Patents Examined by Henok A Shiferaw
  • Patent number: 11178293
    Abstract: An information processing system includes an image forming apparatus being an example of an information processing apparatus, and a user terminal. The image forming apparatus and the user terminal are directly and communicably connected by radio communication or the like. A remote operation screen for remotely operating the image forming apparatus is displayed on a display of the user terminal. On the remote operation screen, an additional function notifier is provided for notifying a user of existence of an additional function that is an operation function executable with an input device of the image forming apparatus to be operated, and is not executable with the remote operation screen in an initial state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masao Saeda, Yoshinori Nagata, Yukako Nii, Miho Yamamura, Michiko Katsuki, Masaki Kondo
  • Patent number: 11172094
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory configured to store a program, wherein the program when executed by the processor causes the information processing apparatus to perform operations, the operation comprising acquiring information of a sheet type used by an image output apparatus; providing a setting screen configured to accept setting operation for sheet types supported by the image output apparatus; and on the setting screen, among the sheet types supported by the image output apparatus, displaying the used sheet type indicated by the acquired sheet type information with priority over other sheet types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11172087
    Abstract: A control method for a multifunction machine includes detecting placement of a document on a document tray, displaying an object in accordance with document placement detection, storing information indicating the thickness of the document set using the object, conveying the document based on the information, and scanning the conveyed document. The object is displayed in accordance with document placement detection while a function selection screen is displayed, the information is received from a user through the object, and the document is conveyed based on the information in a case where execution of the copy function is commanded through a copy screen displayed after selection of the copy function. Even when a user places a document while a function selection screen is displayed, the thickness of the document can be set with certainty, and the document is scanned based on the set thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yosui Naito
  • Patent number: 11165918
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to perform control of a display. The control is performed to display a sub screen on a first main screen if an execution instruction for a job is given. The sub screen includes information regarding a progress state of the job. The control is performed to display a progress state of the job on a second main screen in a case where an operation by a user is needed after the execution instruction for the job is given. The progress state displayed on the second main screen is displayed with more information than the information regarding the progress state of the job included in the sub screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Masahiro Tose
  • Patent number: 11163526
    Abstract: A printing system includes a server system to receive instruction data based on a voice instruction accepted by a voice control device and transmit message data, and a printing apparatus that communicates with the server system. The voice control device outputs, in a case where the message data for narrowing down content to be printed is transmitted, a message by voice based on the transmitted message data and accepts a voice instruction related to a content of the first content type, the server system specifies content data of the first content type based on instruction data received in a case where the voice instruction related to the content of the first content type is accepted, and the printing apparatus executes printing based on print data generated based on the specified content data of the first content type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yu Tomioka
  • Patent number: 11159695
    Abstract: A method of managing a personalized data storage on a multi-function device (MFD), the method including receiving a request for a new personalized data entry, determining if available storage space exists on the personalized data storage, if available storage space does not exist on the personalized data storage, identifying an existing personalized data entry unused for a first predetermined period of time, determining a user associated with the existing personalized data entry, and sending a query to the user. In some embodiments, the personalized data entry is associated with a consolidated work-flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Michael William Barrett, Janine Marie Gates
  • Patent number: 11157219
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving, by a computer, equipment parameters associated with printing equipment of a printing system. The computer determines that the equipment parameters are different from previous equipment parameters used by the printing equipment. When the equipment parameters are different, the computer configures estimation logic to generate an estimated amount of printer consumables required for printing pages of a print job request based on the equipment parameters; and communicates the estimated amount of printer consumables required for printing the pages of the print job request to a client terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Javier A. Morales
  • Patent number: 11150850
    Abstract: A system includes a spool directory accessible by a mobile computing device and an imaging device. A user selects for imaging on the imaging device a file accessible by the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device saves the file on the spool directory with a unique name. Upon the user accessing the imaging device for imaging, the imaging device generates a unique quick response code. The user captures the code with a camera of the mobile computing device and the code is used by the mobile computing device to rename the file on the spool directory. That the imaging device knows the quick response code, the imaging device accesses and prints the file on media for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Larraine Belleza CaƱo, Richmond Fajardo Enriquez, Froilan Balaga Guioguio, Jr., Ralph Lester Borces Rabor, Christopher Gerald Gamboa Santos
  • Patent number: 11146700
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a setup unit, a language identification unit, and a controller. The setup unit establishes a condition that enables group chat to be performed, among the image forming apparatus and a plurality of information processing apparatuses, by activating a group chat tool. The language identification unit identifies, when a communication device receives a message inputted to the group chat from the information processing apparatus, a language of the message. When the language identified by the language identification unit is not installed, the controller retrieves language data indicating the identified language from a storage device, and installs the identified language as a language usable with the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Matsuki
  • Patent number: 11144751
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus is used in contact with a user, and includes a screen, a communication interface, an image sensor, and a processing circuit. The communication interface receives an object image of an object as an operation object that is present in a real space. The image sensor captures and detects motion of the user, the motion being performed to operate the object and the motion being performed in the real space without contacting the object. The processing circuit displays the object image on the screen, determines an operation of the object corresponding to the detected motion of the user according to the object image and the captured image, and instructs the object to execute the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Kengo Tokuchi
