Patents by Inventor JIYUAN HOU

JIYUAN HOU 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).

  • Image forming apparatus, information processing system, and information processing method
    Patent number: 11218605
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a CPU, and when a user selects to set (activate) an optional function, the image forming apparatus determines whether a connection to a network is possible. If the connection to the network is impossible, information (data for output) for acquiring a license key for activating the optional function from a management server is output by any method of QR code, NFC or displaying URL. The user uses a user terminal to connect to the management server on the basis of the data for output, and acquires license key data from the management server. When the user enters the license key, an optional function selected by the user is activated accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Jiyuan Hou
  • IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD
    Publication number: 20210234973
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a CPU, and when a user selects to set (activate) an optional function, the image forming apparatus determines whether a connection to a network is possible. If the connection to the network is impossible, information (data for output) for acquiring a license key for activating the optional function from a management server is output by any method of QR code, NFC or displaying URL. The user uses a user terminal to connect to the management server on the basis of the data for output, and acquires license key data from the management server. When the user enters the license key, an optional function selected by the user is activated accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicants: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: JIYUAN HOU