Patents by Inventor Akinori Yamaguchi

Akinori Yamaguchi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20160077461
    Abstract: An optical writing control device and method are provided, for controlling light emission of a plurality of light sources to form an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive element, the light sources including a plurality of light emitting elements disposed in a line and classified into a plurality of groups, including frequency converter circuitry configured to acquire image information to be formed as the electrostatic latent image; and a light source controller configured to control the plurality of light sources based on pixel information generated from the acquired image information, wherein the light source controller is further configured to control the light emission of the plurality of light sources by classifying the light emitting elements into the plurality of groups, and shifting a timing of light emission from one group of the plurality of groups to a next group of the plurality of groups , and determine a common illuminating period for the light emitting elements of at least one light so
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Akinori YAMAGUCHI, Masayuki HAYASHI, Motohiro KAWANABE, Yoshinori SHIRASAKI, Yuusuke KOHRI, Masatoshi MURAKAMI
  • Patent number: 9268284
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, provided is an image forming device that includes: an image forming unit forming an image in a predetermined cycle in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of a printing medium; a velocity acquisition unit acquiring a conveying velocity of the printing medium at a position where the image is formed by the image forming unit; and a correcting unit correcting the cycle on which the image forming unit forms the image in accordance with the conveying velocity acquired by the velocity acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Takuhei Yokoyama, Yoshinori Shirasaki, Tatsuya Miyadera, Masayuki Hayashi, Kunihiro Komai, Motohiro Kawanabe, Hiroaki Ikeda, Takeshi Shikama, Akinori Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9245217
    Abstract: An optical writing device forms an electrostatic latent image and includes a pixel-information acquiring unit that acquires pixel information and stores the acquired pixel information in a storage medium with respect to each main scanning line; a tilt correcting unit that generates a tilt correction signal specifying a main scanning line from which the pixel information to be input to a light source is read out from the storage medium in order to correct a tilt of the electrostatic latent image; a position correcting unit that generates a position correction signal specifying a timing to input the pixel information to the light source in order to correct a position of the electrostatic latent image; and a pixel-information-input control unit that controls input of the pixel information from the storage medium to the light source in response to the tilt correction signal and the position correction signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoshinori Shirasaki, Masayuki Hayashi, Yasuo Yamaguchi, Kunihiro Komai, Tatsuya Miyadera, Motohiro Kawanabe, Hiroaki Ikeda, Akinori Yamaguchi, Fuminori Tsuchiya, Motoyoshi Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20150346626
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes multiple exposure units each including multiple light emitting elements, a reading unit that reads data to be used for exposure by each one of the exposure units, one at a time from the exposure unit by the time the exposure units starts exposure, a storing unit that stores the data read by the reading unit, and a transfer unit that transfers the data stored in the storing unit to the exposure unit by the time the exposure unit starts exposure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuusuke KOHRI, Masayuki HAYASHI, Motohiro KAWANABE, Yoshinori SHIRASAKI, Masatoshi MURAKAMI, Akinori YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9141893
    Abstract: In the invention, an inclination amount of sensors is reflected in positional deviation correction patterns, and for correcting formation positions of images of various colors, the positional deviation correction patterns are formed on a conveying belt. The positional deviation correction patterns are detected by the sensors. A control unit calculates positional deviation correction amounts based on detection results of the positional deviation correction patterns. Based on the calculated positional deviation correction amounts, the control unit performs calculation for correcting the positional deviation correction patterns, and cancels the inclination amount reflected in the calculation results to obtain final positional deviation correction amounts. Skew correction is performed based on the final positional deviation correction amounts, and thus, the positional deviations are corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Akinori Yamaguchi, Masayuki Hayashi, Hiroaki Ikeda, Kunihiro Komai, Tatsuya Miyadera, Takeshi Shikama, Takuhei Yokoyama, Yoshinori Shirasaki, Motohiro Kawanabe
  • Publication number: 20150261118
    Abstract: An optical writing controller controls emission of a light source device including multiple light emitting element rows each constituted by multiple light emitting elements arranged in a sub-scanning direction to form an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor. The optical writing controller includes an image information acquisition unit to acquire image information on an image to be formed as the electrostatic latent image; a light source control unit to sequentially control emission of the multiple light emitting elements on the basis of information on pixels generated on the basis of the acquired image information; an error information acquisition unit to acquire information indicating an error of a direction in which the light emitting elements are arranged with respect to the sub-scanning direction; and an adjustment value generation unit to generate an adjustment value for adjusting a light quantity of each light emitting element on the basis of the error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Masatoshi MURAKAMI, Masayuki HAYASHI, Motohiro KAWANABE, Yoshinori SHIRASAKI, Yuusuke KOHRI, Akinori YAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150261121
