Patents Examined by Dung D Tran
  • Patent number: 12039213
    Abstract: A print control apparatus includes a modification control section configured to change, in accordance with a given number relating to a print request issued by a terminal device, the number or a specification of one or more virtual data conversion servers that convert data of a print job based on the print request into data suitable for the printing apparatus, and an allocation control section configured to allocate the print job to any one of the changed one or more data conversion servers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takumi Yoshida, Masayuki Kobayashi, Yukie Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 12032861
    Abstract: A control unit is provided that is configured to execute predetermined control processing to prevent printing previously executed by a first printing unit from being executed by a second printing unit, the printing being based on at least one of one or more print jobs received from a server system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 12028495
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a main body, a cover, a reading unit, a cable, and a shield member. The cover pivots with respect to the main body and move between a first closed position and a first open position. The reading unit pivots with respect to the main body and reads an image of a sheet conveyed in the conveyance path. The cable bridges between the main body and the reading unit and configured to transmit an image signal from the reading unit. The cable includes an exposed portion located between the main body and the reading unit and exposed to an outside of the main body and the reading unit when the cover is located in the first open position. The shield member has conductivity, grounded, and disposed to cover the exposed portion of the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akira Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 12026405
    Abstract: An information processing device includes a processing unit configured to divide original image data for a larger number of channels Nb than the number of channels Na into a plurality of groups so that a number of channels of each of the groups becomes no larger than the number of channels Na, generate compressed image data for the Na channels according to the processing unit from the original image data included in each of the groups, and generate the print command including the compressed image data for the Na channels corresponding to each of the groups, and a communication unit configured to transmit the print command to the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuichi Yamanaka, Fumio Tokutomi, Hiroki Okabe, Yuto Togawa
  • Patent number: 12028493
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, a casing accommodating the image forming unit, a pair of doors which open from center, and a protrusion portion. The pair of doors which open from center include a first door, a second door, and a handle. The handle is disposed on an opposite surface of an exterior surface of the first door. The protrusion portion protrudes from an end of the second door toward the first door in a direction intersecting with the second pivot axis and extending an exterior surface of the second door when the pair of doors are closed. The handle covers a gap between the first door and the protrusion portion in a front-back direction of the image forming apparatus when the pair of doors are closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Osamu Sato
  • Patent number: 12022040
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a transparent document platen on which a document is to be placed, a reader configured to read an image of the document placed on the document platen, a controller configured to perform a reading mode to cause the reader to read a document tucked in a storage member, which has a transparent portion and can store the document, in a state in which the storage member in which the document is tucked is placed on the document platen so that the transparent portion contacts the document platen, and a display configured to display, in the reading mode, a screen indicating an orientation in which the storage member is to be placed on the document platen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akiko Kanno
  • Patent number: 12015754
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a datum point determination unit configured to determine coordinates of a datum point for determining pixel values of second pixels included in a converted image including a plurality of second pixels in a coordinate plane of an input image including a plurality of first pixels, and an interpolation unit configured to determine pixel values of the second pixels based on a plurality of reference pixels. The datum point determination unit sets coordinates in the first direction of the first pixels among the plurality of first pixels as first direction end portion coordinates, and determines coordinates in the first direction of the datum point of the second pixels among the plurality of second pixels to be coordinates shifted to further inside of the input image than the first direction end portion coordinates by a distance longer than 0 and shorter than one pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Okumura, Naoki Kayahara, Tsubasa Nakatsuka, Yuto Tenguishi
  • Patent number: 12015747
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus includes a discharge tray for supporting the recording medium, an internal unit disposed inside the apparatus main body, and a door serving as a part of outer surface members of the apparatus main body, the door being opened and closed to expose and cover an inside of the apparatus main body to the outside, wherein, by opening of the door, a fixing member that fixes the discharge tray to the apparatus main body is exposed to the outside, and removing of the fixing member from the apparatus main body allows the discharge tray to be detached from the apparatus main body without removing the outer surface members other than the door, and wherein detaching of the discharge tray from the apparatus main body allows the internal unit to be accessed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshisuke Kasuya
  • Patent number: 12007710
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing device capable of removing a horizontal streak that may show when a document is scanned and made into a file is provided. An image processing device according to one embodiment includes: an image processing unit configured to generate smoothing image data obtained by applying smoothing to image data, and save, as an image file, non-smoothing image data in which smoothing is not applied to the image data when a difference between the non-smoothing image data and the smoothing image data is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and the smoothing image data when the difference is smaller than the threshold value; and a storage unit configured to save the image file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazunari Kogure, Satoru Ishihara, Hirokazu Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11991329
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a common transport route, a first and a second transport route, a first and a second image sensor, a first and a second discharge tray, and a controller. The controller executes a first reading mode including guiding the document from the common transport route to the first transport route, reading the image on the first face of the document with the first image sensor, and discharging the document to the first discharge tray, or a second reading mode including reading the image on the second face of the document with the second image sensor, guiding the document from the common transport route to the second transport route, and discharging the document to the second discharge tray, inhibits the first reading mode, upon deciding that the first discharge tray is full, and inhibits the second reading mode, upon deciding that the second discharge tray is full.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Akifumi Seto
  • Patent number: 11979533
