Patents Examined by Benny Q. Tieu
  • Patent number: 9292245
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for predictively tracking expected print jobs. The system comprises a memory that identifies categories of print jobs, and that stores rules that indicate how often print jobs will be received at a presentation system. The system also comprises a control unit operable to identify a rule for a category of print jobs, to analyze the rule to generate a predicted schedule of print jobs expected for receipt at the presentation system, and to determine whether expected print jobs have been received at the presentation system in accordance with the schedule. The control unit is further operable to generate an alert if an expected print job has not been received at the presentation system in accordance with the schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ned Otey, Brent Winters, Joseph G. Frick, David Stokes
  • Patent number: 9280972
    Abstract: Embodiments that relate to converting audio inputs from an environment into text are disclosed. For example, in one disclosed embodiment a speech conversion program receives audio inputs from a microphone array of a head-mounted display device. Image data is captured from the environment, and one or more possible faces are detected from image data. Eye-tracking data is used to determine a target face on which a user is focused. A beamforming technique is applied to at least a portion of the audio inputs to identify target audio inputs that are associated with the target face. The target audio inputs are converted into text that is displayed via a transparent display of the head-mounted display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel McCulloch, Abby Lin Lee, Adam Benjamin Smith-Kipnis, Jonathan William Plumb, Alexandre David, Michael O Hale, Jeff Cole, Hendrik Mark Langerak
  • Patent number: 9275315
    Abstract: A recording device, a control method for a recording device, and a program can record even when recording using a font that is not internally stored by the recording device is specified. A printer 2 that records on a recording medium using a font specified by a host computer 4 has font substitution information 24C that correlates specified fonts to internal fonts based on the number of columns per line that can be recorded on the recording medium using the specified font. When a font is specified by the host computer 4, the printer 2 substitutes an internal font for the specified font based on the font substitution information 24C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Akahane
  • Patent number: 9274733
    Abstract: A terminal device may register printer related information including virtual print condition information indicating a virtual print condition in a print intermediation server, obtain authentication information from the print intermediation server, receive print condition related information being related to an actual print condition from an actual printer after the printer related information was registered in the print intermediation server, and changing, by using the authentication information and the print condition related information, contents of the printer related information being registered in the print intermediation server, from a state including the virtual print condition information to a state including actual print condition information indicating the actual print condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Shiraga, Fumio Okumura, Takanobu Suzuki, Takeshi Miyake
  • Patent number: 9277064
    Abstract: A script language compatible with HTML is used to define methods or objects capable of communicating directly with an intelligent module for printing operations without going through a web browser's print selection option. A print API library provides the needed methods/objects for embedding into a web page. The intelligent module may be a stand-alone electronic device, or may be an intelligent device incorporated into a printer. The intelligent module may manage multiple printers directly or through a network, and it functions to provide a communication bridge for translating/conveying communication between the print APIs on a web page and a target printer. The print API knows the fixed IP address of the intelligent module, and define a print document or print commands and send it directly to the intelligent module by means of the known IP address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hideo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9274981
    Abstract: Upon generation of a prescribed condition in an image forming apparatus, when a download request of configuration data associated with that condition is sent to a configuration data management apparatus, the requested configuration data of those managed by the configuration data management apparatus are downloaded to the image forming apparatus. Then, the image forming apparatus uses the configuration data downloaded from the configuration data management apparatus as those associated with the condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidetaka Nakahara
  • Patent number: 9264573
    Abstract: An image forming system includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses and a group management server. The plurality of image forming apparatuses each include a document-box management unit. The document-box movement processing unit transmits a command to at least one of a first image forming apparatus assigned to a group before the movement and a second image forming apparatus assigned to a group after the movement, the command causing movement of a document box of the moved user from the first image forming apparatus to the second image forming apparatus. The document-box management unit in at least one of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus accepts the command. The document-box management unit forwards the document box of the moved user from the first image forming apparatus to the second image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromi Sakata, Keisaku Matsumae, Ryusuke Nakatani, Shinichi Nakanishi, Michiko Tashiro
  • Patent number: 9256385
