Patents Examined by Julian D. Huffman
  • Patent number: 11691414
    Abstract: Print data is organized over rows and columns. The columns of each row are selectively assigned to calibration tables respectively corresponding to printheads of a pagewide array in accordance with a substrate advancement skew relative to the pagewide array. The calibration tables are applied to the columns of each row respectively assigned to the calibration tables. The columns of each row to which the calibration tables have been applied are printed using the printheads respectively corresponding to the calibration tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Carlos Fajardo Sanchez, Albert Serra Monner, Esteve Tarrago Sanchis
  • Patent number: 11685168
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a first container with a first compartment, a second container with a second compartment, a recorder, a display, and a controller, is provided. The controller controls the display to display a first screen and a second screen. The first screen contains a first object having a form that reflects an amount of a colorant in the first compartment and a second object having a form that reflects an amount of the colorant in the second compartment. The second screen contains a third object having a form that reflects one of the amount of the colorant in the first compartment, the amount of the colorant in the second compartment, and a total amount of the colorant in the first compartment and the second compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunsuke Minamikawa, Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 11685151
    Abstract: In a method and device for ascertaining print data for a print image to be printed, the print data is adapted and/or determined such that the time curve of the ink flow quantity, exhibits no quantity changes or flow rates due to which ink ejection errors might be produced, in particular nozzle failures. The device includes: a communication interface configured to receive the print data; and processing circuitry that ascertains, based on the print data, a time curve of an ink flow quantity of ink that, during the printing of the print image, flows in the print bar and/or is ejected from the one or more nozzles of the print bar; and determine, based on the time curve of the ink flow quantity, whether an ink ejection error will be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Florian Hitzlsperger, Jochen Reinders, Ulrich Stöckle, Eva Pichlmeier
  • Patent number: 11679600
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a decision unit, a determination unit, and a change unit. The acquisition unit acquires a measurement result regarding a printing medium characteristic value. The decision unit decides a candidate for a printing medium type based on the acquired measurement result, and a reference characteristic value of each of printing media types set in advance to identify a type of the measured printing medium. Information associated with the printing medium type to be printed is input. The determination unit determines whether to change the reference characteristic value of the printing medium type associated with the input information based on the measurement result and the printing medium type associated with the input information. Wherein, when the determination unit determines to change the reference characteristic value, the change unit changes the reference characteristic value of the printing medium type based on the measurement result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takehiko Kasamatsu, Yuki Igarashi, Koji Suda, Fumikazu Nishikawa, Yasushi Morimoto, Keiko Harada, Ryoma Ono
  • Patent number: 11679598
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a transport unit, a printing head, and a control unit that prints, on a printing medium, a test pattern for inspecting a state of ink discharge by a nozzles. The test pattern includes a first pattern element group in which a plurality of pattern elements to be printed by the nozzles are arranged in the transport direction, and a second pattern element group in which a plurality of pattern elements to be printed by the nozzles are arranged in the transport direction. After the control unit causes the transport unit to transport, by a distance equal to or greater than a nozzle pitch, the printing medium printed with the first pattern element group by causing the nozzles to discharge the ink, the control unit prints the second pattern element group on the printing medium by causing the nozzles used to print the first pattern element group to discharge the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiichi OHara
  • Patent number: 11667141
    Abstract: A printing apparatus acquires characteristic information about a recording medium and executes a light quantity adjustment in a reading operation using a reading unit based on the acquired characteristic information. By using the above-described configuration, it is possible to prevent an increase in the number of processes for analyzing read data obtained by reading a test pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kanto Kurasawa
  • Patent number: 11667139
    Abstract: A printing apparatus can prevent a print medium from buckling during discharging. In a case in which the print conveyance speed determined by the print mode is higher than or equal to a specified speed, the print medium after printing is conveyed to a discharging tray at the print conveyance speed, and in a case in which the print conveyance speed determined by the print mode is lower than the specified speed, the print medium after printing is conveyed to the discharging tray at the specified speed increased from the print conveyance speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norio Sakurai, Kosuke Yamamoto, Yuki Emoto, Toshiaki Somano
  • Patent number: 11669705
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a print execution section and a controller. The print execution section includes a printing head which has nozzles for discharging ink of specified color, the nozzles being aligned in a first direction; a head driver which drives the printing head to discharge the ink of the specified color thereby forming dots of the specified color on a printing medium; and a conveyor which conveys the printing medium relative to the printing head in any direction of the first direction and a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The controller is configured to: acquire object image data; generate a plurality of pieces of dot data, which represent formation states of the dots of the specified color, for a plurality of pixels by using the object image data; and print a printing image on the printing medium by using the plurality of pieces of dot data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Arakane, Masao Mimoto, Tsuyoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 11663432
    Abstract: A printer includes a printing device including a print head, a first moving device, and a second moving device, and a controller. The controller is configured to generate first partial-dot-data by executing a first generating process with respect to first partial-image data and generate second partial-dot-data by executing a second generating process with respect to second partial-image-data. In the second generating process, the controller determines a degree of reduction in density by the second generating process to a first degree of reduction in a first case where a particular condition including a code condition that is satisfied when the second partial-image includes at least a portion of a code image is satisfied, and determine the degree of reduction in density by the second generating process to a second degree different from the first degree of reduction when the second partial-image does not include the code image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoru Arakane, Tsuyoshi Ito, Masao Mimoto
  • Patent number: 11654696
