Patents Examined by Beniyam Menberu
  • Patent number: 10908857
    Abstract: A system includes an operation device and an information storing apparatus, which are connected via a network. The operation device determines, based on information input from the outside of the operation device in response to an operation performed on the operation device, an electronic device among a plurality of electronic devices connected to the system, for causing the electronic device to input electronic data to the information storing apparatus, and sends, to the information storing apparatus, a first request to cause the determined electronic device to input the electronic data to the information storing apparatus. The information storing apparatus sends, to the determined electronic device, a second request based on the first request sent from the operation device, and stores the electronic data that has been sent from the determined electronic device based on the sent second request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 10885404
    Abstract: A printer includes a printing mechanism, a display device, a print controller configured to control the printing mechanism to print an image on a print medium, and a display controller configured to make the display device display a preview image in which the image to be printed on the print medium and a processing position where processing is performed on the print medium after the printing are superimposed with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichiro Niiyama
  • Patent number: 10877712
    Abstract: A printer includes a processor configured to be communicatively coupled to an external device and a POS terminal on which a web browser operates, and enabling control of the external device by a control object with respect to the POS terminal based on relationship information, in which the processor enables the control of the external device by the control object with respect to a first POS terminal based on first relationship information, deletes the first relationship information while the control object is not deleted when the control of the external device by the first POS terminal ends, generates second relationship information indicating a relationship between a second POS terminal and the control object when a request for the external device from the second POS terminal is received after deleting the first relationship information, and enables the control of the external device from the second POS terminal by the control object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki Washizu, Keigo Mori, Koji Hashimoto, Dai Tanaka, Akihiro Mishima
  • Patent number: 10871929
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor that acquires a state of a paper feeding stage from an image forming apparatus of interest, and determines, based on the state of the paper feeding stage, whether or not the image forming apparatus of interest has a number of sheets that are to be consumed for a printing job of interest. The processor also determines that the image forming apparatus determined to have the number of sheets, is a transmission destination of the printing job of interest. If one of paper feeding stages of the image forming apparatus of interest has the number of sheets to be consumed for the printing job of interest, the processor sets the printing job of interest so as to preferentially supply sheets from the paper feeding stage determined to have the number of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kimio Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10860270
    Abstract: An apparatus for performing data processing for a print job, includes a controller to control data processing in accordance with a number-of-copies setting of a print job. The data processing includes first data processing in which predetermined image processing is performed on first image data included in the print job to generate second image data, and the generated second image data is printed without spooling; and second data processing in which predetermined image processing is performed on first image data included in the print job to generate second image data, the generated second image data is spooled, and the spooled second image data is repeatedly used for printing. When a change of the number-of-copies setting is accepted during job execution by the first data processing, the controller switches from the first data processing to the second data processing in response to the remaining number of copies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Fumiaki Hirose
  • Patent number: 10853010
    Abstract: A tilt-corrected document image is obtained by performing image analysis processing on a scan image to detect a document area and performing extraction and tilt correction of a document image based on the detected document area. A repeat target area is set based on the obtained tilt-corrected document image. The number of repetitions in repeatedly laying out the repeat target area for each of a plurality of candidate sheet sizes is calculated, and a list screen showing the calculated numbers of repetitions for the respective plurality of candidate sheet sizes is displayed. A repeat layout-processed output image is generated by repeatedly laying out an image of the repeat target area within a sheet size specified by a user, and print processing is made executable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Ito, Takashi Miyauchi, Yutaro Kamata
  • Patent number: 10853708
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a printing system. Data defining a color mapping that maps a first set of n-dimensional color Input points to a corresponding second set of n-dimensional color output points, the color mapping representing a measured behavior of the printing system, is obtained. A smoothed mapping function of color input points that satisfies a predetermined optimization condition based on a mapping error between the smoothed mapping function and the color mapping is determined. The mapping error is a function of individual errors between outputs of the smoothed mapping function as applied to respective color input points in the first set of color input points and corresponding color output points from the second set of color output points as mapped from the respective color input points by the color mapping. The smoothed mapping function is used to calibrate the printing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Peter Morovic, Jan Morovic, Hector Gomez Minano