    Abstract: A relay device may receive, from a image processing device, selected image processing identifying information configured to identify a selected image processing. A plural types of image processing may be a processing to be executed on first image information outputted from the image processing device. The relay device may receive, from the image processing device, selected second image information-identifying information configured to identify selected second image information selected in the image processing device. The relay device may receive the selected second image information identified by the selected second image information-identifying information. The relay device may execute the selected image processing identified by the selected image processing identifying information to compose the selected second image information and the first image information. The relay device may send, to the image processing device, created image information created by the execution of the selected image processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken Saito
  • Patent number: 9258440
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a setting information transmitting portion to transmit setting information including a setting screen stored in a screen storage area, screen identification information thereof, and a setting value stored in a setting value storage area to a remote operation device; a remote setting portion to, in response to remote operation information being received after transmission of the setting information, update the setting value stored in the setting value storage area with a setting value included in the remote operation information; and a remote setting screen update portion to generate a setting screen based on the setting value stored in the setting value storage area and update the setting screen stored in the setting screen storage area, after the setting value is updated. An operation is specified based on positional information included in the remote operation information in the updated setting screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Akihiko Oda, Manabu Furukawa, Hiroki Tajima, Kenzo Yamamoto, Hiroki Ueda
  • Patent number: 9250845
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to, even when dividing an image arranged between a plurality of pages constituting facing pages before bookbinding printing, preventing different results of correction processing of images on the facing pages after bookbinding printing. An editing system lays out images on facing pages, divides an image laid out on facing pages to generate division images for respective single-side pages, and inserts the division images into the respective single-side pages to generate respective document data. Then, a printing control system extracts division images from the document data, combines the division images, performs correction processing on the combined image, divides the corrected combined image, inserts the division images into the respective document data to update it, and performs print processing based on the updated document data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomonobu Hiraishi
  • Patent number: 9251444
    Abstract: Provided are an image forming apparatus, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a control program, and a print control method. An image forming apparatus which can directly print printing data described in a page description language. The image forming apparatus includes a display section, a data receiving section, an analyzing section and a rasterizing section. The analyzing section is configured to analyze printing data to determine a file format of the printing data, and operate the display section to display a print setup screen thereon, where the print setup screen depends on the file format of the printing data. The analyzing section is further configured to define a layout of objects in each page to be printed and convert the printing data into descriptions of an intermediate language. The rasterizing section is configured to rasterize the descriptions of the intermediate language to create an image to be printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Masahiro Ozawa, Mitsuharu Hayasaka, Takahisa Matsunaga, Hiroshi Nogawa, Yasufumi Aoyama, Kunikazu Satou, Tetsuren Ri
  • Patent number: 9251448
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an interpreter processing part for creating intermediate data by analyzing a page description language; a rasterize processing part for creating RIP image data for each band for dividing each page into a plurality of parts, on the basis of the intermediate data; a characteristic value calculating part for calculating a characteristic value of RIP image data and associating the calculated characteristic value with the corresponding RIP image data; and an expansion processing part for, when the RIP image data whose characteristic value agrees with that of RIP image data that is a target for expansion are stored in a cache, reading out the RIP image data whose characteristic value agrees, the RIP image data being stored in the cache, and storing the RIP image data in an expansion memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junichi Hakamada
  • Patent number: 9251450
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a determination unit that determines whether a print job received from outside is a normal print job or an authentication print job, and a control unit. When the determination unit determines that the received print job is the authentication print job, the control unit executes authentication print processing based on the received authentication print job. When the determination unit determines that the received print job is the normal print job, the control unit executes authentication print processing based on the received normal print job instead of executing normal print processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Taiki Arai
  • Patent number: 9248662
