Patents by Inventor Atsushi Sugawara

Atsushi Sugawara 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: 20170255118
    Abstract: A brilliant toner includes toner particles that contain a binder resin and a brilliant pigment, wherein a water surface diffusion area, which is defined by JIS K5906:2009, of the brilliant pigment is from 5 m2/g to 20 m2/g and an average longitudinal length of the brilliant pigment is from 0.5 ?m to 10 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru TAKAHASHI, Satomi HARA, Sakiko HIRAI, Atsushi SUGAWARA
  • Publication number: 20170255117
    Abstract: A brilliant toner includes toner particles that contain a binder resin and a brilliant pigment which has a flake shape, wherein an average thickness of the brilliant pigment is greater than 0.5 ?m to 1.5 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sakiko HIRAI, Satomi HARA, Masaru TAKAHASHI, Atsushi SUGAWARA
  • Publication number: 20170227873
    Abstract: A brilliant toner includes release agent domains meeting conditions (1) a length of the release agent domain in a longitudinal axis direction is 300 nm to 1,500 nm, (2) a ratio between the length in the longitudinal axis direction and in a short axis direction of the release agent domain is 3.0 to 15.0, (3) an angle between (a) a tangent line passing through a contact point of (a1) a circumference of a circle that is centered at a centroid of the release agent domain and is inscribed in an outer edge of the toner particle and (a2) the outer edge and (b) a line passing through the centroid and extending in the longitudinal axis direction is 0° to 45°, and (4) a ratio of a distance between the centroid and the contact point to an equivalent circle diameter of the toner particle is 0.03 to 0.25.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi SUGAWARA, Sakiko HIRAI, Masaru TAKAHASHI, Satomi HARA
  • Patent number: 9681037
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit for picking up an optical image of an object and generating image pickup data which can be refocused, a detection unit for detecting a focus state of the optical image of the object, a prediction unit for predicting an in-focus position of the optical image of the object on the basis of a detection result of the detection unit, and a focus adjustment unit for driving a focus lens on the basis of the in-focus position predicted by the prediction unit, wherein in a case where the imaging unit picks up a plurality of images from the object, the focus adjustment unit drives the focus lens to a position deviated from the in-focus position predicted by the prediction unit by a predetermined amount, and has a plurality of patterns of a position deviated by the predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Sugawara, Yuichi Ariga
  • Patent number: 9678449
    Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes a toner particle which has a sea portion containing a binder resin and an island portion containing a release agent, wherein a melt viscosity at 100° C. of the toner is from 4,000 to 200,000 Pa·s, a flow activation energy of the toner is 18,000 to 80,000 J·mol?1, a maximum frequent value in distribution of eccentricity B of the island portion is from 0.75 to 0.98, a skewness in the distribution of the eccentricity B is from ?1.10 to ?0.50, and the eccentricity B is expressed by 2d/D, wherein D indicates an equivalent circle diameter (?m) of the toner in an observation of a cross-section of the toner, and d indicates a distance (?m) from a centroid of the toner to a centroid of the island portion containing the release agent in the observation of a cross-section of the toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Murakami, Atsushi Sugawara
  • Patent number: 9671708
    Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes a toner particle that has a sea-island structure including a sea portion containing a binder resin and an island portion containing a release agent and having at least two maximum values of distribution of a degree of uneven distribution B of the island portion shown by the following Equation (1): degree of uneven distribution B=2d/D??Equation (1) in Equation (1), D represents an equivalent circle diameter (?m) of the toner particle obtained by cross section observation of the toner particle, and d represents a distance (?m) between the center of gravity of the toner particle and the center of gravity of the island portion containing the release agent obtained by cross section observation of the toner particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kana Yoshida, Atsushi Sugawara, Tsuyoshi Murakami, Yukiaki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9648249
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises an image capturing unit, a calculation unit configured to calculate light amount variation characteristics of light from an object, a photometric value determination unit configured to determine a photometry value used for determination of an exposure condition based on the light amount variation characteristics calculated by the calculation unit, and an exposure condition determination unit configured to determine an exposure condition when performing exposure of the image capturing unit at a timing set based on the light amount variation characteristics calculated by the calculation unit, based on the photometry value determined by the photometric value determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Sugawara, Naoyuki Nakagawara, Keita Nagai