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a battery housing section that houses a battery, a head placement section where a printing head that performs printing on the medium is placed, and a movement measurement section that measures the movement of the printing apparatus relative to the medium, and the battery housing section, the head placement section, and the movement measurement section are arranged in the order of the battery housing section, the head placement section, and the movement measurement section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshifumi Sakai
  • Patent number: 11648780
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing head including a nozzle configured to discharge ink, and a control unit configured to control the printing head to print a test pattern on a printing medium, for inspecting a state of ink discharge by the nozzle. The test pattern includes a pattern element formed by a plurality of dots of the ink, and the control unit causes the printing head to print the test pattern where a number of the dots forming the pattern element on a second printing medium is smaller than a number of the dots forming the pattern element on a first printing medium, the second printing medium being more susceptible to bleed-through of the ink than the first printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Eiichi Ohara
  • Patent number: 11639068
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a type reception unit, a notification unit, a mode reception unit, and a determination unit. The mode reception unit receives a mode selected from among a plurality of modes for determining a determined type of recording medium for use in a recording apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus is configured to perform operations including determining, in a designation mode, a selected type of recording medium indicated by information received by the type reception unit, and determining, in an automatic determination mode, an automatically determined type of recording medium for use in the recording apparatus without receiving input user information indicating the recording medium type. In response to the determination unit determining that the mode is able to be changed from the designation mode to the automatic determination mode, the notification unit issues a prompting notification to prompt a user to change the mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masato Eiyama
  • Patent number: 11639062
    Abstract: Textile printing wherein the printing comprises: acquire, by a controller, a print job comprising an image and a set of print parameters; position a textile in a printing zone; acquire a calibration image of the textile and transferring the calibration image to the controller; determine, by the controller, a set of calibrated print parameters based on the calibration image and the set of print parameters; and print the image on the textile using the set of calibrated print parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Maria Elizabeth Zapata
  • Patent number: 11633962
    Abstract: Provided is a printing device in which a height position of an object can be accurately adjusted with a simple configuration. The printing device includes: a base part having an opening on a side and multiple first slits and second slits disposed side by side in an up-down direction; a support member for supporting the object, slidably engaged with any first and second slit among the first and second slits in a lateral direction from the opening side and being slidable through the opening between a pull-out position pulled out from the base part and a storage position stored in the base part; and a head part disposed above the support member at the storage position and ejecting ink toward the object supported by the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Sakai, Yoshihiko Imura
  • Patent number: 11628672
    Abstract: A printing device includes a printing portion, a maintenance portion, and a controller. The printing portion includes an ejection head and prints using ink. The maintenance portion performs maintenance on the ejection head. The maintenance involves consumption of ink. The controller has a manual maintenance mode and an automated maintenance mode. In the manual maintenance mode, the controller executes a maintenance using the maintenance portion in response to a maintenance command signal based on a manual operation. In the automated maintenance mode, the controller automatically executes a maintenance using the maintenance portion in response to a maintenance execution condition being met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Hayashi, Sadaaki Miyazaki, Tomohiro Nodsu
  • Patent number: 11623455
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a color component divided data generation unit, a dot data generation processing unit, and a dot data segmentation processing unit. The color component divided data generation unit generates color component divided data from image data. The dot data generation processing unit applies a dot data generation mask to the color component divided data to generate dot data. The dot data segmentation processing unit applies a segmentation mask to the dot data to generate scan data. A width of the segmentation mask in a main scanning direction is different from a width of the dot data generation mask in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimito Abe, Shotaro Takeuchi, Masanori Hirano, Takayuki Ito, Takahiko Sugiura, Daiki Marumo, Kyohei Hamada
  • Patent number: 11613116
    Abstract: A method of operating a printer distributes inkjet operations from frequently used inkjets to lesser used inkjets. The redistribution of the inkjet operations helps reduce the number of inkjets exhibiting cross-process direction error so printhead maintenance operations, such as purging, occur less frequently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jason M. LeFevre, Douglas K. Herrmann, Chu-Heng Liu, Varun Sambhy, Seemit Praharaj
  • Patent number: 11604953
    Abstract: Disclosed is a printing device including: a print head; a camera that photographs a printing target which is printed by the print head; and at least one processor that determines whether or not printing is properly performed to the printing target based on a printed image which is photographed by the camera, and that changes a printing setting by the print head in response to determination that the printing is not properly performed to the printing target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shuichi Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 11597224
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for calibrating a printer for printing labels. According to one aspect, calibration label papers are provided to a printer. Each calibration label paper comprises a horizontal calibration mark and a vertical calibration mark. A test image is printed on a calibration label paper, the test image comprising a horizontal printer mark and a vertical printer mark printed parallel to their respective calibration marks. The calibration marks are compared with their respective printer marks. Using a computing device, coordinates of a virtual label grid representing the calibration label paper are adjusted based on the comparison of the marks. A second test image comprising new printer marks is printed, and the calibration marks are compared with the new printer marks. Upon alignment of the printer marks and the calibration marks, the adjusted coordinates of the virtual label grid are saved as default coordinates for the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Inventor: Vincent Ramirez
  • Patent number: 11590778
    Abstract: A printing system includes: a media feed chassis including a plurality of fixed roller shafts, each roller shaft having a rotatable roller for guiding print media through a media feed path; and inkjet modules mounted on the media feed chassis for printing on the print media. Each inkjet module includes: a support chassis seated on the media feed chassis; a maintenance chassis mounted on the support chassis; and a print bar chassis mounted on the maintenance chassis, the print bar chassis having inkjet printheads mounted thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventor: Mark Profaca