Patents Examined by Chad Dickerson
  • Patent number: 11656809
    Abstract: A terminal device may display a setting screen for inputting setting information; after the setting information is inputted in the setting screen, supply a communication executing instruction to an OS program. The OS program may supply a signal sending instruction to a first wireless interface. The first wireless interface may start sending a polling signal, establish a first wireless connection with a function executing device, and communicate connection information with the function executing device by using the first wireless connection. The OS program may establish, by using the connection information, a second wireless connection for communicating with the function executing device via a second wireless interface. In a case where the second wireless connection is established, the terminal device may send a function executing request to the function executing device via the second wireless interface by using the second wireless connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Longlong Ruan
  • Patent number: 11652930
    Abstract: Systems and methods of co-editing a design for a printed product is disclosed. According to certain aspects, a server may store tool state variable(s) corresponding to editing tool(s) included in a printed product editor in a database; receive, from a first electronic device executing a first instantiation of the printed product editor, a request for a collaborative communication session with a second electronic device executing a second instantiation of the printed product editor; generate the collaborative communication session between the two devices in response to the request, the collaborative communication session including a state of editing tool(s) of the first instantiation of the printed product editor; update the tool state variable(s) corresponding to the state of editing tool(s) of the first instantiation in the database; and synchronize a state of editing tool(s) of the second instantiation in response to the updating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: CIMPRESS SCHWEIZ GMBH
    Inventors: Edward James Hammond, Christina Kayastha, Gal Rakhsha-Shenar
  • Patent number: 11641437
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a transparent member, reading portion, a pattern, and a processor. The processor extracts a frequency component in an image of the pattern read by the reading portion in a period in which the reading portion reads an image of an original placed on the transparent member while moving in a first direction. The processor calculates a frequency component from the extracted frequency component in another position different from the position, in which the pattern is provided, with respect to the second direction crossing the first direction. The processor converts the calculated frequency component in the above-described another position into a time-series component. The processor corrects an image corresponding to the above-described another position by using the converted time-series component in the above-described another position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuhi Sasaki, Koichi Tanaka, Jiro Shirakata
  • Patent number: 11632481
    Abstract: A scanner including a medium discharging apparatus includes a discharge tray including a first tray configured to receive a front end of a medium discharged by a discharge roller pair and allow placement of the medium therein, and a second tray that is located downstream of the first tray in a medium discharge direction and configured to allow placement of the medium therein, the discharge tray being configured to switch between a first posture in which the first tray and the second tray form a first angle ?1, and a second posture in which the first tray and the second tray form a second angle ?2 smaller than the first angle ?1, without changing the posture of the first tray with respect to the discharge roller pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hidenori Harada
  • Patent number: 11622059
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus connected to a conveying apparatus to convey a recording medium to which a toner image is fixed includes a conveying unit and a reading unit having a transparent member, a reading sensor, a housing supporting, and a fan. The conveying unit receives the recording medium discharged from the conveying apparatus and conveys the recording medium. The reading unit is positioned downstream of the conveying unit in a conveying direction of the recording medium. The reading sensor read a housing supporting image information about an image on the recording medium through the transparent member. The housing supports the reading sensor and defines, together with the transparent member, an accommodation space configured to accommodate the reading sensor. The fan is positioned in the accommodation space and circulates air in the accommodation space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Takayama, Masashi Sawada
  • Patent number: 11616888
    Abstract: When a medium detector detects that a state where a medium is absent is switched to a state where the medium is present with a light quantity of the medium detector set to a first light quantity, a controller in an image reading apparatus switches the light quantity from the first light quantity to a second light quantity, which is larger than the first light quantity. When a quantity of the light received by the medium detector exceeds a threshold, the controller determines whether the media overlaps each other, based on the detection result of the multi-feed detector. When the quantity of the light received does not exceed the threshold, the controller skips the determination of whether the media overlaps each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Murahashi
  • Patent number: 11595540
    Abstract: An image signal processing device includes a reference signal generating portion, a determination portion, and an extraction portion. The reference signal generating portion generates and outputs a reference signal that sequentially transmits reference pulses shifted from horizontal synchronization pulses on a horizontal synchronization signal by a predetermined shift time. The determination portion determines whether the horizontal synchronization pulses are normal by comparing time differences between input of the horizontal synchronization pulses and input of the reference pulses with the shift time. The extraction portion extracts line image data points from an image signal in synchronization with the input of the horizontal synchronization pulses that have been determined as normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masayoshi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11582362
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey an original; a reading unit comprising a reading sensor, the reading sensor having a light receiving element to receive light of a first color and a light receiving element to receive light of a second color that is different from the first color, wherein the reading unit is configured to read an image of the original conveyed by the conveyance unit by using the reading sensor to generate image data which represents a reading result of the reading unit; at least one processor configured to: determine a first abnormal position that is a position in a first direction of an abnormal pixel of the first color in an image represented by the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Matsumura
  • Patent number: 11567705
    Abstract: A feeding apparatus includes a measurement unit measuring an attribute of a sheet fed by a feeding unit to obtain an attribute value; a notification control unit making a notification of information representing sheet types in accordance with the attribute value obtained by the measurement unit; a selection unit accepting selection of a sheet type after the notification; a setting unit setting the sheet type selected by the selection unit as a type of the sheet; a history storage unit storing history information serving as information of sheet types accepted once by the selection unit; and a reference storage unit storing reference information serving as reference attribute values. The notification of the information represents the sheet types in a notification order decided based on the reference attribute values stored in the history information and the attribute value obtained by the measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasushi Morimoto
  • Patent number: 11547771