  • Patent number: 10846035
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a method to normally execute an application using a function, which is not supported by the image forming apparatus, on the image forming apparatus are provided. An example image forming apparatus includes a user interface device to receive an execution request of an application using a first function and replace an execution request of the first function according to the execution request of the application with an execution request of a second function corresponding to the first function, a controller to generate an execution command of the second function according to the execution request of the second function, and a second function unit to execute the second function according to the execution command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Su-young Kang, Yoon-soo Lee, Hosung Han
  • Patent number: 10841440
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a supply tray which support sheets and includes a movable plate configured to move in correspondence to reduction in a number of the sheets supported on the supply tray, a discharge tray which is located below the supply tray and supports discharged sheets, a conveyance guide which guides a sheet conveyed from the supply tray toward the discharge tray, a reading sensor which reads an image on the sheet conveyed along the conveyance guide, and a discharge unit having a discharge opening for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray and moves from a third position to a fourth position in correspondence to reduction in the number of the sheets supported on the supply tray. A first timing for which the movable plate is to move and a second timing for which the discharge unit is to move are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Miwa
  • Patent number: 10831421
    Abstract: A cloud-based server and a port monitor on a device provide authentication of a user to access print jobs on the server. An application may print or perform other operations from the cloud-based server to a printing device. The port monitor uploads data for a document to the cloud-based server. Once the data for the document is uploaded, a claim code is generated by the cloud-based server. The port monitor receives the claim code. The port monitor initiates the launch of a browser having a uniform resource locator (URL) address for the server along with the claim code. The user is authenticated using a login page and the claim code associated to the user to allow access to the document on the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Arthur Alacar, Michael Martin
  • Patent number: 10824382
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a control method of an image forming apparatus having high convenience are provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image transfer system and a processor. The image transfer system is configured to be switchable between a first position, where printing is performed in a first mode, and a second position, where printing is performed in a second mode. The processor, when executing a print job by switching a position of the image transfer system to a position set in advance as a home position at a waiting time for printing, switches the position of the image transfer system to a position corresponding to the print job and sets the home position based on a result of comparison between a print history in a first mode and a print history in a second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuaki Takahashi, Yoji Sato
  • Patent number: 10805504
    Abstract: A communication device may receive first specific information from a first terminal device, establish a second wireless connection with a second terminal device after the first specific information has been received from the first terminal device, receive second specific information from the second terminal device after the second wireless connection has been established with the second terminal device, determine whether the first terminal device is identical to the second terminal device by using the first specific information and the second specific information in a case where the second specific information is received from the second terminal device, disconnect the second wireless connection in a case where it is determined that the first terminal device is not identical to the second terminal device, and not disconnect the second wireless connection in a case where it is determined that the first terminal device is identical to the second terminal device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Shibata
  • Patent number: 10798259
    Abstract: An input device includes: an operation panel that receives an operation input; a vibration element that is mounted to the operation panel and that vibrates the operation panel in at least one vibration direction; a vibration absorber that connects the operation panel to an apparatus main body and that absorbs a vibration of the operation panel; and a CPU that causes the vibration element to vibrate based on the operation input, wherein the vibration element is mounted on a gravity center axis of the operation panel in the vibration direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Hisataka Funakawa
  • Patent number: 10795152
