Operator Interface (e.g., Display Control Panel) Patents (Class 399/81)
  • Patent number: 7826761
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming system that are capable of preventing a user or operator from forgetting to carry out a maintenance operation based on required sub-maintenance items after execution of a maintenance operation based on an associated maintenance item, such as component replacement, cleaning, or adjustment. A table of maintenance items and sub-maintenance items associated with respective ones of the maintenance items is stored in a ROM. When a CPU determines that a maintenance operation based on a selected one of the maintenance items has been completed, the CPU determines whether or not there is any sub-maintenance item associated with the selected maintenance item, by referring to the table. When it is determined that there is one or more sub-maintenance items associated with the selected maintenance item, a CPU provides control to display the sub-maintenance item or items in an operating/display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Okamoto, Norifumi Miyake, Tomokazu Nakamura, Kiyoshi Watanabe, Takayuki Fujii, Hitoshi Kato
  • Patent number: 7826091
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus has a printing function. A preview original-image creation part creates an original image for preview based on print data. A preview parts-image creation part creates a parts image for preview peculiar to each equipment. A preview image synthesis part synthesizes a preview image from the original image for preview and the parts image for preview. A preview image retaining part retains the preview image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshimine Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 7826760
    Abstract: Document processing systems and methods are presented in which the remaining amount of toner, replenisher, or other print consumable in a multi-dispenser bottle consumable supply system is determined, and a user can configure a user interface to graphically display the remaining print consumable supply levels for one or more colors in one or more print engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Keith Lamar Willis
  • Publication number: 20100272452
    Abstract: A toner cartridge inserting and removing door is provided at a removal port of each of a plurality of toner cartridges. Normally, the toner cartridge inserting and removing door is locked and cannot be opened. For a case where the remaining amount of a toner in the toner cartridge is decreased and a change is needed, a display unit for notifying thereof is provided, thereby selectively opening the toner cartridge inserting and removing door corresponding to a toner cartridge for which a change is necessary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hisashi Tsukijima
  • Patent number: 7822353
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes an operations section that operates the image forming apparatus, the operations section being rotatably supported by an apparatus main body; an operations section holding unit that holds the operations section at a predetermined angle with respect to the apparatus main body; an external force detecting unit that detects an external force applied to the operations section in a rotational direction of the operations section; an operations section rotating unit that rotates the operations section in a direction of the external force; and a control unit to activate the operations section rotating unit in response to detection of the external force by the external force detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Koike, Takashi Inoue, Hideharu Shiota
  • Publication number: 20100260506
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with an image forming station for forming an image, a display unit for displaying specified information, a mode changing section for switching a mode of the image forming apparatus between a first mode for waiting on standby with first power consumption and a second mode for waiting on standby with second power consumption lower than the first power consumption, a determining section for determining whether or not an image can be formed after the mode is switched from the second mode to the first mode, a starting section for starting the display unit when the determining section determines that no image can be formed, and a notifying section for displaying on the display unit information to the effect that no image can be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kentarou Naruse
  • Patent number: 7814430
    Abstract: A method and system for applying user-specified finishing options to a printed output document. A finishing window is displayed showing a document mimic in the finishing window, and displaying finishing tool selection regions in the finishing window which enable the user to activate selective finishing tools. Finishing location identifiers are displayed on portions of the document mimic, each displayed location identifier being associated with the currently activated finishing tool, and each displayed location identifier identifying a region of the printed output document by its location on the document mimic. WYSIWYG representations of user-selected finishing tool operations are performed in the portion of the document mimic identified by the selected finishing location identifier. The WYSIWYG operations include, but are not limited to, stapling, hole-punching, V-folding, C-folding, Z-folding, and binding. Also included are WYSIWYG operations for undoing each of the aforementioned operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Brandon S. McComber
  • Patent number: 7809298
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a display unit for displaying a program which can be executed in the apparatus has an input unit for inputting a program into the image forming apparatus. A display control unit controls a process for displaying select keys including a plurality of select keys to instruct a selection of a desired one of a plurality of programs stored in the image forming apparatus onto a display screen displayed on the display unit. A discriminating unit discriminates whether or not the select key to instruct a selection of the program inputted by the input unit can be further displayed onto the first display screen to display the select keys corresponding to the programs registered in the image forming apparatus in response to the input of the program from the input unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mamoru Osada
