Patents Examined by Thomas D. Lee
  • Patent number: 11354081
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a collection unit that collects a first history on a monitoring target device, a display unit that displays a history screen including at least a part of the first history collected by the collection unit, a receiving unit that receives an operator's operation to designate information included in the first history, on the history screen displayed by the display unit, and a generation unit that generates a second history in which the information designated by the operator is concealed, from the first history.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Aiko Nozue, Koji Hashimoto, Toru Nakatani, Haruki Matsui, Takeshi Ogura
  • Patent number: 11347449
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses methods and systems for handling one or more requests received in a remote working environment. The method includes receiving at least one request: including a print request and a request to turn-off a multi-function device, the request is received from a computing device of a user. Based on the request, it is checked whether the computing device is remotely located by obtaining a location of the computing device using a pre-defined method in real-time such as GPS. Then, the obtained location of the computing device is compared with a location of the multi-function device. Based on the comparison, a corresponding message or an alert is presented to the user via a user interface, for an appropriate action. The user may submit the document as a secure print job. The user may check other non-remote users and may not turn-off the multi-function device when working remotely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Shanmukha Teja Badana, Pedireddy Devi, Harish Tirumalasetty
  • Patent number: 11347450
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses methods and systems for providing secure printing at a multi-function device. The method includes identifying whether a document received from a user requires secure printing. Then, the physical presence of the user and a user registered device near the multi-function device is detected. If both are present near the multi-function device, then printing of the document is initiated. Further, the presence of the user and a user registered device near the multi-function device is continuously tracked. Based on the presence of the user and the user registered device near the multi-function device, one of the following is performed—either continuing printing the document till completion and collection by the user or pausing printing the document when either the user or the user registered device is not detected near the multi-function device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Ashok Jason Vedaraj, Thamizh Priyai Thamizhanandan
  • Patent number: 11340849
    Abstract: When establishing a connection with an external apparatus for wireless communication, an information processing apparatus suppresses the connection establishment based on an unauthorized connection request, by determining whether or not information showing a name of the external apparatus included in each of a plurality of received wireless connection requests in a state capable of accepting the wireless connection request is the same, determining whether or not apparatus intrinsic information included in each of the plurality of received wireless connection requests in the state capable of accepting the wireless connection request is the same, and shifting, in a case where it is determined that the information showing the name of the external apparatus is the same and it is determined that the apparatus intrinsic information is not the same, the information processing apparatus to a state incapable of accepting the wireless connection request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masato Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 11340846
    Abstract: In example implementations, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a communication interface, a location sensor, a personalized printer list generator, a display, and a processor. The processor is communicatively coupled to the communication interface, the location sensor, the personalized printer list generator, and the display to control operation of the communication interface, the location sensor, the personalized printer list generator, and the display. The communication interface is to communicate with a plurality of printers to identify available printers at a current geographic location. The location sensor is to detect the current geographic location. The personalized printer list generator is to generate a personalized printer list that prioritizes the plurality of printers at the current geographic location based on the user account. The display is to provide a graphical user interface to display the personalized printer list that is generated for the current geographic location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Peter G. Hwang, Kris Livingston
  • Patent number: 11336466
    Abstract: A method, in a provisioning server, of provisioning a printer, includes: receiving a provisioning request from the printer, the provisioning request containing (i) a printer identifier, and (ii) an account identifier associated with the printer; obtaining, from a digital certificate issuer, a unique string; sending the unique string to the printer; receiving from the printer, in response to sending the unique string, a certificate signing request containing (i) the printer identifier, (ii) the account identifier, and (iii) an authentication token including the unique string signed with a private key of the printer; validating the certificate signing request; passing the validated certificate signing request to the digital certificate issuer; receiving, from the digital certificate issuer, a digital certificate encoding the printer identifier and the account identifier; and providing the digital certificate to the printer for storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew J. Pekarske, James P. Van Huis, Ryan E. Brock, Jared Coy Roundy
  • Patent number: 11327695
    Abstract: An example image forming apparatus includes a memory, a print engine to perform a printing job, and a processor to store received user information in the memory when the user information of a group from among a plurality of groups is received from a server having the plurality of groups and user information of each of the plurality of groups, determine whether a user corresponding to a user terminal is a user belonging to the group when print data and user information are received from the user terminal, and control the print engine to print the print data based on the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Bosun Jang, Sanghyun Park, Haneol Yoon
  • Patent number: 11327700
    Abstract: Various systems and methods maintain a print job of a user in a print queue and identify the user approaching a printing device using a user identification device operatively connected to the printing device. Such systems/methods alter the position of the print job within the print queue (e.g., to a higher priority position) or even begin printing the print job when the user identification device identifies the user approaching the printing device (i.e., before the user reaches the printing device). Systems and methods can also identify the urgency of the user using the user identification device. The amount that the print queue is altered can be based on the amount that the urgency of the user is elevated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Elizabeth M. Crossen, Ron E. Dufort, Dara N. Lubin
  • Patent number: 11321032
    Abstract: A print control device includes: a processor configured to: receive a print request from a specific user to collectively print plural pieces of data held by plural users; acquire one or more of the plural pieces of data from one or more of the plural users in a state where other users are restricted from viewing the one or more pieces of data, in response to the receiving of the print request; and perform control such that the one or more pieces of data are printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Yusaku Awatsu
  • Patent number: 11316986
    Abstract: A second server apparatus that communicates with a printer that performs a print job and a smartphone that executes an application program of an SNS includes an acquisition unit that acquires print instruction information from the SNS, a job generation unit that generates the print job based on the print instruction information acquired by the acquisition unit, a notification unit that notifies the SNS of response information indicating that the print instruction information was accepted and job identification information for identifying the print job, a job transmission unit that transmits the print job to the printer, and a status acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating an execution status of the print job, and the notification unit notifies the SNS of the status information indicating the execution status of the print job acquired by the status acquisition unit and the job identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Sera, Hirofumi Miyamoto, Ryosuke Kakio
