Patents Assigned to Minolta Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 7693957
    Abstract: A file storage system that allows the user to easily designate a desired location to store a file is configured as follows. In response to a tree structure request mail from a client, a server creates a tree structure for a folder that can be accessed by the user, and describes it in a mail for reply. The user receives the mail with the description of the tree structure, designates a storage location in the form of a reply thereto, and sends a mail with an attached file to be stored to the server. Upon receiving this mail, the server stores the attached file in the designated storage location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Matsusaka
  • Patent number: 7682138
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a micro fluid transferring system that comprises a micropump having a chamber, a first fluid transferring portion connected to the chamber, and a second fluid transferring portion connected to the chamber. This system is characterized in that at least one of the first and second fluid transferring portions comprises a pressure absorbing section for absorbing or alleviating a liquid vibrational pressure therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kusunoki Higashino, Yasuhisa Fujii, Shunichi Hayamizu, Yasuhiro Sando
  • Patent number: 7685249
    Abstract: The cellular phone 1a sends a printing request to the PC 2 using a protocol that is allowed to connect bi-directionally between an internal network and an external network at the firewalls 5a and 5b, the PC 2 uploads a printing job to the file server 4 using a protocol that is allowed to connect only from an internal network to an external network at the firewall 5a, and the printer 3a downloads the printing job to print from the file server 4 using a protocol that is allowed to connect only from an internal network to an external network at the firewall 5b. The present invention enables one to form images of files stored on an image forming data transmission device on a first intranet on an image forming device on a second intranet using a portable terminal and a file server on an external network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakatsu Kiwada, Makoto Sakka
  • Patent number: 7685532
    Abstract: A method for displaying a plurality of key icons on a display includes displaying a first screen on the display, the first screen having at least one first key icon and a plurality of second key icons, wherein the first key icon corresponds to a first input instruction while each of the second key icons respectively corresponds to a respective one of a set of second input instructions; and displaying a second screen on the display, the second screen having at least one third key icon and a pull down menu, wherein the third key icon is bigger than the first key icon but corresponds to the first input instruction, and the pull down menu corresponds to the set of second input instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Yoshimi, Kenji Ogasawara
  • Publication number: 20100070967
    Abstract: In accordance with a network administration program that is stored on a prescribed device on a network and is run in order to manage the various devices connected to the network, it is determined whether or not a new device has been connected to a prescribed administered zone of the network, and if it is determined that a new device has been connected to the network, it is determined whether or not an update file for the network administration program exists in the storage area of the new device, and if it is determined that an update file exists, the update file is read from the new device to the device on which the network administration program is stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayuki Doui
  • Patent number: 7679666
    Abstract: In a solid-state image-sensing device, after completion of image sensing by individual pixels, in each pixel, a signal ?VRB fed to a capacitor C1 connected to the gate of a first MOS transistor T1 is turned to a high level to make it easy for a negative electric charge to flow into the MOS transistor T1. This permits quick recombination of the positive electric charges accumulated at the drain and gate of the MOS transistor T1, at the gate of a MOS transistor T2, at the anode of a photodiode, and in a capacitor C2, and thereby makes quick resetting possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Hagihara, Kenji Takada
  • Patent number: 7679771
    Abstract: A printer (100) for printing based on a print job signal sent from a data processing device (200) registers print job signal sending sources and a message corresponding to each sending source in memory (111, 112). A controller (113) detects whether the sending source of a received print job signal is registered in memory. If the sending source is registered, a messaging unit (110, 111) outputs a corresponding message. Sending sources that are permitted to print can also be registered in memory (111, 112). In this case, the controller (113) detects whether the sending source of a received print job signal is registered in memory, and instructs the printer (110) to print only when the sending source is registered as permitted to print.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Ito
  • Patent number: 7679593
    Abstract: A display device which has a liquid crystal display which has a plurality liquid crystal pixels arranged in a matrix and which writes an image thereon after resetting the liquid crystal. The method of writing on the liquid crystal display can be selected from driving methods according to interlace scanning in which a frame is divided into a plurality of fields and writing by interlace scanning is performed and driving methods according to sequential scanning in which scanning lines are subjected to writing serially. When high-speed writing is required, for example, when display of a motion picture, display of inputted letters or scroll display is desired, one of the driving methods according to interlace scanning is selected. In interlace scanning, based on the end of a blackout state of a scanning line in a field, selection of a scanning line in the next field for writing is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Nakai, Katsuhiko Asai, Koichi Kohriyama, Keizou Ochi, Takashi Kondo, Hideo Hotomi, Kazuaki Okumura
  • Patent number: 7672008
    Abstract: An image processing device including a detector for detecting a characteristic feature formed from image data and a separator for separating halftone dot graphic regions and halftone dot photographic regions from the image data based on the characteristic feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsutomu Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20100049828
    Abstract: A data sending apparatus, on sending data to a receiving apparatus, searches its storage for a transmission method to the receiving apparatus. After sending data to the receiving apparatus, the sending apparatus receives from the receiving apparatus a transmission result including a transmission condition and capabilities of the receiving apparatus. When an error occurs during the data transmission, the sending apparatus reads the communication and processing capabilities of the receiving apparatus from the transmission result, and resends the data by a transmission method in accordance with the receiving apparatus. It then acquires the transmission result and stores the same in the storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: MINOLTA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomonari YOSHIMURA, Kazuo Inui, Hiroyuki Ideyama