  • Patent number: 7809297
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including applications and system side software for providing system side services to the applications is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes: an authentication module for displaying an authentication screen on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus, wherein the authentication module allows the image forming apparatus to display a screen for using the image forming apparatus instead of the authentication screen if authentication data input from the authentication screen satisfies an authentication condition, and wherein the authentication module is provided in the image forming apparatus separately from the system side software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shohhei Moroi
  • Publication number: 20100247133
    Abstract: There is provided an electronic apparatus including: an input mechanism including a sheet-shaped base material having flexibility and a bending detector which detects an elastic bending deformation of the base material; a power supply device; a bending deformation judging mechanism judging whether or not a first bending deformation mode is generated in the base material; a controller; and a mode changing mechanism changing an operation mode of the electronic apparatus from a normal mode to a low power mode in which the electronic apparatus is operated in a power lower than the normal mode, when the first bending deformation mode is generated in the base material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventor: Hiroto SUGAHARA
  • Patent number: 7805091
    Abstract: A message display portion is provided on each of a plurality of faces of an image forming apparatus. A state of the image forming apparatus is detected, and a message is displayed on a message display portion facing in the direction of a user to whom a notification should be given. Therefore, the state of the apparatus can be shown to each user in a user-friendly manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Isogai, Yu Iritani, Shin Sugiura
  • Patent number: 7801459
    Abstract: This is a system which is adapted to make it easier for a wheelchair occupant to operate a marking system. There is a lowering device that lowers the module or modules to a location convenient to the wheelchair user. The modules ideally are on the same vertical plane or to a low plane selected by the user. Also, there is a horizontally positioning device that can move the modules to any preferable location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Scott M. Huber, Dawn M. Hess
  • Patent number: 7802254
    Abstract: A job execution system comprises a job execution apparatus, an image data storage portion which is installed either outside or inside the job execution apparatus and stores image data in each box, a group information storing portion which is installed either outside or inside the job execution apparatus and stores group information preset for each group to which the user belongs in association with the box, a group information acquisition portion which is installed to the job execution apparatus and acquires the group information associated with the box when the box in which the image data is stored is designated by the user, and a controller which operates the job execution apparatus in conformity to the acquired group information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Iwamoto, Eiichi Yoshida, Hideki Hino, Shoji Imaizumi, Masaaki Saka
  • Patent number: 7801453
    Abstract: In accordance with certain aspects, an adaptive system and method are implemented to estimate the level of a consumable such as toner on a gauge that accommodates machine-to-machine variances, individual machine degradation over time, and otherwise correct over time for various inaccuracies by applying an error compensation that can be used in subsequent replenisher computations. Over the lifetime of an imaging machine, such as a copier or printer device, these error compensations can increase the accuracy of the particular machine, to accommodate various deviations from nominal constraint assumptions as a result of differences in one or more operating constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Paul S. Golding, Christopher J. Moloney, Stuart J. Handley
  • Patent number: 7800769
    Abstract: In order to facilitate an input of a process condition for allowing any of a plurality of image forming apparatuses to form an image, a PC communicative to a plurality of MFPs connected via a network obtains function information defining a function held by each of a plurality of MFPs, displays a common condition setting window for accepting an input of a process condition for performing a common function held by all of a plurality of image forming apparatuses, based on the obtained function information, accepts an input of a process condition, and outputs the accepted process condition to any one of a plurality of MFPs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Kobayashi, Shintarou Ono, Munehiro Natsume, Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, Teruhiko Fujikura, Kenichi Hayashi, Yoshihiko Sezukuri, Iwao Fujii
  • Publication number: 20100226678
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms an image on a first sheet; a fixing unit that fixes the image on the first sheet; a discharging unit that discharges the first sheet and a second sheet; a first transporting path that transports the first sheet on which the image is fixed to the discharging unit; a branch path that is branched from the first transporting path downstream of the fixing unit in a sheet transporting direction, the first sheet being transported to the branch path from the first transported path; a second transporting path that transports the second sheet in a direction opposite to the sheet transporting direction to the discharging unit; a plurality of sheet stock units in which sheets are stocked; a first sheet feed unit that feeds the first sheet from at least one of the plurality of sheet stock units to the first transporting path; and a second sheet feed unit that feeds the second sheet from at least one of the plurality of sheet stock units to the second tr
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuichi SATO, Osamu Tamura, Noriyoshi Tsuchiya, Yoshiyuki Takaishi
  • Publication number: 20100226679
