Patents by Inventor Hirotoshi Maehira

Hirotoshi Maehira 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: 20200282743
    Abstract: A control device is configured to: obtain target image data; generate dot data using the target image data; and control a print execution device to print a print image using the dot data by executing: a first partial printing of forming the dots in an overlapping area and a first non-overlapping area; and a second partial printing of forming the dots in the overlapping area and a second non-overlapping area. The control device generates data of the dot data corresponding to the overlapping area by executing an overlapping area processing including first processing for values of pixels within a first range and second processing for values of pixels within a second range, the first processing including lowering a density of an image to be printed in the overlapping area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Hirotoshi MAEHIRA, Masao MIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200230955
    Abstract: A control device that controls a printing execution unit to execute printing by alternately executing partial printings, which forms the dot using the print head, and print medium conveying, which conveys the print medium using the conveyor, the conveyor including: a first roller; a second roller; and a third roller, wherein a first holding state is a state where the print medium is held by the first roller, is held by the second roller, and is held by the third roller, a second holding state is a state where the print medium is held by the first roller, is held by the second roller, and is not held by the third roller, and a length of the second partial image printed in the first holding state is longer than a length of the second partial image printed in the second holding state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotoshi MAEHIRA
  • Patent number: 10639886
    Abstract: A control device that controls a printing execution unit to execute printing by alternately executing partial printings, which forms the dot using the print head, and print medium conveying, which conveys the print medium using the conveyor, the conveyor including: a first roller; a second roller; and a third roller, wherein a first holding state is a state where the print medium is held by the first roller, is held by the second roller, and is held by the third roller, a second holding state is a state where the print medium is held by the first roller, is held by the second roller, and is not held by the third roller, and a length of the second partial image printed in the first holding state is longer than a length of the second partial image printed in the second holding state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Publication number: 20190299603
    Abstract: A control device that controls a printing execution unit to execute printing by alternately executing partial printings, which forms the dot using the print head, and print medium conveying, which conveys the print medium using the conveyor, the conveyor including: a first roller; a second roller; and a third roller, wherein a first holding state is a state where the print medium is held by the first roller, is held by the second roller, and is held by the third roller, a second holding state is a state where the print medium is held by the first roller, is held by the second roller, and is not held by the third roller, and a length of the second partial image printed in the first holding state is longer than a length of the second partial image printed in the second holding state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotoshi MAEHIRA
  • Publication number: 20190299608
    Abstract: A control device for a printing execution unit including a printing head, a head drive unit, and a movement unit, wherein, in a case where a non-character object region is located at an upstream end of a partial region which is configured to be printed by a first partial printing: dots are formed in a first overlap region by both the first partial printing and a second partial printing, the first overlap region including the upstream end of the partial region, wherein, in a case where a character region is located at the upstream end of the partial region, dots are formed in a second overlap region by both the first partial printing and the second partial printing, the second overlap region including the upstream end of the partial region, and wherein a length of the second overlap region is shorter than a length of the first overlap region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotoshi MAEHIRA, Tsuyoshi ITO, Masao MIMOTO, Yoshimitsu TANIGUCHI, Shohei ICHIKAWA, Kengo NODA
  • Publication number: 20190299594
    Abstract: A control device for a printing execution unit, wherein, in a case where a character region and a non-character region are included in an overlap region which includes an upstream end of a partial region configured to be printed by a first partial printing, the printing execution unit is caused to print a print image by: forming a plurality of character dots, which are dots in the character region included in the overlap region, by one of the first partial printing and a second partial printing, and not forming the plurality of character dots by another of the first partial printing and the second partial printing; and forming some of a plurality of non-character dots, which are dots in the non-character region included in the overlap region, by the first partial printing, and forming other dots of the plurality of non-character dots by the second partial printing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi ITO, Hirotoshi MAEHIRA, Masao MIMOTO, Yoshimitsu TANIGUCHI, Shohei ICHIKAWA, Kengo NODA
  • Patent number: 9875071
