Patents Examined by Fan Zhang
  • Patent number: 8922830
    Abstract: A system and method for media roll management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Morad Samii, Glenn T Gentile
  • Patent number: 8922852
    Abstract: A device for driving a recording head comprises select data input elements, a waveform signal selector, and a drive signal supplier. To the select data input elements, select data sets corresponding to recording elements included in the recording head are inputted in a serial manner. Each one of the select data sets indicates which one among waveform signals is to be employed for a corresponding recording element in a single printing cycle. The waveform signal selector selects, for each of the recording elements, one among the waveform signals on the basis of a corresponding one among the select data sets inputted to the select data input. The drive signal supplier supplies, based on the selected waveform signal, a drive signal to each of the recording elements. The number of the select data input elements is greater than the number of bits included in each of the select data sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Imai
  • Patent number: 8902455
    Abstract: Data from different sources and having different formats is converted to a format useable by a device to which the data is to be sent. The conversion is performed based on configuration data and can be performed by an application server configured to provide a network application service to a user terminal associated with the entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventor: Eric Allan Frome
  • Patent number: 8902466
    Abstract: A color measuring device include an illuminating unit configured to illuminate an image-capturing range; an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of the image-capturing range containing a patch and an object; an extracting unit configured to extract image data of a surrounding region in a predetermined color from the image data output by the image capturing unit; an interpolating unit configured to interpolate at least one target region that is at least one of regions of the patch and the object based on the image data of the surrounding region; a storage unit configured to store therein, as correction data, interporting data that is interporated; a correcting unit configured to correct the image data output by the image capturing unit by using the correction data; and a calculating unit configured to calculate a colorimetric value of the object based on the corrected image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Satoh
  • Patent number: 8896864
    Abstract: A plurality of image processing servers in charge of a first-order service individually transmit their server selection information to a plurality of image processing servers in charge of a second-order service, and those in charge of the second-order service individually select one of those in charge of the first-order service as the most preferred server based on the server selection information received therefrom. Similarly, a plurality of image processing servers in charge of a third-order service individually select one of those in charge of the second-order service as the most preferred server based on the server selection information of those in charge of the second-order service received therefrom. Also similarly, an image forming apparatus selects one of a plurality of image processing servers in charge of the final service as the most preferred server based on the server selection information of those in charge of the final service received therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shoko Haba, Taketoshi Yamahata, Masao Hosono, Kazuhiro Tomiyasu, Eiichi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8896878
    Abstract: Disclose is an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to easily change the display magnification factor of the print preview image, by conducting intuitive operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Seiji Harada
  • Patent number: 8879082
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an original document platform, a reflection carriage, a wire, a pulley, a slide member, a projecting section and a guide section. The reflection carriage includes a mirror for reflecting light, and is moved in a first direction along a sub-scanning direction with respect to the original document. The wire is wound around a pulley. The slide member is installed on the reflection carriage, rotatably supports the pulley, and slidably moves in the first direction with respect to the reflection carriage. The projecting section is provided to project in a second direction that intersects with the first direction, on one of the reflection carriage and the slide member. The guide section is provided to extend in the first direction on the other of the reflection carriage and the slide member. The projecting section abuts against the guide section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hideto Hiyanagi
  • Patent number: 8867049
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first read device configured to read a first surface of an original document in a main scanning direction and to produce a first band data. The image forming apparatus further includes a second read device configured to read a second surface of the original document in the main scanning direction and to produce a second band data during the reading of the first surface by the first read device. The image forming apparatus still further includes an image data processor configured to produce printing band data by combining the first band data with the second band data, during the reading of at least one of the first surface and the second surface. Moreover, the image forming apparatus includes a printing device configured to start printing an image of the printing band data produced by the image data processor on a printing sheet, during the reading of at least one of the first surface and the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Jun Morikawa
  • Patent number: 8860981
    Abstract: Methods disclosed facilitate the scheduling of print jobs. In some embodiments, the retrieval of remote files that are targets of print requests can be deferred. Print requests may be specified using JDF and/or JMF. A print queue holds entries corresponding to the remote target files and each queue entry is also associated with location information for its corresponding remote target file. When the queue entry is processed the location information associated with the queue entry is used to retrieve the remote target file for printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Bosma
  • Patent number: 8854679
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, an e-mail server, an e-mail facsimile transmission system having the same and an e-mail facsimile setting method of an image forming apparatus. The e-mail facsimile setting method of an image forming apparatus which transmits an e-mail for facsimile transmission to a facsimile server, includes displaying a parameter setting screen applied to a plurality of facsimile servers, inputting a parameter value depending on the displayed parameter setting screen; and transmitting an e-mail with an identification type to correspond to one kind of facsimile server of the plurality of facsimile servers to the facsimile server based on the input setting value. Thus, a setting screen commonly applied to a plurality of facsimile servers is provided to a user, thereby saving time and cost needed in an e-mail facsimile setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Woo-yean Jang
  • Patent number: 8848234
    Abstract: A printer includes: a receiving unit for receiving image identification information, image position information, and print data from outside as printing command data; an image printing position determining unit for reading image size information from a storage unit based on the image identification information in the printing command data received by the receiving unit and determining a position on a printing surface at which the image is to be printed, based on the image position information received by the receiving unit and the read image size information; a superimposing unit for superimposing image data read from the storage unit on the print data received by the receiving unit at the position determined by the image printing position determining unit; and a printing unit for printing a result of the superimposition by the superimposing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Maiko Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8848214