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming system that are capable of preventing a user or operator from forgetting to carry out a maintenance operation based on required sub-maintenance items after execution of a maintenance operation based on an associated maintenance item, such as component replacement, cleaning, or adjustment. A table of maintenance items and sub-maintenance items associated with respective ones of the maintenance items is stored in a ROM. When a CPU determines that a maintenance operation based on a selected one of the maintenance items has been completed, the CPU determines whether or not there is any sub-maintenance item associated with the selected maintenance item, by referring to the table. When it is determined that there is one or more sub-maintenance items associated with the selected maintenance item, a CPU provides control to display the sub-maintenance item or items in an operating/display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kiyoshi OKAMOTO, Norifumi MIYAKE, Tomokazu NAKAMURA, Kiyoshi WATANABE, Takayuki FUJII, Hitoshi KATO
  • Publication number: 20100221028
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly thereof. The cartridge includes a developer carrying member for carrying a developer to develop with the developer a latent image formed on an image bearing member, an conductive member contactable to the carrying member, a developing chamber for holding the carrying member and the conductive member, a developer accommodating chamber for accommodating the developer, and a seal member for sealing an opening for permitting communication between the developing chamber and the developer accommodating chamber. The apparatus further includes a seal member removing device for removing the seal member, and a control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo Kihara, Motonari Ito
  • Patent number: 7787785
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image with developing toner on an exposed portion has a mode in which a toner image is automatically output onto a recording material without using exposure by an exposure device. When an inclination adjustment of a corona charging device is performed using an output image on the recoding material, the image forming apparatus can output an image for adjusting the inclination of the charging device that is not affected by variation of an exposing light amount of the exposure device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kidaka
  • Patent number: 7787795
    Abstract: An angle adjustment device includes a main body, an operation panel supported for up-down rotation with respect to the main body, a block mechanism to block rotation of the operation panel with respect to the main body, a release-hold mechanism to release the rotation of the operation panel by the block mechanism and also to hold a released state, and a recovery mechanism to return from a state in which a blocked operation of the operation panel by means of the block mechanism is released to a state in which a rotation of the operation panel is blocked by means of the block mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shun Sugawara, Mitsuhiro Kawai
  • Patent number: 7787136
    Abstract: A printer comprises a receiving section which receives printing jobs from a networked personal computers, a storage section which stores the received printing jobs, and a printing section which executes a printing job extracted from the storage section. A control section of the printer determines whether the printing jobs received by the receiving section include special printing, and causes a display section to display a list of the printing jobs including the special printing. The printing section executes the printing job selected from the displayed list by the user through an input section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Aiko Okajima
  • Patent number: 7787794
    Abstract: A setting angle adjusting device, includes a first input part configured to input an instruction for changing a setting angle of an operations panel in a first direction; a second input part configured to input an instruction for changing the setting angle of the operations panel in a second direction different from the first direction; a rotation part configured to change the setting angle of the operations panel; and a driving part configured to rotate the rotation part in a designated direction as corresponding to either the first input part or the second input part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Yamada, Kazuo Koike, Tasuku Kohara, Takashi Inoue
  • Patent number: 7783221
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing unit with which a panel can be moved toward a unit main body. A control component and/or display component is provided to the panel. The image processing unit also has a panel support mechanism C that supports the panel 1 such that the control component 5 and/or the display component 6 can be changed from an upward orientation to a lateral orientation facing a side with respect to the unit main body 2, in conjunction with the movement of the panel 1 toward the side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Takaya Akiyama, Shinichi Nakanishi, Takashi Tamura
  • Patent number: 7773253
    Abstract: A gloss difference control method includes: forming a predetermined image on a sheet in each of a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to a network; measuring a glossiness of the image formed on each sheet; and controlling a gloss difference among the plurality of image forming apparatuses by changing a gloss adjustment parameter of each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, based on a plurality of the measured glossiness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Katayanagi
  • Patent number: 7773903
    Abstract: A mode-switching device of a control panel is operated to control the operating status of the control panel to be switched between a first operating mode and a second operating mode. The mode-switching device includes a foldable plate, a triggering element and a switch device. The foldable plate includes a rotating shaft and a rotating arm. The rotating arm has a cam adjacent to the connecting portion between the rotating shaft and the rotating arm. The cam has a first arc surface, a second arc surface and a rotating center. A first distance between the first arc surface and the rotating center is less than a second distance between the second arc surface and the rotating center. The triggering element is disposed adjacent to the cam. The switch device is disposed on a control circuit board and under the triggering element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Teco Image Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chia Hung Kao
