Patents by Inventor Eiji Nishikawa

Eiji Nishikawa 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).

  • Patent number: 8837962
    Abstract: When an input image is to be formed on a sheet conveyed to a transfer roller, the exposure section is controlled and deviation correction is performed to offset the image forming position across the width of the sheet in response to the result of detection by a deviation sensor. By contrast, when pattern images are to be formed on a sheet in response to the instruction of the main control section, the image forming control section does not perform deviation correction in the process of forming a pattern image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Youbao Peng, Tadashi Matsudaira, Akihiro Hayashi, Satoshi Ogata, Eiji Nishikawa, Takashi Nara
  • Publication number: 20140212185
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms decision registration mark for deciding whether or not a color registration correction for correcting color shifts in the color image carries out on an intermediate transfer belt. The decision registration mark is formed by registering four color registration marks. Color registration sensors detect a detection width of the decision registration mark along a sub scanning direction. A control portion receives the detection width of the decision registration mark and decides whether or not the color registration correction carries out based on whether or not the detection width of the decision mark detected by the detection portion exceeds the period of reference time. When the detection width of the decision mark detected by the detection portion exceeds the period of reference time, the control portion carries out the color registration correction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Teruhiko FUJIKURA, Satoshi MIYAJIMA, Tadayuki UEDA, Yoshihito SASAMOTO, Eiji NISHIKAWA, Takanobu SHIKI, Akinori KIMATA
  • Patent number: 8639131
    Abstract: A belt drive apparatus, including, an endless belt to be laid across in a tensioned condition between supporting rollers and to travel being in pressure contact with or being separated from a body to receive the pressure contact, a pressure contact/separating state detection section to detect whether the endless belt is in the pressure contact with the body or separated therefrom, a belt position detection section to detect a position of the endless belt in a width direction thereof, a belt abnormality judging section to judge whether the endless belt is in an abnormal position based on a detection result obtained by the belt position detection section and one of judgment values which are set correspondingly to the pressure contact/separating state of the endless belt, and a belt drive control section to control a drive of the endless belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Youbao Peng, Satoshi Ogata, Takashi Nara, Tadashi Matsudaira, Akihiro Hayashi, Eiji Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20130302058
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of heaters 56 for heating the fixing roller 52, a plurality of temperature sensors 57 for detecting the temperatures of the areas to be heated by the plurality of heaters 56 respectively, and a control unit 11 for turning on and off the plurality of heaters 56 on the basis of the temperatures detected by the plurality of temperature sensors 57. If one of the heaters 56 is on when the area to be heated by the other heater cools down to the ON temperature, the control unit 11 turns on the other heater with the same timing as the one heater is turned off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Akinori Kimata, Yoshihito Sasamoto, Tadayuki Ueda, Toru Kasamatsu, Eiji Nishikawa, Takanobu Shiki
  • Publication number: 20130201500
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which allows a user to freely select a desired image quality is provided. The control unit 60 sets a of registration set value A1 for determining a color registration error suppression level and a dropout set value. A2 for determining a dropout occurrence suppression level. Also, the control unit 60 sets a differential circumferential speed which is the difference between the circumferential speed of photoreceptor drums 1Y to 1K and the circumferential speed of an intermediate transfer belt 6 on the basis of the color registration set value A1 and the dropout set value A1. Then, the control unit 60 controls the belt drive motor 1 and the drum drive motor 62 on the basis of the differential circumferential speed which is set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Inventors: Tadayuki UEDA, Yoshihito SASAMOTO, Toru KASAMATSU, Eiji NISHIKAWA, Satoshi MIYAJIMA, Takanobu SHIKI
  • Patent number: 8406644
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus that forms a color image by transferring toner images for respective colors formed on plural rotary photoreceptor drums onto a sheet through an intermediate transfer member, when a controller judges that magnification deviation is generated in a main-scanning direction in superposition of the toner images for respective colors, the controller forms a first color registration deviation detecting mark for detecting at least an amount of deviation in the main scanning direction on the intermediate transfer member, and when the controller judges that the magnification deviation is not generated in the main-scanning direction in the superposition of toner images for respective colors, the controller forms a second color registration deviation detecting mark for detecting only an amount of deviation in a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main-scanning direction on the intermediate transfer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Motoi, Kenji Yamamoto, Katsunori Takahashi, Akifumi Isobe, Eiji Nishikawa, Kosuke Masumoto
  • Publication number: 20120301170
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an adjustment unit that adjusts an image transfer position of the sheet of paper along a main scanning direction that is orthogonal to a transporting direction of the sheet of paper, a fixing unit that fixes on the sheet of paper an toner image using fixing rollers and performs a fluctuation of the fixing roller to the main scanning direction, a detection unit that detects whether or not the fixing rollers of the fixing unit nip the sheet of paper, and a controller. The controller controls the fixing unit to perform the fluctuation of the fixing rollers when determining that the fixing rollers of the fixing unit do not nip the sheet of paper based on a detection result of the detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Toru KASAMATSU, Takayuki Ueda, Yoshihito Sasamoto, Eiji Nishikawa, Satoshi Miyajima
  • Publication number: 20120195606
