Patents Assigned to PFU Limited
  • Patent number: 12689694
    Abstract: Provided is an information processing apparatus to improve usability when a user sets an imaging mode or an image processing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Yurika Takayama, Toshihiko Nagae, Hirotaka Furuya
  • Patent number: 12679679
    Abstract: A media feeding apparatus includes a media table on which a medium is placed; a pick roller disposed above the table to feed the medium on the table; a pressing member to apply a downward pressing force to the roller; and circuitry that controls the table to be raised to press the medium toward the roller when a leading end of the medium does not reach a predetermined position within a predetermined time from start of feeding the medium or when a moving speed of the medium during feeding is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed. The roller is moved from a first position to a second position higher than the first position when the table is raised. The pressing member does not apply the force to the roller at the first position and applies the force to the roller at the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Takumi Ito
  • Patent number: 12666135
    Abstract: An image management system includes an image capturing device, the image capturing device including first circuitry. The first circuitry acquires a captured image of a local site where the image capturing device is provided, the captured image being an image of surroundings around the image capturing device. The first circuitry receives a setting of a particular display mode in which the captured image is to be displayed. The first circuitry generates preview screen data representing a preview screen of a processed image obtained by performing predetermined processing on the captured image, based on the particular display mode and an image processing setting file for performing the predetermined processing on the captured image. The first circuitry transmits the preview screen data for display at a first terminal at another site where the captured image of the local site is shared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2026
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventor: Kohki Shinohara
  • Patent number: 12654970
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a plurality of feed rollers, each feed roller rotating independently at a respective speed to feed a medium, a first sensor located on a downstream side of the plurality of feed rollers in a medium conveying direction and also in a central part in a direction perpendicular to the medium conveying direction, to detect the medium, a second sensor and a third sensor located on both sides of the first sensor in the direction perpendicular to the medium conveying direction, to respectively detect the medium, and a processor to change the speed of one of the plurality of feed rollers at least until the first sensor detects the medium when any of the second sensor or the third sensor detects the medium and the first sensor does not detect the medium within a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Takayuki Umi, Shigerharu Okano
  • Patent number: 12649640
    Abstract: Provided are a medium ejection apparatus, a control method, and a control program to enable precise determination of whether abnormal ejection of a medium has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiichiro Shimosaka, Syuichi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 12623880
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes an apparatus body in which a conveying path is formed, a media tray supported by the apparatus body, an ejection tray supported by the apparatus body, a conveyor to convey a medium placed on the media tray along the conveying path and place the medium on the ejection tray, a first mechanism including a gear, and a second mechanism including a gear. The first mechanism swings the ejection tray from a deployed position where the ejection tray is deployed to a stored position where the ejection tray is stored in the apparatus body, and stops swinging of the ejection tray at a midway position between the deployed position and the stored position. The second mechanism retracts the ejection tray when the swinging of the ejection tray is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Norifumi Tonami, Sota Matsuura
  • Patent number: 12626537
    Abstract: In an authentication apparatus, a camera captures an image including a face image that is an image of a face of an imaging target person, a touch screen displays the face image, a display control unit causes the touch screen to display a guide frame for guiding the imaging target person to an imaging position of the face based on a display position of the face image in the touch screen, and a personal authentication unit performs personal authentication using the face image when the face image is located within the guide frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kengo Shioda, Satoshi Usho, Mitsuhiro Katsuizumi, Yuka Awazu
  • Patent number: 12612275
    Abstract: A medium conveyance apparatus includes a drive signal output circuit to output a drive signal at a predetermined timing, a first sound wave emitter to output a sound wave based on the drive signal outputted at the predetermined timing, a first sound wave receiver to output a first sound wave signal corresponding to the received sound wave, a second sound wave emitter to output a sound wave based on the drive signal outputted at the predetermined timing, a second sound wave receiver to output a second sound wave signal corresponding to the received sound wave, a processor to determine a state of the medium based on the first sound wave signal and the second sound wave signal, and an output circuit to output the first sound wave signal and the second sound wave signal to the processor at timings different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Masaaki Sakai
  • Patent number: 12600587
    Abstract: A medium feed apparatus includes a stacking tray, a pick roller located at an upstream side from a feed roller and separation roller in the medium conveyance direction, a first sensor located at an upstream side from the pick roller in the medium conveyance direction, a second sensor located at a downstream side from the feed roller and the separation roller in the medium conveyance direction, and a processor to rotate the pick roller and the feed roller in a medium feed direction to feed a plurality of sheets of the medium stacked on the stacking. The processor stops the pick roller when the second sensor detects a front end of a preceding sheet of the medium and rotates the pick roller again to advance a succeeding sheet of the medium when the first sensor detects a back end of the preceding sheet of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Niwata, Shota Otsuka
  • Patent number: 12600592
    Abstract: A medium ejection apparatus includes a housing, an ejection roller, and an ejection tray attached to the housing to be able to rotate and having a first surface and a second surface, formed at a back side of the first surface, to stack the medium ejected by the ejection roller. The first surface and the second surface are formed by a single member. The first surface is formed with a first recessed part extending in a medium ejection direction and a first beam part extending in the medium ejection direction and sticking out from the first recessed part. The second surface is formed with a second recessed part extending in the medium ejection direction due to the first beam part and is formed with a second beam part extending in the medium ejection direction and sticking out from the second recessed part due to the first recessed part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shiraiwa, Yuki Takato
  • Patent number: 12595144