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: a plurality of exposure units, each of the exposure units including a plurality of light emitting elements that are arranged in a main scanning direction; a calculating unit that, with respect to each of the exposure units, calculates a pre-charge period that is a period during which a pre-charge is performed on at least any of the light emitting elements included in a corresponding exposure unit; and an emission control unit that, with respect to each of the exposure units, causes the light emitting elements included in a corresponding exposure unit to emit light such that a pre-charge period of at least any of the exposure units is shifted with respect to pre-charge periods of remaining ones of the exposure units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Motohiro KAWANABE, Masayuki HAYASHI, Masatoshi MURAKAMI, Yoshinori SHIRASAKI, Yuusuke KOHRI, Akinori YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9128439
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a conveyance mechanism conveying a first pattern formed by a first image forming unit among image forming units, a second pattern formed by a second image forming unit among the image forming units; a detection unit detecting the first pattern and the second pattern; and a control unit controlling, when a first condition is satisfied, a timing of conveying a recording sheet having the image formed by the first image forming unit is transferred based on a first time required after the formation of the first pattern and before detecting the first pattern, and controlling, when a second condition is satisfied, a timing of conveying the recording sheet having the image formed by the second image forming unit is transferred based on a second time required after the formation of the second pattern and before detecting the second pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Tatsuya Miyadera, Akinori Yamaguchi, Masatoshi Murakami
  • Patent number: 9104127
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: an image forming unit configured to form an image quality adjustment pattern image on an image carrier to be driven at a predetermined speed; a detector configured to detect the image quality adjustment pattern image; an image quality adjustment controller configured to control image quality adjustment processing in accordance with a detection result by the detector; a speed change unit configured to change an image formation speed indicating a speed at which an image is formed, and an interval change unit configured to change an interval at which the detector acquires a detection result in accordance with a change amount between the image formation speed before changed by the speed change unit and the image formation speed after changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Akinori Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Ikeda, Tomohiro Ohshima, Masayuki Hayashi, Tatsuya Miyadera, Motohiro Kawanabe, Yoshinori Shirasaki
  • Publication number: 20150211417
    Abstract: A collector 3 that collects particles P contained in a fluid includes: a bent pipe 31 that guides the fluid flowing from a first direction X in a second direction Z; a branch pipe 32 that causes the fluid guided in the second direction Z to branch into the second direction Z and a third direction Y; a collection pipe 34 in which the particles P in the fluid guided in the second direction Z by the branch pipe 32 are collected; and a reduction-expansion pipe 33 which is arranged between the bent pipe 31 and the branch pipe 32 and of which the flow path is narrowed while being biased to an inlet side of the bent pipe 31.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Akinori Yamaguchi, Kazuya Higashi, Kiyonori Kushioka
  • Publication number: 20150125167
    Abstract: A developing device includes: a toner detection unit that detects whether there is toner that is stored; a stirring unit that stirs toner in a toner container; a calculation unit that calculates an output duty by comparing an output voltage of the toner detection unit representing whether there is toner after the stirring, with a predetermined voltage value; and a remaining amount detection unit that detects an amount of remaining toner at the output duty from a correspondence relationship between the output duty and an amount of remaining toner that is previously set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Akinori Yamaguchi, Naoki Nakatake
  • Patent number: 9013532
    Abstract: A light source control apparatus which controls, based on image data input, light emission of a light source which forms an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing body in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is disclosed, including a pattern generating unit which generates an internal pattern for position aligning and concentration correcting according to the image data; and a mirroring processing unit which performs a process of mirroring the image data and the internal pattern at a later stage of the pattern generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Komai, Masayuki Hayashi, Hiroaki Ikeda, Takeshi Shikama, Akinori Yamaguchi, Tatsuya Miyadera, Motohiro Kawanabe, Yoshinori Shirasaki, Takuhei Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8957933
    Abstract: An optical writing device forming an electrical latent image on a photoreceptor includes an optical writing unit configured to apply light to the photoreceptor, a power supply unit configured to supply power to the optical writing unit, a power supply status detector configured to detect a power supply status of the power supplied from the power supply unit to the optical writing unit, and output power supply information or power cutoff information, a power cutoff information retaining unit configured to retain the power cutoff information when the power cutoff information is output from the power supply status detector, and a power sensor configured to sense a power supply status of the power supplied by the power supply unit based on the power cutoff information retained by the power cutoff information retaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Shirasaki, Tatsuya Miyadera, Masayuki Hayashi, Motohiro Kawanabe, Hiroaki Ikeda, Tomohiro Ohshima, Akinori Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8879969
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus can transfer a plurality of color component images onto a surface of a recording medium to form an image on the recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes a pattern generation part to generate information about an alignment pattern to be used for a calibration of an image forming, a plurality of stations each including a photosensitive drum to form an alignment pattern corresponding to each of a plurality of color components onto a carry belt or the recording medium, and a read part to detect a plurality of alignment patterns formed by the plurality of stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takeshi Shikama, Masayuki Hayashi, Kunihiro Komai, Tatsuya Miyadera, Motohiro Kawanabe, Yoshinori Shirasaki, Hiroaki Ikeda, Akinori Yamaguchi, Takuhei Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8848238