    Abstract: Damages on fixing members caused by paper passing through can be reduced. The registration rollers 53 and the registration oscillation roller 54 are provided on an upstream side of a fixing nip portion in a conveyance path for paper P and have a function of moving the paper P being conveyed toward the fixing nip portion, in a paper width direction, and the control section 10 performs paper oscillation control and fixing unit oscillation control in correlation with each other, the paper oscillation control in which the registration rollers 53 and the registration oscillation roller 54 are controlled to oscillate a position on which the paper P passes through, and the fixing unit oscillation control in which the fixing unit oscillation motor 36 is controlled to oscillate the fixing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Satoshi MIYAJIMA, Toru KASAMATSU, Eiji NISHIKAWA, Tadayuki UEDA, Yoshihito SASAMOTO
  • Patent number: 8160463
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to appropriately conduct a controlling operation for eliminating the velocity fluctuation of the photoreceptor drum without generating any malfunction. The apparatus includes a photoreceptor member driven by a motor and a control section that is provided with a feed forward controlling section that stores parameters derived from driving errors for one revolution of the photoreceptor member to create a reverse-phase instruction value based on the parameters and a feedback controlling section that controls a velocity of the photoreceptor member, so as to keep the velocity of the photoreceptor member constant. During an initial operating time, the control section deactivates the feed forward controlling section, while only activates the feedback controlling section to drive the photoreceptor member so as to measure a driving toque of the driving motor, and selects a parameter from the parameters, corresponding to the driving toque measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Katsunori Takahashi, Toshihiro Motoi, Kenji Yamamoto, Akifumi Isobe, Eiji Nishikawa, Kosuke Masumoto
  • Publication number: 20120041883
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a reception module, a determination module, a required information conveyance amount extraction module, an actual information conveyance amount extraction module, and a presentation module. The reception module receives business contents of a subject business. The determination module determines whether the subject business is irregular business by comparing the business contents with predetermined regular business contents. The required information conveyance amount extraction module extracts a required information conveyance amount required to perform the irregular business from attribute information conveyance amount correspondence information when it is determined by the determination module that the business contents is the irregular business. The actual information conveyance amount extraction module extracts an actual information conveyance amount of a person who performs the subject business based on activity information of the person.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satomi MIZUNO, Masakazu FUJIMOTO, Eiji NISHIKAWA
  • Patent number: 8010002
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control section which controls a forming section and a detection section to form an image patterns at a non-image area between image areas on an image carrier, to detect the image patterns as required, and to execute various types of compensation operations for correcting image forming conditions, and, when a timing of executing a first compensation operation coincides with a timing of executing a second compensation operation and the image pattern for the first compensation operation and the image pattern for the second compensation operation have a relationship such that the positions of forming the image patterns on the image carrier do not overlap each other, controls the image forming section to form both image patterns in the same non-image area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiji Nishikawa, Satoshi Ogata
  • Publication number: 20110194860
    Abstract: When an input image is to be formed on a sheet conveyed to a transfer roller, the exposure section is controlled and deviation correction is performed to offset the image forming position across the width of the sheet in response to the result of detection by a deviation sensor. By contrast, when pattern images are to be formed on a sheet in response to the instruction of the main control section, the image forming control section does not perform deviation correction in the process of forming a pattern image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Youbao PENG, Tadashi MATSUDAIRA, Akihiro HAYASHI, Satoshi OGATA, Eiji NISHIKAWA, Takashi NARA
  • Publication number: 20110188872
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fixing device including a fixing belt to fix a toner image formed on a paper onto the paper, a driving unit to make the fixing belt reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the paper when fixing the toner image onto the paper and a detecting unit to detect a position of the fixing belt in the perpendicular direction, and a control target value of the fixing belt is changed in accordance with the position of the fixing belt in the perpendicular direction detected by the detecting unit, and the fixing belt is made to reciprocate by the driving unit based on the changed control target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventors: Takashi NARA, Satoshi Ogata, Tadashi Matsudaira, Youbao Peng, Akihiro Hayashi, Eiji Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20110135324
    Abstract: A belt drive apparatus, including, an endless belt to be laid across in a tensioned condition between supporting rollers and to travel being in pressure contact with or being separated from a body to receive the pressure contact, a pressure contact/separating state detection section to detect whether the endless belt is in the pressure contact with the body or separated therefrom, a belt position detection section to detect a position of the endless belt in a width direction thereof, a belt abnormality judging section to judge whether the endless belt is in an abnormal position based on a detection result obtained by the belt position detection section and one of judgment values which are set correspondingly to the pressure contact/separating state of the endless belt, and a belt drive control section to control a drive of the endless belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: Youbao PENG, Satoshi Ogata, Takashi Nara, Tadashi Matsudaira, Akihiro Hayashi, Eiji Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 7876342
