Patents Examined by Cheukfan Lee
  • Patent number: 11671544
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus is provided with: a reading processing unit which moves a reading unit, causes a light emitting unit to emit a first amount of light, reads an electric charge generated by a photoelectric conversion unit, and reads an image of a document placed on a document placing surface on the basis of the read electric charge; and a detection processing unit which causes a light emitting unit to emit a second amount of light greater than the first amount of light, reads an electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and detects the size of the document placed on the document placing surface on the basis of the read electric charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Kei Ouchi, Ryotaro Todokoro
  • Patent number: 11665301
    Abstract: A transport apparatus includes: an apparatus body; an opening and closing unit attached to the apparatus body so as to be openable and closable between a closed position where an upper surface of the apparatus body is covered and an open position where the upper surface of the apparatus body is exposed, the opening and closing unit including, inside the opening and closing unit, a transport path along which a target material is transported; a transport path member that has a transport path surface constituting a part of the transport path, is rotatably supported by the opening and closing unit at one end portion side of the transport path member, and is configured such that the transport path is opened when the other end portion side of the transport path member moves downward from the opening and closing unit; and a hook portion that is rotatably attached to the other end portion side of the transport path member, is configured to hold the transport path member in a closed state of the transport path, in a h
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Keita Kontani, Yoji Nishida
  • Patent number: 11611681
    Abstract: A multi-mode scanning device for scanning an original includes a non-transparent element, a first light source, a second light source and an optical module. The first light source outputs visible light to irradiate the non-transparent element and the original to generate first light and second light, respectively. The second light source outputs invisible light to irradiate a combination of the non-transparent element and the original to generate third light and fourth light. The optical module receives the first light, the second light, the third light and the fourth light and generates sensing signals representative of visible light information and invisible light information of the original. The original is disposed between the non-transparent element and the optical module. The first light source and the optical module are disposed on a same side of the non-transparent element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: AVISION INC.
    Inventor: Yen-Cheng Chen
  • Patent number: 11606473
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an image reading sensor, a transparent plate, a guiding member, a first roller pair, and a second roller pair provided upstream of the first roller pair with respect to a sheet feeding direction. The first roller pair and the second roller pair are disposed so as to nip a sheet in each of nips of the first roller pair and the second roller pair when a leading end of the sheet enters between the guiding member and the transparent plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akito Sekigawa, Naoto Tokuma, Eikou Mori
  • Patent number: 11570327
    Abstract: A scanner includes a lower unit and an upper unit. The lower unit includes a first document table on which a first document is to be placed. The upper unit includes a second document table on which a second document is to be loaded and a document feed path through which the second document is to be picked up from the second document table fed, the upper unit being coupled to the lower unit to pivot between a closed position in which the first document table is covered and an open position in which the first document table is exposed. The upper unit further includes a reading unit to read an image from the first document and the second document by performing flatbed scanning on the first document and document feed scanning on the second document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Junghoon Lee
  • Patent number: 11570326
    Abstract: A reading device includes an emission unit that emits light; a first reflecting unit having a first reflecting surface that reflects the light emitted by the emission unit toward a document; an optical path unit including a second reflecting unit having a second reflecting surface that reflects the light reflected by the first reflecting unit and specularly reflected by the document, the optical path unit defining an optical path that guides the light reflected by the second reflecting surface; an image sensor that generates an image represented by light guided by the optical path unit; and a support unit that supports the first reflecting unit and the second reflecting unit and fixes a relative position and a relative orientation between the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Watanabe, Yoji Nishida
  • Patent number: 11563867
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a tray, a paper feed roller that conveys a sheet, a first sensor that detects a front end and a rear end of the sheet, a second sensor that detects the front end of the sheet, and a scanner that reads an image on a front side of the sheet and reads an image on a back side of the sheet. A controller determines a first time duration that elapses from the detection of the front end of the sheet by the first sensor to the detection of the rear end of the sheet by the first sensor and operates the scanner to read the image on the back side of the sheet over a second time duration equal in length to the first time duration. The second time duration begins after the front end of the sheet is detected by the second sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Onuma
