Patents by Inventor Hiroki Ohkubo
Hiroki Ohkubo 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).
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Patent number: 8508523Abstract: A display control unit performs a control of displaying first image information on a display unit. An electric-power supply unit converts thermal energy generated from a body temperature of a user into electric power upon the user contacting the electric-power supply unit, and supplies the electric power to the display control unit. A determination unit determines whether the user is in contact with the electric-power supply unit. When it is determined that the user is not in contact with the electric-power supply unit, the display control unit performs a control of rewriting the first image information displayed on the display unit with second image information.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2008Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Eiji Nemoto, Hiroki Ohkubo, Yuji Matsuda, Yusuke Ozaki, Hiroyuki Takahashi
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Patent number: 8289744Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a monitoring unit monitors whether a returning factor required to switch an operational state of the apparatus from a power-saving mode to an operating mode is generated, an antenna unit receives external electrical wave, a power generation unit generates electricity from the received electrical wave and supplies the electricity to the monitoring unit, and a controlling unit switches the operational state of the apparatus from the power-saving mode to the operating mode when the monitoring unit detects generation of a returning factor.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2008Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki Takahashi, Eiji Nemoto, Hiroki Ohkubo, Yuji Matsuda, Yusuke Ozaki
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Patent number: 8260166Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion element converts thermal energy of a user into electric power. A holding unit holds the electric power converted by the thermoelectric conversion element, and outputs the electric power. A switching unit switches between a first mode in which electric power is supplied to all units of an image forming apparatus and a second mode in which electric power is supplied to a part of units of the image forming apparatus. When the image forming apparatus is in the second mode, the switching unit switches from the second mode to the first mode upon receiving the electric power output from the holding unit.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2008Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Yuji Matsuda, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Hiroki Ohkubo, Yusuke Ozaki, Eiji Nemoto
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Patent number: 8233168Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, an energy converting unit receives light from an optical source and converts the light into electric power, and an electrical storage unit stores therein the electric power. The energy converting unit is arranged in such a manner that a relative position of the energy converting unit to the optical source is always constant when a reading unit is reading an image.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2008Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yusuke Ozaki, Eiji Nemoto, Hiroki Ohkubo, Yuji Matsuda, Hiroyuki Takahashi
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Patent number: 8145105Abstract: A belt drive control device includes: first and second detection devices which detect the angular displacement or velocity of a driven rotary member and the angular displacement or velocity of a drive rotary member, respectively; an extraction device which extracts, from the difference between the detection results of the first and second detection devices, the amplitude and phase of a variation component due to belt thickness variation; a control device which controls the rotation of the drive rotary member in accordance with the extracted amplitude and phase; first and second holding devices which hold the extracted amplitude and phase and normal ranges of the amplitude and phase, respectively; and first and second feedback devices which feed back the amplitude and phase to the rotation control, and performs feedback by using a substitution value for the amplitude or phase if the amplitude or phase is out of the normal range, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2009Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yuichiro Ueda, Kazuhiko Kobayashi, Takuya Uehara, Takuya Murata, Yuji Matsuda, Takahiro Kamekura, Toshiyuki Andoh, Hiromichi Matsuda, Hiroki Ohkubo
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Patent number: 8120331Abstract: A power supply device accumulates charges generated by a photovoltaic unit. The power supply device includes a first capacitor having a first capacitance, in which the charges generated by the photovoltaic unit are charged; a second capacitor having a second capacitance that is larger than the first capacitance; and a switching unit that switches between a first connection of connecting the photovoltaic unit to the first capacitor and a second connection of connecting the first capacitor to the second capacitor.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2008Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki Takahashi, Yusuke Ozaki, Eiji Nemoto, Yuji Matsuda, Hiroki Ohkubo
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Patent number: 8085437Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an expansion unit to expand image data to first matrix data including a plurality of rows and columns, a first mask unit to mask the first matrix data by performing a logical operation on the first matrix data and a mask pattern, a second mask unit to select any one of first processing to thoroughly mask a unit area of the first matrix data and second processing to mask a unit area of the first matrix data by using the first mask unit, with respect to each mask unit area by using third matrix data including a plurality of mask unit areas that is formed of the same number of rows and columns as the mask pattern, and an image formation unit to form an image by modulating the first matrix data that is masked by the second mask unit into an optical writing signal.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2008Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: Ricoh Company LimitedInventor: Hiroki Ohkubo