  • Publication number: 20100196041
    Abstract: The invention has an object to provide an image forming apparatus in which size information of a document image is used, and various printings can be performed on a sheet in manual feed copy without mistake.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhiko OTAKI
  • Patent number: 7761021
    Abstract: A printer control method for controlling, by means of a computer equipped with a display screen, a printer having a plurality of feed ports for feeding a printing medium. The printer control method comprises the steps of (a) through (d). The step (a) is a step of displaying on the display screen: a feed port specifying portion for specifying at least one of the feed ports from the plurality of feed ports; a first size display portion for displaying information relating to printing medium size; and a first size specifying portion for the user to specify a printing medium size to be printed, on the basis of the information relating to printing medium size displayed on the first size display portion. The step (b) is a step of, from pre-registered user-defined printing medium sizes, identifying the user-defined printing medium size included within a printing medium size permissible range dependent upon the feed port specified through the feed port specifying portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Chiemi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 7756437
    Abstract: In an image forming system wherein manual duplex printing can be performed by printing an image on one side of a sheet and thereafter printing an image on the other side of the manually-fed printed sheet, a first instruction screen is displayed on a display apparatus at the beginning of manual duplex printing for showing how to set the sheet onto a paper rest of the image forming apparatus for the first half of manual duplex printing. The first instruction screen includes instruction on whether a distinctive side of the sheet should face up or down on the paper rest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatoshi Kadota
  • Patent number: 7747964
    Abstract: A readable operation unit for an image forming apparatus displays items representative of various functions relating to image formation while classifying and dividing them on a switchable screen. The operator can therefore easily understand the contents of operation in relation to the other functions despite that the functions are arranged in a hierarchical construction. Further, the operator can grasp the kind of image data and how the image data are processed and output as a single flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 7747185
    Abstract: There is displayed, in a display section, a photocopy processing setting screen having a setting information display area to display information indicating various setting particulars of photocopy processing, a button display area to display various icons indicating the setting particulars of the photocopy processing, and a graphic to associate each setting particular displayed in the setting information display area with each icon to set the setting particular displayed in the setting information display area among the icons displayed in the button display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuko Kimoto, Naoki Hoshino
  • Patent number: 7742198
    Abstract: An image scanner might capture an image corresponding to scan region 263 which might be somewhat larger than original 262. Image processing circuitry might then enlarge an image corresponding to scan region 263 (arrow 279), converting it into enlarged image 271. Within enlarged image 271, the image of original 262 might have been enlarged so as to become image 273, which might be somewhat larger than printing paper 274. This enlarged original image 273 which would be present within enlarged image 271 might then be printed by a printer. Four-sided borderless copying is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Yada, Takashi Kato
  • Publication number: 20100150599
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a display that displays at least a status of the device; a controller that is provided on a back surface of the display and controls a display on the display; a heat source; a shield that shields the controller from the heat source; and an opening that is connected to a space formed by the controller and the shield and allows air outside the device to flow in and out of the controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventor: Yuji Ootsuka
  • Patent number: 7734210
    Abstract: There is described a printing system in which a computer terminal device and an image forming apparatus are coupled to each other through a communication network. The computer terminal device includes: an apparatus information acquiring section to acquire apparatus information that includes information in regard to a kind of paper-sheet feeding tray of the image forming apparatus and a kind of paper sheet corresponding to the paper-sheet feeding tray, from the image forming apparatus; a display section to display a specific screen for setting a print condition; and a print condition setting section to control the display section, so that both the apparatus information and setting information that includes information in regard to a kind of paper-sheet feeding tray and a kind of paper sheet corresponding to the paper-sheet feeding tray, which are established in advance by a user or as default information, are displayed on the specific screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Masanori Nishida
  • Patent number: 7729630
    Abstract: The subject application is directed to a system and method for generating a user customizable default user interface for a document processing device. First, screen data representing each of a plurality of different user interfaces is stored. Each user interface includes visual representations of a unique subset of controls associated with operation of the associated document processing device. Identification data is then acquired from an associated user. A display is generated representing each of the different user interfaces. Selection data representing a selected user interface as a default user interface is then received. Data associating the default user interface with the identification data is stored. Thereafter, a display is generated of the default user interface upon login of the associated user on the document processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Marianne Kodimer
