Patents Examined by Ngon Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9785389
    Abstract: An image forming system comprises a display section, an input section, a setting section and an image forming section. The display section displays various reception images corresponding to various image formation settings on functions for image formation. The input section receives an input operation carried out by the user on a reception image. The setting section carries out an image formation setting corresponding to the reception image subjected to the input operation after the input section receives the input operation carried out by the user on the reception image displayed on the display section. The image forming section forms an image based on the image formation setting set by the setting section. The input section receives a single input operation as an input operation for the various image formation settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takuya Ookawa
  • Patent number: 9787863
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a communication unit that communicates with an external device and acquires specific information added to a print job stored in the external device, a controller that specifies the print job among a plurality of print jobs stored in the external device based on the specific information acquired from the external device via the communication unit, and issues a transmission request for the specified print job to the external device, and an output unit that forms an image based on the print job acquired from the external device via the communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: OKI DATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jin Nomura
  • Patent number: 9778891
    Abstract: A communication apparatus including a near field wireless communication unit which holds communication information regarding a communication sets a communication mode to be used for a wireless communication unit supporting a longer field wireless communication than a wireless communication using a near field wireless communication unit in accordance with write information written from an external apparatus to the near field wireless communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eiji Kadota
  • Patent number: 9781300
    Abstract: A method and system for removing objects from a print document are provided. An image forming apparatus receives a print document sent from a computing device remote from the image forming apparatus. The print document includes print data. The image forming apparatus further receives a directive to remove, from the print document, at least one type of object selected for removal, wherein the print data includes data representing one or more objects of the type of object selected for removal. In response to the directive, the image forming apparatus removes the one or more objects of the type of object selected for removal prior to printing the print document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Jayant Bhatt
  • Patent number: 9772809
    Abstract: A printed matter delivery system, in which a printed matter delivery apparatus delivers printed matter having an image formed by an image forming apparatus is provided. The system includes a print management unit managing a print job performed by the image forming apparatus; a delivery management unit managing a delivery job performed by the printed matter delivery apparatus; a delivery authentication processing unit performing a matching confirmation process to determine whether authentication information of the delivery job matches authentication information of the print job; a print controlling unit causing the image forming apparatus to generate the printed matter based on the print job authenticated by the delivery authentication processing unit and to output the printed matter to the printed matter delivery apparatus; and a receipt confirmation unit obtaining receipt information input into the printed matter delivery apparatus at a delivery destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazunori Bannai, Yasuhisa Ehara, Katsunori Shoji, Daisuke Maeda, Yusuke Funayama, Keiichi Serizawa, Kazuhiro Takabayashi, Seiichi Handa
  • Patent number: 9753684
    Abstract: A method for identifying a printer and printing is provided. The method includes transmitting, from each of a plurality of printers, a wireless beacon. The method includes receiving, at a printer, an instruction from a mobile device to print information, wherein the instruction is received via a wireless network, the mobile device determining, based on radio signal strength of wireless beacons, which of the plurality of printers is closest to the mobile device and selecting and coupling to the printer via the wireless network to send the instruction to the printer. The method includes printing, at the printer selected by the mobile device, the information in accordance with the instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Amir Najari, Christopher Wu, Gerhard Bork
  • Patent number: 9754197
    Abstract: To prevent the occurrence of a difference in printing results depending on a printer driver to be used despite that the drawing command originates from a GDI application and is the same. An information processing apparatus including a printer driver configured to generate print data compatible with a printing apparatus from input XPS format drawing data, and in the case where the input XPS format drawing data is XPS format drawing data converted by a conversion module from GDI format drawing data that is generated based on print processing of a GDI application and the XPS format drawing data includes a graphics drawing command specifying an object width of 0, the printer driver changes the graphics drawing command into a graphics drawing command specifying drawing with the minimum object width that can be represented by the printing apparatus and generates the print data based on the drawing data including the graphics drawing command after the change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Namihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 9756194
