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).

  • Patent number: 8083319
    Abstract: The recording head is formed with ejection holes including first ejection holes and second ejection holes arranged in a first direction. A recording medium has invisible columns extending in the first direction and invisible rows extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The invisible columns have first invisible columns and second invisible columns alternately arranged in the second direction. The scanning unit performs a first scan and a second scan in the second direction. The controller prevents the recording head in the first scan from ejecting ink droplets from the first ejection holes onto the first invisible columns and from the second ejection holes onto the second invisible columns, and prevents the recording head in the second scan from ejecting ink droplets from the first ejection holes onto the second invisible columns and from the second ejection holes at the first invisible columns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Publication number: 20110164079
    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: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi Ueda, Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Patent number: 7784894
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a feeding unit, a recording unit, and a controller. The feeding unit includes a first feeding member and a second feeding member disposed at a downstream of the first feeding member in a feeding direction. At least one of the first feeding member and the second feeding member feeds a recording medium in the feeding direction. The recording unit is disposed between the first feeding member and the second feeding member to eject a plurality of ink droplets onto the recording medium fed between the first feeding member and the second feeding member. A plurality of ink droplets ejected onto the recording medium forms a plurality of raster lines extending in a main-scanning direction orthogonal to the feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Maehira, Masashi Ueda
  • Publication number: 20100214618
    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: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotoshi MAEHIRA
  • Patent number: 7651186
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes: a print head having an ink discharge port for discharging ink toward a recording medium, thereby performing printing on the recording medium; a recording medium thickness setting unit setting a thickness of the recording medium; a droplet amount setting unit setting an ink droplet amount depending on the recording medium thickness; and a droplet amount control unit controlling an amount of an ink droplet to be discharged from the ink discharge port to the set ink droplet amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunari Yoshida, Hirotoshi Maehira, Shinya Kato
  • Patent number: 7640369
    Abstract: A peripheral device has a communication section for communicating with operational equipment, the operational equipment including a detecting unit configured to detect a peripheral device, and an installing unit configured to install a driver to control the peripheral device detected by the detecting unit, a first setting section configured to set a blocking state that blocks detection by the detecting unit prior to activation of the installing unit, a determining section configured to determine whether the installing unit has been activated or not, and a second setting section configured to cancel the blocking state set by the first setting section after the determining section determines that the installing unit has been activated and configured to set a permitting state in which detection by the detecting unit is permitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Inada, Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Publication number: 20090219318
    Abstract: The recording head is formed with ejection holes including first ejection holes and second ejection holes arranged in a first direction. A recording medium has virtual columns extending in the first direction and virtual rows extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The virtual columns have first virtual columns and second virtual columns alternately arranged in the second direction. The scanning unit performs a first scan and a second scan in the second direction. The controller prevents the recording head in the first scan from ejecting ink droplets from the first ejection holes onto the first virtual columns and from the second ejection holes onto the second virtual columns, and prevents the recording head in the second scan from ejecting ink droplets from the first ejection holes onto the second virtual columns and from the second ejection holes at the first virtual columns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Publication number: 20090150787
    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: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotoshi MAEHIRA, Masahiro FUJISHITA
  • Publication number: 20090138268
    Abstract: A data processing device includes a displaying unit, a receiving unit, a determining unit, and a controlling unit. The displaying unit displaying one of a first operation screen and a second operation screen. Input data is inputted into the receiving unit by a user. The determining unit determines, based on at least one of the input data and settings of an OS, which of the first operation screen and the second operation screen should be displayed on the displaying unit. The controlling unit controls the displaying unit to display the first operation screen if the determining unit determines that the first operation screen should be displayed on the displaying unit, and control the displaying unit to display the second operation screen if the determining unit determines that the second operation screen should be displayed on the displaying unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotoshi MAEHIRA, Masahiro FUJISHITA
  • Publication number: 20090113306
    Abstract: A data processing device includes a displaying unit, a user type determining unit, and a display controlling unit. The display unit displays display data including first display data for visually impaired users and second display data for sighted users. The user type determining unit determines whether a user is visually impaired or sighted. The display controlling unit controls the displaying unit to display the first display data when the user type determining unit determines that the user is visually impaired, and to display the second display data when the user type determining unit determines that the user is sighted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro FUJISHITA, Hirotoshi MAEHIRA
  • Publication number: 20090086220
    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: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Ueda, Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Publication number: 20090085970
    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: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi UEDA, Hirotoshi MAEHIRA
  • Publication number: 20080209449
    Abstract: A setting device for setting allocation information of a setting item allocated in a setting screen of a device driver, the setting screen being adapted for altering a controlling condition of a target device. At an administrator terminal, allocation information setting application is activated upon execution of allocation information setting program. In a setting item edit screen displayed in a monitor, a list of setting items displayed at an allocated setting item display area or an unallocated setting item display area is dragged and dropped in a setting screen displayed at setting screen display area, whereupon the dragged setting item is allocated in currently displayed setting screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Publication number: 20080001980
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a feeding unit, a recording unit, and a controller. The feeding unit includes a first feeding member and a second feeding member disposed at a downstream of the first feeding member in a feeding direction. At least one of the first feeding member and the second feeding member feeds a recording medium in the feeding direction. The recording unit is disposed between the first feeding member and the second feeding member to eject a plurality of ink droplets onto the recording medium fed between the first feeding member and the second feeding member. A plurality of ink droplets ejected onto the recording medium forms a plurality of raster lines extending in a main-scanning direction orthogonal to the feeding direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Maehira, Masashi Ueda
  • Publication number: 20070247651
    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: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotoshi Maehira
  • Publication number: 20070182770
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes: a print head having an ink discharge port for discharging ink toward a recording medium, thereby performing printing on the recording medium; a recording medium thickness setting unit setting a thickness of the recording medium; a droplet amount setting unit setting an ink droplet amount depending on the recording medium thickness; and a droplet amount control unit controlling an amount of an ink droplet to be discharged from the ink discharge port to the set ink droplet amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventors: Yasunari Yoshida, Hirotoshi Maehira, Shinya Kato
  • Publication number: 20070055801
    Abstract: A peripheral device has a communication section for communicating with an operational equipment which has a detecting unit for automatically detecting a peripheral device to communicate with and an installing unit for installing a driver to control a peripheral device detected by the detecting unit, a first setting section for setting a blocking state in which detection by the detecting unit before the installing unit is activated is blocked, a determining section for determining whether the installing unit has been activated or not, and a second setting section for canceling the blocking state set by the first setting section after it is determined by the determining section that the installing unit has been activated and setting a permitting state in which detection by the detecting unit is permitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hajime Inada, Hirotoshi Maehira