Patents Examined by Lamson Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9996045
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a first storage section configured to store image information to be printed; a printing section configured to include a decolorable recording material and non-decolorable recording material and print an image based on the image information stored in the first storage section with the decolorable recording material in a case in which the image meets a predetermined condition; a second storage section configured to store emphasis information for emphasizing a specific image; and a control section configured to control the printing section to print an image indicated by the emphasis information stored in the second storage section with the decolorable recording material in a case in which the image meets the predetermined condition existing in the image information stored in the first storage section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 9993963
    Abstract: An inkjet chip of printing module of a rapid prototyping apparatus and a control circuit thereof are disclosed. The inkjet chip has a length and a width to define a total area including an unwiring area and a wiring area. The unwiring area has at least three liquid supply slots in parallel with each other and respectively connected to one of the ink chambers of the modular ink cartridge. The wiring area has a control circuit. The control circuit includes a plurality of liquid ejectors. Each liquid ejector has a heating resistor, a driving transistor, and a nozzle. The control circuit is connected to receive a power signal, a printing data signal, a preheating data signal, a preheating control signal, a reverse preheating control signal, a heating control signal, and a reverse heating control signal and connected with the common connection node for controlling the liquid ejector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: MICROJET TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Wen-Hsiung Liao, Chi-Feng Huang
  • Patent number: 9981484
    Abstract: A method for applying flame treatments to a print surface on an object in an inkjet printer includes activating a hydrogen torch within the inkjet printer to generate a flame through a nozzle of the hydrogen torch and operating an actuator to move at least one of the print surface or the nozzle in a predetermined direction to apply the flame from the nozzle to the print surface. The method further includes adjusting a rate of fuel flow to the nozzle of the hydrogen torch to change a thermal output level of the flame with reference to a change in distance between the nozzle of the hydrogen torch and the print surface during the operating of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Steven R. Moore, Douglas K. Herrmann, Alexander J. Fioravanti
  • Patent number: 9981496
    Abstract: When a roughened pattern is formed on an image protection layer, a thermal transfer sheet is protected from being damaged or broken. A thermal head 18 is driven and controlled such that an image protection layer 15e of a thermal transfer sheet 15 is thermally transferred to a printing medium 14, and that a roughened pattern 40 is formed on the image protection layer 15e. The roughened pattern 40 is made based on a corrected pattern 40B that is obtained by correcting a basic pattern 40A that is a pattern including an island portion formed of a mass of a plurality of high-energy pixels 40a, such that the high-energy pixel 40a surrounded by the high-energy pixels 40a forming an edge area of the island portion is converted to a low-energy pixel 40b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Sawada, Naoki Takizawa
  • Patent number: 9975330
    Abstract: A method for operating an inkjet printhead includes identifying a number of ink drop ejections for an inkjet in the printhead to form a printed image with reference to image data corresponding to the printed image and generating control data that specify a sequence of a plurality of non-firing electrical signals to be applied to the inkjet with reference to a predetermined control sequence stored in a memory and the number of ink drop ejections. The method further includes generating non-firing electrical signals applied to the inkjet with reference to the control data and generating a plurality of firing electrical signals applied to the inkjet to eject ink drops after generating every non-firing electrical signal in the plurality of non-firing electrical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Metcalfe, Douglas D. Darling, David A. Mantell
  • Patent number: 9975369
    Abstract: A power control device includes a heating section, an input section, and a control section. The heating section is configured to heat an object. The input section is configured to receive a power consumption value. The control section is configured to control the heating section so that a total power value obtained by adding a power consumption value of the heating section and the power consumption value received by the input section does not exceed a predetermined power value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yohei Doi
  • Patent number: 9969130
    Abstract: A nozzle cleaning module including a base housing, a main carrier, a sub-carrier, a driving assembly and an interference structure is provided. The main carrier is received in the base housing, a wiper protrudes upwardly from the main carrier, and the main carrier has a sub-slope. The sub-carrier is received in the main carrier, a cover protrudes upwardly from the sub-carrier, and at least a portion of the sub-carrier is in contact with the sub-slope. The driving assembly is connected to the main carrier and obliquely lifts the main carrier in relation to the base housing to lift the wiper. The sub-carrier moves along with the main carrier at the same time. The interference structure is arranged corresponding to the sub-carrier to move the sub-carrier along the sub-slope, so the cover can be raised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignees: XYZPRINTING, INC., KINPO ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Yang-Teh Lee, Jia-Yi Juang, Yi-Chu Hsieh
