Patents Examined by Kimberly A. Williams
  • Patent number: 8937752
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a white reference member, reading device, and processor. The reading device includes lenses and light-receiving elements. The light-receiving elements output a plurality of pixel values based on a light reflected from the white reference member. Each lens corresponds to at least two light-receiving elements. Each light-receiving element is configured to receive a light reflected from the white reference member and passing through the corresponding lens and to output one pixel value. The processor acquires the pixel values by using the reading device, sets a target pixel, and determines that the target pixel is an abnormal pixel when an absolute value of difference between a pixel value of the target pixel and a pixel value of a first pixel is greater than a prescribed threshold. The first pixel is separated from the target pixel by an integer multiple of the predetermined lens-to-lens distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Kuno, Kentaro Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8937747
    Abstract: An image processing device to receive print data generated based on image data of an original document, the original document including color pixels and being determined to be printed by color printing, and to store the received print data in a storage unit in preparation for a possible reprinting operation based on the received print data, the device including: a redetermination unit configured to redetermine whether to carry out color printing or monochrome printing to achieve a printing operation to print a part of the original document by using the stored print data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Aya Okada, Shoji Kurita
  • Patent number: 8934137
    Abstract: A printing device includes at least one station and a transmission control unit. The station includes a printing unit that prints image data of a plurality of colors generated by an upper level device on a printing medium, and a plurality of holding units that receive and hold the image data of the plurality of colors transmitted from the upper level device through a plurality of first transmission paths respectively corresponding to the image data of the plurality of colors. The transmission control unit controls the plurality of holding units to receive printing information from the upper level device through a second transmission path, and controls, on the basis of the printing information, the plurality of holding units to respectively receive and hold the image data of the plurality of colors transmitted from the upper level device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Shinya Nohdomi
  • Patent number: 8934113
    Abstract: Local operation of an image forming apparatus is permitted from a tablet terminal only in a case where the tablet terminal is in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus. To achieve this, the position of the tablet terminal is determined by GPS. Alternatively, the position of a user holding a tablet terminal is determined using a local authentication unit of the image forming apparatus. Local operation is permitted if the user of the tablet terminal is within a predetermined range with respect to the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Hosoda
  • Patent number: 8934119
    Abstract: A computer architecture that integrates desktop productivity applications with various visualization engines and various output engines allowing visualization, modification and formatting of the ultimate output from the application. Methods for accomplishing content visualization, editing and formatting in light of one or more printing option are also provided. Methods and apparatus are also provided for environmentally-friendly printing in booklet form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Electronics for Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark McCuen, Toby Weiss, John Henze
  • Patent number: 8928938
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image forming section for forming a test image including a plurality of patterns in which at least one pattern is more easily affected by a variation factor for density than another pattern, an accepting section for accepting an amount of adjustment for density, and an adjusting section for adjusting density of an image to be formed by the image forming section based on the amount of adjustment for density accepted by the accepting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masakazu Ohira
  • Patent number: 8928912
    Abstract: A printing control device includes units that: distribute received image data page by page, perform image processing for converting the image data distributed by page into print data, and control output in accordance with a plurality of image output sections, and control the output processing of each of the plurality of the image output sections based on the print data generated by the image processing, when aggregate printing where images of a plurality of pages are merged into one image is executed. The image data is distributed so that the image data is subjected to the image processing by a single image processing unit. The plurality of the output control units generate print data in a plurality of pages by combining the plurality of page print data transferred from the image processing units, and transmit the generated print data to the image output sections corresponding to the output control units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Misawa
  • Patent number: 8928921
    Abstract: A print server receives an email, which has been transmitted from a mobile terminal device and in which a printer is designated as the print output destination for an attached file to the email, from a mail server, stores the received email in a storage unit, and executes print processing of print data for the attached file to the email. The print server manages the email and identification information about a reply mail in association with each other and transmits the reply mail to the mobile terminal device. The mobile terminal device provides a reprint instruction for the attached file by replying the email. The print server performs print processing of the attached file to an email managed in association with the identification information about the reply mail included in the replied email.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Motoki Koshigaya
  • Patent number: 8928909
    Abstract: A startup operation control apparatus includes a main-power-source operation unit, a determining unit, a memory, and a controller. The main-power-source operation unit is operated to supply and shut off power from a power source. The determining unit determines whether or not the main-power-source operation unit has been operated. The memory stores, every time an operation mode of a processing device that operates by receiving power supply from the power source changes, information representing the changed operation mode in an updating manner. If the determining unit determines, upon a shift from a power shutoff state to a power supply state, that the main-power-source operation unit has not been operated, the controller performs control so that the processing device operates in the operation mode represented by the information stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Shimizu, Teiju Sato, Michihisa Nezu, Masato Saito, Tatsuo Mishima, Hideki Nojo
  • Patent number: 8922838