    Abstract: An optical writing control device includes: a light emission control unit which controls light emission of multiple light sources for respective different colors and exposes multiple image carriers; and a correction amount calculating unit which calculates a correction amount for each of the different colors on the basis of a difference between a central value of a distribution range of positional deviation amounts in a sub-scanning direction for the respective different colors and the positional deviation amount for a corresponding color. The light emission control unit delays light emitting timing of a light source, which is to be delayed, by delaying reading timing of pixel information stored in a storage medium, and delays timing at which the pixel information about colors other than a color, light emitting timing of a light source for which is to be advanced, starts to be obtained from an image forming apparatus main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tatsuya Miyadera, Motohiro Kawanabe, Masayuki Hayashi, Yoshinori Shirasaki, Hiroaki Ikeda, Akinori Yamaguchi, Tomohiro Ohshima
  • Patent number: 8817320
    Abstract: A line-head control device that controls a line head includes: a calculation unit that divides image data into a plurality of areas in sub-scanning direction and calculates a printing percentage for each of the areas; an allocation unit that allocates a total correction amount, for correcting magnification of the image data in the sub-scanning direction, to the areas according to the printing percentage for each of the areas calculated by the calculation unit; and a control unit that changes an emission period of the light emitted from the line head so as to satisfy a partial correction amount that is an allocation of the total correction amount to each of the areas, exposes the image carrier to the light emitted from the line head with the changed light emission period, thereby causing a latent image to be formed on the image carrier based on the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yoshinori Shirasaki, Izumi Kinoshita, Kunihiro Komai, Tatsuya Miyadera, Takeshi Shikama, Takuhei Yokoyama, Akinori Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8781343
    Abstract: A toner consumption calculator includes a plurality of line memories; a recorder that sequentially records image data including a plurality of pixels into the line memories; a skew correction unit that performs skew correction on the image data by sequentially reading the image data from the line memories while controlling read timing; and a counter that sequentially reads the image data from the line memories and counts toner consumption of a target pixel on the basis of light amounts of surrounding pixels of the target pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masayuki Hayashi, Yoshinori Shirasaki, Kunihiro Komai, Hiroaki Ikeda, Motoyoshi Takahashi, Fuminori Tsuchiya, Akinori Yamaguchi, Tatsuya Miyadera, Motohiro Kawanabe, Yasuo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8774700
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a reading part configured to optically read skew amount measurement patterns and opposite ends of a paper sheet; an image skew amount detecting part configured to detect skew amounts on a color basis based on the skew amount measurement patterns; a paper sheet skew amount detecting part configured to detect a skew amount of the paper sheet based on a displacement between the opposite ends of the paper sheet; a skew correction amount calculating part configured to calculate skew correction amounts of the respective colors based on the skew amounts; and a skew correcting part configured to shift the images to correct the skews by recording input image data in plural lines of a line memory, dividing the input image data into plural areas in a main scanning direction, and setting line delay amounts on an area basis based on the skew correction amounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Shikama, Tatsuya Miyadera, Izumi Kinoshita, Kunihiro Komai, Yoshinori Shirasaki, Akinori Yamaguchi, Takuhei Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20140153943
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a conveyance mechanism conveying a first pattern formed by a first image forming unit among image forming units, a second pattern formed by a second image forming unit among the image forming units; a detection unit detecting the first pattern and the second pattern; and a control unit controlling, when a first condition is satisfied, a timing of conveying a recording sheet having the image formed by the first image forming unit is transferred based on a first time required after the formation of the first pattern and before detecting the first pattern, and controlling, when a second condition is satisfied, a timing of conveying the recording sheet having the image formed by the second image forming unit is transferred based on a second time required after the formation of the second pattern and before detecting the second pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Tatsuya MIYADERA, Akinori YAMAGUCHI, Masatoshi MURAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20140139607
    Abstract: An optical writing device is configured to form electrostatic latent images on a plurality of photosensitive elements by a plurality of light sources. The optical writing device includes: an image-data acquiring section that acquires image data; and a light-source control section that performs light-emission control on the light source based on pixel data generated from acquired image data, and also performs a neutralization process on the photosensitive element by controlling the light source to expose the photosensitive element to light. In the neutralization process, the light-source control section divides a period during which light-on/off control can be performed on the light source, into sub-periods based on pixel data input to the light-source control section, and causes the light sources to be lit in any one of the sub-periods so as to always place at least one of the plurality of light sources in a light-off state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Inventors: Masayuki Hayashi, Yoshinori Shirasaki, Kunihiro Komai, Hiroaki Ikeda, Takeshi Shikama, Akinori Yamaguchi, Takuhei Yokoyama, Motohiro Kawanabe, Tatsuya Miyadera