    Abstract: An image processing device may perform an analysis by utilizing target data representing a target image of a print target, so as to select, from among a plurality of types of print orders for printing the target image, one type of print order in which a print of the target image is presumed to be completed in the shortest time period. In each of the plurality of types of print orders, an area in the target image to be printed by the initial main scanning of the print head may be mutually different. The image processing device may create print data by utilizing the target data for causing a print performing unit to perform the print of the target image according to the selected one type of print order, and supply the print data to the print performing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi Kuno, Hirotoshi Maehira, Sadaaki Miyazaki, Toru Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8988718
    Abstract: This disclosure discloses a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, storing a program for executing steps. The steps comprising a first storage processing step for obtaining a plurality of print data, a capacity obtaining step for obtaining a storage capacity of the storage portion of the printed matter producing apparatus, a data allocation step for grouping the plurality of print data into a plurality of print data groups, so that each data volume is not more than the predetermined storage capacity and for determining allocation of the print data to be included in each print data group so that the number of the print data groups becomes the minimum, a second storage processing step for storing the plurality of print data so that they can be read for each print data group, and a first data transmission step for sequentially transmitting the print data to the printed matter producing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Patent number: 8789906
    Abstract: In a case where N1 lines (N1 being less than N which is a number of nozzles included in one nozzle line) of target line image data represent N1 lines of target line images to be printed by only one specific color of ink, and (N?N1) lines of remaining line image data include line image data which represents a line image to be printed by two or more colors of ink, the controlling device may select only the N1 lines of target line image data, so as to determine the opposite direction of the direction of the main scanning of a previous time as the direction of the main scanning of a present time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Maehira, Masashi Kuno, Sadaaki Miyazaki, Toru Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8707183
    Abstract: A data processing device is connected to a web data providing unit that provides web data via a network. The web data has at least one of first web data and second web data corresponding to the first web data. A screen reader can be installed on the data processing device. The displaying unit displays the web data. The screen reader voices the first web data displayed on the displaying unit and fails to voice the second web data displayed on the displaying unit. The acquiring unit acquires the web data from the web data providing unit. The determining unit determines, based on visually impaired information indicating that the user is a visually impaired, whether or not the acquiring unit should acquire the first web data from the web data providing unit even if the user instructs the acquiring unit to acquire the second web data from the web data providing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Maehira, Masahiro Fujishita
  • Publication number: 20140085670
    Abstract: This disclosure discloses a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, storing a program for executing steps. The steps comprising a first storage processing step for obtaining a plurality of print data, a capacity obtaining step for obtaining a storage capacity of the storage portion of the printed matter producing apparatus, a data allocation step for grouping the plurality of print data into a plurality of print data groups, so that each data volume is not more than the predetermined storage capacity and for determining allocation of the print data to be included in each print data group so that the number of the print data groups becomes the minimum, a second storage processing step for storing the plurality of print data so that they can be read for each print data group, and a first data transmission step for sequentially transmitting the print data to the printed matter producing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotoshi MAEHIRA
  • Patent number: 8550581
    Abstract: In the control device, the generating portion generates control data to be used by the controlling portion to form a specific image. The generating portion generates the control data such that in a first case where the printing execution unit forms the end image, the head drive portion drives the print head to eject ink droplet only from nozzles classified into the downstream nozzle group toward the downstream end region, that in a second case where the printing execution unit forms the center image the head drive portion drives the print head to eject ink droplet from the plurality of nozzles including the upstream and downstream nozzle groups toward the center region, and that, in the first case, the first nozzle does not eject ink droplet toward the center region for forming a specific part, and such that in the second case, the second nozzle ejects ink droplet for forming the specific part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Ueda, Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Publication number: 20130083101
    Abstract: In a case where N1 lines (N1 being less than N which is a number of nozzles included in one nozzle line) of target line image data represent N1 lines of target line images to be printed by only one specific color of ink, and (N?N1) lines of remaining line image data include line image data which represents a line image to be printed by two or more colors of ink, the controlling device may select only the N1 lines of target line image data, so as to determine the opposite direction of the direction of the main scanning of a previous time as the direction of the main scanning of a present time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotoshi MAEHIRA, Masashi KUNO, Sadaaki MIYAZAKI, Toru MIZUNO
  • Publication number: 20130061134
