Patents Examined by David K. Moore
  • Patent number: 8289530
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for printing on at least one page of a print media is disclosed. The apparatus includes a removable media handling device that directs the printed media to a first location or a second location, the second location functions as a finishing stage to perform a finishing step on the print media. The removable media handling device includes a media diverter to direct the media to either the first or second location. The image forming apparatus also includes a housing, a print engine to fix an image representing data to the page of print media, a formatter to supply data to the print engine, the formatter being configured to supply a first set of data representing the side of the page to be printed and a second set of data to provide instructions on the output of the printed page, and print media supplier to supply pages of print media to the print engine from a stack of print media pages having leading edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Gustavo Miguel GuilleminFranco, Joel Tague, John Huffman
  • Patent number: 8289581
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which is capable of managing a large number of transfer jobs without using a large-capacity storage device. A transfer job for transferring image information input to the image processing apparatus to at least one destination is performed, and character information is extracted from the input image information. History information indicative of the execution result of the transfer job is generated, and recorded in association with the extracted character information in a storage device. At least one of at least one piece of history information and at least one piece of character information recorded in association with the history information are perused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Hara
  • Patent number: 8289593
    Abstract: A multifunction printer includes a scanner; a memory which stores a plurality of still image data; a printing head which prints, on a first printing medium, thumbnail images corresponding to the plurality of the still image data; an image data-extracting section which extracts a base image data and a correction image data when the first printing medium is read by the scanner after a predetermined base image selection mark has been marked by a user to one of the plurality of thumbnail images printed on the first printing medium and a predetermined correction position mark has been marked to a partial area of the thumbnail image and which cuts out, from the correction image data, correction data corresponding to the area marked with the correction position mark, and an image-combining section which combines the base image data with the correction data to generate combined image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroto Sugahara, Kazuma Goto
  • Patent number: 8284423
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for flexible, configurable job workflow processing. Features and aspects hereof provide for generating workflow models from configurable templates. The workflow models may include one or more phases, each comprising one or more processes, each process comprising one or more steps. The Phases, processes, and steps may all be defined by configuring parameters of corresponding templates. Information defining the workflow models and all job information for jobs to be executed are entries in an integrated database such that creation and update of workflow model information and job information is performed as simple database queries and updates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Production Print Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Janeen E. Jahn, Simon P. Jones, Linda S. Liebelt, Kyle P. Manning, Dwight R. Palmer, Eric M. Sigler, Matthew M. Walli, Marc A. Willson
  • Patent number: 8237957
    Abstract: A demonstration system for a peripheral such as a printer connects an external, non-volatile memory to the printer in place of the host computer. One such peripheral uses a peripheral cable containing a controller or formatter that includes a computer interface for communications with the host computer and an interface for memory accesses. The peripheral cable connects to the computer interface for communications with the host computer. The demonstration system employs a controller or formatter of the same type as used in the peripheral cable and connects the interface for reading from the external memory. The controller can load both demonstration code and demonstration data from the external memory and direct the peripheral to perform a demonstration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Marvell International Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Mark D. Montierth, Richard D. Taylor, Gary Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 8228527
    Abstract: A digital still camera is used for taking and storing digital representations of a plurality of images. A printer, such as an ink jet printer or a laser printer, is used for generating graphical representations of selected ones of the plurality of images on a preselected print media such as a paper. A flash memory card, floppy diskette, direct data link or some other data transfer scheme is used to transfer the digital representations of the plurality of images from the digital still camera to the printer. The printer includes programming for generating a combination proof sheet and order form. The combination proof sheet and order form can include an array of thumbnail images and a plurality of image selection and/or image enhancement user designation areas such as bubbles to be filled in by the user with a pencil. The printer includes a scanner and related circuitry and software for scanning the combination proof sheet and order form to detect the user designation areas completed by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Kirt A. Winter, Yoav Epstein, William C. Hilliard
  • Patent number: 8223359
    Abstract: The printing device receives the printing data for confidential printing, and determines an output destination of the printing data received for confidential printing to be either a lockable output bin or a digital output bin. The lockable output bin can be locked and unlocked by a key and the print data can be output to the lockable output bin in a form of being printed on recording medium. The digital output bin holds the printing data and allows the printing data being held therein to be read out for printing when a user is verified. When the lockable output bin is assigned as the output destination and the lockable output bin of the printing device that received the printing data is in an unusable state, another printing device having a lockable output bin that can be used is searched and the printing data is transferred to the other printing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Noriyuki Matsushima
  • Patent number: 8223394
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes: a supply section that supplies image data; an image-forming section that forms on a continuous sheet a toner image according to the image data; a conveyor section that conveys the continuous sheet; and a control section that controls operations of the conveyor section and the image-forming section. If a first toner image according to first image data and a second toner image according to second image data are formed on the continuous sheet, the control section controls conveyance of the continuous sheet so as not to be halted until the second toner image is formed if the second image data is supplied before a predetermined time period elapses from when the first toner image is formed, or so as to be stopped if the second image data is not supplied before the predetermined time period elapses from when the first toner image is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8208171
    Abstract: The present invention aims to prevent a problem that an image on a document sheet is erased due to misdetection of a line-shaped noise. A copy machine 1 compares RGB values of a target pixel with averaged RGB values (Step S103). If only one of the RGB values has a difference that is greater than a prescribed value Ref2 (Step S103: YES), the copy machine 1 extracts the target pixel as a line-shaped noise pixel, and moves to a line-shaped noise correction (Step S108) while holding the address of the target pixel in a line-shaped noise address storing area 49b. If two of the RGB values have differences (Step S103: NO, Step S104: YES) and a difference between these two of the RGB values is no greater than a prescribed value Ref3 (Step S105: YES), the copy machine 1 extracts the target pixel as a line-shaped noise pixel, and moves to the line-shaped noise correction (Step S108) while holding the address of the target pixel in the line-shaped noise address storing area 49b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kubo, Nobuhiro Mishima
