Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Shibaki

Hiroyuki Shibaki 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: 8223401
    Abstract: An information acquiring unit acquires information indicating whether a color material used at least for image formation is saved. An image-information generating unit creates, when the information acquiring unit acquires the information for saving the color material, image information using the color material of which consumption is saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Noriko Miyagi, Satoshi Ouchi, Hiroyuki Shibaki, Yuki Matsushima, Hirokazu Takenaka, Atsushi Togami
  • Patent number: 8040565
    Abstract: An image processing device including an image signal reception unit configured to receive an image signal of an image to be processed; a density reduction area detector configured to detect a density reduction area satisfying predetermined image density reduction requirements in the image to be processed based on the image signal; a specific image area detector configured to detect a specific image area satisfying predetermined specific image requirements different from the predetermined image density reduction requirements in the image to be processed based on the image signal; and a density controller configured to reduce density of the density reduction area detected by the density reduction area detector in a non-specific image area other than the specific image area detected by the specific image area detector, and to not reduce density of the density reduction area in the specific image area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shibaki, Noriko Miyagi
  • Patent number: 8040557
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a setting unit, a converting unit, and a transmitting unit. The setting unit sets a save-mode for image data to be output to reduce color of image data. When the save-mode is set for image data, the converting unit converts reduces color of the image data to convert the image data into save-mode image data. The transmitting unit transmits the save-mode image data to an external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shibaki, Noriko Miyagi, Satoshi Ouchi
  • Publication number: 20090195813
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus carries, an image apparatus management apparatus or a client apparatus carries out authentication of a user based on user information input by an operator, the user information is then used by the image apparatus management apparatus to obtain a toner save rate of the user, which is then transmitted to the image forming apparatus or another image forming apparatus which then carries out an image forming process based on the toner save rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Shibaki
  • Publication number: 20090147313
    Abstract: An information acquiring unit acquires information indicating whether a color material used at least for image formation is saved. An image-information generating unit creates, when the information acquiring unit acquires the information for saving the color material, image information using the color material of which consumption is saved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Noriko Miyagi, Satoshi Ouchi, Hiroyuki Shibaki, Yuki Matsushima, Hirokazu Takenaka, Atsushi Togami
  • Patent number: 7535595
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a communication unit configured to exchange data with an external device, an attribute determination unit, an embedding unit, and a storage unit. The attribute determination unit determines an image attribute of a first image signal to generate an attribute signal indicating the image attribute. The embedding unit embeds the attribute signal in the first image signal in a predetermined format to obtain a second image signal. The storage unit stores the attribute signal and one of the first image signal and the second image signal. The second image signal is transmitted to the external device through the communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Noriko Miyagi, Hiroyuki Shibaki
  • Publication number: 20090034002
    Abstract: An image processing device including an image signal reception unit configured to receive an image signal of an image to be processed; a density reduction area detector configured to detect a density reduction area satisfying predetermined image density reduction requirements in the image to be processed based on the image signal; a specific image area detector configured to detect a specific image area satisfying predetermined specific image requirements different from the predetermined image density reduction requirements in the image to be processed based on the image signal; and a density controller configured to reduce density of the density reduction area detected by the density reduction area detector in a non-specific image area other than the specific image area detected by the specific image area detector, and to not reduce density of the density reduction area in the specific image area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroyuki SHIBAKI, Noriko Miyagi
  • Patent number: 7433082
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus creates attribute information that indicates characteristics of an image from an image data, stores the attribute information created, determines, when a new image data is input from outside, whether the attribute information created from the new image data exists in the attribute information stored. If the attribute information created from the new image data is in the attribute information stored, the image processing apparatus specifies the attribute information, and processes the image data based on the attribute information specified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hirokazu Takenaka, Hiroyuki Shibaki, Satoshi Ouchi
  • Patent number: 7423781
    Abstract: A filtering processing unit of an image processor includes a component extraction unit, a character edge quantity calculation unit, and a correction unit corresponding to each of a plurality of frequency bands and direction components, and an adder. The component extraction unit extracts signals from a corresponding one of the frequency bands and direction components. The character edge quantity calculation unit calculates a character edge quantity from an output of a corresponding one of the component extraction units. The correction unit performs correction control to the output of a corresponding one of the component extraction units based on a character edge quantity calculated by a corresponding one of the character edge quantity calculation units. The adder adds outputs of all the correction units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Etsuo Morimoto, Hiroyuki Shibaki, Tooru Suino
  • Publication number: 20080144975
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a setting unit, a converting unit, and a transmitting unit. The setting unit sets a save-mode for image data to be output to reduce color of image data. When the save-mode is set for image data, the converting unit converts reduces color of the image data to convert the image data into save-mode image data. The transmitting unit transmits the save-mode image data to an external device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki SHIBAKI, Noriko Miyagi, Satoshi Ouchi
  • Patent number: 7356160