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus for forming a color image by superposing component color images, a control device obtains position data representing a forming position of each of plural registration mark images for the component color images with respect to a positional reference value arbitrarily determined, divides the position data into each of a unit reference range representing a range in which one mark image is formed, converts the position data divided for each unit reference range into those based on respective reference values representing the front edge of the unit reference ranges, extracts the position data representing ranges common to the mutually overlapping ranges each of which is represented by a couple of position data corresponding to the rising and falling edges of a passage timing pulse as read position data of the mark image of the component color, and calculates the amounts of positional deviations of the component color images from one another on the basis of the position data extracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Nishikawa, Hiroyuki Maruyama, Hiroyuki Arai, Toshihiro Motoi, Kenji Izumiya, Ryuji Okutomi, Shinobu Kishi, Satoshi Ogata, Kenichi Ozawa, Tadayuki Ueda, Yumiko Higashi
  • Publication number: 20110007120
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus that forms a color image by transferring toner images for respective colors formed on plural rotary photoreceptor drums onto a sheet through an intermediate transfer member, when a controller judges that magnification deviation is generated in a main-scanning direction in superposition of the toner images for respective colors, the controller forms a first color registration deviation detecting mark for detecting at least an amount of deviation in the main scanning direction on the intermediate transfer member, and when the controller judges that the magnification deviation is not generated in the main-scanning direction in the superposition of toner images for respective colors, the controller forms a second color registration deviation detecting mark for detecting only an amount of deviation in a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main-scanning direction on the intermediate transfer member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Motoi, Kenji Yamamoto, Katsunori Takahashi, Akifumi Isobe, Eiji Nishikawa, Kosuke Masumoto
  • Publication number: 20100266298
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to appropriately conduct a controlling operation for eliminating the velocity fluctuation of the photoreceptor drum without generating any malfunction. The apparatus includes a photoreceptor member driven by a motor and a control section that is provided with a feed forward controlling section that stores parameters derived from driving errors for one revolution of the photoreceptor member to create a reverse-phase instruction value based on the parameters and a feedback controlling section that controls a velocity of the photoreceptor member, so as to keep the velocity of the photoreceptor member constant. During an initial operating time, the control section deactivates the feed forward controlling section, while only activates the feedback controlling section to drive the photoreceptor member so as to measure a driving toque of the driving motor, and selects a parameter from the parameters, corresponding to the driving toque measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies,, Inc.
    Inventors: Katsunori TAKAHASHI, Toshihiro MOTOI, Kenji YAMAMOTO, Akifumi ISOBE, Eiji NISHIKAWA, Kosuke MASUMOTO
  • Patent number: 7817947
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that corrects color misregistration of an image including: an image forming device having an endless image carrier for carrying an image to be formed on the recording medium, wherein the image forming device forms the image in an image area that corresponds to the recording medium on the image carrier and also forms a color misregistration correction mark in an image boundary area that is sandwiched between the image area and the next image area following the image area on the image carrier; a mark detecting section for detecting the correction mark on the image boundary area; and a control device to change an interval for feeding the recording medium based on a fluctuating period of the color misregistration corresponding to an orbiting distance of the image carrier, and to expand image boundary area of the image carrier to form the mark at a changed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiji Nishikawa, Satoshi Ogata
  • Publication number: 20090317099
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a replaceable unit in which a plurality of replaceable parts are installed, a storage section to store a replacement time count value, a life duration time count value and a use count value, a display section and a control section to update the use count value in the storage section by counting the number of times of use of each of the parts installed in the unit, to determine whether a part which reached the life duration time exists or not based on the use count value of each of the parts which are update and the life duration time count value, and to display information for urging a replacement of the part which reached the life duration time and a part in which the use count value reached between the replacement time count value and the life duration time count value in the display section when the control section determines that the part which reached the life duration time exists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kosuke MASUMOTO, Hiroyuki MARUYAMA, Toshihiro MOTOI, Satoshi OGATA, Katsunori TAKAHASHI, Eiji NISHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20090269089
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus for forming a color image by superposing component color images, a control device obtains position data representing a forming position of each of plural registration mark images for the component color images with respect to a positional reference value arbitrarily determined, divides the position data into each of a unit reference range representing a range in which one mark image is formed, converts the position data divided for each unit reference range into those based on respective reference values representing the front edge of the unit reference ranges, extracts the position data representing ranges common to the mutually overlapping ranges each of which is represented by a couple of position data corresponding to the rising and falling edges of a passage timing pulse as read position data of the mark image of the component color, and calculates the amounts of positional deviations of the component color images from one another on the basis of the position data extracted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: KONICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji NISHIKAWA, Hiroyuki Maruyama, Hiroyuki Arai, Toshihiro Motoi, Kenji Izumiya, Ryuji Okutomi, Shinobu Kishi, Satoshi Ogata, Kenichi Ozawa, Tadayuki Ueda, Yumiko Higashi