Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Kawamoto

Hiroyuki Kawamoto 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: 20130250377
    Abstract: An image reading device includes an imaging device including a plurality of imaging elements, and a calibration plate having a surface on which a plurality of color patches is formed, and a processor that instructs the imaging device to read the plurality of color patches while changing a relative position between the plurality of color patches and the plurality of imaging elements, to output reading results of the plurality of color patches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tadashi Kitai, Hitomi Kaneko, Hiroyoshi Ishizaki, Keiji Kojima, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Hideyo Makino
  • Publication number: 20130250370
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, method, and non-transitory recording medium storing an image inspection control program, each of which is capable of inspecting a printed image are provided. While generating an inspection image to be used for inspecting a read image obtained by reading the printed image, attribute data indicating, for each pixel in the inspection image, whether the pixel belongs to drawing data in the inspection image is generated. The attribute data is used to process inspection of the read image based on comparison between the read image and the inspection image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Keiji Kojima, Hiroyoshi Ishizaki, Tadashi Kitai, Hitomi Kaneko, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Keiichi Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20130250319
    Abstract: An image inspection apparatus obtains a threshold value indicating an allowable range of offset differences between an output target inspection image and a pre-provided inspection image, and determines whether to inspect a read image obtained by reading an output target image formed on a recording sheet having a pre-provided image, using the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitomi Kaneko, Tadashi Kitai, Hiroyoshi Ishizaki, Keiji Kojima, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Keiichi Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20130250378
    Abstract: An image reading device includes an imaging device including a plurality of imaging elements, a color measuring unit that detects color of an object at a color measurement area, a calibration plate having a surface on which a plurality of color patches is formed, and a processor that causes the color measuring unit to read the plurality of color patches while changing a relative position between the plurality of color patches and the plurality of imaging elements to output color measurement results of the plurality of color patches, and generates a set of reference values for the plurality of color patches based on the color measurement results of the plurality of colors. The set of reference values are compared with the reading results of the plurality of color patches to generate a set of correction values for correcting the reading results of the plurality of color patches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tadashi Kitai, Hitomi Kaneko, Hiroyoshi Ishizaki, Keiji Kojima, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Hideyo Makino
  • Publication number: 20130250369
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, method, and a non-transitory recording medium storing an image inspection control program, each of which is capable of inspecting a printed image based on comparison between a read image read from the printed image and an inspection image. As a portion of the read image is obtained, the size of the obtained portion of the read image is corrected to match the size of the inspection image, using a magnification ratio previously obtained. After matching the sizes of the read image and the inspection image, the read image is compared with the inspection image to inspect the read image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tadashi Kitai, Hitomi Kaneko, Hiroyoshi Ishizaki, Jian Zhou, Keiji Kojima, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Keiichi Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 8488199
    Abstract: An image-output inspection system includes a printer controller that generates output image data subjected to halftone processing in accordance with an input image forming condition specified in a printer language, an image output device that forms an image on an image output medium on the basis of the output image data, and transmits the output image data, an image reader that reads the image output medium, and generates read image data, and an image inspection apparatus that is connected to the image output device, and generates correct image data by restoring image data before subjected to the halftone processing from the output image data, and determines whether a print state of the image output medium is good or not by comparing the correct image data with the read image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20130136315
    Abstract: An image inspection method and apparatus for inspecting images output on sheets including a reference white plate disposed at a position of the transport route of sheet while facing a scan position for scanning a sheet; a contact glass disposed opposite the reference white plate; an image scanning device fixed facing the scan position to conduct a scanning operation through the contact glass, a noise detector to detect a first noise image in a blank area of the inspection sheet by scanning the blank area of the inspection sheet, and a second noise image in the reference white plate by scanning the reference white plate; and a stain source determination unit to determine a noise origin from the contact glass or the reference white plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventor: Hiroyuki KAWAMOTO
  • Patent number: 8446642
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus in which the reusability of digital image data is improved is disclosed. The apparatus includes an image reading unit reading a draft and obtaining the digitized image data; an image writing unit printing image data on a transfer paper; a recording unit recording image data and attached information of the image data; an external I/F unit transmitting and receiving image data and attached information of the image data; a first and a second image data processing units processing the image data from the image reading unit and the recording unit, respectively; and a bus controlling unit connecting each of the units. The first and the second image data processing units match the characteristics of the image data to prescribed characteristics so that the matched image data can be usable for both the image writing unit and the external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Togami, Tomoyuki Yoshida, Toshiya Hikita, Takeharu Tone, Shuji Kimura, Takumi Nozawa, Toshimi Yamamura, Akira Murakata, Satoshi Ohkawa, Manabu Komatsu, Yasunobu Shirata, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Yukihiko Tamura
  • Patent number: 8411318
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus able to instantaneously transmit image data on which a color/monochrome judgment and a series of processings have been performed comprising: a color/monochrome judging device for judging if input RGB image data is color or monochrome; a color image correction processing unit for performing color image correction processing on the RGB image data and outputting color image data; a monochrome image conversion processing unit for performing monochrome image conversion processing on the RGB image data and converting the same to monochrome image data; image accumulation device for accumulating color image data and monochrome image data; a network I/F for transmitting the image data accumulated in the image accumulation device to an external network; and accumulation control device for outputting either the color image data or monochrome image data accumulated in the image accumulation device to an external network in accordance with the color/monochrome judgment result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20130044342
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus obtains a correction parameter for correcting the positional shift between a previously read image and a master image, and corrects one of a currently read image or a master image using the correction parameter for the previously read image, before comparing between the currently read image and the master image to detect the positional shift in the currently read image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hitomi KANEKO, Tadashi KITAI, Hiroyoshi ISHIZAKI, Keiji KOJIMA, Keiichi MIYAMOTO, Hiroyuki KAWAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20130044347