    Abstract: An improved automated planning method and system includes the use of an automated planner for validating a workflow plan with respect to device capabilities. As such, the present invention provides for an improved method and system for implementing and managing workflow plans utilized in printing environments such as, for example, print shops. A plurality of device capability descriptions can be converted into a data indicative of facts and operators for utilizing in a knowledge-based reasoning system. Next, a workflow plan can be converted into properties indicative of a goal state. The goal state and the data indicative of facts and operators can then be utilized in association with a domain-independent or domain-dependent planner to determine if said workflow plan is valid and executable in order to thereby validate said workflow plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Kirk J. Ocke, Rong Zhou, Minh B. Do, Dale Ellen Gaucas, Michael David Shepherd
  • Patent number: 8842316
    Abstract: An image forming system includes a first image forming apparatus located upstream and a second image forming apparatus located downstream in a sheet conveying direction to perform a both-side printing operation. The system further includes a control section for judging whether a predetermined processing step serving as a judgment criterion has been completed with respect to an image to be formed on a subsequent sheet in each of the apparatuses, and for performing a control to start image forming operation on the subsequent sheet when judging that the predetermined processing step has been completed, and a processing step serving as the judgment criterion for the image to be formed in the second image forming apparatus is located in a step prior to a processing step serving as the judgment criterion for the image to be formed in the first image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Susumu Kurihara
  • Patent number: 8842343
    Abstract: An image scanner includes: a light source that irradiates, with light, a recording medium on which an image is formed; a light receiving portion that receives light reflected by the recording medium; a reflecting portion that has plural reflecting surfaces respectively disposed at positions having different distances in an optical axis direction from the light receiving portion; and a processing portion that generates information on the image formed on the recording medium and information for measuring illumination depth of the light source, by use of the light received by the light receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masao Ito
  • Patent number: 8830529
    Abstract: An image forming device performs functions including: dividing the image into a plurality of band images each including at least one sub-region; creating region data used to identify each sub-region included in the band image; updating the region data such that the region data identifies both first and second uniform sub-regions as a single uniform region of the image when the first uniform sub-region abuts the second uniform sub-region, the first and second uniform sub-regions being included in the first and second band image and classified as the uniform sub-region, respectively; and updating the region data such that the region data identifies both first and second nonuniform sub-regions as a single nonuniform region of the image when the first nonuniform sub-region abuts the second nonuniform sub-region, the first and second nonuniform sub-regions being included in the first and second band image and classified as the nonuniform sub-region, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryohei Ozawa, Masaki Kondo
  • Patent number: 8792121
    Abstract: A method for controlling printing of a print job involves portioning the print job into a plurality of parts via a partition manager, and converting each part of the print job into respective binary image data parts via a Raster Image Processor (RIP) manager. The method further involves controlling a rate of aggregation of the converted parts via a throttle control manager. The rate of aggregation is controlled by monitoring parameters of a printing system used to perform the printing of the print job, determining that at least one of the monitored parameters reaches or exceeds a predefined threshold, and manipulating the rate of aggregation of the converted parts in response to the determining according to a throttle mode predefined for a particular set of monitored parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Shaun Henry, Fabio Giannetti, Paul Wissenbach
  • Patent number: 8773706
    Abstract: Methods disclosed facilitate the dynamic addition of language support for peripherals. In some embodiments, peripherals may read in language strings in a previously unsupported language from a data file and populate memory locations with the strings. The memory locations may be logically addressed using an index value associated with the previously unsupported language and identifier associated with the string. In some embodiments, the identifier associated with the string in the previously unsupported language may correspond to the identifier associated with a translated equivalent of the string in a language that is natively supported by the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventor: Tim McCann
  • Patent number: 8760688
    Abstract: An image processing system includes a first image processing apparatus and a second image processing apparatus connected to the first image processing apparatus. The first image processing apparatus includes a reader reading image data, a storage storing job information, a request unit transmitting a job request as a job to the second image processing apparatus to execute the job corresponding to the job information based on a job execution scheduling, and an introducing unit introducing the job information to the second image processing apparatus. The second image processing apparatus includes a receiver receiving the job request from the first image processing apparatus as the job, a job executing unit executing the job corresponding to the job information, a determining unit determining whether to acquire the job information based on the job execution scheduling, and an acquiring unit acquiring the job information based on a determined result from the determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masafumi Nagao, Ayako Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8736891
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus and method perform variable-magnification processing of an image while a change in an impression of an image and the processing load are suppressed. The image forming apparatus generates a normalized tile image in a tile image and calculates the number of the normalized tile images that can be arranged in a drawing region after variable magnification. If the number is not less than a first threshold value, data including a tile image in which the normalized tile images in the number are arranged in the drawing region after the variable magnification is generated as data after the variable magnification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidemi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8723972
    Abstract: A surveillance system with cameras, monitors and a connection medium. Provided in this connection are a response code memory for the storage of response codes by which image data can be retrieved by cameras and response code generation media which are allocated to the monitors and generate response codes which indicate which cameras should retrieve image data, whereby the connection medium is designed for the purpose of through-connecting image data to the monitors in response to the response codes generated by the response code generation media allocated to the monitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Mobotix AG
    Inventors: Ralf Hinkel, Klaus Borchers