  • Patent number: 7720403
    Abstract: If a designation detector detects one of icons representing peripheral equipment (image forming apparatuses) displayed on a monitor screen by a display controller in response to operator's manipulation, an operation information acquirer acquires, from the respective peripheral equipment, operation information indicating a job status of the respective peripheral equipment represented by all the icons displayed on the monitor screen. If it is judged that the peripheral equipment represented by the icon whose designation has been detected by the designation detector is in a state of processing a job, the display controller changes the display format of the icon representing a peripheral equipment in an idling state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Suzuki, Eiji Mifune, Katsushi Horihata
  • Publication number: 20100119250
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a touch panel that includes an operation plane displaying various operation screens, and detects a press position on the operation screen as detection signal; a first storage portion that stores press information of the touch panel; a second storage portion that stores error information; a first control unit that stores the press position indicated by the detection signal from the touch panel as first press information in the first storage portion; a second control unit creates screen data with a mark indicating the press position on the operation screen when an error occurred, based on the first press information stored in the first storage portion, and stores the screen data as first error information in the second storage portion, when the error occurs in the electronic device; and a third control unit that outputs the error information based on an error information output command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Inventor: Satoshi ITOH
  • Patent number: 7715736
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus determines process items needed as exchanged components and an order of executing the process items needed for a plurality of kinds of exchanged components based on priority order information of the process items and causes a display unit to control a display for ordering to execute process items needed for the components according to the determined order of execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naohisa Nagata, Ichiro Sasaki, Akinobu Nishikata, Satoru Yamamoto, Hiroshi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7706711
    Abstract: The invention provides a user with a first tab printing setting part for setting up an item concerning printing on a first tab sheet and a second tab printing setting part for setting up an item concerning printing on a second tab sheet; and setting up, when the value of an item is set up in one of the first tab printing setting part and the second tab printing setting part, a value of the corresponding item in the other one of the first and second tab printing setting parts in dependence upon the value of the item in the aforementioned one of the parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshimi Shinchi, Tamotsu Sakuraba, Michihiro Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20100098449
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a setting unit configured to set binding processing for binding a part of the document data including data of plurality of pages as a partial binding set for the document data, and a display control unit configured to display a setting verification image for verifying a status of setting of the binding processing by using a binding mark, which indicates that the binding processing is set, on a display apparatus in a display state in which the plurality of partial binding sets is discriminable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akihiko Tokuda
  • Patent number: 7697851
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing electronic documents is provided. A request, from a first user, to issue an alert to a second user that may have submitted a print request to the printing device is received at the printing device. The printing device may be attempting to process the print request submitted by the second user when the printing device receives the request from the first user. The first user may not know the identity of the second user. The printing device consults contact data that identifies how to contact the second user. The printing device thereafter issues the alert to the second user in accordance with the contact data. Upon receiving the alert, the second user is informed of the current condition of the printing device, e.g., the printing device may be experiencing a problem that prevents the second user's print request from being fully processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kurt Knodt, Soiba Mohammad, Yue Liu, Lifen Tian, Yao-Tian Wang, Yi Ding, Yuwen Wu
  • Publication number: 20100080590
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, a sheet feeder that feeds the sheet to the image forming unit, a detector that detects a width of the sheet, a setting unit that is operated by a user to input a width and a length of a nonstandard-size sheet, a determination unit that determines whether the width of the nonstandard-size sheet detected by the detector and the width of the nonstandard-size sheet inputted by the user to the setting unit differ from each other, when the image is printed on the nonstandard-size sheet and a controller that controls the image forming unit to form the image, based on the width of the sheet detected by the detector and the length of the sheet inputted by the user to the setting unit, when the determination unit determines that the detected width and the inputted width differ from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20100074633
