Patents Assigned to Konica Minolta Business Technology, Inc.
  • Patent number: 9001358
    Abstract: A tandem-type image forming system comprises: a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected in series, the image forming apparatuses which respectively perform image formation on sides of a sheet, thereby performing a job, the image forming apparatuses including: a first image forming apparatus; and a second image forming apparatus provided upper than the first image forming apparatus in a sheet conveying direction, wherein the first image forming apparatus includes: a controlling section which controls transmission of image data generated based on printing data of the job received by the first image forming apparatus to the second image forming apparatus, and the second image forming apparatus includes: a controlling section which controls feeding of a sheet on which the image formation is performed based on the image data received from the first image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Kamata
  • Patent number: 9002220
    Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an unfixed toner image on a recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through a fixing nip and applying heat and pressure to the recording sheet, the fixing device comprising: a heater including a resistance heater part and a supporting member, the resistance heater part having a positive resistance-temperature characteristic in a temperature range above a predetermined level, and the supporting member being insulative and supporting the resistance heater part such that the resistance heater part applies heat to the recording sheet; a current detector detecting a current supplied to the resistance heater part; and an abnormality determiner determining whether the resistance heater part has an abnormality, based on an initial current detected by the current detector at a predetermined time after a beginning of power supply to the resistance heater part and before the temperature of the resistance heater part reaches the predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Ishihara, Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, Kosuke Sasaki, Isao Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8994993
    Abstract: A management system for managing a management target device includes: a position detection unit configured to detect a position of a user of the management target device; a management server configured to manage Air Tag information relating to the user; and a mobile terminal. The management server includes: a positional information acquisition unit configured to acquire positional information for the position of the user based on a result of the detection by the position detection unit; a generation unit configured to generate the Air Tag information including device-relating information and the positional information of the user; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the Air Tag information to the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal displays an Air Tag image visualizing the device-relating information of the user by superposing the Air Tag image over a portion representing the user within a shot image of scenery around the mobile terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nishiguchi
  • Patent number: 8994674
    Abstract: Disclosed is an information viewing apparatus, which makes it possible for the user to conduct operations for inputting information and establishing various kinds of functions only by conducting consecutive simplified operations from a multi-touchable touch panel. The apparatus includes a display section provided with a multi-touchable touch panel having first and second touch panels, and a control section that controls the display section. In a state that the display section is displaying a document, when detecting a predetermined dragging action, the control section makes the display section displays an inputting screen, which allows the user to conduct an inputting operation from the second touch panel, during a time when a touching status is maintained in such a manner that the inputting screen overlaps the document. When the touching status is released, the control section controls the display section so as to make the inputting screen evacuate from the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Eguchi, Tetsuhiro Shibata, Tsutomu Suka, Keiichiro Hyodo, Masayuki Inoue
  • Patent number: 8996849
    Abstract: An information processing device, comprises: a connection unit connected to a predetermined storage part storing therein startup mode determination information in which a startup mode corresponds to a specified hardware configuration and/or software configuration is configured and the plurality types of suspend data, each of which corresponds to the respective startup mode; a startup mode determination part for reading the startup mode determination information and determining the startup mode when being powered on; a suspend data obtaining part for selecting the suspend data corresponds to the startup mode determined by the startup mode determination part and obtaining the selected suspend data in the storage part; a starting up part for performing a startup process using the suspend data obtained by the suspend data obtaining part; and a startup mode updating part for updating the startup mode configured in the startup mode determination information after completion of the startup process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Masatomo Matsubara
  • Patent number: 8993208
    Abstract: A foil transferring method employing an electrophotography is disclosed, in which a toner used for forming a foil transferring layer contains at least a vinyl based resin and a polyester based resin as a binder resin and an amount of the vinyl based resin is 50 to 95% by weight based on the total amount of the binder resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Asao Matsushima, Tatsuya Nagase, Yasuko Uchino, Aya Shirai, Ryuichi Hiramoto, Michiyo Fujita
  • Patent number: 8994982