    Abstract: Systems and methods for displaying video of an output tray of a printing device are provided. An example method may include a sensor of a printing device detecting motion of a user in an output tray of the printing device. In response to the detected motion, the method may also include activating a video camera of the printing device, wherein the video camera is configured to capture at least an area of the output tray encompassing a reproduced document. Still further, the method may include a display of the printing device displaying live video of the area of the output tray while a user manipulates and retrieves a reproduced document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Christian Holmes, Dai Shigenobu
  • Patent number: 9749484
    Abstract: An information processing device includes: a communication unit that communicates with an image forming apparatus; a storage unit; a receipt unit that receives a setting value of the image forming apparatus; an acquisition unit that acquires information about a state of the image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus to change setting of the setting value; and a request unit that stores the setting value received by the receipt unit in the storage unit when the image forming apparatus is in a state not allowed for setting a setting value, and requests the image forming apparatus to set the setting value stored in the storage unit when the image forming apparatus shifts to a state allowed for setting a setting value, wherein the setting value is stored in the storage unit by a function of a web browser application program executed by the information processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Taketoshi Yamahata, Hiroaki Sugimoto, Yoshikazu Takesada, Yusuke Shinosaki, Hiroyuki Ohno
  • Patent number: 9749481
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus that is capable of keeping a command concerning an original reading process with a simple configuration and of receiving a command concerning a process that is operatable concurrently with the original reading process. A scanner unit reads an original. A transmission unit transmits image data to a destination. A first determination unit determines whether a processing command received from a client apparatus is a first command that requires transmission of image data obtained by reading with the scanner unit. A second determination unit determines whether the scanner unit is in an occupied state. A reply unit replies a busy signal indicating that the scanner unit is busy to the client apparatus that transmitted the processing command until the scanner unit is no longer in the occupied state, when the scanner unit is in the occupied state and when the processing command is the first command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Atsushi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9747536
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes multiple image processing units, a detector, and a distribution unit. The multiple image processing units perform image processing to convert image data distributed on a page-by-page basis into raster-format color print data. The detector detects a processing-load cycle of a case where image data is converted into print data on a page-by-page basis. The distribution unit distributes on a page-by-page basis to the multiple image processing units image data included in a received print command and, in a case where it is determined in accordance with the processing-load cycle and the number of the multiple image processing units that pages involving heavy processing loads may be distributed to a specific image processing unit in a non-uniform manner, changes, from a preset distribution order, a distribution order of the multiple image processing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinsuke Tsuda
  • Patent number: 9733879
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: a display; user interface a user interface; a storage configured to store an external program; a network interface configured to perform wireless communication with an image recording apparatus capable of executing recording processing of recording an image on a sheet according to a setting value; and a controller configured to execute: external acquisition processing of executing the external program for determining the print data based on a user's operation and acquiring the print data; preview display processing of generating a preview image and displaying the preview image on the display; first reception processing of receiving a touch operation of instructing execution of the recording processing through the user interface; and output processing of, when the first touch operation is received, transmitting recording instruction information for executing the recording processing of the print data to the image recording apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norihiko Asai
  • Patent number: 9727852
    Abstract: A tablet terminal 13 has a tablet terminal controller 20 that returns a substitute address indicating the address of the tablet terminal 13 to the POS terminal 10 when a command asking for the address of the recording device 12 is received from the POS terminal 10; determines whether to send the received print control data to the recording device or the management device, or to both, as the destination device if print control data transmitted by the POS terminal 10 to the substitute address is received; and transmits the print control data to the selected destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yusuke Yamada
  • Patent number: 9714148
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a decision unit configured to decide a size of a recording material on a manual feed tray; a storage unit configured to store the size of the recording material decided by the decision unit when the image forming apparatus is shifted from a first mode in which power is supplied to the decision unit to a second mode in which the power is not supplied to the decision unit; a display unit configured to display information; and a control unit configured to cause the display unit to display a screen for confirming the size of the recording material on the manual feed tray in a case where the size of the recording material decided by the decision unit when the apparatus is shifted from the second mode to the first mode does not match the size of the recording material stored in the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keita Takahashi, Shinnosuke Iwadate, Teruhito Kai, Hiroto Nishihara, Kenzo Kumagai, Hiromi Shimura