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Patent number: 8081904Abstract: A belt drive control unit controls a rotation of belt supported by first and second rollers. Each of rotations of the first and second rollers are detected as first and second results. A rotation of the first roller is controlled in connection with thickness fluctuation in the belt using the first and second results. The belt drive control unit includes a sampling data acquisition unit, a correction value generator, a correction value storage, and a correction value reading controller. The sampling data acquisition unit obtains sampling data by sampling a difference value between the first and second results. The correction value generator generates correction value data for the belt based on the sampling data. The correction value storage stores the correction value data. The correction value reading controller reads the correction value data based on a rotation number of the belt to control a rotation of the first roller.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2009Date of Patent: December 20, 2011Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroki Ohkubo, Hiromichi Matsuda, Toshiyuki Andoh, Yuji Matsuda, Yuichiro Ueda, Kazuhiko Kobayashi, Takuya Uehara, Takuya Murata
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Publication number: 20090238613Abstract: A belt drive control device includes: first and second detection devices which detect the angular displacement or velocity of a driven rotary member and the angular displacement or velocity of a drive rotary member, respectively; an extraction device which extracts, from the difference between the detection results of the first and second detection devices, the amplitude and phase of a variation component due to belt thickness variation; a control device which controls the rotation of the drive rotary member in accordance with the extracted amplitude and phase; first and second holding devices which hold the extracted amplitude and phase and normal ranges of the amplitude and phase, respectively; and first and second feedback devices which feed back the amplitude and phase to the rotation control, and performs feedback by using a substitution value for the amplitude or phase if the amplitude or phase is out of the normal range, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2009Publication date: September 24, 2009Inventors: Yuichiro UEDA, Kazuhiko Kobayashi, Takuya Uehara, Takuya Murata, Yuji Matsuda, Takahiro Kamekura, Toshiyuki Andoh, Hiromichi Matsuda, Hiroki Ohkubo
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Publication number: 20090190972Abstract: A belt drive control unit controls a rotation of belt supported by first and second rollers. Each of rotations of the first and second rollers are detected as first and second results. A rotation of the first roller is controlled in connection with thickness fluctuation in the belt using the first and second results. The belt drive control unit includes a sampling data acquisition unit, a correction value generator, a correction value storage, and a correction value reading controller. The sampling data acquisition unit obtains sampling data by sampling a difference value between the first and second results. The correction value generator generates correction value data for the belt based on the sampling data. The correction value storage stores the correction value data. The correction value reading controller reads the correction value data based on a rotation number of the belt to control a rotation of the first roller.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2009Publication date: July 30, 2009Inventors: Hiroki Ohkubo, Hiromichi Matsuda, Toshiyuki Andoh, Yuji Matsuda, Yuichiro Ueda, Kazuhiko Kobayashi, Takuya Uehara, Takuya Murata
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Publication number: 20090091959Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a monitoring unit monitors whether a returning factor required to switch an operational state of the apparatus from a power-saving mode to an operating mode is generated, an antenna unit receives external electrical wave, a power generation unit generates electricity from the received electrical wave and supplies the electricity to the monitoring unit, and a controlling unit switches the operational state of the apparatus from the power-saving mode to the operating mode when the monitoring unit detects generation of a returning factor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2008Publication date: April 9, 2009Inventors: Hiroyuki Takahashi, Eiji Nemoto, Hiroki Ohkubo, Yuji Matsuda, Yusuke Ozaki
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Publication number: 20090072781Abstract: A power supply device accumulates charges generated by a photovoltaic unit. The power supply device includes a first capacitor having a first capacitance, in which the charges generated by the photovoltaic unit are charged; a second capacitor having a second capacitance that is larger than the first capacitance; and a switching unit that switches between a first connection of connecting the photovoltaic unit to the first capacitor and a second connection of connecting the first capacitor to the second capacitor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2008Publication date: March 19, 2009Inventors: Hiroyuki TAKAHASHI, Yusuke Ozaki, Eiji Nemoto, Yuji Matsuda, Hiroki Ohkubo
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Publication number: 20080292351Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion element converts thermal energy of a user into electric power. A holding unit holds the electric power converted by the thermoelectric conversion element, and outputs the electric power. A switching unit switches between a first mode in which electric power is supplied to all units of an image forming apparatus and a second mode in which electric power is supplied to a part of units of the image forming apparatus. When the image forming apparatus is in the second mode, the switching unit switches from the second mode to the first mode upon receiving the electric power output from the holding unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2008Publication date: November 27, 2008Inventors: Yuji MATSUDA, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Hiroki Ohkubo, Yusuke Ozaki, Eiji Nemoto