    Abstract: The image forming device includes an image data input unit that receives image data of a document; a set password acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a password from the image data received by the image data input unit; an input password receiving unit that starts reception of input of the password before the reception of the image data of all pages of the document is completed by the image data input unit; a password verification unit that performs verification between an input password and a set password; and a job execution unit that cancels execution limit of a job based on a verification result and executes the job, wherein, when the password is set in arbitrary one page of the document, the image data input unit sequentially completes the reception of the image data of the next page of the arbitrary one page of the document, before the input of the password corresponding to the password set in the arbitrary one page is completed by the input password receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kei Shigehisa, Takeshi Morikawa, Nobuo Kamei, Takeshi Minami
  • Patent number: 8994980
    Abstract: A management apparatus receives an allocation request from a printer in accordance with a designation of a user, and reads a page count upper limit and an already-allocated page count for the user. The management apparatus calculates an allocable page count by subtracting an already-allocated page count from the page count upper limit, and if the allocable page count is greater than 0, calculates a page count allocation that is based on the printing speed of the printer and is lower the lower the allocable page count is. The printing management apparatus prints the obtained allocable page count to the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Atsushi Kondo
  • Patent number: 8994962
    Abstract: An image forming system includes a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus coupled in tandem to the first image forming apparatus which are assigned differently to print images on respective different regions on a recording sheet. The first image forming apparatus includes two compressing and expanding sections and is configured to receive both image data to be printed by the first image forming apparatus and image data to be printed by the second image forming apparatus. When performing any one process of a compressing process and an expanding process for the image data to be printed by the first image forming apparatus and a compressing process for the image data to be printed by the second image forming apparatus, a compressing and expanding section being used for no process is selected from the two compressing and expanding sections, and assigned to perform the any one process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Mikimasa Honma
  • Patent number: 8995848
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including: an image forming unit to form an image on paper fed from the selected feed tray; a density sensor to measure a density of the image formed on the paper; and a control unit to control execution of an output paper density adjustment in accordance with a result obtained by forming a test image on the paper by using the image forming unit and by measuring the density of the test image formed on the paper by using the density sensor, wherein the control unit executes the output paper density adjustment by changing the feed tray for feeding the paper, from the feed tray designated in a print job to the substitute feed tray at a predetermined timing while the print job is executed, regardless of the paper setting information related to the substitute feed tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ken Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8994649
    Abstract: A data manipulation transmission apparatus including: an object acquisition section for acquiring a display object, generated on display screen 1 of an information input device based on input to the device, from the device manipulated by an individual; a distance information acquisition section for acquiring distance information from display screen 2 of a common display apparatus to a person viewing display screen 2 when viewed by plural people; a display ratio determining section for determining a ratio of a display size of an arbitrary display object on display screen 2, to a display size of the arbitrary display object on display screen 1, according to the distance information; and a display data transmission section for generating data to display a display object, acquired by the object acquisition section, on display screen 2, at a ratio determined via the display ratio determining section, and transmitting the data to the common display apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Takamura, Moeko Hagiwara, Toshihiro Motoi, Yoichi Kawabuchi, Yasuhiko Yamaguchi, Kenta Hosaka
  • Patent number: 8988732
    Abstract: In the image processing apparatus, image data is divided into large blocks of a prescribed size and the large blocks are subdivided into small blocks by the dividing unit. The number of isolated points in each large block is then calculated by the large block isolated point calculation unit, and the number of isolated points in each small block is then calculated by the small block isolated point calculation units. It is then determined by the halftone-dot region determination unit whether or not the large block is a halftone-dot region. This determination considers both the number of isolated points in the large block and the number of isolated points in each small block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Yamaguchi, Yoshihiko Hirota
  • Patent number: 8982012
    Abstract: Disclosed is a management apparatus, which makes it possible to use an information viewing apparatus without considering the residual amount of the battery, provided therein. The apparatus includes: a plurality of slots to support a plurality of information viewing apparatuses, each of which is activated by an electric power fed from a battery provided therein and is to be inserted into each of the slots in a detachable manner; and a controlling section to control the plurality of information viewing apparatuses, respectively inserted into the slots. When a predetermined information viewing apparatus is inserted into one of the plurality of slots, the controlling section moves data stored in the predetermined information viewing apparatus to another information viewing apparatus, which is currently inserted into another one of the plurality of slots, depending on a residual amount of the battery provided in the predetermined information viewing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Takamura, Tetsuhiro Shibata, Tatsuya Eguchi, Tsutomu Suka, Keiichiro Hyodo, Masayuki Inoue
