Patents by Inventor Isao Kubo

Isao Kubo 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: 20250091341
    Abstract: An inspection signal output circuit including an electrode. The inspection signal output circuit outputs an inspection signal indicating an electrical change in the electrode when a head is driven to eject liquid from a nozzle toward the electrode. A controller performs an inspection operation sequentially for a plurality of nozzles. The inspection operation includes driving the head to eject liquid from the nozzle toward the electrode, acquiring the inspection signal output from the inspection signal output circuit, and determining whether there is an abnormality in ejection of liquid in the nozzle based on the acquired inspection signal. The controller performs, as the inspection operation, a first-type inspection of acquiring the inspection signal in a first order for the plurality of nozzles, and a second-type inspection of acquiring the inspection signal in a second order for the plurality of nozzles. The second order is different from the first order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2024
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Inventors: Takafumi NAKASE, Isao KUBO, Ryuji HORATA, Nobumasa TANAKA, Misaki HARUHARA, Tetsuya SASO, Masahiro HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20240286410
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a head having nozzles, an expelling device, a discharge-testing device to output condition signals according to discharging conditions of the nozzles, a storage to store information concerning the condition signals, and a controller. In response to receipt of a record command, the controller controls the expelling device to expel a liquid from the nozzles based on the information concerning the condition signals stored in the storage, and thereafter, controls the head to discharge the liquid for recording an image on a recording medium. In response to receipt of a particular signal indicating a potential for receiving the record command, the controller executes a discharging-test process in which the controller controls the discharge-testing device to output the condition signals according to the discharging conditions of the nozzles and a storing process in which the information concerning the condition signals is stored in the storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2024
    Publication date: August 29, 2024
    Inventors: Misaki HARUHARA, Nobumasa TANAKA, Ryuji HORATA, Takafumi NAKASE, Isao KUBO, Masahiro HAYASHI, Zenichiro SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20240286400
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a head to discharge liquid from nozzles, an expelling device to expel the liquid from the nozzles, a discharge-testing device to output condition signals according to discharging conditions of the nozzles, a storage to store information concerning the condition signals, and a controller. In response to receipt of a triggering event, the controller controls the discharge-testing device to output the condition signals and stores the information concerning the condition signals in the storage. In response to receipt of a record command, the controller controls the head to discharge the liquid for recording the image. In response to receipt of a particular signal, the controller controls the expelling device according to a determination, based on the information concerning the condition signals stored in the storage, whether the liquid is to be expelled from the nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2024
    Publication date: August 29, 2024
    Inventors: Takafumi NAKASE, Nobumasa TANAKA, Ryuji HORATA, Misaki HARUHARA, Masahiro HAYASHI, Zenichiro SASAKI, Isao KUBO
  • Publication number: 20240181772
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid ejection apparatus including: a liquid ejection head; a signal outputter configured to output an ejection state signal; and a controller. The ejection state signal is a first or second ejection state signal, the first ejection state signal fulfills a first condition regarding a maximum value and/or a minimum value in a first period and does not fulfill a second condition regarding the maximum value and/or the minimum value in a second period after the first period; the second ejection state signal does not fulfill the first condition in the first period and fulfills the second condition in the second period. The controller is configured to vary a process to be performed between a case in which the ejection state signal outputted is the first ejection state signal and a case in which the ejection state signal outputted is the second ejection state signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2023
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Inventors: Takafumi NAKASE, Nobumasa TANAKA, Ryuji HORATA, Masahiro HAYASHI, Zenichiro SASAKI, Kenta HORADE, Isao KUBO
  • Patent number: 11648767
    Abstract: A printing system includes a controller. The controller is configured to: receive first condition information related to an ejection failure in a printer; determine a maintenance manner applicable to the first condition information; cause the printer to perform a maintenance in the determined maintenance manner; receive second condition information related to the ejection failure in the printer after the maintenance is performed; determine whether an ejection performance in the printer has been improved based on the second condition information in response to performing the maintenance; update an evaluation index in accordance with determination of whether the ejection performance in the printer has been improved, the evaluation index corresponding to the determined maintenance manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Isao Kubo
  • Patent number: 11618251
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a controller configured to perform: causing a voltage application circuit to apply a voltage between a liquid ejection head having a plurality of nozzles and an electrode; driving the liquid ejection head for causing a certain nozzle to eject liquid toward a cap in a state where the plurality of nozzles face the cap; receiving a signal from a signal output circuit; determining, based on the received signal, whether the certain nozzle has ejected liquid normally; determining, based on the received signal, whether a leakage current has occurred between the certain nozzle and the electrode; and specifying the certain nozzle as a leakage nozzle if the leakage current has occurred between the certain nozzle and the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayoshi Hayashi, Isao Kubo, Yuta Toda, Ryuji Horata