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Publication number: 20080259071Abstract: A display control unit performs a control of displaying first image information on a display unit. An electric-power supply unit converts thermal energy generated from a body temperature of a user into electric power upon the user contacting the electric-power supply unit, and supplies the electric power to the display control unit. A determination unit determines whether the user is in contact with the electric-power supply unit. When it is determined that the user is not in contact with the electric-power supply unit, the display control unit performs a control of rewriting the first image information displayed on the display unit with second image information.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2008Publication date: October 23, 2008Inventors: Eiji NEMOTO, Hiroki OHKUBO, Yuji MATSUDA, Yusuke OZAKI, Hiroyuki TAKAHASHI
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Publication number: 20080240611Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an expansion unit to expand image data to first matrix data including a plurality of rows and columns, a first mask unit to mask the first matrix data by performing a logical operation on the first matrix data and a mask pattern, a second mask unit to select any one of first processing to thoroughly mask a unit area of the first matrix data and second processing to mask a unit area of the first matrix data by using the first mask unit, with respect to each mask unit area by using third matrix data including a plurality of mask unit areas that is formed of the same number of rows and columns as the mask pattern, and an image formation unit to form an image by modulating the first matrix data that is masked by the second mask unit into an optical writing signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2008Publication date: October 2, 2008Inventor: Hiroki OHKUBO
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Publication number: 20080198425Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, an energy converting unit receives light from an optical source and converts the light into electric power, and an electrical storage unit stores therein the electric power. The energy converting unit is arranged in such a manner that a relative position of the energy converting unit to the optical source is always constant when a reading unit is reading an image.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2008Publication date: August 21, 2008Inventors: Yusuke Ozaki, Eiji Nemoto, Hiroki Ohkubo, Yuji Matsuda, Hiroyuki Takahashi
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Patent number: 7372479Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming images with an electrophotographic system. The image forming apparatus includes a laser drive unit configured to control a laser light, and an image data transfer control unit configured to control image data from to the laser drive unit. The apparatus also includes a polygon mirror configured to reflect laser light from the electrophotographic system, a polygon mirror drive unit including a motor configured to rotate the polygon mirror, and a power supply level detecting unit configured to detect a voltage level of power supplied to the polygon mirror drive unit by an electric power supply unit. The image data transfer control unit is configured to provide any width and any number of a first pulse signal indicating a state when power supply is cut off to the polygon mirror drive unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2005Date of Patent: May 13, 2008Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Hiroki Ohkubo
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Patent number: 7315320Abstract: An optical writing system with at least two laser diodes capable of correcting hue deviations. The optical writing system is capable of correcting dot forming positions in the main scanning direction, and setting values for correction through an external key operation unit stored in a phase shift amount register by way of a CPU included in a main controller, and by applying values for arbitrarily shifting picture element clock phases for respective laser diodes. Thus, frequency fluctuations and characteristic changes in the laser diodes over time are compensated, positional precision with respect to a synchronization point is assured for respective laser diodes, picture images at the terminating edge in the main scanning direction is stabilized, and subtle hue variations can be reduced in half tone image portions during repeated full color image formations.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2004Date of Patent: January 1, 2008Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Hiroki Ohkubo
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Publication number: 20060001735Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming images with an electrophotographic system. The image forming apparatus includes a laser drive unit configured to control a laser light, and an image data transfer control unit configured to control image data from to the laser drive unit. The apparatus also includes a polygon mirror configured to reflect laser light from the electrophotographic system, a polygon mirror drive unit including a motor configured to rotate the polygon mirror, and a power supply level detecting unit configured to detect a voltage level of power supplied to the polygon mirror drive unit by an electric power supply unit. The image data transfer control unit is configured to provide any width and any number of a first pulse signal indicating a state when power supply is cut off to the polygon mirror drive unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2005Publication date: January 5, 2006Inventor: Hiroki Ohkubo
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Publication number: 20040155953Abstract: An optical writing system with at least two laser diodes capable of correcting hue deviations. The optical writing system is capable of correcting dot forming positions in the main scanning direction, and setting values for correction through an external key operation unit stored in a phase shift amount register by way of a CPU included in a main controller, and by applying values for arbitrarily shifting picture element clock phases for respective laser diodes. Thus, frequency fluctuations and characteristic changes in the laser diodes over time are compensated, positional precision with respect to a synchronization point is assured for respective laser diodes, picture images at the terminating edge in the main scanning direction is stabilized, and subtle hue variations can be reduced in half tone image portions during repeated full color image formations.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2004Publication date: August 12, 2004Inventor: Hiroki Ohkubo