    Abstract: A storage device may store a page processing program that, when executed, causes an information processing apparatus to perform a series of steps. The steps may include acquiring information indicating pages to be printed on successive back and front sides of separate recording media, and associating, based on the acquired information, a top page of a first page group including the pages with a front side or a back side of a recording medium such that the pages is set to be printed on successive back and front sides of separate recording media. The steps may further include determining whether the top page has been associated with a back side of a recording medium and inserting a page at a top of the first page group in a case that the top page is determined to be associated with the back side of the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Patent number: 8379280
    Abstract: An image processing device to generate coded image data, which represents an image to be printed in a printing apparatus, is provided. The image processing device includes a data generator to downscale tone values of pixels included in the image, the tone values of pixels being included in a predetermined scale range, and assign a plurality of types of codes having different lengths to the downscaled tone values to generate image data, and a data transmitter configured to transmit the coded image data to the printing apparatus. The data generator downscales the tone values of pixels by classifying each tone value of pixels into one of segments, which are unevenly delimited by predetermined thresholds within the predetermined scale range and include a larger segment and a smaller segment, and assigning a code with a shorter bit length to the tone value classified into the larger segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Publication number: 20130003114
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a facsimile control program stored thereon and readable by a computer installed in an information processing apparatus, the facsimile control program, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform operations including: a generating and transmitting process of generating facsimile data based on a transmission target image and transmitting the generated facsimile data to a facsimile device; a setting receiving process of receiving a transmission setting of the facsimile data from a user; and a transmission setting data transmitting process of transmitting transmission setting data based on the transmission setting received by the setting receiving process to the facsimile device. The facsimile control program causes the computer to start the generating and transmitting process and the setting receiving process at the same time or start one of the processes during execution of the other process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotoshi MAEHIRA
  • Patent number: 8294941
    Abstract: A data processor controls an image-forming device as the control target. The image-forming device is capable of recording images on a recording medium conveyed one sheet at a time from a feeding unit based on image data transmitted from the data processor. The data processor controls the image-forming device to begin conveying an N+1th sheet of the recording medium before the image-forming device finishes recording an image on an Nth sheet of recording medium on the condition that the data processor has transmitted indicate data to the image-forming device indicating the existence of an image to be recorded on the N+1th sheet of recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Patent number: 8213046
    Abstract: A print method and apparatus for minimizing effects of error in repositioning during printing process may include generating successive scans of a recording head, wherein the scans may partially overlap to account for the error in repositioning. As an example, after the recording head makes one scan across the document being printed, the document (or the head) may be repositioned for the next scan so that several print elements of the recording head are aligned to lie between certain rows of dots printed in the previous scan, resulting in a higher number of rows in the overlapping portion of the scans. Additional features may include varying the row/column arrangement of dots in the overlap portion, or performing error diffusion and correction for different areas of resolution in the scans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Ueda, Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Patent number: 8210645
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a recording head including a plurality of printing elements each of which offsets at least in a auxiliary-scanning direction one another and ejects droplets toward a recording medium. The image forming apparatus further includes a main scanning unit configured to scan the recording head, relative to the recording medium, in a main scanning direction perpendicular to the auxiliary-scanning direction. The image forming apparatus still further includes a auxiliary-scanning unit configured to scan the recording head, relative to the recording medium, in a main scanning direction perpendicular to the auxiliary-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Ueda, Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Publication number: 20120062909
    Abstract: An image processing device may perform an analysis by utilizing target data representing a target image of a print target, so as to select, from among a plurality of types of print orders for printing the target image, one type of print order in which a print of the target image is presumed to be completed in the shortest time period. In each of the plurality of types of print orders, an area in the target image to be printed by the initial main scanning of the print head may be mutually different. The image processing device may create print data by utilizing the target data for causing a print performing unit to perform the print of the target image according to the selected one type of print order, and supply the print data to the print performing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi KUNO, Hirotoshi MAEHIRA, Sadaaki MIYAZAKI, Toru MIZUNO