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus, inspection system, inspection method, and inspection control program stored in a recording medium, each of which sets a reference point in a master image and a read image read from a printed image, which is to be used for detecting the positional shift between the read image and the master image, based on determination whether a pattern previously added to the printed image for detecting the positional shift is available or can be used to effectively detect the positional shift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tadashi KITAI, Hitomi KANEKO, Hiroyoshi ISHIZAKI, Keiji KOJIMA, Keiichi MIYAMOTO, Hiroyuki KAWAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20130016374
    Abstract: An image test apparatus includes a color-image-data acquiring unit that acquires color image data being data of an image to be formed with a color material; a master-image-data generating unit that converts the color image data depending on transparent image data being data of an image to be formed with a transparent color material, thereby generating master image data; and an image testing unit that tests, using the master image data, a test image data which is generated by optically reading a print image from a printed matter on which the print image based on the color image data and the transparent image data has been printed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KAWAMOTO, Tadashi Kitai, Hitomi Kaneko, Keiji Kojima, Hiroyoshi Ishizaki, Keiichi Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20120327467
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a generator, a storage, an image data format converter, and a sender. The generator generates print image data for printing an image, based on image data sent from an external device. The storage stores the print image data. The image data format converter converts the print image data into image data in a format handled by an external device. The sender sends the converted image data via an IP (internet protocol) network to the external device. The image data format converter performs one of color space conversion, expansion, compression, resolution conversion, filtering, halftone processing, density gamma conversion, and noise removal in accordance with parameters determined based on at least one of property information of the print image data and property information requested by the external device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Inventors: Naoki Sugiyama, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Isao Miyamoto, Takeharu Tone, Taira Nishita, Satoshi Ohkawa, Atsushi Togami, Hiroshi Arai, Maki Ohyama, Yasunobu Shirata, Masafumi Hamatake
  • Patent number: 8265494
    Abstract: An image-information acquiring unit acquires the image information divided at least in one of a main-scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction. A supply control unit calculates basic-supply patterns of a supply amount of toner and controls the supply amount at a supply point in a developing unit using a toner supply pattern combined with the basic-supply patterns that eliminate temporal variation in toner density of the developer, at the specific point, due to development of the latent image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Kazunari Tonami, Shuji Hirai, Hiroshi Okuda
  • Patent number: 8237937
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a generator, a storage, an image data format converter, and a sender. The generator generates print image data for printing an image, based on image data sent from an external device. The storage stores the print image data. The image data format converter converts the print image data into image data in a format handled by an external device. The sender sends the converted image data via an IP (internet protocol) network to the external device. The image data format converter performs one of color space conversion, expansion, compression, resolution conversion, filtering, halftone processing, density gamma conversion, and noise removal in accordance with parameters determined based on at least one of property information of the print image data and property information requested by the external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Sugiyama, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Isao Miyamoto, Takeharu Tone, Taira Nishita, Satoshi Ohkawa, Atsushi Togami, Hiroshi Arai, Maki Ohyama, Yasunobu Shirata, Masafumi Hamatake
  • Publication number: 20120147397
    Abstract: An image checking device checks a printed image printed out on a printing medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 8107142
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is disclosed. The image processing apparatus stores image data read by a document reading section and image data received from an external device. An image data synthesizing unit synthesizes first image data read by the document reading section and second image data read by the document reading section or received from the external device. An image correcting unit generates image distinctive data of the first and second image data. A synthesized image distinctive data generating unit synthesizes the image distinctive data of the first and second image data by referring to an LUT (lookup table) selected by a synthesized image distinctive generating rule selecting unit. A predetermined process is applied the synthesized image data based on the synthesized image distinctive data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Yoshida, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Satoshi Ohkawa, Atsushi Togami
  • Publication number: 20120019844
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first density correction unit that corrects density correction characteristics in correcting density of print image data to be output by using a density correction patch formed in an image forming process; a second density correction unit that corrects the density correction characteristics by using a density correction patch printed on a recording sheet; an image inspection unit that compares an image density of inspection image data obtained by scanning a printed output image with an image density of the print image data to be output, thereby inspecting a magnitude of a density change in the printed output image; and a density control unit that selects one from the first and second density correction units according to the magnitude of the density change and causes the density correction characteristics to be corrected by the selected one from the first and second density correction units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kazunari Tonami, Hiroyuki Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20120002984
    Abstract: An image output apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; a test-threshold acquiring unit that acquires a test threshold that is a pass-fail criterion for the image test for determining whether the test image data passes or fails the image test; a changing unit that changes a density detection mode of at least one of the image forming unit and the image reading apparatus on the basis of the test threshold; a density correcting unit that corrects density used in an image forming process performed by the image forming unit; and a reference-image-data acquiring unit that acquires the reference image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Kazunari Tonami
  • Patent number: 8081344
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus implements appropriate image processing on image data stored in a storage unit of the image processing apparatus easily and efficiently, and distributes the image data to an external apparatus. An image format conversion unit implements image processing such as resolution conversion processing, filter processing, ? correction processing, and halftone processing on image data stored in an HDD serving as an image data storage unit so that the image data conform to conditions, such as image quality and format, specified by an external client apparatus. The image-processed image data are then distributed to the external client apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Miyamoto, Hiroyuki Kawamoto, Hiroshi Arai, Satoshi Ohkawa, Takeharu Tone, Naoki Sugiyama, Taira Nishita, Maki Ohyama