    Abstract: A first mirror and a second mirror are disposed on a mounting surface of a housing in an exposure device of an image forming apparatus. A back surface of the first mirror is supported by ribs and the first mirror is pressed against the ribs by elastically pressing a reflecting surface thereof by a spring member. A reflecting surface of the second mirror is supported by ribs and the second mirror is pressed against the ribs by elastically pressing a back surface thereof by a spring member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Ueda, Atsuo Nakao
  • Patent number: 10785378
    Abstract: A display-and-operation device includes a housing, a display operation panel, a wireless communicator, a control board, and a holder. The display operation panel forms a display operation screen on an outer surface of the housing. The wireless communicator is included in the housing and includes an antenna to perform wireless communication with a communication object. The control board is included in the housing, to control the display operation panel. The holder is included in the housing. The holder holds the display operation panel. The housing includes an opening through which the wireless communicator is removable to an outside of the housing and a lid to open and close the opening. At least a part of the wireless communicator is arranged outside an outer peripheral edge of at least one of the control board and the holder when viewed from a side at which the display operation screen is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Goro Katsuyama
  • Patent number: 10778872
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an image reading device, a storage device, and a control unit. The image reading device reads an image on a sheet. The storage device stores information. The control unit that determines a detection area of an encoded image based on a teacher image which is an image read from a predetermined teacher sheet by the image reading device, records information indicating the detection area in the storage device, detects an encoded image in the detection area among the images read from a sheet to be read after the teacher sheet, and decodes the detected encoded image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Watanabe, Akihiro Mizutani, Takahiro Hagiwara, Kazuhiro Ogura, Kazuhiro Kamimura, Yoshinori Sato, Hajime Tomizawa, Yusuke Hamada, Sho Sakuma, Koji Endo, Ryo Takimura, Takuya Nishigaki
  • Patent number: 10776060
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes first and second sheet storage units and a post-processing unit to perform specific post-processing on a printed sheet. A print command is received in which a sheet in the first sheet storage unit is specified as a sheet to be used in printing a first copy and a sheet in the second sheet storage unit is specified as a sheet to he used in printing a second copy. In a case where the specific post-processing is unable to he performed on the sheet to be used in printing the first copy, a printed sheet is output without causing the post-processing unit to perform the specific post-processing on the sheets for the first and second copies, even if the print command commands that the specific post-processing be performed in printing the first copy and the second copy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akinori Takeo
  • Patent number: 10764453
    Abstract: The invention relates to a printing system for printing images and/or documents with at least a first printing module. To allow flexible setting up, the printing module has a cuboidal housing with a top part, a bottom part, a front part, a rear part and two side parts, the top part with the bottom part and also the two side parts forming a body, which is closed on the front side by the front part and on the rear side by the rear part, a receiving space for a printer being formed within the body and an operator interface and also a removal opening, connected to a removal compartment, for the print media coming out of the printer being formed in the front part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: DI SUPPORT GMBH
    Inventors: Ralph Naruhn, Gordon Schaub
  • Patent number: 10748044
    Abstract: A printing apparatus communicates with a weight measuring apparatus and a mobile terminal. The weight measuring apparatus transmits measuring data of weight of a measurement object, and the mobile terminal transmits a data acquisition command requesting for transmission of the measuring data. The printing apparatus includes a head to execute printing on a print medium, and a controller. The controller is configured to: receive the data acquisition command from the mobile terminal; change a state of the printer from an instruction waiting state to a data reception waiting state; receive a second measuring data transmitted from the weight measuring apparatus; transmit the second measuring data to the mobile terminal; receive a print command corresponding to the second measuring data from the mobile terminal; and control the head based on the received print command to perform the printing, on the print medium, corresponding to the second measuring data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yosuke Ohashi
  • Patent number: 10740046
    Abstract: Disclosed are an image forming apparatus, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a display control program, and a display control method. The image forming apparatus may include a printer engine, a display configured to display screens each relating to a certain function of the apparatus, in different display modes according to operator's use of the function, and a hardware processor. In response to receiving a job which may give print instructions to the printer engine, the hardware processor may analyze the job and determine which of a first display mode and a second display mode is to be used for displaying the screens, on the basis of information contained in the job. The hardware processor may cause the display to display one or more screens showing information about the job, in the determined one of the first display mode and the second display mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Satoshi Osako