  • Patent number: 9648250
    Abstract: A mechanism which makes it possible to obtain high-quality images in continuous photographing by reducing the influence of flicker while suppressing reduction of frame speed. An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device and an exposure unit configured to perform exposure of the image pickup device in response to a photographing instruction. An AE sensor detects peak timing of flicker. A camera CPU switches between peak synchronous exposure in which exposure operation is performed by making the same synchronous with the peak timing of flicker and normal exposure in which exposure operation is performed without making the same synchronous with the peak timing of flicker. The camera CPU corrects a photographed image obtained by the normal exposure. The camera CPU switches between the peak synchronous exposure and the normal exposure, based on the detected peak timing of flicker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Sugawara
  • Publication number: 20170060009
    Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes a toner particle which has a sea portion containing a binder resin and an island portion containing a release agent, wherein a melt viscosity at 100° C. of the toner is from 4,000 to 200,000 Pa·s, a flow activation energy of the toner is 18,000 to 80,000 J·mol?1, a maximum frequent value in distribution of eccentricity B of the island portion is from 0.75 to 0.98, a skewness in the distribution of the eccentricity B is from ?1.10 to ?0.50, and the eccentricity B is expressed by 2d/D, wherein D indicates an equivalent circle diameter (?m) of the toner in an observation of a cross-section of the toner, and d indicates a distance (?m) from a centroid of the toner to a centroid of the island portion containing the release agent in the observation of a cross-section of the toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Murakami, Atsushi Sugawara
  • Patent number: 9529288
    Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes a toner particle containing a binder resin, a release agent, and an inorganic mineral, wherein 80% or more of the entire release agent is present in a portion within 400 nm from the surface of the toner particle and 80% or more of the entire inorganic mineral is present in a portion within 400 nm from the surface of the toner particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Sugawara, Kana Yoshida, Tsuyoshi Murakami, Yukiaki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20160373632
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of determining a light amount change characteristic at the time of photographing with high accuracy. A light amount change period of light from a photometric target is determined, based first and second evaluation values calculated, respectively, based on a predetermined photometric value, and each of photometric values at first and second intervals causing the photometric values to be in the same phase relationship and the opposite phase relationship with the predetermined photometric value, respectively, in a case where the light from the photometric target changes at a predetermined frequency. It is determined whether or not the light from the photometric target changes at a light amount change period corresponding to the predetermined frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventor: Atsushi Sugawara
  • Publication number: 20160344940
    Abstract: An image recording unit obtains image data which is obtained by a photographing operation, and can reconstruct a refocus image, and photographing information, generates a parameter used to reconstruct a refocus image in relation to an object included in an image based on the obtained photographing information, and records the generated parameter in a recording medium as meta data of the image data together with the obtained image data. An image reproducing apparatus reads out the recorded image data and parameter from the recording medium, reconstructs a refocus image from the readout image data using the readout parameter, edits the reconstructed refocus image according to an editing instruction, and edits a parameter of the edited refocus image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventor: Atsushi Sugawara
  • Patent number: 9451148
    Abstract: An image recording unit obtains image data which is obtained by a photographing operation, and can reconstruct a refocus image, and photographing information, generates a parameter used to reconstruct a refocus image in relation to an object included in an image based on the obtained photographing information, and records the generated parameter in a recording medium as meta data of the image data together with the obtained image data. An image reproducing apparatus reads out the recorded image data and parameter from the recording medium, reconstructs a refocus image from the readout image data using the readout parameter, edits the reconstructed refocus image according to an editing instruction, and edits a parameter of the edited refocus image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Sugawara
  • Publication number: 20160124334
    Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes a toner particle that has a sea-island structure including a sea portion containing a binder resin and an island portion containing a release agent and having at least two maximum values of distribution of a degree of uneven distribution B of the island portion shown by the following Equation (1): degree of uneven distribution B=2d/D??Equation (1) in Equation (1), D represents an equivalent circle diameter (?m) of the toner particle obtained by cross section observation of the toner particle, and d represents a distance (?m) between the center of gravity of the toner particle and the center of gravity of the island portion containing the release agent obtained by cross section observation of the toner particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Kana YOSHIDA, Atsushi SUGAWARA, Tsuyoshi MURAKAMI, Yukiaki NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 9307348
    Abstract: An example of an information processing apparatus performs near field communication with a communication target. An example of a communication target has stored therein main data to be read, identification information, and status information set in accordance with writing of the main data to the communication target. In accordance with the fact that, as a result of the communication target coming close to the information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus has become capable of performing near field communication with the communication target, the information processing apparatus reads the identification information and the status information from the communication target. Further, the information processing apparatus determines, on the basis of the read identification information and status information, whether or not it is necessary to read the main data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Sugawara, Tatsuhiro Shirai
  • Publication number: 20160085165
    Abstract: There is provided an electrostatic image-developing toner containing a binder resin, a coloring agent and a release agent having a melting temperature of 85° C. to 120° C., the toner having a sea-island structure involving a sea part containing the binder resin and an island part containing the release agent, wherein a mode value of the distribution of the eccentricity degree B of the release agent-containing island part, represented by the specific formula, is from 0.75 to 1.00 and a skewness of the distribution of the eccentricity degree B is from ?1.30 to ?0.50.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Satoshi KAMIWAKI, Akira MATSUMOTO, Tsuyoshi MURAKAMI, Satoshi MIURA, Atsushi SUGAWARA, Yukiaki NAKAMURA, Kana YOSHIDA, Yutaka SAITO, Sakon TAKAHASHI, Yasuaki HASHIMOTO, Koji SASAKI, Tsutomu FURUTA
  • Publication number: 20160028934
    Abstract: A mechanism which makes it possible to obtain high-quality images in continuous photographing by reducing the influence of flicker while suppressing reduction of frame speed. An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device and an exposure unit configured to perform exposure of the image pickup device in response to a photographing instruction. An AE sensor detects peak timing of flicker. A camera CPU switches between peak synchronous exposure in which exposure operation is performed by making the same synchronous with the peak timing of flicker and normal exposure in which exposure operation is performed without making the same synchronous with the peak timing of flicker. The camera CPU corrects a photographed image obtained by the normal exposure. The camera CPU switches between the peak synchronous exposure and the normal exposure, based on the detected peak timing of flicker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventor: Atsushi Sugawara
  • Publication number: 20150324773
    Abstract: An example system includes: a sales server for performing sales processing pertaining to sales of a commodity; a settlement server for performing settlement processing pertaining to a commodity sold by the sales server in the sales processing; and a user terminal device having a communication unit configured to communicate with the sales server and with the settlement server via a network and an operation acceptance unit configured to accept operation pertaining to purchase of the commodity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroyuki TAKEUCHI, Ryuichi YOSHIDA, Atsushi SUGAWARA, Naoki TAKEDA, Kazuma KITAMURA, Shinya OGURA
  • Publication number: 20150312459
    Abstract: In one or more embodiments, exposure control of an image sensor is performed based on a movement characteristic of a shutter configured to be movable to a position at which the image sensor is shielded from light and to a position at which the image sensor is not shielded from light. A moving speed of the shutter may change during movement, and a light amount change characteristic of light from an object may be calculated by a calculation unit. In one or more embodiments, the calculation unit calculates a timing when a light from an object satisfies a predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Naoyuki Nakagawara, Atsushi Sugawara
  • Patent number: 9081317
    Abstract: There is provided a positively chargeable toner including toner mother particles containing a binder resin having an ethylenically unsaturated bond, wherein the amine value of a component extracted with a water phase by the addition of ion exchanged water after mixing the toner with methyl ethyl ketone is from 600 to 1,250 and the weight average molecular weight of the component extracted with the water phase is from 1,000 to 200,000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Sugawara, Masanobu Ninomiya, Noriyuki Mizutani, Akira Matsumoto, Yusuke Ikeda, Satoshi Kamiwaki, Yukiaki Nakamura