  • Patent number: 8203748
    Abstract: A printed material is electrically read, and electrical data of the printed material is input as a reference comparison image. The feature amount of a region to be processed containing a page image contained in the reference comparison image is extracted. A target comparison image corresponding to the reference comparison image is retrieved from a storage medium by using the extracted feature amount. The retrieved image is processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Tojo
  • Patent number: 8203731
    Abstract: Hard imaging devices, hard imaging systems, articles of manufacture, hard imaging device file system accessing methods, hard imaging device file system sharing methods are described. According to one aspect, a hard imaging device comprises a communications interface configured to communicate with a communications medium external of the hard imaging device, an image engine configured to form hard images using media, a file system configured to store a plurality of electronic files, processing circuitry having a server system configured to communicate with the file system and at least an external management device or a computer device, and wherein communication with at least the external management device or the computer device is performed using a web sharing protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Curtis Reese, Shane Konsella, Daniel Travis Lay
  • Patent number: 8199343
    Abstract: Methods and systems are presented for detecting partial electrical discharges in a printing machine and for determining the source of the discharge events by detecting radio frequency signals using an antenna located near high voltage components of the printing system and determining whether a partial electrical discharge has occurred based on the detected signals. One or more of the high voltage components are then selectively enabled alone or in groups to isolate the source of the partial electrical discharge to expedite identification of suspect components and facilitate repair and system maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: William H. Wayman, Richard A. Lux
  • Patent number: 8184330
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing controller for controlling a line head having a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a non-linear shape, the image processing controller including: a plurality of memory regions which stores raster data; an acquiring section which acquires the raster data; a writing control section which sequentially distributes the acquired raster data to the plurality of memory regions so as to be stored therein; and a reading control section which reads each raster data from the plurality of memory regions and sends the read raster data to the line head so as to control a light emitting state of the light emitting elements, wherein the writing control section determines an address on the memory region storing each raster data in accordance with a resolution in the sub-scanning direction and an arrangement pattern of the light emitting elements arranged in the line head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shunichiro Mori
  • Patent number: 8164788
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for efficiently and accurately estimating the complete TRC for a color marking device equipped with a multi-center cluster halftone screen which has a similar halftone tiling geometry and a similar growth specified by a corresponding single-center cluster halftone screen. The present method introduces a cluster-based printer model which establishes a relationship between a color output of a single-center cluster halftone screen and a color output of a multi-center cluster halftone screen. The present cluster-based printer model determines the complete TRC for the multi-center cluster halftone screen using the measurements for the single-center cluster halftone screen. Results of halftone dot linearization with different printing devices demonstrates that high accuracy can be achieved using the reduced measurements from the single-center cluster halftone screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Shen-Ge Wang, David C. Craig, Fan Shi
  • Patent number: 8164781
    Abstract: To provide an output system and an output device capable of easily unifying a documentary form relating to an event without increasing the number of work processes, in a system wherein output data is transmitted to an output device such as a printer, via a communication network from a requesting device such as a personal computer, and printing based on the output data is performed at the output device. An output device 1 records in a format information database 12a format information showing an output format including the documentary form of printing, correspondingly to index information showing an event. A user using a requesting device 2 makes the requesting device 2 send the output data to the output device 1 and designate the index information. The output device 1 performs output based on the output data, in the output format shown by designated index information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuo Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 8154736
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has at least one tray for feeding or discharging a sheet, and includes an input tray ID holding unit which holds an input tray ID that is optionally input so as to identify the tray, an initial tray ID holding unit which holds an initial tray ID set beforehand so as to identify the tray, a tray ID comparing unit which compares the input tray ID and the initial tray ID, and a tray ID allocating unit which allocates a new tray ID to the tray to which the initial tray ID is allocated, when the input tray ID and the initial tray ID are found overlapped as a result of the comparison by the tray ID comparing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Yuuko Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8149467
    Abstract: A technology for use in an e-mail transmission apparatus capable of preventing or discovering ‘impersonation’ in e-mail transmission efficiently, in which an e-mail is sent not only to a receiving address, but also to a sending address set by a sender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Norihisa Takayama
  • Patent number: 8130407
    Abstract: When changing a size of a QR code, rather increasing or decreasing a size of cells to thereby scaling up or down an entirety of the QR code respectively, than a size of the entirely of the QR code is increased or decreased by upgrading or downgrading a version of the QR code respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Nose, Motonori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8120790
    Abstract: A print compression method and system reduces the amount of space required to print a document such that less paper is used during the printing of a document. A user defines criteria, which is used to perform document compression. However, the document compression only applies to the form of document being printed. This compression does not affect the document being edited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher James Dawson, Gregory Jensen Boss, Rick Allen Hamilton, II, Timothy Moffett Waters
  • Patent number: 8115973
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus for fully automatic screen printer including two stacked light sources, two stacked beamsplitters, two stacked optical reflectors, two stacked imaging lens and two stacked image sensors, wherein the two stacked optical reflectors and the two stacked light sources are correspondingly disposed on two different sides of the two beamsplitters, the two stacked imaging lens are disposed on another side of the beamsplitters different from that of the optical reflectors and the light sources, the two stacked image sensors are disposed behind the imaging lens; the optical reflectors are provided with an upward reflection plane and a downward reflection plane, the optical axes of the imaging lenses are orthogonal to that of the light sources. The imaging apparatus is of two independent optical paths which capture the image of the printed circuit board and that of the screen respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: South China University of Technology
    Inventors: Xianmin Zhang, Yongcong Kuang, Yuequan Tang