Patents Examined by Madelein Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8743438
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for performing image thinning processing, comprises: a thinning unit configured to be able to execute a plurality of thinning processes which have different output image qualities and processing times; an acquisition unit configured to acquire status information indicating a status of the apparatus; a division unit configured to divide an image into a plurality of divided images; a prediction unit configured to predict a processing time when thinning processing executed by the thinning unit is applied to each divided image divided by the division unit; and a selection unit configured to select, based on the status information acquired by the acquisition unit and the predicted processing time predicted by the prediction unit, thinning processing to be applied to each divided image from the plurality of thinning processes executed by the thinning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tateki Narita
  • Patent number: 8736903
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a setting unit, a generating unit, and a converting unit. The setting unit sets a gloss level of each of plural areas into which an image is divided. The image is formed by forming plural toner images having different colors using plural first toners and at least one second toner having at least one same color as the first toners and by fixing the plural toner images onto a recording medium so as to be superimposed on one another. The generating unit generates multi-level image data for each of the first toners and the at least one second toner in accordance with the gloss levels set by the setting unit. The converting unit converts multi-level image data of toners having the same color into binary image data. The converting unit also converts multi-level image data of toners having different colors into binary image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Koyatsu, Masahiko Kubo, Toshifumi Takahira, Hidetoshi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 8730548
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus having various and may functions, in order to easily set a function based on a scanned document, a CPU of an MFP executes a program including: when a document is scanned by a user (YES at S3200), the step of displaying a preview image of the scanned document (S3202); the step of OCR-processing the document data (S3204); when the scanned document has been registered in a document-by-document recommended functions list (YES at S3210), the step of reading the document-by-document recommended functions list from an HDD and displaying the document type and recommended menu on a touch-panel display (S3212); the step of setting the function registered in the recommended functions list in the MFP (S3222) unless the setting of recommended menu is changed (NO at S3218); and the step of executing copy/transmission process based on the set function (S3224).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Tani, Terumi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8724144
    Abstract: A facsimile machine that enables to limit a facsimile transmission based on a network address converted from an inputted telephone number, and provides a facsimile transmission based on a network address designated as a destination of received image data. An input unit inputs a telephone number of a transmitting destination. A setting unit sets a transmission limit domain to which a facsimile transmission is limited. An acquisition unit adapted to acquire a network address corresponding to the telephone number inputted via the input unit. A control unit that limits a facsimile transmission of which the transmitting destination is the acquired network address based on a domain of the network address acquired by the acquisition unit and the transmission limit domain set by the setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Tonegawa
  • Patent number: 8724173
    Abstract: A problem of the present invention is to provide a control apparatus, a controlling method, a program, and a recording medium which can print by using at least one or more special colors in addition to four colors of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. To solve the above problem, the control apparatus according to the present invention includes analyzing unit that provides command analysis for a CMYK plate and a clear toner plate, generating unit that generates image data of the CMYK plate based on a result of the command analysis by the analyzing unit, and embedding unit that embeds a clear toner attribute obtained by analyzing the clear toner plate in an attribute flag accompanying each of pixels of the image data of the CMYK plate, which is generated by the generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junichi Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 8724126
    Abstract: A printing apparatus capable of executing color printing and monochrome printing includes: a mode controller which controls a monochrome printing mode where the monochrome printing is executed, a first mode where reception of a printing job stops when a color image forming medium has run out, and a second mode where procession to the monochrome printing mode is possible; an exclusive controller which receives only one printing job in a first time period; and a print executing unit which execute printing on the basis of the printing job received by the exclusive controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Norihiko Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8717606
    Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a communication start request receiving unit and a response notification output unit. The communication start request receiving unit receives, via a first communication path, a communication start request that is output from a source communication apparatus and is transmitted via a relay apparatus. The response notification output unit outputs a first response notification or a second response notification to the relay apparatus via the first communication path when the communication start request receiving unit receives, via the first communication path, a communication start request for starting communication using a second communication standard in a case where the number of apparatuses with which the communication apparatus is communicating using the second communication standard has reached a predetermined number. The first response notification indicates that communication is being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8717648