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus embeds decision information that is information about a specific parameter, such as degree of alteration, of an image, into an image signal, and sends the image signal to an external device, such as personal computer, for storage etc. When the image processing apparatus receives the image signal with the decision information embedded in it, the image processing apparatus extracts the decision information from the image signal, determines degree of alteration of the image based on the decision information extracted, sets an image processing parameter based on the degree of alteration determined, and subjects the image signal received to image processing based on the image processing parameter set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shibaki, Noriko Miyagi
  • Patent number: 7355755
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an edge amount calculating device configured to calculate edge amounts of an image in a plurality of directions for each of a plurality of frequency bands of the image. A character edge area determination device determines, based on the calculated edge amounts, whether or not a selected picture element of the image is of a character edge area. A sharpness control device corrects a frequency characteristic of the image by performing a first correction to the edge amounts when the selected picture element is determined to be of a character edge area by the character edge area determining device, and by performing a second correction to the edge amounts when the selected picture element is determined not to be of a character edge area by the character edge area determining device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tooru Suino, Hiroyuki Shibaki, Etsuo Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7327874
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first calculating unit that calculates a first feature amount from a color image signal, a first processing unit that processes the color image signal based on the first feature amount to generate a processed signal, a compressing unit that compresses the processed signal to generate a compressed signal, a storage unit that stores the compressed signal, a decompressing unit that decompresses the compressed signal to generate a decompressed signal, a second calculating unit that calculates a second feature amount from the decompressed signal, and a second processing unit that processes the decompressed signal based on the second feature amount. The second feature amount is multinary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shibaki, Noriko Miyagi, Hirokazu Takenaka, Satoshi Ouchi
  • Patent number: 7221799
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a filtering unit which filters an input image with variable frequency characteristics, an edge detection unit which detects magnitudes of edges appearing in the input image, and a degree-of-white-background-likeliness detection unit which detects degrees of white-background likeliness in respect of local areas of the input image, wherein the filtering unit changes the variable frequency characteristics in response to the magnitudes of edges and to the degrees of white-background likeliness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Okubo, Hiroyuki Shibaki
  • Patent number: 7170642
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first filtering process device configured to perform a predetermined space frequency characteristic conversion process to input image data having multiple-level gradation. A conversion process device performs a gradation characteristic conversion process to an output result of the first filtering process device. A second filtering process device performs a predetermined space frequency characteristic conversion process to an output result of the conversion process device. A halftone processing device performs a quasi-gradation processing to an output result of the second filtering process device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Etsuo Morimoto, Hiroyuki Shibaki
  • Publication number: 20060279589
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is disclosed that includes a color separating apparatus for converting input image data into C,M,Y data; generating K data from the C, M, Y data; separating the K data into Bk data and Lk data; and generating C?,M?,Y? data by conducting color conversion on any two of the C,M,Y data. Also included is a dither processing apparatus for selectively applying one of two dither matrices to one of the C?,M?,Y? data in accordance with the color of an output image, and applying a predetermined dither matrix having a periodic structure that matches the periodic structure of one of the selectively applied dither matrices to the other two of the C?,M?,Y? data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Inventors: Kei Yasutomi, Hiroyuki Shibaki
  • Patent number: 7088472
    Abstract: A novel image forming system which includes an image input apparatus, an image processing apparatus, and an image output apparatus. The image input apparatus has an input property profile, reads an image, and converts the image into image data using the input property profile. The image processing apparatus executes an image processing operation relative to the image data. The image output apparatus has an output property profile, outputs an image using the output property profile in accordance with the image data processed through the image processing operation. The above-mentioned image processing apparatus includes a property recognizer, a memory, and a property calculator. The property recognizer reads and recognizes the input property profile and the output property profile. The memory prestores a reference property profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Okubo, Hiroyuki Shibaki, Hiroshi Ishii, Hiroki Kubozono, Shougu Oneda
  • Publication number: 20060078220
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a filtering unit which filters an input image with variable frequency characteristics, an edge detection unit which detects magnitudes of edges appearing in the input image, and a degree-of-white-background-likeliness detection unit which detects degrees of white-background likeliness in respect of local areas of the input image, wherein the filtering unit changes the variable frequency characteristics in response to the magnitudes of edges and to the degrees of white-background likeliness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Hiromi Okubo, Hiroyuki Shibaki
  • Patent number: 6987886
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a filtering unit which filters an input image with variable frequency characteristics, an edge detection unit which detects magnitudes of edges appearing in the input image, and a degree-of-white-background-likeliness detection unit which detects degrees of white-background likeliness in respect of local areas of the input image, wherein the filtering unit changes the variable frequency characteristics in response to the magnitudes of edges and to the degrees of white-background likeliness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Okubo, Hiroyuki Shibaki
  • Publication number: 20050018903
    Abstract: The image data is supplied to an edge detecting unit that acquires edge information as an attribute signal indicating the attribute of the image. The edge information is supplied to a first through a third correcting units where the edge information is corrected to the signals indicating different attributes in the respective correcting units to be supplied to a filter processor, a UCR/black generating unit, a ?-correcting unit, and a pseudo halftone unit, each of which performs various image processings. Image processings according to different attributes of the image supplied from the respective correcting units are performed, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Noriko Miyagi, Satoshi Ouchi, Hiroyuki Shibaki