Patents Assigned to PFU Limited
  • Patent number: 11632476
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a first communication device provided communicatively with a first information processing apparatus, a second communication device provided communicatively with a second information processing apparatus, and a processor to receive a setting for a transmission destination of an input image, prohibit transmission of the input image via a communication device different from a communication device provided communicatively with the transmission destination, and determine whether the communication device provided communicatively with the transmission destination is in a state physically communicable with a network or an information processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Katsunori Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11623831
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a moving mechanism to move the set guide, a guide pair including a first guide having a first opening and a second opening, and a second guide to regulate a vertical direction of the medium conveyance path, a light emitting element and a light receiving element located on an outside of the medium conveyance path with the first guide in between, and on the downstream side of the first opening and the second opening so as to be apart from the moving mechanism by a predetermined distance or more in the medium conveying direction, a first light guide which is bent so as to guide a light emitted from the light emitting element to the first opening, and a second light guide which is bent so as to guide the light incident from the second opening to the light receiving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Itsuki Oishi, Hirotoshi Kakuda
  • Patent number: 11620736
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a storage device to store a shading pattern in which a condition of gradation values of a target pixel and a plurality of pixels having a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the target pixel are set, a processor to acquire an multiple value image, generate a binary image from the multiple value image, detect a pixel satisfying the condition set in the shading pattern from the multiple value image as a part of a shading, a generate a shading removal pattern for removing the detected shading, based on the multiple value image, generate a shading removal image by applying the shading removal pattern to the binary image, and an output device to output the shading removal image or information generated using the shading removal image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroki Tanizaki, Kiyoto Kosaka
  • Publication number: 20230034250
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor to image an object in accordance with an imaging setting made in advance to acquire a captured image, execute editing of the captured image according to a user instruction, and specify an imaging setting item that allows a captured image to be obtained for which at least a part of the executed editing is unnecessary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Applicant: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Eisuke Tomono, Hiroaki Kawanobe, Tomohisa Maeda
  • Patent number: 11565902
    Abstract: A medium reversing and discharging device includes a discharger that discharges a medium in a paper discharge direction from a discharge outlet, a holder that holds and reverses the medium, and a driver that moves the holder such that when a first plane along a portion of the medium in contact with the discharge outlet does not intersect with a second plane along a portion of the medium held by the holder on a downstream side in the paper discharge direction of the discharge outlet a moving speed at which the holder moves is lower than a discharge speed at which the medium is discharged from the discharge outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoshito Hirai, Ryoichi Yasukawa
  • Patent number: 11560280
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a floating sensor located on an upstream side of a first roller in the medium conveying direction to detect a floating of the medium placed on a medium tray, a skew sensor located on a downstream side of a second roller in the medium conveying direction to detect a skew of the medium conveyed by the second roller, and a processor to determine whether the floating of the medium has occurred based on an output signal from the floating sensor, determine whether the skew of the medium has occurred based on an output signal from the skew sensor, and determine that a conveyance abnormality of the medium has occurred when the processor determines that the floating of the medium has occurred and the processor determines that the skew of the medium has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Ken Funaki, Tomoyuki Niwata, Hiroyuki Kitano
  • Patent number: 11511957
    Abstract: A medium conveyance device includes a first separator that separates a first medium from a plurality of mediums, a processor that processes the first medium and sends the processed first medium as a second medium, a second separator that when a non-separation mode is set, conveys the second medium to a next processor, and when a separation mode is set, conveys a third medium, which is separated from the second medium, to the next processor, and a controller that switches between the non-separation mode and the separation mode based on information obtained as a result of processing the first medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoshito Hirai, Naoto Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11507010
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a plurality of feed rollers spaced in a direction perpendicular to a medium conveying direction, each of the feed rollers rotating independently at a respective speed to feed a medium, a plurality of brake rollers, each of the plurality of brake rollers being located to face a corresponding one of the plurality of feed rollers, a plurality of torque limiters separately provided between one of rotation shafts of the plurality of brake rollers and a corresponding one of the plurality of brake rollers, and a processor to detect a skew of the medium, and correct the skew of the medium by changing the speed of one of the plurality of feed rollers when the skew of the medium is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Takayuki Umi, Shigeharu Okano
  • Patent number: 11496639
    Abstract: The image reading apparatus includes a separation roller, an imaging device to generate an input image, a conveyance roller to convey the medium separated by the separation roller to the imaging device, a first medium sensor located between the separation roller and the conveyance roller, a second medium sensor located between the conveyance roller and the imaging device, a processor to start imaging by the imaging device in response to detection of the medium by the first medium sensor and generate a cutout image from the input image in response to detection of the medium by the second medium sensor, and an output device to output the cutout image. The processor generates the cutout image based on a position imaged by a predetermined amount before a position imaged at a timing when the second medium sensor detects the medium, in the input image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomohiro Murakami, Hiroyuki Kitano
  • Patent number: 11472649
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a medium tray, a feed roller to feed a medium placed on the medium tray, a brake roller facing the feed roller, a pressing member to press the brake roller to the feed roller side, a processor to detect media multi-feed, and control the feed roller and the brake roller in such a way that the medium is reset to the medium tray when the media multi-feed of media is detected. The processor controls the pressing member in such a way that a pressing force of the brake roller when resetting the medium to the medium tray is greater than a pressing force of the brake roller when feeding the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Takayuki Umi, Shigeharu Okano