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of switching power state between a first power state and a second power state, which is lower in power than the first power state, shifts from the second power state to the first power state. In a case where the image forming apparatus shifts to the second power state in response to a current time reaching a set time, the image forming apparatus is controlled not to shift from the second power state to the first power state in response to an object approaching the image forming apparatus being detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryotaro Okuzono
  • Patent number: 11977343
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a consumable, a consumable chip, and a communication method between the image forming apparatus and the consumable chip. The consumable chip is capable of being installed on a consumable, and the consumable is capable of being detachably installed on an image forming apparatus. The consumable chip includes a storage unit and a chip control unit. The storage unit is configured to store identity authentication information of the consumable. The chip control unit is configured to receive an authentication request sent by the image forming apparatus and obtain second time information, generate a second code by performing a calculation using a preset algorithm according to the obtained second time information and the pre-stored identity authentication information of the consumable, and send the second code to the image forming apparatus. The second code is configured to determine whether the consumable meets expectation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Zhuhai Pantum Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chengzhu Yu, Dan Ning
  • Patent number: 11979532
    Abstract: A reading apparatus includes a conveyance roller configured to convey a medium, a reading unit configured to read an image of the medium conveyed by the conveyance roller, a detection unit configured to detect a rotation phase of the conveyance roller, a storage unit configured to store index values, each index value being associated with the rotation phase of the conveyance roller and corresponding to a conveyance amount of the conveyance roller per unit rotation angle, and a timing control circuit configured to select the index value based on a detection result of the detection unit and to control a reading timing of the reading unit based on a result of comparing a cumulative value of selected index values with a threshold corresponding to a reading resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Eiyama, Kazuya Koizumi, Takuya Tsunemi
  • Patent number: 11973909
    Abstract: An inspection system inspects a grade of a print product based on comparison between a scanned image obtained by scanning a print product and a reference image, receives a first mode that does not switch a sheet discharge destination of the print product regardless of an inspection result of the print product or a second mode that switches the sheet discharge destination of the print product according to the inspection result of the print product is received through a screen, and controls the sheet discharge destination of the print product based on the received mode and the inspection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Aya Ito
  • Patent number: 11956394
    Abstract: A reading device includes a reading unit configured to read a document, and a control unit configured to acquire image data including a document region and a background region from the reading unit. The control unit acquires document information about a document, and sets, based on the document information, a background range indicating a range of a luminance value regarded as the background region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kohei Arai
  • Patent number: 11949828
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to acquire, from a read image, a predetermined item, and a value corresponding to the item, the read image being obtained by reading a document and being subjected, prior to acquisition of the item and the value, to preprocessing and character recognition. Further, the processor is configured to, in response to not successfully acquiring at least one of the item and the value, change a setting on the preprocessing or a setting on the character recognition in accordance with the acquisition or non-acquisition state of the item and the value, and then perform the preprocessing or the character recognition. In response to not successfully acquiring at least one of the item and the value, the processor is further configured to identify where the item and the value are located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Uejo, Yuki Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 11943403
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a conveyor, a print engine, and a processing device. The conveyor is configured to convey a print medium in a conveyance direction. The print engine includes a print head, and a platen configured to support the print medium conveyed by the conveyor. The print engine is configured to perform image printing on the print medium supported by the platen while moving the print head in a first direction intersecting the conveyance direction. The processing device has a processing unit removably attached thereto. The processing device is configured to perform a processing process to divide the print medium conveyed by the conveyor into a plurality of media. The processing unit has an identification section for identifying a type of the processing process executable by the processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuo Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 11936827
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light transmitting member provided at a reading position set in a conveyance path and an opposite plate opposed thereto, and a document being conveyed passes between this opposite plate and the light transmitting member. On an opposing surface of the opposite plate to the light transmitting member, a low brightness area, for example, like a gray color and a high brightness area, for example, like a white color, having a higher brightness than the low brightness area are formed adjacent to each other in a conveyance direction of the document. Then, an image reader sets a home position of a scanning unit to a first position or a second position corresponding to either the low brightness area or the high brightness area to read the document passing through the reading position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuma Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11917113
    Abstract: An image processing device and an amount-of-characteristic detecting method. The image processing apparatus includes a first image processing device to process an invisible image of an object, a second image processing device to process a visible image of the object, and a controller to control the first image processing device and the second image processing device. The first image processing device includes a first skew detector to detect a skew of the object from the invisible image of the object. The second image processing device includes a second skew detector to detect the skew from the visible image of the object, and circuitry to adjust the skew of the object based on a first result of skew detection performed by the first skew detector of the first image processing device or a second result of skew detection performed by the second skew detector of the second image processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Yuuto Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11908217
    Abstract: A document reading device includes a document conveyer, a first reader reading, in a first reading position, a first surface of a conveyed document such that a read area is larger than the conveyed document, a second reader reading, in a second reading position, a surface (second surface) opposite to the first surface such that a read area is larger than the conveyed document, a region detector executing a process of detecting a first document region that is a region of a document in first document image data and a process of detecting a second document region that is a region of the document in second document image data, and a cropping processor cropping a document portion on the first surface as first cropped image data and cropping a document portion on the second surface as second cropped image data, based on one of the document regions successfully detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuma Ogawa