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a setting unit that sets a color index representing a category to which an achromatic color and at least one chromatic color that are included in image data belong; an adjustment unit that adjusts a color tone of the achromatic color belonging to the category that is indicated by the set color index in accordance with a hue of the chromatic color belonging to the category; and a generation unit that generates image data including the chromatic color belonging to the category and the achromatic color of which the color tone is adjusted by the adjustment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Atsushi Togami
  • Patent number: 8705154
    Abstract: A spectral colorimetric apparatus for detecting a color of an image of a subject, including: an illumination optical system illuminating the subject on a detection surface; a spectral optical system including a spectral element spectrally separating the beam diffused by the subject and a light receiving element array detecting a spectral intensity distribution; and a guiding optical system for guiding a beam diffused by the subject, wherein: the detection surface is parallel to a spectral plane including a principal ray of a beam entering the spectral optical system and a principal ray of a beam spectrally separated; the principal ray of the beam enters the spectral optical system within the spectral plane obliquely to a line joining a center of the light receiving element array with a surface vertex of the spectral element; and a light receiving surface of the light receiving element array is orthogonal to the spectral plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tokuji Takizawa, Kazumi Kimura, Nobuyuki Tochigi, Masayasu Teramura
  • Patent number: 8687251
    Abstract: An optimal interval obtaining sheet is output, and the density thereon is measured using a color meter. A layout determining unit determines an optimal interval at which patches are to be arranged on a sheet including a plurality of patches having the same color and the same gradation based on the measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ishii
  • Patent number: 8675250
    Abstract: A waiting time Ts is decided on the basis of ink type information and ink feed amount information, referring to waiting time table A (Step 6). Along with this, a dried printing paper is carried to and stopped in a waiting area 9 (Step 7), a time period T is measured after stopping, and measurement processing in the next step is delayed until the time period T reaches the waiting time Ts. Then, when the time period T reaches the waiting time Ts, a measuring instrument 10 is used to measure a density of a patch printed on the printing paper (Steps 8 and 9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kentarou Muro, Susumu Hirosawa, Yutaka Kano, Shigeyasu Nagoshi, Minoru Teshigawara, Yoshiaki Murayama, Takeshi Murase, Satoshi Azuma, Masao Kato, Minako Kato
  • Patent number: 8670147
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that prints and edits a document includes a user identification portion, a print management portion that records print management information indicating a user who performs abort operation of printing, an edit management portion that records edit management information, a determination portion that determines, based on the print management information, whether or not the user is a print suspended operator who has performed the abort operation previously, a page extraction portion that, when the print suspended operator performs reprinting operation for giving instructions to print the document that has been updated, extracts pages of the document which were printed successfully when printing of the document was suspended and have been updated thereafter, and a print controller that controls the image forming apparatus such that the image forming apparatus prints at least unprinted pages of the document and the pages extracted by the page extraction portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Taketoshi Yamahata, Tsumoru Matsuura, Eiichi Yoshida, Takatsugu Kuno, Kenichi Komaba
  • Patent number: 8665492
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which performs density tone correction with high accuracy while reducing the burden on the user. The image processing apparatus prints an evaluation image in which a plurality of color patches and a plurality of reference patches are placed on the same main scanning line, measures density of the printed evaluation image, performs density irregularity correction in a main scanning direction using densities of the measured reference patches, and performs density tone correction using densities of the measured color patches. Results of the density irregularity correction are reflected in the density tone correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Toriyabe
  • Patent number: 8643897
    Abstract: A plurality of grid points for forming a quadrangle is quasi-formed on a medium prior to deformation, after which position information is acquired that relates to the positions of the grid points moved in conjunction with deformation of the medium. The area difference of two triangles divided by a first diagonal is computed in a quadrangle formed by the grid points after deformation of the medium, and the area difference of two triangles divided by a second diagonal different from the first diagonal is computed in the quadrangle. The quadrangle quasi-formed on the medium prior to deformation is divided using one of the first and second diagonals that yields the larger area difference, and the formation amount of colorant formed on the medium is corrected according to the deformation ratio after deformation for the triangles formed by the division.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Koyama, Toru Fujita
  • Patent number: 8630011
    Abstract: A secure fax transmission system can be used to assure the intended recipient of a confidential document being sent via facsimile is the only person that will have access to the document once it is sent. An application module communicates with a client user interface over a first network and communicates with a recipient fax machine over a second network. The application module receives information associated with a confidential document being sent via facsimile. Prior to sending the document, the application module determines if the recipient fax number has been previously registered as a secure fax number. The application module then sends the document to the recipient if the recipient fax number is registered a secure. If the recipient fax number is not registered as secure, the application module sends a request for registration to the recipient fax number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Omtool, Ltd.