  • Patent number: 7656566
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for outputting an image by a printer or a display is provided, in which color reproducibility in the image output of plural pages becomes uniform. The apparatus comprises an image memory for memorizing image data of all pages of one output job that is given to an output device, decision portion for deciding whether the image data of all pages are data within a color reproduction range of the output device or not. A color compression process is performed for the image data of all pages uniformly only when it is decided that the image data of all pages are not data within the color reproduction range of the output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuaki Tajima, Takayuki Nabeshima, Junji Nishigaki, Toshio Tsuboi, Daisetsu Tohyama
  • Patent number: 7653717
    Abstract: When a trouble has occurred in any one or more of copying machines, a data terminal (i.e. an equipment management apparatus) transmits to the computer of the management center the trouble data and the management data about the copying machines in which no trouble has occurred. Therefore, the management data about a plurality of copying machines can be efficiently transmitted to the computer of the management center. The copying machine of which management data is to be transmitted together with the trouble data is determined in accordance with the count number remaining until the time for the next regular maintenance comes. As a result, the management data about the copying machine which is scheduled to have regular maintenance in a near future can be transmitted to the computer of the management center prior to other data. The management center can know which copying machine is scheduled to have maintenance in a near future. As a result, a service engineer can be efficiently dispatched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Tomita
  • Patent number: 7649646
    Abstract: A process cartridge having a nonvolatile memory for storing prescribed information corresponding to addresses is detachably attached to a main body of an image forming device. The nonvolatile memory includes a first address at which data including a shipment destination used by a control system of the main body of the image forming device is stored, a second address where data including process control information to further control the control system of the main body is stored, a first unused address at which data including a destination code is stored and which is used by the control system of the main body of the image forming device is not defined, and a second unused address at which no data is stored and of which use by the control system of the main body of the image forming device is not defined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Okunishi, Yoshihiko Yoshizaki, Hideki Hino, Kentaro Nagatani, Yoshiaki Takano, Daisetsu Tohyama
  • Patent number: 7647377
    Abstract: A data transmission device, method and program capable of increasing work efficiency in data transmission during multi-destination delivery by unifying transmission method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Yamade
  • Patent number: 7643163
    Abstract: A data processing apparatus includes one or a plurality of input portions, one or a plurality of output portions, a plurality of compressing/expanding devices which compress data-to-be-outputted included in a job inputted from any one of an input portions and expand the compressed data-to-be-outputted, and a job discrimination portion which discriminates whether the job inputted from any one of the input portions is not required to be outputted without delay. Depending on a discrimination result of the job discrimination portion, a controller controls operation assignment of a plurality of compressing/expanding devices and activates assigned compressing/expanding devices for the job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Sakiyama, Nobuo Kamei, Masaya Hashimoto, Takeshi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 7640554
    Abstract: One of the printer drivers is selected from multiple printer drivers stored in a recording medium by referring to regional information set in the computer in advance and in accordance with the referred regional information. The selected printer driver is to be installed in the computer. It is also possible to select setup information that includes a screen display language, a default printing paper size, and a measurement unit system, instead of selecting a printer driver itself, and have the setup information to be installed in the computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Yamade
  • Patent number: 7634576
    Abstract: A data sending apparatus, on sending data to a receiving apparatus, searches its storage for a transmission method to the receiving apparatus. After sending data to the receiving apparatus, the sending apparatus receives from the receiving apparatus a transmission result including a transmission condition and capabilities of the receiving apparatus. When an error occurs during the data transmission, the sending apparatus reads the communication and processing capabilities of the receiving apparatus from the transmission result, and resends the data by a transmission method in accordance with the receiving apparatus. It then acquires the transmission result and stores the same in the storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomonari Yoshimura, Kazuo Inui, Hiroyuki Ideyama
  • Patent number: 7626743
    Abstract: An improved image processing technology capable of obtaining a synthesized image file having high reproducibility without causing missing image parts due to partial or complete overlap among extracted areas when a document image file is created via synthesis of character, graphic and photograph areas that have been extracted from image data obtained via reading of an original document and that have been subjected to image processing. According to this image processing technology, circumscribed rectangular areas for each effective image area of image data is extracted while complementing pixels other than pixels comprising the effective image area using prescribed complementary pixels, and the complementary pixels for the extracted areas are rendered transparent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Ozawa
  • Patent number: 7619759
    Abstract: When it is detected that an external device has been connected, the printing unit is controlled so as to form an image according to image data that has been received from the external device. As a result, image forming can be started earlier compared with the case in which image forming is prepared after the image data is transmitted. Accordingly, the user waits a shorter period of time and the usability is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Mishima, Kazuhiro Ishiguro, Toshiya Shirasawa
  • Patent number: 7609299
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensing apparatus in which a first signal converted linearly to the intensity of incident light, and a second signal converted logarithmically to the intensity of light, can be processed by a common circuit after undergoing a predetermined signal processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Nakamura