Patents by Inventor Akio Kotani

Akio Kotani 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: 20100053194
    Abstract: In a data creating apparatus, stored in a character information storing unit is information representing a basic portion of a graphic. A gradation information creating unit extracts oversampling information, and generates gradation data of a portion other than the basic portion of the graphic by an oversampling process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Yasuhisa NAKAMURA, Akio Kotani, Makoto Sakuta, Kayo Okamoto, Takayuki Nagamatsu
  • Publication number: 20100053193
    Abstract: A data creating apparatus creates image data for causing a graphic to be displayed by a displaying device. In the data creating apparatus, an information acquiring unit acquires information on a display characteristic of the displaying device. A storing unit stores information representing a basic portion of the graphic. A creating unit creates gradation information that is information for correcting gradation data of a portion other than the basic portion of the graphic. The creating unit creates the gradation information based on the information on the display characteristic of the displaying device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Takayuki NAGAMATSU, Makoto Sakuta, Yasuhisa Nakamura, Akio Kotani, Kayo Okamoto
  • Patent number: 6161989
    Abstract: A wall surface of a structure to be rendered antifouling is covered with antifouling panels caused to firmly adhere thereto and fixed. Not only can this work be conducted easily and quickly but also part of the antifouling panels can be easily replaced. The disclosed antifouling wall structure and method of constructing the antifouling wall are characterized in that antifouling panels each comprising a base material layer and, formed thereon, an antifouling paint layer are arranged on a wall surface of structure to be rendered antifouling so that the antifouling panels have their side of antifouling paint layer brought into contact with water and detachably fixed by means of fastening members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Chugoku Paints LTD
    Inventors: Akio Kotani, Katsuyoshi Amidaiji, Masatoshi Senba, Koji Morimoto
  • Patent number: 5885029
    Abstract: A wall surface of a structure to be rendered antifouling is covered with antifouling panels caused to firmly adhere thereto and fixed. Not only can this work be conducted easily and quickly but also part of the antifouling panels can be easily replaced. The disclosed antifouling wall structure and method of constructing the antifouling wall are characterized in that antifouling panels each comprising a base material layer and, formed thereon, an antifouling paint layer are arranged on a wall surface of structure to be rendered antifouling so that the antifouling panels have their side of antifouling paint layer brought into contact with water and detachably fixed by means of fastening members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Chugoku Paints Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Kotani, Katsuyoshi Amidaiji, Masatoshi Senba, Koji Morimoto
  • Patent number: 5359178
    Abstract: In an apparatus for detecting turn-on state of plural heaters including an electric power source for supplying electric power to the plural heaters, a controller controls the electric power source to be turned on and off so that each of the plural heaters is turned on and off in a predetermined manner, and a current sensor measures the total current supplied from the electric power source to the plural heaters. Then, a comparator compares the total current measured by the current sensor with plural reference values different from each other and outputting signals for representing comparison results thereof, and a judging circuit judges turn-on or off state of each of the plural heaters based on the signals outputted from the comparators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Kotani, Keiji Yoshida
  • Patent number: 5285242
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a photosensitive member, an image forming device which forms an image by forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member and developing the electrostatic latent image in accordance with an image forming condition, a copy number detector for counting the number of images formed by the image forming device, a first control program for correcting the image forming condition in accordance with a correction value whenever a predetermined number is counted by the copy number detector, a second control program for manually regulating the image forming condition corrected by the first control program, a memory for storing the image forming condition regulated by the second control program, and a third control program for revising the correction value in accordance with the image forming condition stored by the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1994
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akio Kotani
  • Patent number: 5216464
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which includes a replaceable element which is replaced in predetermined amount of use and predicting apparatus for predicting the time when the predetermined amount of use of the element is to be reached. The predicting apparatus predicts the time based on amount of use of the element per unit time and remaining amount of use of the element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1993
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Kotani, Yoshiaki Takano, Nobuhiro Mishima
  • Patent number: 5150159
    Abstract: A copying apparatus has a photoreceptor drum, a charger for charging the photoreceptor drum, an exposure lamp for exposing images to said photoreceptor drum, an apparatus for setting magnification rate of the images, a selector for selecting a first mode in which the images are exposed to the photoreceptor drum in the set magnification rate or a second mode in which the images are exposed to said photoreceptor drum in a magnification rate smaller than the set magnification rate, an apparatus for partially removing the charges of an unexposed portion adjacent to the latent electrostatic images formed on the photoreceptor drum when the second mode is selected, and a developer for developing the latent electrostatic images and the unexposed portion. When the second mode is selected, an index is formed by the removal of the charges at the unexposed portion adjacent to the latent electrostatic images formed on the photoreceptor drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1992
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoji Igawa, Akio Kotani
  • Patent number: 5113221
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a plurality of toner developing devices including a white toner developing one, a photosensitive member, a charger for electrically charging a surface of the photosensitive member, an optical system for exposing an image of an original to light so that an electrostatic latent image may be formed on the photosensitive member, transfer and separation chargers for transferring a toner image formed on the photosensitive member onto a copy paper, a plurality of paper passages for transporting the copy paper having thereon the transferred toner image into a transfer region in which the transfer and separation chargers are provided, a color sensor for detecting the degree of white of the copy paper, and a microcomputer for controlling a white toner image formed by the white toner developing device so as to be transferred onto the copy paper when the degree of white of the copy paper is less than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Kotani, Kazuhiro Araki, Toshikazu Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 4972447
    Abstract: A preset counter apparatus for copying machines and the like having respective keys corresponding to digit positions of units and tens and a display for displaying numerical value in the digit positions of units and tens. The preset counter apparatus is so controlled that a value "0" is automatically displayed in the units digit position when the key corresponding to the tens digit is initially activated and that a value previously set in the units digit position is maintained as it is regardless of the posterior activation of the key corresponding to the tens digit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1990
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Kotani, Yoshiaki Takano