  • Patent number: 11400705
    Abstract: In a liquid ejection apparatus, a controller of the liquid ejection apparatus is configured to, in response to receiving a recording instruction to instruct the liquid ejection apparatus to perform image recording on a recording medium, perform ejection inspection to determine whether liquid is ejected from each nozzle of a liquid ejection head toward an electrode based on a signal outputted from a signal output circuit. For the ejection inspection, the controller is configured to control a voltage applying circuit to apply an inspection voltage between the electrode and the liquid ejection head. In response to detecting that a leakage current greater than a predetermined value flows between the electrode and the liquid ejection head, the controller is configured to cancel the ejection inspection and control a voltage applying circuit to apply a reverse voltage opposite in polarity to the inspection voltage between the electrode and the liquid ejection head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Isao Kubo
  • Publication number: 20210300030
    Abstract: In a liquid ejection apparatus, a controller of the liquid ejection apparatus is configured to, in response to receiving a recording instruction to instruct the liquid ejection apparatus to perform image recording on a recording medium, perform ejection inspection to determine whether liquid is ejected from each nozzle of a liquid ejection head toward an electrode based on a signal outputted from a signal output circuit. For the ejection inspection, the controller is configured to control a voltage applying circuit to apply an inspection voltage between the electrode and the liquid ejection head. In response to detecting that a leakage current greater than a predetermined value flows between the electrode and the liquid ejection head, the controller is configured to cancel the ejection inspection and control a voltage applying circuit to apply a reverse voltage opposite in polarity to the inspection voltage between the electrode and the liquid ejection head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventor: Isao Kubo
  • Publication number: 20210300023
    Abstract: A printing system includes a controller. The controller is configured to: receive first condition information related to an ejection failure in a printer; determine a maintenance manner applicable to the first condition information; cause the printer to perform a maintenance in the determined maintenance manner; receive second condition information related to the ejection failure in the printer after the maintenance is performed; determine whether an ejection performance in the printer has been improved based on the second condition information in response to performing the maintenance; update an evaluation index in accordance with determination of whether the ejection performance in the printer has been improved, the evaluation index corresponding to the determined maintenance manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventor: Isao Kubo
  • Publication number: 20210300022
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a controller configured to perform: causing a voltage application circuit to apply a voltage between a liquid ejection head having a plurality of nozzles and an electrode; driving the liquid ejection head for causing a certain nozzle to eject liquid toward a cap in a state where the plurality of nozzles face the cap; receiving a signal from a signal output circuit; determining, based on the received signal, whether the certain nozzle has ejected liquid normally; determining, based on the received signal, whether a leakage current has occurred between the certain nozzle and the electrode; and specifying the certain nozzle as a leakage nozzle if the leakage current has occurred between the certain nozzle and the electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Masayoshi Hayashi, Isao Kubo, Yuta Toda, Ryuji Horata
  • Patent number: 10864745
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejection portion and a circuit. The ejection portion has a plurality of ejection ports configured to eject liquid supplied from a liquid storage portion defining a liquid storage space configured to store liquid. The circuit is electrically connected to at least one of a bottom electrode and a side electrode. The circuit is configured to detect a capacitance between the bottom electrode and the side electrode. The bottom electrode is provided at a bottom surface of the liquid storage portion. The side electrode is provided at one side surface of the liquid storage portion and electrically isolated from the bottom electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daiki Higashiguchi, Isao Kubo, Takahiko Watari, Satoshi Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20190366731
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejection portion and a circuit. The ejection portion has a plurality of ejection ports configured to eject liquid supplied from a liquid storage portion defining a liquid storage space configured to store liquid. The circuit is electrically connected to at least one of a bottom electrode and a side electrode. The circuit is configured to detect a capacitance between the bottom electrode and the side electrode. The bottom electrode is provided at a bottom surface of the liquid storage portion. The side electrode is provided at one side surface of the liquid storage portion and electrically isolated from the bottom electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Daiki HIGASHIGUCHI, Isao KUBO, Takahiko WATARI, Satoshi YOSHIOKA
  • Patent number: 10427415
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejection portion and a circuit. The ejection portion has a plurality of ejection ports configured to eject liquid supplied from a liquid storage portion defining a liquid storage space configured to store liquid. The circuit is electrically connected to at least one of a bottom electrode and a side electrode. The circuit is configured to detect a capacitance between the bottom electrode and the side electrode. The bottom electrode is provided at a bottom surface of the liquid storage portion. The side electrode is provided at one side surface of the liquid storage portion and electrically isolated from the bottom electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daiki Higashiguchi, Isao Kubo, Takahiko Watari, Satoshi Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20180117923