  • Patent number: 11509785
    Abstract: In a scanner, a medium transport apparatus includes an apparatus main body including a medium transport path from a supply unit, which supplies a medium, to a discharge unit, which discharges the medium, a switcher that switches an attitude of the apparatus main body with respect to a mounting surface on which the apparatus main body is mounted, and a controller that, when the attitude of the apparatus main body with respect to the mounting surface is switched, performs control in accordance with the attitude after the switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyuki Koyanagi, Tsuyoshi Yamanaka, Tomoyuki Mokuo, Tokujiro Okuno, Masahiko Mizoguchi, Masahiro Igarashi, Akifumi Sugano, Wataru Beppu
  • Patent number: 11503173
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a reading unit having a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in a main scanning direction and configured to read an original placed on an original platen, a moving portion configured to move the reading unit in a sub-scanning direction, an edge extractor configured to extract original edges from image data of an original pressure plate and the original read by the reading unit, a determiner configured to determine, from the original edges, an angle of an original leading edge with respect to the main scanning direction and position information of one end of the original leading edge, a controller configured to terminate a movement of the reading unit when an original trailing edge end point is extracted from the original edges, and a rotation correction unit configured to correct a rotation of the image data based on the angle and the position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryo Mikami
  • Patent number: 11496640
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image onto a sheet based on an image forming condition, a conveyance roller to convey the sheet in a first conveyance path, a sheet discharger to discharge the sheet conveyed in the first conveyance path, and a sensor to read, in a second conveyance path branched from the first conveyance path, a test image formed on the sheet. In addition, a tray receives the sheet discharged via the second conveyance path, and a controller generates the image forming condition based on a reading result of the sensor. The controller executes first control of controlling the image forming unit to form a first test image and second control of controlling the image forming unit to form a second test image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoto Tokuma
  • Patent number: 11496645
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet and an image reading device that conveys a document placed on a stacking portion and reads an image on the document. The image forming device outputs first and second output materials in succession. First output material constitutes a first type of sheet having a predetermined pattern image, and the second output material constitutes a second type of sheet having the predetermined pattern image. The image reading device conveys the first and second output materials in succession from the stacking portion and reads a first image and a second image. A first parameter to cause image formation using the sheet of the first type is acquired based on the first image and a second parameter to cause image formation using the sheet of the second type is acquired based on the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Shinya
  • Patent number: 11489980
    Abstract: A recording device includes an imaging module that reads a sheet placed in a reading position, a placement surface at which the sheet is placed, a first guide surface that guides an edge in the width direction of the sheet placed on the placement surface, and a nip roller pair that nips the sheet on the placement surface to transport the sheet to the reading position. The placement surface includes a first placement surface including the reading position, and a second placement surface not including the reading position, and the first placement surface, the first guide surface, and the nip roller pair move in an integrated manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Hiramatsu, Ryuichi Sato
  • Patent number: 11483443
    Abstract: A light emitting unit is provided. The light emitting unit comprises a substrate, a light emitting element placed on a first surface of the substrate, a front panel covering the first surface, and a back panel placed on a second surface of the substrate, which is opposite to the first surface. An opening for extracting light emitted by the light emitting element is formed in the front panel, and the opening is formed to overlap a part of a light emitting surface of the light emitting element. The back panel has a thermal conductivity higher than that of the front panel, and includes a projecting portion that projects toward the first surface. The projecting portion is in contact with at least one of the first surface, the light emitting element, or the front panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: CANON COMPONENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Shinichiro Suga, Suguru Tashiro, Takeshi Sugiyama, Junichi Kato
  • Patent number: 11477339
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller that causes an image reading device to suspend reading a source document, when a decider decides that a shortage value of a source image is equal to or larger than a first threshold, causes a display device to display a message that the first threshold is changed to a predetermined second threshold larger than the first threshold, stores the source image, or causes the image forming device to form the source image, when a reading resuming instruction, to resume reading the source document at least including the source document the reading of which has been suspended, is received by an operation device, and when the decider decides that the shortage value of the source image is smaller than the second threshold, and causes, when there is a next source document, the image reading device to read the next source document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Nitta