    Abstract: Application of treatments for treating a colorant for printing an image is described herein. In an example, an amount of a treatment to be applied on a substrate portion is determined considering color calibration of a printing system for specific conditions of printing the image. The treatment is for treating the amount of colorant on the substrate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jaime Fernandez del Rio, Jacint Humet Pous, Eduardo Amela Conesa, Marc Serra Vall
  • Patent number: 8922841
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus capable of optically reading a document to generate an electronic file, and a method for controlling the same, in which an existing file that is to be attached to the electronic file or to which the electronic file is to be attached is specified, the name of an attachment-including file including the specified electronic file and existing file is specified, and the attachment-including file is sent under the specified name to a specified destination by a sending method for the attachment-including file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Isoda
  • Patent number: 8913311
    Abstract: Disclosed is a processor-implemented method for limiting ink output of marked image data using a target printer. A processor determines a constrained output (CMYK) LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer to thereby mark the image data using a limited amount of ink. The constrained set is determined by re-encoding an encoded emulation output data, i.e., constraining an initial LUT node data set for the target printer based on a second. ICC profile with a smaller gamut. This allows the printer to inherit the smaller gamut. By constraining the initial LUT as disclosed herein, the final, constrained set emulates the smaller gamut in the target printer without suffering from pathological outcomes. The method enables the printer to inherit a natural ink limit methodology for the output colors that is more relatively proportional, and in a single destination profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: James Michael Sanchez, Guo-Yau Lin, David C. Robinson
  • Patent number: 8913265
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external apparatus via a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Go Inoue
  • Patent number: 8902456
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward method for enabling use of PDL metadata to drive printing outcomes. The method includes receiving a selection for a file in a first format. The method further includes parsing the file for metadata and displaying attributes included in the metadata. The method next assigns each attribute to a print-rendering condition. The method then provides the file in a second format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: David C. Robinson
  • Patent number: 8885215
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a printer is disclosed. The printer prints a plurality of patches using know color values. At least two patches of each color are printed. The patches are measured to determine a measured color value for each patch. The measured color values are checked for validity. The printer is calibrated using only the valid measured color values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Juan Uroz Soria, Jordi Arnabat Benedicto
  • Patent number: 8879117
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a width of a print media is measured. A margin adjustment decision is made utilizing a margin instruction if the measured width is within an acceptable variance from a standard width of the media. The margin adjustment decision is applied to a plot of an image to be printed on the media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Sebastia Cortes, Marcos Izquierdo, Francisco Javier Roses
  • Patent number: 8861025
    Abstract: Disclosed is a color adjustment method including color converting to obtain output CMYK values corresponding to an object indicated by input image data from the input image data by using a color conversion table for converting the input image data to the output CMYK values which is created on the basis of an output device profile. The color adjustment method further includes color adjusting to obtain adjusted CMYK values from the output CMYK values by using a color adjustment table for converting the output CMYK values to the adjusted CMYK values, the color adjustment table is created on the basis of a third conversion table for converting the color value indicating the coordinate in the device-independent color space to the adjusted CMYK values and the first conversion table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Toru Hoshino
  • Patent number: 8861003
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a dot image forming unit executes one of: (i) a default mode of forming a dot image of an entire rectangle by placing an internal dot group corresponding to a fill of an inside a rectangle and a contour dot group corresponding to a contour of the rectangle based on a first dot placement rule and a second dot placement rule, respectively; or (ii) a change mode of forming the dot image of the rectangle by unifying dot placement rules into either of the two dot placement rules and placing the internal dot group and the contour dot group; and an image formation control unit causes, in the change mode, the dot image forming unit to unify the dot placement rules into either of the two dot placement rules and to place the internal dot group and the contour dot group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yuki Shinohara
  • Patent number: 8861012
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes an output unit, a transmission unit, an output-history generating unit, a transmission-history generating unit, a checking unit, and a determination-information generating unit. The output unit acquires image formation information items, and performs output processes of outputting the information items to a storage unit. The transmission unit acquires the information items, and performs transmission processes of transmitting the information items to the image forming unit. The output-history generating unit generates output histories in which an order in which unit processes constituting the output processes have been performed is recorded. The transmission-history generating unit generates transmission histories in which an order in which unit processes constituting the transmission processes have been performed is recorded. The checking unit checks whether the orders match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Issei Matsushita
  • Patent number: RE45267
    Abstract: There is disclosed an image processing apparatus which applies an adjusting process to an image that includes a pixel to be processed. The image processing apparatus extracts an image area with a predetermined size including the pixel to be processed. The apparatus calculates a variation associated with the pixel to be processed from signal values of pixels included in the image area. The apparatus calculates a variation time count in the image area from the signal values of the pixels included in the image area. The apparatus calculates adjusting levels Fz1, Fz2, and Fe from the variation time count and the variation using a definition unit which defines correspondence among the variation time count, the variation, and the adjusting levels, and applies an adjusting process to a signal value of the pixel to be processed by the calculated adjusting levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumitaka Goto, Kentaro Yano, Fumihiro Goto, Masao Kato, Akitoshi Yamada, Tetsuya Suwa, Mitsuhiro Ono, Arata Miyagi, Yusuke Hashii