Patents Examined by Henok A Shiferaw
  • Patent number: 11803721
    Abstract: A printing system includes an estimation system that stores the dot count value and a stored consumable use value for a recurring print job. The dot count value relates to the dot count of a rendered image for the print job for use in printing operations using estimate settings of the printing device. For a later instance of the print job, the estimation system retrieves the dot count value. It also obtains the current settings for the printing device and applies these settings to the dot count value to determine a current consumable use value. Based on the current consumable use value, the estimation system determines whether use of the current settings will result in an increase of ink or toner use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Javier A. Morales
  • Patent number: 11797805
    Abstract: An estimation system provides consumable use estimations, such as for ink or toner, in printing operations. The estimation system uses a classification-based consumable use process to estimate the consumable use. A print job is assigned a classification category according to an arbitrary job category selected for the print job and a job property defined for the print job using job settings. A plurality of classification categories are available. Job costing data for the print job is provided and used to determine consumable use values for each sheet in the print job and a total consumable use. This information is used to verify the correct classification category was assigned and to update historical consumable use information. An estimate is provided using the classification category and the distribution of the consumable use for print jobs in the category.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Javier A. Morales
  • Patent number: 11785151
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus provides multiple functions including at least a first function and a second function, to an application. The information processing apparatus includes circuitry. The circuitry receives an input of a first setting value for the first function and a second setting value for the second function, the first function and the second function being used by the application to execute a flow. The circuitry, in response to an instruction to execute the flow, determines validity of the first setting value and the second setting value. The circuitry requests execution of the flow using the first setting value and the second setting value in response to a determination result indicating that the first setting value and the second setting value are valid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takuya Inoue
  • Patent number: 11782650
    Abstract: A printing device includes a display and a controller. The controller performs a counting process to increment a cumulative value of a printing count each time printing is performed by the printing device. The controller performs a first display control process to display on the display the cumulative value of the printing count which is incremented in the counting process. The controller performs a display mode modification process to modify a display mode for the cumulative value of the printing count displayed on the display when a printing agreement is established for a subscription. The printing agreement is for charging fees depending on a printing count within a specific interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuka Hattori
  • Patent number: 11778123
    Abstract: A system is disclosed. The system includes at least one physical memory device to store compensation logic and one or more processors coupled with the at least one physical memory device to execute the compensation logic to generate first ink deposition function representing a first output ink amount versus input digital count for each of a plurality of color planes without pel forming element artifacts, generate second ink deposition function representing a second output ink amount versus input digital count for each of the plurality of color planes with the pel forming element artifacts and generate compensated halftones for each of the plurality of color planes based on the first ink deposition function and the second ink deposition function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikel Stanich, Walter F. Kailey, Nikita Gurudath, Ziling Zhang, Brandon Skogen
  • Patent number: 11775791
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for ink estimation. One embodiment is a system for dynamic ink use estimation. The system includes a cloud computing system. The cloud computing system includes a cloud event service able to receive a print job and potential configurations of a printer selected for printing the print job, and to initialize virtual printers for the printer that each correspond with one of the potential configurations. The cloud computing system also includes the virtual printers, which are able to operate in parallel to estimate amounts of ink used for each configuration during printing of the print job, and to store the estimated amounts of ink in a cloud storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Colin Reims, Marquis G. Waller, Kenneth Stuart Shouldice, Kelly Harr, John Barker Condon
  • Patent number: 11770483
    Abstract: According to the prior art, it is necessary to display necessary buttons depending on situations if a button for instructing stop/restart of a job common in multiple functions is displayed on a screen. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing apparatus comprises: a memory; and at least one processor in communication with the memory and configured to perform: displaying a display screen on an operation unit, the display screen including a display area of an application and a common display area containing a plurality of buttons commonly used in each application; and controlling of changing a button to be displayed in the common display area depending on a job status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuki Kado
  • Patent number: 11765286
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a first communication portion for communicating with a portable terminal through near field wireless communication by using a first communication type in response to holding of the portable terminal thereover, a second communication portion, capable of communicating with the portable terminal on the basis of communication with the portable terminal by using the first communication type, for carrying out wireless communication with the portable terminal by using a second communication type broader in communication range than the first communication type, and a sound generating portion for generating a notification sound for notifying that communication between the portable terminal and the second communication portion is enabled in response to enablement of the communication between the portable terminal and the second communication portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takuya Uemura
  • Patent number: 11765281
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and an image processing program for relatively easily creating an album similar to an example album are provided. A page of an example album is displayed in a page display region, and one example image among images pasted on the page is displayed in an example image display region. An image similar to the example image is displayed in a selected image region. In a case where a decision button is clicked, the image is pasted at a position at which the example image is pasted. Similarly, an album is created by finding images similar to example images and the like pasted in an image pasting region. The album similar to the example album is created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yukinori Noguchi
  • Patent number: 11765301
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus capable of improving operability of a question preparer. The image processing apparatus including a memory device that stores instructions, and a processor that executes the instructions to: generate a question sheet image by controlling a reading unit to read a question sheet in which question sentences and question numbers are written, generate an answer sheet image by controlling the reading unit to read an answer sheet that includes answer fields, question numbers corresponding to the answer fields, and marks showing marking results, detect an answer field including a wrong answer mark from the answer sheet image, obtain a question number corresponding to the detected answer field from the answer sheet image, obtain a question sentence corresponding to the obtained question number from the question sheet image, and generate a review image including the obtained question sentence and a new answer field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kyosuke Nakano