  • Patent number: 9962932
    Abstract: A print level information generating unit generates print level information representing the amount of ink to be applied to a predetermined area on a print medium. A print timing information generating unit generates print timing information indicating a timing, at which the ink is applied to the predetermined area. A print information combining unit outputs the print level information as the print information in a case where the amount of ink to be applied to the predetermined area is maximum or minimum. Moreover, the print information combining unit replaces a part of the print level information with at least a part of the print timing information so as to output, as the print information, information obtained by combining the print timing information and the print level information in a case where the amount of ink to be applied to the predetermined area is not maximum or minimum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomoki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9962960
    Abstract: An example support structure assembly is described as including a brace, a media guide, and a compression member. An example brace includes a structure defining a mount area on a first surface of the brace and a first protrusion extending from a second surface of the brace. An example media guide includes a blade member, a hinge member, and a second protrusion extending away from the hinge member. An example compression member is coupled to the first protrusion of the brace and the second protrusion of the media guide to place a force on the media guide where a vector defines the force with a first component magnitude in a first direction towards the mount area that is greater than a second component magnitude in a second direction away from the mount area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Keith Jariabka, Alvin Post
  • Patent number: 9962958
    Abstract: A droplet discharge apparatus includes a recording section that performs recording by discharging ink droplets onto a recording medium, and a drying section including a plurality of drying units that perform drying of the recording medium on which ink droplets have been impacted, wherein the drying units are movably disposed in a predetermined drying area in which the drying of the recording medium is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidemasa Kanada, Shuichiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 9956768
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes a head driving unit that generates a first driving voltage and a second driving voltage in which whether or not there is ejection of liquid from a first ejection element in a case where the first driving voltage alone is applied to the first ejection element that is a detection target of a short circuit between ejection elements is different from whether or not there is ejection of liquid from the first ejection element in a case where the first driving voltage and the second driving voltage are applied to the first ejection element, supplies the first driving voltage to the first ejection element, and supplies the second driving voltage to the second ejection element suspected of a short circuit with the first ejection element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi Kyoso
  • Patent number: 9956771
    Abstract: An example provides a fluid ejection apparatus including a fluid feed slot to supply a fluid to a plurality of drop ejectors, a first rib at a first side of the fluid feed slot and supporting drop ejection circuitry to control ejection of drops of the fluid from the plurality of drop ejectors, and a second rib at a second side, opposite the first side, of the fluid feed slot supporting a thermal sensor to facilitate determination of a temperature of the first rib and the second rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: David Maxfield
  • Patent number: 9956791
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a container; a conveying mechanism configured to convey a recording medium contained in the container; a recording head configured to record an image on the recording medium that has been conveyed through a conveying path by the conveying mechanism; a moving mechanism including a carriage and configured to move the carriage reciprocatingly together with the recording head; a first sensor installed in the carriage and configured to detect the recording medium; a second sensor configured to detect a change of a state of the container; a storage unit configured to store width information of the recording medium that is conveyed by the conveying mechanism; and a controller configured to control the conveying mechanism, the moving mechanism, and the recording head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yusuke Arai
  • Patent number: 9956795
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a print unit; a first roller that transport the medium; a plurality of second rollers cooperating with the first roller to nip the medium therebetween at positions that face the first rollers; a third roller that holds the medium which has been transported by the first roller and transport the medium to a print path in which printing is performed by the print unit; a specific second roller located most downstream in the transportation path among the second rollers; and a control unit that controls each of the roller and the print unit, wherein the control unit causes the specific second roller to be displaced to a separated position after the medium is held by the third roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takafumi Ogimura