  • Patent number: 8982370
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit which forms an image based on a JOB; a display operation unit which enables a display and an operation for the JOB; and a control unit which manages the JOB and controls the image forming unit and the display operation unit, wherein the control unit arranges a predetermined number of JOBs on one screen according to a reservation order to be output in the display operation unit, displays a list switched of a page or scrolled by an instructing operation of a user, updates the display of the displayed list, selects the JOB in the displayed list by the instructing operation of the user, executes the instructing operation for the selected JOB, and maintains at least the selected JOB displayed on the screen to be displayed on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Shigeo Konuma
  • Patent number: 8982382
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image formation apparatus that discards a job on elapse of an auto clear time. In the case a job is interrupted due to an insufficient balance to pay the fee for the job, the image formation apparatus judges whether the cause of the interruption can be eliminated in a short time or it takes a long time to be eliminated. If the cause takes a long time to be eliminated, the image formation apparatus extends the auto clear time to prevent the job from being discarded for the reason that the user does not have enough time to pay an additional fee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Koichi Amiya, Kentaro Nagatani, Tomoko Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8982372
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image processing section to process gradation characteristic of the image data based on a tone curve, an image forming section to form an image based on the image data processed by the image processing section; and a control section to control processing in the image processing section. The control section has a function to adjust characteristic of output density relative to input density of image data as the gradation characteristic as a tone curve via a setting screen, saves operational situations at the time of adjustment of the tone curve on the setting screen as a history, and, when the history is designated, reproduces a state at the time of the past adjustment for the tone curve on the setting screen by using the saved operational situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoriko Noda
  • Patent number: 8984410
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprising: a display; an embedded web browser that displays hypertext-coded information on the display; a data input and output module that inputs and outputs hypertext-coded data and can be accessed from the embedded web browser and another web browser of an external machine; a judgment portion that judges which the data input and output module is accessed from, the embedded web browser or the web browser of the external machine; a data generator that generates different display data depending on the judgment made by the judgment portion; and a transmitter that transmits the display data generated by the data generator, to the embedded web browser or the web browser of the external machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Takahiro Kano
  • Patent number: 8983332
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an outline surrounded by a casing. The casing has an opening. The image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit configured to fix an image formed on a recording medium, and a control unit. The fixing unit includes a heating fixing member. The control unit is configured to control an opening degree of the opening based on temperature of a surface of or in the vicinity of the heating fixing member, so as to prevent emission of a substance by an air current to outside of the casing through the opening, during an image forming operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Horie, Hideaki Hayashi, Masashi Saito, Hideki Hadano, Osamu Morita, Satoru Yoneda
  • Publication number: 20150070722
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which can prohibit any users but a user who has made a deposit from operating the image forming apparatus for a chargeable process. A communication controller of the image forming apparatus obtains pieces of proper information of cell-phones. An ID management section issues IDs for the respective pieces of proper information, and the communication controller sends the IDs to the corresponding cell-phones. At an input section, a user of one of the cell-phones inputs the ID sent thereto. Thereafter, the communication controller receives an access from a cell-phone and receives proper information of the cell-phone. In this moment, it is judged whether the cell-phone which has made an access is identical with the cell-phone of which ID was inputted at the input section. Only when the communication controller identifies the cell-phone, the communication controller permits the image forming apparatus to communicate with the cell-phone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuo MATOBA
  • Patent number: 8974996
    Abstract: A liquid developer used for wet-type image forming apparatuses includes toner particles and an insulating liquid, the toner particles include a resin, a pigment, and a pigment dispersant, the pigment includes a pigment having an acid group, and the pigment dispersant is a basic polymer dispersant including units derived from ?-caprolactone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Naoki Yoshie, Kenji Hayashi, Chiaki Yamada, Keiko Momotani, Masahiro Anno, Yuya Kubo, Miyuki Hotta