wang
  • Patent number: 9086659
    Abstract: In an apparatus which controls the bias of an intermediate transfer belt, the position shift of the width direction between a toner image and a recording material is reduced. Based on the results of estimating the variation moving in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, the position in the width direction of the recording material conveyed to a transfer position is changed to match the positions in the width direction of the toner image and the recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9036191
    Abstract: A printing system includes a first unit, a second unit, a third unit, and a display. The first unit stores start and end time of a printed job. The second unit stores start time of an in-progress print job and stores predicted end time calculated from attributes of the in-progress print job. The third unit stores predicted start and end time calculated from attributes of a ready-for-print job. The display indicates a mark representing current time, indicates a figure along a time axis on one side of the mark, representing an existence of the printed job from the start to end time, indicates a figure crossing the mark, representing an existence of the in-progress print job from the start to predicted end time, and indicates a figure on the other side of the mark, representing an existence of the ready-for-print job from the predicted start to end time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Kikumoto
  • Patent number: 9036174
    Abstract: A method and system collects diagnostic data for use in diagnosing existing and potential image quality issues related to a printer. Document cover sheets and/or electronic versions of the cover sheets are routinely collected, even when there has been no reported image quality issue, to preserve a historical record of the output of the printer over an extended time period. The historical record of the images on the routinely collected cover sheets and/or electronic versions of the cover sheets include data useful in diagnosing existing and potential image quality issues related to substantive pages of the documents processed by the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: John Hanley, Robert R. Price, David Garcia
  • Patent number: 8953954
    Abstract: A monitoring device system that includes a user apparatus, including a monitoring device application, and an image forming apparatus. The user apparatus includes an application information sending unit configured to send application information corresponding to the monitoring device application to the image forming apparatus, and a notice information control unit configured to acquire information about the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a display unit configured to display an application information item corresponding to the received application information from the user apparatus, and a communication control unit configured to send the information about the image forming apparatus to the user apparatus in response to a user selecting the displayed application information item at the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaichi Sawada
  • Patent number: 8942576
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image based on an electrophotographic process applied to image data that represents the image includes a device configured to perform a periodic movement for image formation, a storage unit configured to store a table for correcting density variation caused by the device, the table initially generated when a physical property of the device is in a reference state, a prediction unit configured to predict an amplitude of the variation caused when the physical property is in a state different from the reference state, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust the table based on the amplitude predicted by the prediction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoichi Takikawa, Hideki Kubo
  • Patent number: 8922806
    Abstract: An administration server is capable of authenticating a user. The administration server includes a communication unit for receiving a user authentication request including user identification information and apparatus identification information from an external device; and a server control unit for authenticating the user according to the user identification information to obtain a first result. The server control unit is provided for determining a usage permitted function according to the user identification information to obtain a second result, and for determining whether an apparatus corresponding to the apparatus identification information can be used according to user identification information and the apparatus identification information to obtain a third result. The communication unit is configured to transmit the first result, the second result, and the third result to the external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Fumihito Osaki
  • Patent number: 8908198
    Abstract: A system and method for automatically rendering labeling service prints with print engine parameters. An auto-labeling application can be configured in association with a print engine controller for labeling the service prints with the print engine parameters via a built-in marker integrated with a fault multi-function device. A portable inline marker can also be separately attached to a baffle assembly of the fault device and connected to the print engine controller via a connector in order to receive the print engine parameters from the print engine controller. A setup routine configured with the auto-labeling application can be employed to customize the service print labels in a modular format and the parameters can be appended to each other based on the information required to troubleshoot the fault multi-function device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Eliud Robles Flores, David B. Montfort, John R. Falvo
  • Patent number: 8831458
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: a storage section configured to store data; a printing section configured to perform duplex printing of the data stored in the storage section, the duplex printing including printing N sheets on first sides thereof and subsequently printing M sheets on second sides thereof, wherein M is equal to or smaller than N; a detection section configured to detect a request for storing data in the storage section; and a changing section configured to change the value of N into a smaller value during the duplex printing, in response to the detection of the request for storing data based on a function which uses the storage section concurrently with an operation of the duplex printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shunsuke Minamikawa
  • Patent number: 8818210
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus for registering a printing apparatus connected by a network including a printing apparatus detection unit configured to detect the printing apparatus connected by the network, an operation instruction unit configured to instruct a user of the information processing apparatus to execute an initial setting relevant operation on a printing apparatus to be registered, a status information acquisition unit configured to acquire status information indicating a status of the detected printing apparatus, a printing apparatus identification unit configured to detect a printing apparatus in which the initial setting relevant operation is executed based on the status indicated by the acquired status information and identify the detected printing apparatus in which the initial setting relevant operation is executed as the printing apparatus to be registered, and a printing apparatus registration unit configured to register the identified printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akiko Onishi
  • Patent number: 8804165
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a job management method thereof are provided. The job management method includes detecting an occurrence of an error during a processing of a job, and upon detecting the occurrence of the error, providing information about one or more jobs related with the error from among a list of jobs. As a result, it is possible to manage the jobs related with an error and more convenient job management is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun-sub Kil, Sun-young Park
  • Patent number: 8773689
    Abstract: A method starts when a print job is received from a workstation. The print job includes user printing options and an identification of an initial printer. The method ranks the abilities of the available printers to process the print job to identify the best printer for the print job according to, among other items, printer proximity. If the initial printer identification creates a print policy violation, the method presents a question/statement to the workstation (to the user through the workstation) regarding whether the print job should be redirected to the best printer and provides an automated resubmit option at the workstation. If the resubmit option is activated, the method automatically submits the print job to a different available printer, without requiring the user to manually input the printing options.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Harpreet S. Kohli, Matthew J. Lombardo