  • Patent number: 11755267
    Abstract: A printing system provides consumable use estimation for print jobs using an estimation system and the digital front end (DFE) of a printing device. A hybrid consumable use estimation process is enabled that minimizes impact to the production printing at the printing device. The DFE of the printing device generates a consumable use estimate using an estimate job queue and raster image processor (RIP) separate from the normal job queues. The estimate job queue does not generate print data. Using the rendered data, the DFE generates the consumable use estimate and returns it to the estimation system. The printing device then prints the document for the print job and provides the actual consumable use to the estimation system for monitoring and tracking of consumable use. In some instances, the estimation system performs the consumable use estimation when a condition exists at the DFE at the printing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Javier A. Morales
  • Patent number: 11755258
    Abstract: Example methods and systems to implement an economic printing mode with font information modification are described. In one example, a computer system may obtain source printing content associated with a print job that is destined for a printer and the economic printing mode may be selected for the print job. The computer system may extract, from the source printing content, (a) textual information to be printed and (b) font information associated with the textual information. The source printing content may be transformed to generate target printing content that is printable using a lower ink consumption compared to the source printing content by modifying the font information associated with the textual information. The computer system may provide the target printing content that includes modified font information to the printer for printing and/or generate a preview of the target printing content prior to printing using the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: VMWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Hui Yuan, Kun Shi, Lingjun Kong, Mangui She, Hui Zhang
  • Patent number: 11755269
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a receiver that communicates with a terminal device, and receives, from the terminal device, destination information including group information; a selector that selects, in a case where a selected group history indicating that the group information is selected in the past is stored in a storage, one piece of group information from among the group information included in the destination information, based on the selected group history; and a screen displayer that performs control of displaying, on a displayer, destination information including the one piece of group information selected by the selector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Ido
  • Patent number: 11750757
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to: extract, if a facsimile document is received, information indicating a contact associated in advance with a telephone number of a person who has transmitted the facsimile document; and perform control for posting an electronic document, which is obtained by digitizing the facsimile document, to a message exchange service including the contact as a member while determining the contact as a notification target of the electronic document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Takuma Yamamoto, Kohei Kaibara, Masakazu Ketsuka, Mitsuru Sato, Toru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11740842
    Abstract: A cloud server offering a first cloud print service is capable of storing print data obtained from the outside, transmitting a registration request to a second cloud print service different from the first cloud print service, acquiring print data from the second cloud print service registered based on the registration request, and storing the print data acquired from the second cloud print service and the print data received from the outside through a different method. The stored print data is transmitted to a printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Go Inoue
  • Patent number: 11743401
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a first function of performing first processing based on image data obtained by reading a document, and a second function of performing second processing based on image data obtained by reading a document includes a controller including a processor that displays, on the display unit, a first setting screen for setting a setting value to be used for a job of the first function, displays, on a display unit, an object for accepting a user operation for displaying a second setting screen for setting a setting value to be used for a job of the second function together with at least a part of the first setting screen upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition in a state where the first setting screen is displayed and no user operation is accepted, and displays the second setting screen on the display unit upon selection of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Maruyama
  • Patent number: 11743394
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus configured to transmit apparatus management information used in the management of the own apparatus to an external server is provided with a first communication unit; a second communication unit that is different from the first communication unit; a transmission unit configured to externally transmit apparatus management information via the first communication unit when in a regular power mode in which the information processing apparatus operates using a first power source configured to receive a power supply from outside the apparatus; and a control unit configured to perform, in a case that power supply to the information processing apparatus by the first power supply has been stopped, control such that power is supplied to the second communication unit by a second power source inside the apparatus after this power supply has been stopped, and the apparatus management information is externally transmitted via the second communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Minoru Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 11720294
    Abstract: The information processing apparatus includes an input device, a communication device, and a control device. The image indicated by the document is input to the input device. The communication device communicates with other electronic apparatuses. The control device includes a processor, and the processor functions as a controller by executing a control program. The controller detects a code indicating permission or prohibition of a job related to the document and a provider of the document from the input image, and determines the permission or prohibition of the job related to the document and the provider of the document on the basis of the detected code, and, in a case where it is determined that the job related to the document is permitted, executes the job related to the document, and notifies the provider that the job related to the document has been executed via the communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hara Danica Teves
  • Patent number: 11720308
    Abstract: An image forming system includes a print system and a management server. The print system includes one or plural image forming apparatuses. The management server receives a print order from a user, and upon receiving the print order, performs a print job using the print system under a print condition specified by the print order. Further, the management server generates a suggestion of a print condition in consideration of operation status of the print system and an amount of a consumable good required for the print job, differently from the print condition specified by the print order, and notifies the user of the suggestion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Inventor: Atsushi Kimura
  • Patent number: 11720301
    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 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuki Fukusada