  • Patent number: 11472650
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a medium tray, a feed roller, an upper guide, a movement sensor including an arm movably provided by the fed medium on the upper guide and on an upstream side of the feed roller, to generate a movement amount signal corresponding to a movement amount of the arm, a medium sensor to detect a presence of the medium at a predetermined position of the medium tray, a processor to determine whether a feeding abnormality of the medium has occurred based on the movement amount signal, detect a size of the medium placed on the medium tray based on a detection result by the medium sensor, and stop feeding of the medium by the feed roller when the processor determines that the feeding abnormality of the media has occurred and the detected size of the media is equal to or less than a predetermined size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Niwata, Ken Funaki, Hiroyuki Kitano
  • Publication number: 20220311891
    Abstract: An information processing device executes: acquiring a scanned image of a document and a protective sheet that protects the document, the scanned image being obtained by imaging the document and the protective sheet while being conveyed at the same time; acquiring a first length that is a conveying direction length of a predetermined portion of the protective sheet; acquiring a second length that is a conveying direction length of the predetermined portion in the scanned image; and estimating a ratio between a document length, which is a conveying direction length of the document, and a document image length, which is a conveying direction length of the document in the scanned image, based on the first length and the second length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Takeshi Yokogawa, Hiroyasu Goto
  • Patent number: 11407241
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a driving force transmitting mechanism to transmit a driving force from a first motor to a brake roller and a pair of conveyance rollers located on the downstream side of the brake roller, and a processor to rotate the first motor forward to control so that a medium separated by the brake roller is conveyed by the pair of conveyance rollers, in a separation mode. The processor rotates the first motor backward to perform a feed operation by the brake roller and rotate the pair of conveyance rollers backward until a front edge of the medium passes through a position of the brake roller, and rotates the first motor forward to control so that the medium is conveyed by the pair of conveyance rollers after the front edge of the medium passes through the position of the brake roller, in a non-separation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventors: Ryoichi Yasukawa, Tomofumi Kumahashi
  • Patent number: 11402787
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a plurality of feed rollers spaced in a direction perpendicular to a medium conveying direction, each of the feed rollers rotating independently at a respective speed to feed a medium, a plurality of brake rollers, each of the plurality of brake rollers being located to face a corresponding one of the plurality of feed rollers, a plurality of torque limiters separately provided between one of rotation shafts of the plurality of brake rollers and a corresponding one of the plurality of brake rollers, and a processor to detect a skew of the medium, and correct the skew of the medium by changing the speed of one of the plurality of feed rollers when the skew of the medium is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Takayuki Umi, Shigeharu Okano
  • Patent number: 11363153
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a conveying roller to convey a medium, an imaging device to generate an input image acquired by imaging the conveyed medium, and a processor to extract edge pixels from the input image, detect a degree of roundness at a corner of the medium in the input image based on the edge pixels, determine whether the conveyed medium is an ID card based on the degree of roundness, and control the conveying roller based on a result of the determination or outputs the result of the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Masaaki Sakai
  • Patent number: 11339018
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a feed roller, a brake roller, a motor to generate a driving force, a first transmission mechanism to transmit the driving force to the brake roller through a first torque limiter, to rotate the brake roller in a direction opposite to a medium feeding direction, a second transmission mechanism to transmit the driving force to the brake roller through a second torque limiter, bypassing the first torque limiter, to rotate the brake roller in the direction opposite to the medium feeding direction, and a processor to detect media multi-feed, and perform control in such a way as to transmit the driving force to the brake roller by the second transmission mechanism and also cause the feed roller to be driven to rotate in the direction opposite to the medium feeding direction by the brake roller, when the media multi-feed is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeharu Okano, Takayuki Umi
  • Patent number: 11332329
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a medium tray, a pair of side guides to regulate a width direction of a medium, and a housing on which the medium tray is located and including a conveyance path capable of conveying the medium placed on the medium tray. The pair of side guides are located on the medium tray so that outer ends of the pair of side guides can be positioned from an inside of the medium tray to an outside of a maximum width of the medium tray. The conveyance path can convey a medium having a width of an inside of the pair of side guides even when the outer ends of the pair of side guides are positioned outside the maximum width of the medium tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiichiro Shimosaka, Yoshito Hirai, Norihiro Takayama
  • Patent number: 11332332
    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: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiichiro Shimosaka, Masato Shimura
  • Patent number: 11336790
    Abstract: A scanner includes: a pulse generator that generates a pulse signal; a transmissive optical sensor including a photo transmitter that projects pulsed light in response to the pulse signal and a photo receiver facing the photo transmitter; a charge-discharge unit capable of storing an electric charge of the pulse signal and discharging the stored electric charge; and a controller that causes the charge-discharge unit to discharge the electric charge when the photo receiver receives the pulsed light, causes the charge-discharge unit to store the electric charge when the photo receiver does not receive the pulsed light, and that starts supply of power to a CPU when an amount of the electric charge is at or above a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Kyohei Oura
  • Patent number: 11290610
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a processor to determine that a conveyance abnormality of a medium has occurred when a first medium sensor does not detect the medium when a motor is driven by a first predetermined amount after starting feeding of the medium, or when a second medium sensor does not detect the medium when the motor is driven by a second predetermined amount after the first medium sensor detects the medium, and calculate a degree of a slip occurred between the medium and a feed roller from when a front end of the medium passes through a position of the first medium sensor until the front end of the medium passes through a position of the second medium sensor. The processor changes the first predetermined amount or the second predetermined amount based on the degree of the slip of a medium fed in the past.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Niwata, Ken Funaki, Hiroyuki Kitano