Patents Examined by Douglas Tran
  • Patent number: 9686424
    Abstract: The CPU of a personal computer displays a list of one-click icons, each representing one or a plurality of printing functions, in the icon display area, and selects one one-click icon from the list of the one-click icons displayed in the icon display area, to automatically set a plurality of printing functions corresponding to the selected one-click icons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Momose, Mikane Tago, Taeko Tatebayashi, Kenji Imai, Michiko Ogino, Ryuichi Shimamura
  • Patent number: 9684481
    Abstract: In a job processing apparatus and a method of controlling the same according to this invention, if a setting has been made to automatically transmit history information of an executed job, history information printed by a print unit is not managed as output history information. On the other hand, if no setting has been made to automatically transmit the history information, control is performed to manage, as output history information, the history information printed by the print unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daiki Tachi
  • Patent number: 9678695
    Abstract: A printing management system includes an image forming apparatus and a server apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes an acceptance section, a printing section, a reading section, a first transmission section, a first reception section, and a determination section. The determination section, when the acceptance section accepts a print request or a read request, determines whether or not template paper is to be printed, on the basis of the total number of printed copies and the total number of read copies received by the first reception section. The server apparatus includes a second reception section, a storage section, a counting section, and a second transmission section. The counting section obtains the total number of printed copies on the basis of the number of printed copies and user identification information, obtains the total number of read copies on the basis of the number of read copies and the user identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hidehiko Akuta, Toshihide Higashimori, Sachiko Yoshimura, Yumi Nakagoshi
  • Patent number: 9671991
    Abstract: A printing apparatus that makes it possible to prevent the operation of an application from being interrupted against the intention of a user during Wi-Fi direct connection, and thereby smoothly perform processing intended by the user. A printing apparatus equipped with a Wi-Fi direct function performs wireless connection to an external apparatus, by Wi-Fi direct connection. The printing apparatus determines based on information acquired from the external apparatus whether or not the user is operating a print application on the external apparatus, and if it is determined that the user is operating the print application on the external apparatus, the Wi-Fi direct connection between the printing apparatus and the external apparatus is extended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Morishita
  • Patent number: 9674398
    Abstract: A processing apparatus which decompresses compressed data and outputs the decompressed data to a processing unit configured to perform conversion processing of converting the decompressed data into data for printing; the apparatus comprises: an input unit configured to input the compressed data; a calculation unit configured to perform calculation for decompressing the compressed data input by the input unit; and a correction unit configured to correct data generated by the calculation unit such that a value of the data becomes a specific value handled by the processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akihiro Yoshitani
  • Patent number: 9667815
    Abstract: A first information processing device includes a first registration unit to store, in a first storage unit, an identifier and destination information of a terminal; a receiver to receive, from the terminal, information including data identification information of data stored in the terminal, the identifier of the terminal, and user identification information of a user of the terminal; a second storage unit to store the information received by the receiver; a second registration unit to store, in a second information processing device, the user identification information and identification information of the first information processing device; a retrieval unit to retrieve, in response to a request from a data retrieval device, the information including the user identification information; and a transmitter to transmit the destination information and the data identification information. The data retrieval device retrieves the data based on the destination information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shukoh Chin
  • Patent number: 9665323
    Abstract: A print control device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires setting value limitation information; and a control unit that controls whether the execution of a print job is allowed, wherein the control unit: allows the execution of the print job without requiring access to a print management server under a condition that the print job has the content of print setting conforming to the setting value limitation information; attempts the access; in a case where the access is successful, allows the execution of the print job under a condition that the print job has the content of print setting conforming to the setting value limitation information updated through the access; and even in a case where the access is failed, allows the execution of the print job under a condition that the print job has the content of print setting conforming to the setting value limitation information before update.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Koji Sato
  • Patent number: 9667836
    Abstract: A color conversion apparatus to output image data to a printer obtains roughness data to indicate the roughness of each pixel in an image expressed by the image data, derives a reduction ratio of a color gamut in each pixel according to a roughness of each pixel in the roughness data, changes color gamut data indicating for the printer on a substantially flat surface according to the derived reduction ratio to derive color gamut data in each pixel, and then performs color conversion on each pixel in the image data using the derived color gamut data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kimitaka Arai
  • Patent number: 9633291
    Abstract: A print control system includes one or more first printers each having a print unit that can print on print media, a second printer that communicates with the first printers via a first network and has a print unit that can print on print media, and a print control server that connects to the second printer through a second network. The control print server sends, to the second printer, configuration control data containing attribute information that can be used to identify one of the first printers. The second printer forwards the configuration control data to the identified first printer and the identified first printer executes a configuration process in response to the configuration control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keigo Mori
  • Patent number: 9635216
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a hardware resource including at least a scanner device or a printer device, a display device, and processing circuitry that activates a platform program and a plurality of application programs, the platform program being used from each of the plurality of applications, the plurality of application programs including at least a secure application program, the secure application program conducting a user authentication, receives an input of a user authentication information for the user authentication, conducts the user authentication using the received user authentication information, and displays, in response to satisfying the user authentication, a screen for using a function of the image forming apparatus on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Kunihiro Akiyoshi
  • Patent number: 9626130