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejection portion and a circuit. The ejection portion has a plurality of ejection ports configured to eject liquid supplied from a liquid storage portion defining a liquid storage space configured to store liquid. The circuit is electrically connected to at least one of a bottom electrode and a side electrode. The circuit is configured to detect a capacitance between the bottom electrode and the side electrode. The bottom electrode is provided at a bottom surface of the liquid storage portion. The side electrode is provided at one side surface of the liquid storage portion and electrically isolated from the bottom electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Daiki HIGASHIGUCHI, Isao KUBO, Takahiko WATARI, Satoshi YOSHIOKA
  • Patent number: 9417592
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus may includes a central processing device, a first switching regulator and a second switching regulator. The central processing device may perform information processing associated with image formation. The first switching regulator may receive an input of a first voltage and output a second voltage which is lower than the first voltage. The second switching regulator may receive an input of the second voltage and output a third voltage which is lower than the second voltage. The third voltage may be input to the central processing device. A first switching frequency which is a switching frequency of the first switching regulator may be lower than a second switching frequency which is a switching frequency of the second switching regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidenobu Kondo, Isao Kubo, Hideki Arimoto, Kyoichi Morita, Takahiro Ikeno
  • Patent number: 9369611
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a reading unit having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a main scanning direction; a white reference plate arranged to face the reading unit; a motor configured to move at least one of an original and the reading unit relative to each other; and a controller configured to: control the reading unit to read the white reference plate to obtain white reference data; determine, based on a driving velocity of the motor, whether relative position between the original and the reading unit has changed by a predetermined distance; and output a displacement signal in a case of determining that the relative position between the original and the reading unit has changed by the predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyoichi Morita, Isao Kubo, Hidenobu Kondo, Takahiro Ikeno
  • Patent number: 9186889
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus may be configured to enter a first state where electric power is supplied from a power supply and a second state where no electric power is supplied from the power supply. A capacitor may be connected to the power supply, and may be charged by the power supply in the first state. A controller may be connected to the capacitor, and may operate with electric power supplied from the capacitor in the second state. The controller may operate with electric power supplied from the power supply in the first state. The controller may cause the image forming apparatus to enter the first state upon detecting that the image forming apparatus is in a predetermined state. The controller may acquire the related information and may cause the image forming apparatus to enter the second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Isao Kubo, Hidenobu Kondo, Kyoichi Morita, Hideki Arimoto, Takahiro Ikeno
  • Patent number: 9131101
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a reading unit which reads an original as an object to be read in a main scanning direction every time a command signal is inputted; a command unit which inputs the command signal to the reading unit; a conveying unit which conveys at least one of the original and the reading unit so as to change a relative position between the reading unit and the original in a sub scanning direction; a signal output unit which outputs a displacement signal every time the relative position is changed by a predetermined amount; and a control unit which controls the command unit. The command unit which operates in a first mode to output the command signal to the reading unit at a predetermined time interval and in a second mode to output the command signal to the reading unit at a timing synchronized with the displacement signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyoichi Morita, Isao Kubo, Hidenobu Kondo, Takahiro Ikeno
  • Publication number: 20150229811
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a reading unit having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a main scanning direction; a white reference plate arranged to face the reading unit; a motor configured to move at least one of an original and the reading unit relative to each other; and a controller configured to: control the reading unit to read the white reference plate to obtain white reference data; determine, based on a driving velocity of the motor, whether relative position between the original and the reading unit has changed by a predetermined distance; and output a displacement signal in a case of determining that the relative position between the original and the reading unit has changed by the predetermined distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyoichi MORITA, Isao KUBO, Hidenobu KONDO, Takahiro IKENO
  • Publication number: 20150201102
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a reading unit which reads an original as an object to be read in a main scanning direction every time a command signal is inputted; a command unit which inputs the command signal to the reading unit; a conveying unit which conveys at least one of the original and the reading unit so as to change a relative position between the reading unit and the original in a sub scanning direction; a signal output unit which outputs a displacement signal every time the relative position is changed by a predetermined amount; and a control unit which controls the command unit. The command unit which operates in a first mode to output the command signal to the reading unit at a predetermined time interval and in a second mode to output the command signal to the reading unit at a timing synchronized with the displacement signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyoichi MORITA, Isao KUBO, Hidenobu KONDO, Takahiro IKENO