  • Patent number: 11457114
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyor that transports a sheet; an image former that forms an image on front and back surfaces of the sheet being transported in a transportation path and forms marks on the front and back surfaces; a reader that comprises a first line sensor that is disposed on a front surface side and reads the front surface; and a second line sensor that is disposed on a back surface side and reads the back surface; and a controller that: calculates a positional deviation between the images formed on the front and back surfaces based on positions of the marks on the front surface read by the first line sensor and positions of the marks on the back surface read by the second line sensor, and controls the image former to adjust positions of the images formed on the front and back surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Esumi
  • Patent number: 11451682
    Abstract: A document feeding apparatus includes a document tray, a feed roller, a separation conveying unit, a first detecting unit and a control unit. The first detecting unit detects that the document is at the first detecting position when a protrusion amount of a flag member is a first amount and detects that no document is at the first detecting position when the protrusion amount is a second amount. The control unit executes an operation in a first mode in which a first detecting process is executed so as to detect the presence or absence of the document before starting to lower the feed roller and the presence or absence is determined, and in a second mode in which a second detecting process is executed so as to detect the presence or absence at the first detecting position after lowering said feed roller and the presence or absence is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Chiaki Yoshiwara
  • Patent number: 11445080
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes: a conveying roller conveying a sheet in a predetermined conveying direction; a folding roller pair disposed downstream of the conveying roller in the conveying direction and rotating while nipping a predetermined position of the sheet to form a fold; a conveying path for conveying the sheet in the conveying direction from the conveying roller to the folding roller pair; an abutting member moving downstream in the conveying direction and abutting against the predetermined position of the sheet to bend the sheet downstream; and a loop space where the sheet is bent between the conveying roller and folding roller pair in a direction crossing the conveying direction. The folding roller pair stops while nipping a front end of the sheet fed from to form a loop of the sheet in the loop space, and the abutting member moves to abut against the loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: CANON FINETECH NISCA INC.
    Inventors: Shoubu Kato, Shogo Iwai, Akito Yoda, Shinnosuke Enomoto
  • Patent number: 11438473
    Abstract: A medium-discharging device includes: a device main body including a medium-discharging section that discharges a medium; a medium-receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the medium-discharging section; and a pressing member that is configured to be attached to and detached from to the device main body and presses the medium discharged by the medium-discharging section against the medium-receiving tray in a state in which the pressing member is attached to the device main body, in which the pressing member is configured to switch, in the state in which the pressing member is attached to the device main body, between a first state in which the pressing member comes into contact with the medium-receiving tray and a second state in which the pressing member retreats upward so as to be apart from the medium-receiving tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichiro Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11438475
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus, including a feed tray, a conveyance guide, a conveyer, a reading sensor, a first housing, a first driving source, a first driving train, a second driving source, and a second driving train, is provided. The first housing accommodates at least the conveyance guide and the conveyer and has a first outer face and a second outer face facing opposite to each other in a widthwise direction. The first driving source and the first driving train are accommodated in the first housing on a side toward the first outer face. The first driving train transmits a driving force from the first driving source to the conveyer. The second driving source and the second driving train are accommodated in the first housing on a side toward the second outer face. The second driving train transmits a driving force from the second driving source to the movable plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11431864
    Abstract: This disclosure is related to a duplex scanning device. The automatic document feeder includes a paper feeder body, a paper inlet and a paper outlet. The paper cassette includes an upper paper tray and a lower paper tray adjacent to the paper inlet and the paper outlet. The cassette power module includes a motor set and a transmission part. The transmission part drives the paper cassette to move on one side of the automatic document feeder to control the lower paper tray to connect with the paper inlet or the paper outlet. Therefore, the double-sided scanning of the document is completed by two-pass duplex scanning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: KINPO ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Po-Chih Chang, Sung-Po Lin, Tzu-Cheng Chang