    Abstract: An image forming system includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses and an information processing apparatus connected to a network. Each image forming apparatus includes a remaining-toner sensor for detecting remaining amounts of toner in cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) toner cartridges. The information processing apparatus includes (i) a storage device for storing various types of information obtained from the image forming apparatuses, including apparatus status information such as the remaining amounts of toner, and (ii) a display device for displaying icons representing the remaining amounts of C/M/Y/K toners in a line on a respective apparatus basis, and displaying the icons representing the remaining amounts of C/M/Y/K toners for all of the plurality of image forming apparatuses in lines on a respective color basis so that said lines are perpendicular to said line in which the icons representing the remaining amounts of toner are displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Kuwasaki
  • Patent number: 7684721
    Abstract: In an image forming device which acquires image information of a document and forms an image on a recording sheet, an image forming device body has a first reading unit and a processing unit, wherein the first reading unit acquires image information of a document and the processing unit forms an image on a recording sheet based on the image information. An image input device has a second reading unit which acquires image information of a document. The image input device is arranged in the image forming device body at a position lower than a position of the first reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tasuku Kohara, Takashi Inoue, Hiroshi Takeda, Kenichi Yamada, Taisuke Omi, Kazuo Koike
  • Publication number: 20100054789
    Abstract: An ejection tray includes a container that contains a plurality of stacked recording sheets printed by a printing unit of an image forming apparatus, a movable cover mounted on the container, and a sorting member that sorts out a desired recording sheet from the recording sheets stacked in the container. The desired recording sheet sorted out in the container is allowed to be taken out when the cover is opened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihito SAWAI, Yutaka HASEGAWA
  • Patent number: 7672601
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which uses a consumable item is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a consumed status detecting unit which detects a value of the consumed status of the consumable item, a determining unit which determines whether to output an exchange message of the consumable item by comparing the value of the consumed status of the consumable item detected by the consumed status detecting unit with a predetermined value, an exchange message output setting unit which sets presence or non-presence of an output of the exchange message, and a consumed status output setting unit which sets presence or non-presence of an output of the consumed status of the consumable item detected by the consumed status detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiya Inoue, Yasuyuki Igarashi, Takeshi Fujita, Yuka Saito, Toshio Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 7672600
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that includes: a movable unit that can move between a first position that is for when image formation is being performed and a second position that is retreated from the first position; a first display that is used when the movable unit is in the first position; and a second display that is used when the movable unit is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiko Kurokawa, Kuniaki Arai
  • Publication number: 20100046977
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus comprising a control section to display a job scheduling screen in a display section and a storage section to store tray-paper information relating to a paper of each of trays, and the control section specifies a tray or a paper to be used in each of the jobs and displays the reservation information for a length corresponding to the number of sheets of paper planed to be used in each of the jobs in the second axis at a position on the first axis corresponding to the tray or the paper which is specified and the control section determines whether a job having a stopping cause which stops at least a part of the image forming process is reserved or not, and the control section displays job information relating to the job having the stopping cause in the job scheduling screen when determining that the job having the stopping cause is reserved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoriko INENAGA, Shigeo Konuma
  • Patent number: 7667685
    Abstract: An operations panel is disclosed that comprises plural operations blocks attached to a main body of an electronic apparatus; a selection information output unit that outputs a selection information item indicating a selection item selected in the operations block; a display operations block that is removably attachable to the main body, including a display unit that shows display selection items used for selecting operational functions, a selection detecting unit that detects the selected display selection item, and a display control unit that causes the display unit to show the selection items corresponding to the operations blocks together with the display selection item when the display operations block is removed from the main body; and a selection information retrieving unit that retrieves, as the selection information item, a selection result detected by the selection detecting unit of the display operations block removed from the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Yamada, Kazuo Koike, Tasuku Kohara
  • Patent number: 7664555
    Abstract: An operation target identification system includes at least one terminal device connected to a network, having a first display, devices connected to the network, each of which has a second display, and an identical pattern setting unit provided on the network, which selects one of multiple preset display patterns and sets the selected display pattern to the first display of the terminal device and the second display of one of the devices designated as an operation target of the terminal device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sunao Kawai
  • Publication number: 20100034550
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including an image forming section to perform image formation based on a plurality of jobs, including: a control section to allow a display section to display switching information showing that a paper feeding tray to be used in performing the job is to be switched, the switching information displayed before the plurality of jobs are performed by the image forming section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki ARAI, Tomoo Kudo, Shigeo Konuma