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a color erasing apparatus comprises a reading section, a storage section and a control section. The reading section reads an image formed on a sheet to acquire image data. The storage section stores the image data acquired by the reading section. The control section determines whether or not there exists a mark in the image data, and carries out a control to, in a case in which there exists a mark in the image data, delete the image data read by the reading section from the storage section if it is determined that there exists a mark and the image data acquired by the reading section coincides with the image data stored through the processing of an image forming apparatus when determining whether or not the image data read by the reading section coincides with the image data stored in the storage section in advance, or store the image data read by the reading section in the storage section if it is determined that the image data doesn't coincide with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuharu Arima
  • Patent number: 9251445
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a first detection unit, a first determination unit, a second detection unit, a second determination unit, a correction unit, and a transmitting unit. The acquisition unit acquires image information having multiple pixels. The first detection unit detects sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels in accordance with the image information. The first determination unit determines whether or not a development-related defect occurs in a preset number of pixels downstream of the sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels in the sub-scanning direction. The second detection unit detects an end pixel in the main scanning direction. The second determination unit determines whether or not each of sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels arranged in the main scanning direction is close to the end pixel in the main scanning direction. The correction unit corrects the image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Arai, Tomoshi Hara, Masahiko Kubo, Nobukazu Takahashi, Shinichiro Fujimori, Takashi Ochi
  • Patent number: 9244644
    Abstract: A method for operating a circuit board, where: the circuit board is mounted within a printer; a first system on a first chip and a second system on a second chip are mounted on the circuit board; the first system on the first chip comprises a receiver and a transmitter; and the second system on the second chip comprises a first processing module and a second processing module. The method includes wirelessly receiving a first radio frequency signal at the receiver. A second radio frequency signal is generated based on the first radio frequency signal. The second radio frequency signal is wirelessly transmitted from the transmitter. The transmitter is implemented in the first system on the first chip. A data signal is generated based on the first radio frequency signal via the first processing module. A printing process is implemented based on the data signal via the second processing module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Mark D. Montierth, Gary D. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 9244893
    Abstract: A method for driving a device that enables using a device without using a conventional device driver that is dependent on the operating system of the computer. The method has a binary data conversion step which receives a mark-up language document written in a mark-up language and converts the mark-up language document to binary data composed of commands and data that can be processed by the device. The method also includes a binary data output step in which the converted binary data is output to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Nakamura, Takayoshi Namikoshi, Hirotada Yokosawa
  • Patent number: 9247094
    Abstract: An information processing device including an image processing unit, a communication unit configured to perform wireless communication with a terminal device within a communicable distance from the terminal device, a display, an input unit, and a controller configured to, after the wireless communication with the terminal device, control the display to display one or more parameters of all parameters available for setting an image processing operation by the image processing unit, the one or more parameters including at least one un-selectable parameter that is not selectable on the terminal device, and in response to receiving, via the input unit, a signal corresponding to a specific parameter of the one or more parameters displayed on the display, control the image processing unit to perform the image processing operation based on the specific parameter corresponding to the received signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Asai
  • Patent number: 9235369
    Abstract: The invention provides a system in which, in a case where an event requiring a user operation occurs on a mobile terminal side, a printer can continue the print processing even if the terminal is moved outside the range of short distance communication by paying in advance a print fee to the printer. When the printer receives a print job from the terminal using short distance wireless communication, it charges the terminal every time one paper sheet is printed. If the terminal receives an incoming call, it transmits an advance payment request for an unprinted portion to the printer so that printing is continued even if the terminal is moved outside the range of short distance wireless communication. Upon receiving the request, the printer performs charging according to an amount indicated by the request, and continues printing of the unprinted portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seiya Fujinaga
  • Patent number: 9235794
    Abstract: An information processing device includes a security level determining unit that determines a security level, the security level indicating a level of security related to leakage of information in an image processing device, and an instructing unit that changes an output method to an output method having a high security level and gives at least one of two instructions, in a case where the security level does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the two instructions including an instruction for outputting information notifying the output method that has been changed, and an instruction for outputting information prompting for change of the security level in the image processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumihisa Suzuki, Kohshiro Inomata, Hirochika Shionoiri, Yosuke Kinoshita, Yasushi Amano