  • Patent number: 11314877
    Abstract: A network printing system comprising a user device to encrypt a print job using a public key of a user and to transmit the encrypted print job to a print server. The system may further comprise the print server to re-encrypt the encrypted print job using the re-encryption key. The system may further comprise the printer to decrypt the re-encrypted print job using a private key of the printer and print the decrypted print job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Thalia Laing, Joshua Serratelli Schiffman, Gaetan Wattiau
  • Patent number: 11314464
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor that performs: after a user starts to configure settings for printing, making a first judgment on whether or not a printing apparatus specified for printing is a printer model supported by print setting software installed on the information processing apparatus; making a second judgment on whether or not switching to a machine-independent print control method is necessary, with reference to the first judgment; and if switching to a machine-independent print control method is necessary, performing: switching to the machine-independent print control method; generating a print job by the machine-independent print control method; and transmitting the print job to the specified printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Masuda
  • Patent number: 11307820
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a network interface and a processor configured to upon receipt of a print job from an external apparatus via the network interface, determine whether hold printing is instructed for executing the print job, when the hold printing is instructed, determine a state of the image forming apparatus, generate information about execution of the print job according to the determined state, and control the network interface to transmit the generated information to the external apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yushi Yonezawa
  • Patent number: 11297015
    Abstract: A message providing device includes a receiving section that receives a registration request for setting information regarding an operation of a software robot program for each user, the software robot program operating on a message service in which a message is transmitted and received between users, to transmit and receive the message to and from a user, a registration section that registers setting information for a first user in association with identification information of the first user, in response to the registration request from the first user, and a control section that performs control such that at least a portion of the registered setting information for the first user is registered as setting information for a second user in association with identification information of the second user, corresponding to transmission and reception of a message between the first user or the second user, and the software robot program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shigeo Miyata, Hiroyuki Mitsuhashi, Xiaojing Zhang, Shiori Oikawa, Yu Mishima, Hideaki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 11290616
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a controller is configured to perform receiving an operation of one of enabling and disabling a particular storing function of storing image forming data related to an image forming job received through a first interface in a portable storage. When receiving the operation of enabling/disabling the particular storing function, the particular storing function is enabled/disabled. In response to receipt of the image forming job through the first interface in a state where the particular storing function is enabled, the image forming data is stored in the portable storage device connected to the second interface. An image is printed with use of the image forming part in accordance with the image forming data stored in the portable storage. Data different from the image forming data is stored in and/or retrieved from the portable storage device in a state where the particular storing function is disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sho Ogura
  • Patent number: 11281143
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a printer and a controller. The printer performs image formation on a sheet at a first speed relating to a speed of image formation or at a second speed slower than the first speed. The controller acquires information on deterioration of developer contained in an own apparatus, and controls the printer to perform image formation at the first speed when the information does not satisfy a predetermined condition indicating that the developer is deteriorated and to perform image formation at the second speed when the information satisfies the predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kei Onishi, Satoshi Itaya
  • Patent number: 11277525
    Abstract: Systems and methods for customizing a kiosk device are disclosed. The methods may include, by a processor: providing a web-interface portal that enables a user to generate a customized application package for customization of a kiosk device that provides document processing services via a print device, receiving one or more custom files to be included in the customized application package from the user via the web-interface portal, and generating the customized application package. The customized application package includes the received one or more custom files stored in a format compatible with the kiosk device. The user does not have access to the format, and the customized application package when installed on the kiosk device will cause customization of the kiosk device in accordance with the one or more custom files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Surya Prakash Kotha, Rajaselvam Muthuvel, Oladapo Esan, Srinivasan Kottaiyappan, Prince Gerald Albert, Immaculate Sophia Albert Christie, Saravanan Krishnan, Bernard Roch Heroux, Jr., Cynthia Moskal
  • Patent number: 11269567
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus having a plurality of operation modes including a normal mode and a power saving mode in which power consumption is less than that in the normal mode and includes a processor. The processor is configured to acquire information about unexecuted print jobs via a communication interface or the like. The processor transitions the apparatus to the power saving mode after a preset standby time elapses after a completion of a print job by the apparatus if an unexecuted print job satisfies predetermined conditions that indicate that the unexecuted print job can be executed on the apparatus. The processor transitions the apparatus to the power saving mode sooner than the elapse of the preset standby time after the completion of the print job if none of the unexecuted print jobs satisfies the predetermined conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11262961
    Abstract: First and second printing apparatus are in an intranet and a bibliography server connected to the Internet. The bibliography server being configured to manage bibliographic information of print data. The first printing apparatus acquire a list of print data from the bibliography server, when an instruction to print out print data included in the list is received from a user with an operating unit of the first printing apparatus, sends identification information for identifying the print data to the second printing apparatus and when a print request is received, prints out print data included in the received print request. The second printing apparatus sends bibliographic information of print data received from an external apparatus to the bibliography server; and sends a print request containing the print data identified by the identification information to the first printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Tokumoto
  • Patent number: 11245805
    Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus having an image reading device, and a post-processing apparatus having a manual staple mechanism. The manual staple mechanism is capable of performing staple processing on condition that power is supplied from the image forming apparatus to the post-processing apparatus. The image forming apparatus stops power supply to the post-processing apparatus on condition that a predetermined time has elapsed since reference timing. When the image forming apparatus reads an original with the image reading device, the image forming apparatus determines presence or absence of a staple mark in the original based on a read result. When the image forming apparatus determines that the staple mark is present, the image forming apparatus extends the predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Takeshi Hibino, Taketoshi Yamahata