  • Patent number: 11144256
    Abstract: In an information processing apparatus, a memory stores a plurality of sets of setting data for printing. Each setting data is in association with one of setting modes for a setting process. The setting process sets a set of setting data for printing. The setting process in a first setting mode sets setting data for a specific print whereas the setting process in a second setting mode sets setting data used generally for printing. The control device executes the setting process in a current setting mode, and acquires from the printer a sheet size. The control device extracts setting data having sheet size data indicating a sheet size matching the acquired sheet size. When the current setting mode is different from a setting mode in association with the extracted setting data, the control device switches the current setting mode to the setting mode in association with the extracted setting data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Po Chun Chew
  • Patent number: 11137948
    Abstract: User equipment, the user equipment to receive data representing identity information broadcast by a rendering apparatus over a passive non-contact short proximity data transport mechanism when the user equipment is proximate the rendering apparatus, and push the gathered identity information to a workstation, to enable the workstation to connect with the rendering apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Joshua Serratelli Schiffman, Luke T. Mather, Boris Balacheff
  • Patent number: 11137962
    Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and a system are disclosed for comparing usage of plural printers. The method includes collecting print information on each of a plurality of printers, the print information including print volume, printer run time, printer print time, printer stop time, and raster image processing time; and displaying, on a graphical user interface, a printer usage dashboard, the printer usage dashboard including a line chart of print volume for the plurality of printers, a bar chart of printer stop time for each of the plurality of printers, and a scatter chart of printer usage for the plurality of printers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventor: Masayuki Tashiro
  • Patent number: 11132155
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a consumable cartridge and a main body. The consumable cartridge includes a cartridge memory storing usage information and identifying information. The main body includes a main memory and a controller. The controller stores the identifying information stored in the cartridge memory in the main memory and rewrites the usage information stored in the cartridge memory into information indicating that the consumable cartridge is used in a case where the usage information indicates that the consumable cartridge is unused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuki Fukusada
  • Patent number: 11128776
    Abstract: The present invention provides a mechanism by which an image forming apparatus notifies an apparatus that inputs an image forming job to the image forming apparatus that the image forming apparatus is during remote support service, and suitably restricts acceptance of image forming jobs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Kawamura
  • Patent number: 11128780
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses methods and systems for managing one or more multi-function devices during an emergency in an organization. The method includes receiving one or more emergency signals from one or more sensors installed within the organization. Based on the one or more emergency signals, status of access to an organization gateway is checked to ascertain the occurrence of emergency. Based on the ascertainment, the one or more multi-function devices are automatically disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Shanmukha Teja Badana, Pedireddy Devi, Sai Praneeth Kannegolla, Srinivasarao Bindana
  • Patent number: 11128778
    Abstract: A duplex printing method includes, determining an amount of shrinkage of a media sheet onto which a front side image has been printed; scaling an image to be printed on a back side of the sheet with a scaling function that depends upon the determined shrinkage; and printing the scaled image on the back side of the sheet. The step of determining includes predicting a shrinkage of a media sheet on the basis of process parameters, and on the basis of a model that is defined by a set of model parameters and that describes a dependence of the shrinkage on the process parameters, the process parameters including at least an amount of marking material to be applied to the front side of the sheet; measuring an actual shrinkage of the sheet; and adjusting the model parameters based on a comparison between the predicted shrinkage and the measured shrinkage to improve a prediction of a shrinkage for a subsequent sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: CANON PRODUCTION PRINTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Leon C. Van Breugel, Henri P. J. Hunnekens
  • Patent number: 11115554
    Abstract: A power supply control device includes a switch to output a switch depression signal, which is in a first logic level during a period in which the switch is not depressed, and is in a second logic level during a period in which the switch is depressed, a first power supply to generate a first DC voltage based on AC power, which is supplied from an outside, and to apply the first DC voltage to a predetermined load, and a second power supply configured to generate a second DC voltage based on the AC power irrespective of a state of the switch, and a controller to operate on the second DC voltage, to switch an operation state of the first power supply when the switch depression signal has switched from a first logic level to a second logic level and remains at the second logic level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Kanno
  • Patent number: 11115547
    Abstract: A present image forming apparatus includes a first control unit that controls a native program, a second control unit that controls an extension application different from the native program, a first memory area in which an operation screen of the native program controlled by the first control unit is rendered, and a second memory area in which an operation screen of the extension application controlled by the second control unit is rendered. At least a part of the operation screen of the native program is output to a display when an event related to outputting of the operation screen of the native program has occurred while the display is displaying a screen rendered in the first memory area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Kogure
  • Patent number: 11106399
    Abstract: A printing control method is performed by an information processing apparatus including a predetermined application capable of requesting first software to output a print file and includes an input step of inputting an output size specified by a user, a determination step of determining a file name of the print file, based on the inputted output size, and an instruction step of instructing the predetermined application to request the first software to output the print file which includes data created by the predetermined application and has the determined file name. In addition, printing target data corresponding to the data created by the predetermined application is generated, with a size corresponding to the output size, based on the file name.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuo Kurata