  • Patent number: 8768185
    Abstract: An image formation device for use with a consumable removably loaded therein, the consumable including a non-volatile consumable memory, the image formation device including: a non-volatile device memory; an abnormality detection unit detecting an abnormality pertaining to the consumable; a detection registration unit registering abnormality detection data into both memories when the abnormality pertains to the consumable and no relevant abnormality data are registered in either memory, the abnormality detection data representing the detected abnormality; a confirmation registration unit registering abnormality confirmation data after the consumable has been exchanged and new abnormality detection data pertaining to a new abnormality detected by the abnormality detection unit are registered in only one of the memories, the abnormality confirmation data replacing the new abnormality detection data in the appropriate memory; and a confirmation notification unit making a notification of abnormality confirmation
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technoliges, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuji Watanabe, Atsushi Kawai
  • Patent number: 8761618
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of counting use of components in the apparatus and managing the counted number of uses as counter information additionally registers in a management table, when it receives an input for newly adding a component whose counter information is to be managed, based on the input, counter information about a different component and setting information indicating that the counter information may be provided external to the image forming apparatus, in association with identification information about the new component, when the identification information about a related different component in the apparatus included in the input is already managed and a count-up condition for the managed different component matches a count-up condition included in the input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keisuke Aizono
  • Patent number: 8744281
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a detachably replaceable image forming unit for forming an image on a medium, the image forming unit including a component for forming the image on the medium and a first storage section for storing life information, use amount information, and use purpose information of the component; a read-write section for reading and writing information in the first storage section; a life management section for managing life of the image forming unit; and a second storage section for storing the life information and the use amount information read from the first storage section by the read-write section; the life management section rewriting the life information stored in the first storage section by the first storage section in accordance with the use purpose information stored in the first storage section and the use amount information stored in the second storage section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Kato, Yoichi Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 8736875
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that generate a screen capture image together with processing selectable options for a user. The screen capture image is saved to a memory of the system and the selectable options are chosen to communicate with an external device and/or helpdesk where information related to the screen can be analyzed or diagnosed for technical issues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Peter Groves
  • Patent number: 8705078
    Abstract: This invention prevents the operation performance drop of an image input and output apparatus even when the frequency of use of the image input and output apparatus is high upon recording log information in a system that comprises the image input and output apparatus. As a characteristic feature of this invention, in an image output system which includes an image input and output apparatus, PC, and server, the PC sends image data to be output by the image input and output apparatus to the server and sends information associated with the storage location of the image data to the image input and output apparatus, the server stores the image data received from the PC, and the image input and output apparatus prints the image data received from the PC and records the information associated with the storage location of the image data as log information about the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuo Komada
  • Patent number: 8693930
    Abstract: An image formation device comprises imaging units creating toner images in a corresponding color; an intermediate transfer body where the toner images are overlaid in a primary transfer; a secondary transfer unit performing secondary transfers of the overlaid toner images onto a recording sheet; a first misregistration correction unit operable to cause each imaging unit to form a reference pattern, execute a first misalignment reading acquisition process of acquiring a misalignment reading for each pattern, and adjust the imaging units to correct the readings; a storage unit storing the readings; and a second misregistration correction unit operable to cause an imaging unit subset to form reference patterns, execute a second misalignment reading acquisition process of acquiring readings for the subset of patterns and estimating readings in colors for which no pattern is formed from the acquired readings and the stored readings, and adjust the imaging units to correct all readings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 8659805
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a motor driving control device including a motor driver, a storage device, and a control section. The motor driver supplies a motor driving current for driving a motor to the motor. The storage device stores a first data table in which temperature around the motor, a current value of the motor driving current set to prevent the motor from stepping out at the temperature, and a driving voltage set in the motor driver in order to cause the motor driver to output the motor driving current having the current value are associated with one another for each temperature around the motor. The control section controls the motor driver to output the motor driving current having a predetermined current value associated with the temperature around the motor in the first data table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhiko Eguchi
  • Patent number: 8643865
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a management apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, a storage unit, a selection unit, and an output unit. The acquisition unit acquires any one of simple data or detailed data including the simple data from a plurality of image processing apparatuses. If the detailed data is acquired, the determination unit determines maintenance data to be applied to the image processing apparatus which is an output source of the detailed data. The storage unit stores the maintenance data in association with related data included in the detailed data. If the acquisition unit acquires the simple data, the selection unit selects the maintenance data associated with the related data similar to the acquired simple data. The output unit outputs the maintenance data as the data for update with respect to the image processing apparatus which is an output source of the simple data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyo Katou, Yoshikatsu Kamisuwa
  • Publication number: 20130308961
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a developing unit which contains a mixture of toner and carrier, a toner sensor which is disposed in the developing unit, and a controller which determines a control voltage for the toner sensor using change information on a change in a quantity of electric charge which changes according to a time during which the image forming apparatus is used or paused, and drives the toner sensor using the determined control voltage and compensates for an output value of the toner sensor. Accordingly, toner can be prevented from being supplied excessively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung-kyu KIM, Hae-chul HAN, Shinichi HISATOMI
  • Patent number: 8570544
    Abstract: A multifunction peripheral (MFP) and a method for restricting the use of the same. A user ID and a password are registered according to a user's input, accessible functions are set according to the registered user, and even the authenticated user is restricted to using only the set functions. Therefore, use of the MFP and specific functions of the MFP can be restricted according to the particular registered user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jea-wan Jung