  • Patent number: 9699338
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exit tray, an image forming section, a user identification section, a printed sheet receipt managing section, and a fetch sensor. The image forming section performs a printing operation based on a print instruction issued from a user. The fetch sensor is capable of detecting that a printed sheet has been fetched from the exit tray. The user identification section identifies a print requester corresponding to a user having issued a print instruction, and a fetcher corresponding to a user fetching the printed sheet from the exit tray. If the printed sheet is fetched from the exit tray and the fetcher is different from the print requester, the printed sheet receipt managing section sends, to a computer of the user, a notice of printed sheet taken away notifying that the printed sheet has been taken away.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masato Hirota
  • Patent number: 9699339
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including a reading device and a controller to control the reading device to execute a reading operation, is provided. The controller in the reading operation executes a leading edge detecting process, wherein a leading edge of an original sheet is detected from image data acquired through the reading device; a trailing edge detecting process, wherein a trailing edge of the original sheet is detected from the image data acquired through the reading device; a determining process, wherein one of the leading edge and the trailing edge to be used to correct the image data acquired through the reading device is determined based on conditions of the detected leading edge and the trailing edge; and a correcting process, wherein the image data is corrected by use of the determined one of the leading edge and the trailing edge determined in the determining process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroko Mori
  • Patent number: 9692941
    Abstract: An image processing system comprises a master image processing apparatus provided with an image forming section for processing an image and a slave image processing apparatus provided with an image forming section for forming an image. The master image processing apparatus comprises a first user information storage section which stores user information, an acquisition section, a first user information update section which updates the user information stored in the first user information storage section according to the user information acquired by the acquisition section and a sending section which sends the user information acquired by the acquisition section to the slave image processing apparatus. A second user information storage section of the slave image processing apparatus stores the user information. A second user information update section updates the user information stored in the second user information storage section according to the user information received by a receiving section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Shimoda
  • Patent number: 9692924
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an accepting unit to accept user operations to transition the apparatus from a standby state to a power save state; a detecting unit to detect objects around the apparatus; and a power control unit to transition the apparatus from the power save state to the standby state according to detection of an object by the detecting unit, and to transition the image forming apparatus from the standby state to the power save state according to user operations accepted at the accepting unit. The power control unit prohibits the apparatus from transitioning from the power save state to the standby state according to the detection of the object, until a user, which performed operations accepted by the accepting unit to transition the apparatus from the standby state to the power save state, thereafter ceases to be detected by the detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeru Imamura
  • Patent number: 9674386
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a communication device is selectively operable in a communication device side normal mode and a sleep mode consuming less power than the communication device side normal mode. The controller is selectively operable in a controller side normal mode, a first sleep mode consuming less power than the controller side normal mode, and a second sleep mode consuming less power than the first sleep mode. The controller is configured to: transmit to the communication device a command instructing to transit to the sleep mode in response to transition to the second sleep mode; maintain the sleep mode regardless of return from the second sleep mode to the first sleep mode; and transmit to the communication device a command instructing to return from the sleep mode to the communication device side normal mode in response to return to the controller side normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Asai, Hirotaka Asakura
  • Patent number: 9671986
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed method for dynamic mobile printing based on scheduled events. One method includes receiving, from a device associated with a user, an identifier associated with the user and a print request, the print request including one or more print items to be printed; accessing, by a server, a calendar of the user based on the received identifier associated with the user; determining, by the server, whether an event of the calendar is scheduled for a time of interest; locating, by the server, a printer near a location of the event when the event is scheduled for the time of interest; and transmitting, by the server, the one or more print items to the printer near the location of the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: AOL Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammed Abdul Majid, Maureen Jules-Perez