    Abstract: An apparatus includes, among other components, a frame adapted to be connected to the exterior surface of a device that has a touchscreen. A retractable cover is operatively connected to the frame. The size of the retractable cover is equal to at least the size of the touchscreen, and the retractable cover is positioned to extend so as to cover the touchscreen. At least one ultraviolet light is also operatively connected to the frame. The ultraviolet light is positioned to direct ultraviolet lighting toward the touchscreen when the retractable cover extends to cover the touchscreen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Seemit Praharaj, Douglas K. Herrmann, Chu-Heng Liu, Paul J. McConville, Jason M. LeFevre, Linn C. Hoover, David A. VanKouwenberg
  • Patent number: 11523014
    Abstract: An upper unit includes a feed tray configured to support a document to be fed such that the document is inclined, a transport path configured to reverse the document fed in a direction having a vertically downward component by a feed tray in a direction having a vertically upward component, a first reader disposed on the transport path, and a discharge tray configured to support the discharged document such that the document is inclined. A lower unit includes a document positioning plate on which a document is mounted, and includes a second reader disposed vertically below the document positioning plate and configured to read the document mounted on the document positioning plate. A portion of the first reader and a portion of the document positioning plate overlap when viewed from vertically above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Nakashima, Shinsuke Kogi, Tokujiro Okuno
  • Patent number: 11523024
    Abstract: An example image forming apparatus includes a user interface device, an image forming job operator, a processor, and a memory. The processor executes instructions to display a preview screen of a document through the user interface device, perform an embedding process of embedding user-specific information into a plurality of user-specific information input areas included in the document, display state information of the plurality of user-specific information input areas on the preview screen in synchronization with progress of the embedding process, and, when the embedding process is completed, perform an image forming job with respect to the document in which the user-specific information is embedded, through the image forming job operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Incheon Park, Daehyun Kim, Jaein Lee
  • Patent number: 11509776
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a light source to emit at least light in a first wavelength range and light in a second wavelength range, a background member having different light reflectances in the first and second wavelength ranges, an imaging device, and circuitry. The imaging device receives reflected light from the background member irradiated with the light in the first wavelength range, and generates first read information. The imaging device further receives reflected light from the background member irradiated with the light in the second wavelength range, and generates second read information. The circuitry detects presence or absence of a first foreign substance based on a difference in reading level of the first read information generated by the imaging device; and detect presence or absence of a second foreign substance based on a difference in reading level of the second read information generated by the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Inukai, Atsushi Sugai
  • Patent number: 11503176
    Abstract: A scanner includes: a first body having a window and a guide structure; a transparent platen connected to the first body to cover the window; a first sheet disposed on the transparent platen and in the window; a second sheet fixedly disposed on the transparent platen, in the window and on the guide structure, wherein the first sheet is thicker than the second sheet to form a cliff-sheet type guiding structure as a first part of a transporting passage; a scanning module disposed in the first body; a second body having a second part of the transporting passage; and a transporting mechanism being disposed in the second body and transporting a document along the transporting passage, so that the scanning module scans an image of the document through the window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: AVISION INC.
    Inventor: Shao-Lan Sheng
  • 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: 11496631
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus includes a light irradiator that irradiates a measurement target with light and a processor that controls the light irradiator, in which the processor is configured to irradiate a specific place of the measurement target with the light from plural places having different positions in one direction, and irradiate the specific place of the measurement target with the light from the plural places having different positions in a direction intersecting the one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Takashi Hiramatsu, Jungo Harigai, Hirokazu Ichikawa, Yoshitaka Kuwada
  • Patent number: 11489979
    Abstract: A reading apparatus includes: a reading section that reads a side of a medium; a first medium transport path that includes a position facing the reading section; a second medium transport path coupled to a medium mounting section and coupled to the first medium transport path, the second medium transport path being inclined at a first angle with respect to the first medium transport path; and a third medium transport path coupled to the first medium transport path, the third medium transport path being inclined at a second angle, which is less than the first angle, with respect to the first medium transport path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Nakashima, Tsuyoshi Yamanaka, Tokujiro Okuno
  • Patent number: 11483444
    Abstract: An optical device includes a lens body including plural lenses of which optical axes are arranged alongside each other, and having an intermediate image forming surface for forming an erect real image of equal magnification formed in an optical path, a light shielding body that is provided to face a light incident surface of the lens body, and includes a transmitting portion that is positioned on the optical axes of the plural lenses and transmits light and a light shielding unit that is positioned on a portion other than the optical axes of the plural lenses and shields the passage of light, and a regulating body that is provided to face a light incident surface of the light shielding body, includes an opening narrower than the transmitting portion, and regulates a part of light toward the transmitting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Masaki Hachisuga
  • Patent number: 11470709
    Abstract: A medium transport device includes a transport section transporting a medium in a contact manner, an electrode detecting static electricity charged on the medium, and a static electricity detection circuit. The static electricity detection circuit includes a voltage clamp circuit clamping a detection signal input from the electrode to a predetermined voltage, an amplifier circuit amplifying an output signal of the voltage clamp circuit, a rectifier circuit rectifying an output signal of the amplifier circuit, and a comparator circuit serving as a determination circuit determining whether the medium exists based on an output signal of the rectifier circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Takamatsu, Yusuke Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 11470218
    Abstract: An outer peripheral member disposed at an outer periphery of a platen glass includes first and second reference surfaces. The first reference surface is a lower surface of an area extending along a side edge portion of the platen glass at an end in a main scanning direction. The second reference surface is located adjacent to the first reference surface in a second direction and differs in light reflectance from the first reference surface. An image processing portion determines whether outer periphery pixel data of an outer periphery area in line image data acquired successively while a scanning unit is moving, satisfies a border condition. A unit driving portion positions the scanning unit to a home position by moving the scanning unit a predetermined distance from where the scanning unit is located when it is determined that the outer periphery pixel data satisfies the border condition, and stops it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Horiguchi