  • Patent number: 9956764
    Abstract: A pattern formation device, a liquid ejection device, and an electrical fault detection method capable of detecting electrical fault of a liquid ejection head on the basis of an analysis result of an electrical fault detection pattern are provided. An electrical fault detection pattern having an arrangement of dot arrays satisfying an arrangement condition with an arrangement of a plurality of ejection elements in a liquid ejection head is formed by ejecting liquid from a liquid ejection head in which M rows of ejection element groups in which a plurality of ejection elements are arranged in a first direction are arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and M is an integer equal to or greater than 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi Kyoso
  • Patent number: 9950543
    Abstract: A cartridge for a recording medium and an image forming apparatus are provided. The image forming apparatus includes a housing, a printing unit disposed inside the housing, and having a thermal head with a heating element, and a cartridge for a recording medium, in which a recording medium wound in a roll shape is installed and which is provided to supply the recording medium to the printing unit, wherein the cartridge for a recording medium has a de-curl roller which guides the recording medium to be curved in a direction opposite to a winding direction, and is provided to be movable in a direction adjacent to the recording medium when the recording medium is supplied to the printing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: S-PRINTING SOLUTION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyun-Woo Kim, Yu Jin Oh
  • Patent number: 9944102
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a setting unit, an averaging unit, a determination unit, a quantization unit, an addition unit and a detection unit. The averaging unit divides image data based on a division size and phase set by the setting unit to subject pixels included in the resultant respective division regions to an averaging processing to calculate an average value. The quantization unit configured to obtain a quantization value for each of the plurality of pixels. The addition unit adds the quantization values, that are obtained so that at least one of the division size and the phase is different from the other, to generate addition image data. The determination unit determines the quantization threshold value so that the quantization threshold value in a case where the division size is a first size is higher than the quantization threshold value in a case where the division size is a second size larger than the first size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suwa, Shinjiro Hori, Tomokazu Ishikawa, Wakako Tanaka, Tohru Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9937738
    Abstract: Inkjet printer for the labeling of goods having a print head having a cylindrically shaped housing. A latching lug, and a circumferentially extending groove are formed on the housing in a rear region thereof, in the vicinity of a rear face of the housing. Further, it has an annular collar having an inner wall adapted to the housing. On the one hand, the housing is capable of being fixed and, on the other hand, it is rotatable and axially movable, relative to the annular collar. The annular collar has a bore hole axially aligned with the groove, and a fixing projection located in the bore hole. Further, it has several latching recesses for the latching lug. When the latching lug is positioned in one of the latching recesses, the bore hole is located radially above the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: EBS Ink Jet Systeme GmbH
    Inventors: Jan Slomianny, Andreas Slomianny
  • Patent number: 9937714
    Abstract: Staggered fluid ejection dies may include first, second and third fluid ejection dies, each of the dies having fluid feed passages between first and second long edges. And electrical interconnect may extend from a location proximate the first long edge of each of the fluid ejection dies. A temperature sensor may be supported proximate the second long edge of each of the fluid ejection dies. Each of the fluid ejection dies may omit temperature sensors proximate the first long edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Garrett E. Clark, Chris Bakker, Mark H. MacKenzie, Glenn D. McCloy
  • Patent number: 9925792
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes discharge orifices, recording elements that generate energy, supply channels that supply liquid to the recording elements, a common supply channel communicating with the supply channels, recovery channels that recover liquid supplied to the recording elements, a common recovery channel that recovers liquid from the recovery channels, a first inlet port that supplies liquid to the common supply channel, a first recovery port that recovers liquid from the first common supply channel, a second inlet port that supplies liquid to the common recovery channel, and a second recovery port that recovers liquid from the second common recovery channel. The first inlet port and the first recovery port communicate without going through channel portions where recording elements are disposed, and the second inlet port and the second recovery port communicate without going through channel portions where recording elements are disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takatsuna Aoki, Seiichiro Karita, Shingo Okushima, Eisuke Nishitani, Yumi Komamiya, Kazuhiro Yamada, Zentaro Tamenaga, Noriyasu Nagai, Tatsurou Mori, Shuzo Iwanaga, Akio Saito, Akira Yamamoto