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a near field communication unit configured to make a short-range wireless communication with a portable information processing device including a display unit; a recognition unit configured to recognize a portable information processing device that is within a communicable range through communication via the near field communication unit; a job setting unit configured to request and instruct the portable information processing device to display a job setting screen on the display unit; and a job control unit configured to execute a job in response to a start instruction of the job, wherein the job setting unit receives a job setting, which is made by using the job setting screen, via the near field communication unit after the recognition to receive the job setting from the portable information processing device, and the job control unit receives a start instruction for the job whose job setting is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masao Saeda
  • Patent number: 9621742
    Abstract: Provided is a method of printing a document. An email message comprising a document for printing is received on a cloud server, wherein the email message includes an email address of a printer and an email address of an additional recipient. The email message is transmitted to the printer and the additional recipient. The document is printed on the printer upon receipt of the email message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Raghavendra Venkata Prasad Palipi Kandubai, Priyadharshni Uthirapathi
  • Patent number: 9614995
    Abstract: Correlation marks and gloss effect image patterns are created with vector-based electronic pattern inks. In creating a correlation mark, which is only visible by viewing the image through a reference screen, two vector-based electronic pattern inks are utilized to create the correlation mark, wherein the vector pattern in one electronic pattern ink is parallel, but out of phase, to the vector pattern in the other electronic pattern ink and the vectors of both electronic pattern inks are painted as thin lines. In creating a gloss effect, which is only visible by viewing the image at a predetermined angle, two vector-based electronic pattern inks are utilized to create the gloss effect, wherein the vector pattern in one electronic pattern ink is orthogonal to the vector pattern in the other electronic pattern ink and the vectors of both electronic pattern inks are painted as thick lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Edward N. Chapman
  • Patent number: 9607251
    Abstract: In an image recording apparatus, when an advance notification about execution of interrupt recording is accepted at a first time point that is a middle of creation of raster data on a first processed page of a first job and when an instruction for execution of the interrupt recording is accepted at a second time point that is a middle of creation of raster data on a second processed page of the first job, a controller continues creation of the raster data on the first job and storing of the created raster data until the second time point. The controller stores yet-to-be-recorded raster data that is a portion of the raster data on the first job and that corresponds to at least one page before the second processed page. The controller releases a storage area storing the raster data created for the first job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Wataru Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9607254
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a controller configured to control an image recorder to execute a recording processing in a first mode or a second mode. In the first mode, the controller controls the image recorder to execute the recording processing when a specific-type cartridge has not been connected to a connecting portion and controls the image recorder not to execute the recording processing when the specific-type cartridge has been connected to the connecting portion. In the second mode, the controller controls the image recorder to execute the recording processing in any of a case where the specific-type cartridge has not been connected to the connecting portion and a case where the specific-type cartridge has been connected to the connecting portion. The controller stores first recording information relating to the recording processing executed when the specific-type cartridge has been connected to the connecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sunao Kawai
  • Patent number: 9606759
    Abstract: A printer includes an authenticator that authenticates a login of a user, a prohibited job memory that stores a prohibition information list, a prohibition list register that loads job information on a print job from a storage medium installed in the printer and stores the job information in the prohibited job memory as the prohibition information list in [1] a case where a preset time has elapsed from the user's last operation or [2] a case where the storage medium is still installed in the printer at a user's logoff request, and a controller. In loading a print job from a storage medium installed in the printer, the controller prohibits a print process of the print job loaded from the storage medium when job information of the print job loaded from the storage medium corresponds with the job information contained in the prohibition information list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shingo Hamayama
  • Patent number: 9609170
    Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for generating a multi-layer correlation mark via a monochrome printer are disclosed. For example, the method includes setting a first scalar value of a channel of the monochrome printer, setting a second scalar value of the channel of the monochrome printer, generating a first layer of the multi-layer correlation mark at the first scalar value of the channel, generating a second layer of the multi-layer correlation mark at the second scalar value of the channel and printing the multi-layer correlation mark comprising the first layer at the first scalar value of the channel and the second layer at the second scalar value of the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Edward Chapman
  • Patent number: 9602690
    Abstract: The sheet discharge control unit notifies an engine control unit of plural conveyance interval times for different conveyance speeds beforehand, where each of the conveyance interval times corresponds to a period from completion of a post processing operation with respect to a preceding piece of recording material post-processed earlier until a start of a post processing operation with respect to a given piece of recording material post-processed subsequently to the preceding piece of recording material. When performing image formation on the given piece of recording material, the engine control unit selects a conveyance interval time which matches a conveyance speed for performing image formation on the given piece of recording material from the plural conveyance interval times, of which the engine control unit has been notified by the sheet discharge control unit, and determines a timing to start the image forming operation, based on the selected conveyance interval time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiji Yokoyama, Kazuhisa Sato, Genki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9588718
    Abstract: When an MFP in a group accepts log-in, in a case where a log-in user is not a user belonging to the group, the MFP requests of other MFPs as representative apparatuses of other groups, for information about jobs associated with the log-in user stored in the other groups. Based on the information about the jobs from the other MFPs, the MFP displays a selection screen to accept selection of a job by the user. The MFP outputs a control request for the selected job to an MFP storing the job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Tatsunori Okada
  • Patent number: 9582233
    Abstract: An example embodiment may involve discovering a plurality of printing devices on a local area network. The example embodiment may also involve determining a registration status for each of the plurality of printing devices on the local area network, where the registration status indicates whether each of the plurality of printing devices is registered with a registration server located outside the local area network. The example embodiment may further involve attempting to register each of the plurality of printing devices for which the registration status indicates the printing device is not registered with the registration server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Oleksandr Osadchyy