    Abstract: A media feeding apparatus includes a feed roller, a separation roller, a torque limiter, a unit, a pressing portion, and a reaction-force generator. The feed roller feeds a medium. The separation roller faces the feed roller and is located on a rotation shaft to which power is not transmitted. The torque limiter is located on the rotation shaft. The separation roller is driven by the feed roller when a torque greater than a predetermined torque is applied to the torque limiter. The unit supports the rotation shaft. The pressing portion applies a pressing force to the unit to swing the unit in a direction in which the separation roller is pressed against the feed roller. The reaction-force generator generates a reaction force to swing the unit in a direction in which the separation roller moves away from the feed roller as the separation roller rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuhito Seki, Tomoyuki Niwata
  • Patent number: 12598262
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a conveyance roller to convey a medium, a DC motor to drive the conveyance roller, a processor to rotate the DC motor, an encoder to output a first pulse signal whose cycle varies according to a rotation speed of the DC motor, and an imaging device to acquire an image acquired by imaging a conveyed medium in response to a pulse of a second pulse signal whose cycle is constant. The processor detects a number of pulses of the second pulse signal included in a predetermined cycle of the first pulse signal, and discards images acquired by the imaging device in the same number of pulses as difference between the detected number of pulses and a reference number, in a next cycle of the predetermined cycle of the first pulse signal, when the detected number of pulses exceeds the reference number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Yuta Arai
  • Patent number: 12589959
    Abstract: Provided is a medium conveying apparatus which is prevented from being used with a roller cover open. A medium conveying apparatus includes a housing, a loading tray provided to be attachable and detachable relative to the housing and be movable between a fixed position where the loading tray is fixed to the housing to place a medium and an inclined position inclined relative to the fixed position for mounting the loading tray to the housing, a roller to separate the medium, and a cover provided to be openable and closable relative to the housing and be swingable between a closed position where the cover covers the roller and forms part of a guide surface of a medium and an open position for attaching and detaching the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiichiro Shimosaka, Syuichi Morikawa
  • Patent number: 12585348
    Abstract: An input device includes a first touchpad, a second touchpad, and circuitry. The circuitry outputs a first code assigned to a single operation on the first touchpad when the single operation is performed on the first touchpad, and a second code assigned to a combined operation when the combined operation is performed. The combined operation is a combination of operations on both the first touchpad and the second touchpad. When the single operation is performed on the second touchpad while the circuitry is outputting the first code, the circuitry continues to output the first code without outputting the second code, or when the operation on the second touchpad ends and the operation on the first touchpad continues while the circuitry is outputting the second code, the circuitry continues to output the second code without outputting the first code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuya Ooki, Tadashi Niwano
  • Patent number: 12565395
    Abstract: A media conveying apparatus includes a media table on which media are to be placed, a conveyor, an ejector, an ejection table, and circuitry. The conveyor conveys the media placed on the media table. The ejector ejects the media conveyed by the conveyor. The ejection table is movable and disposed above the media table to stack the media ejected by the ejector. The circuitry controls the ejection table to be lowered based on an amount of media stacked on the ejection table while the media on the media table are sequentially conveyed. The circuitry controls the ejection table to be raised in response to completion of conveyance of all the media on the media table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Yuki Takato
  • Patent number: 12552626
    Abstract: A media conveying apparatus includes a feed roller, a first conveyance roller, a second conveyance roller, a motor, and a sensor. The circuitry determines whether a trailing end of each medium of media has passed the second conveyance roller and executes alignment of a leading end of the each medium at a position of the first conveyance roller. The circuitry stops the first conveyance roller or rotates the first conveyance roller in a reverse direction and controls the feed roller to align a leading end of a first medium among the media in a case where the circuitry determines that a trailing end of a second medium among the media preceding the first medium has passed the second conveyance roller when the sensor detects the leading end of the first medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Syuichi Morikawa, Kiichiro Shimosaka
  • Patent number: 12545533
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a first optical sensor located on an upper part of the housing and in a central part of the housing in a direction perpendicular to a medium conveying direction, a second optical sensor located on an upper part of the housing and on a side of the first optical sensor in the direction perpendicular to the medium conveying direction, and a processor to detect a folding of a medium based on the first signal or the second signal, and stop feeding of the medium by the feed roller in accordance with a detection result of the folding of the medium. The first light emitter emits first light toward a downstream side of the medium in the medium conveying direction, and the second light emitter emits second light toward an upstream side of the medium in the medium conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiichiro Shimosaka, Masato Shimura
  • Patent number: 12540048
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a pick roller, a first lift sensor located on one side of the pick roller, a second lift sensor located on another side of the pick roller, a first detection sensor located on a same side as the first lift sensor, a second detection sensor located on a same side as the second lift sensor, and a processor to determine whether the medium is a predetermined medium, based on a detection result of a lift of the medium by the first or second lift sensor and to execute abnormality control when the medium is determined to be the predetermined medium, wherein the processor makes it difficult for the medium to be determined as a predetermined medium when it is detected that the first detection sensor side of the medium precedes the second detection sensor side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Takumi Ito
  • Patent number: 12534315
    Abstract: A medium conveyance apparatus includes a housing having a frame, a placing table provided on the housing to be openable and closeable and configured to place a medium when the placing table is in an opened state, a to-be-engaged portion provided on the frame, an engagement part provided on at least one side of the placing table to face the to-be-engaged portion when the placing table is in a closed state, a to-be-contacted portion provided on the frame, and a contact portion provided on the placing table. In the medium conveyance apparatus, when the placing table is in the closed state, the engagement part engages with the to-be-engaged portion and maintains the closed state of the placing table. In the medium conveyance apparatus, when the placing table is in the closed state, the contact portion contacts the to-be-contacted portion and restricts movement of the placing table and thereby restricting separation of the engagement part from the to-be-engaged portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Hideyuki Okumura
  • Patent number: D1129439
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Motoshi Shibuya, Satoshi Kuroda, Koichi Nakamura, Hirotoshi Kakuda, Hiroaki Watanabe, Takanori Kawasaki