    Inventor: Thaddeus Bouchard
  • Patent number: 8599456
    Abstract: A two color process section included in the image processing apparatus includes a luminance and chroma calculation section, an image-data determination section, and an output-color generation section. The luminance and chroma calculation section calculates a luminance value and a chroma value based on input image data. The image-data determination section determines the input image data, the chroma value of which is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, as first input image data constituting a chromatic color in a two-color image and determines the input image data, the chroma value of which is less than the threshold, as second input image data constituting an achromatic color in the two-color image. The output-color generation section generates image data of CMY from the first input image data based on the chroma value and the luminance value and generates image data of CMY from the second input image data based on the luminance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasutaka Hirayama, Makio Gotoh, Masanori Minami, Masakazu Ohira, Takafumi Hosogi
  • Patent number: 8564823
    Abstract: A scanner device may create original data for one or more pages, and calculate a digest value utilizing the original data so as to create document data in an external storage device. If a remaining capacity in an internal storage device is not deficient, the scanner device may write a first type of target partial data in both of the internal storage device and the external storage device. If a second type of target partial data which is partial data of a target of a calculating process for calculating the digest value is stored in both of the internal storage device and the external storage device, the scanner device may perform a calculating process by utilizing the second type of target partial data being stored in the internal storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Tsugimura
  • Patent number: 8564833
    Abstract: A problem of the present invention is to provide a control apparatus, a controlling method, a program, and a recording medium which can print by using at least one or more special colors in addition to four colors of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. To solve the above problem, the control apparatus according to the present invention includes analyzing unit that provides command analysis for a CMYK plate and a clear toner plate, generating unit that generates image data of the CMYK plate based on a result of the command analysis by the analyzing unit, and embedding unit that embeds a clear toner attribute obtained by analyzing the clear toner plate in an attribute flag accompanying each of pixels of the image data of the CMYK plate, which is generated by the generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junichi Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 8547613
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method of inheriting intended GCR into a 4-to-4 cascaded LUT to compensate for print engine change which adversely impacts the quality of an output print. The present method uses the device link transform to generate starting LUT nodes for the inverse of the drifted printer model by inputting CMYK or RGB into the device link at a color space resolution sufficient to determine output nodes. Lab and CMYK values are derived from this process, and a “starting LUT” is created at the Lab destination nodes. An iterative control begins with this starting LUT to produce an inverse drifted printer model that contains a close approximation for the intended GCR. The present method captures the intent of the device link transform for a fleet and generates the cascaded LUT for drift, specific printer, side1/side2, and other modes leading to special GCRs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Lalit Keshav Mestha, Martin S. Maltz, Yao Rong Wang
  • Patent number: 8537440
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus that can automatically read images on a plurality of pages stored in electronic paper without setting the electronic paper on a page-by-page basis even when using an original fixed reading method. A scanner unit reads an image on an original placed on an original platen glass by scanning the original by moving a reading unit from one end of the original to the other end. Communication with electronic paper is carried out to acquire image information stored in the electronic paper. An image file of which image is to be read is selected from the displayed image information. An image display on the electronic paper placed on the original platen glass is controlled by communicating with the electronic paper using a communication unit. The scanner unit scans in images of the selected image file displayed on the electronic paper on a page-by-page basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Shimizu