Patents by Inventor Katsuyuki Ikuta
Katsuyuki Ikuta 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).
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Patent number: 11418672Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: a media sensor that detects a sheet type; a fixer that fixes the image on a sheet; a storage that stores a fixing temperature for each sheet type; and a hardware processor that controls power supplied to the fixer by pulse-width modulation (PWM) control and controls a temperature of the fixer to the fixing temperature corresponding to the sheet type detected by the media sensor.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2020Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Takahiro Tsujimoto, Takeshi Tamada, Tianhua Xu, Hiroaki Takatsu, Katsuyuki Ikuta, Akihiro Hayashi
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Publication number: 20210371223Abstract: A recording medium conveyance device includes a storage, a conveyer that conveys a conveyed object, an ultrasonic sensor that outputs a value indicating an attenuation amount of an ultrasonic wave caused by the conveyed object, and a hardware processor. The hardware processor executes a type detection process of detecting a type of the conveyed object based on output of the ultrasonic sensor and storing the type in the storage and an overlay detection process of detecting whether the conveyed object is in an overlay state in which a gap is present based on output of the ultrasonic sensor, and switches to either one of the type detection process and the overlay detection process. The hardware processor executes the type detection process when the type is not stored in the storage and executes the overlay detection process when the type is stored in the storage.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Katsuyuki Ikuta, Hiroaki Takatsu, Takeshi Tamada, Takahiro Tsujimoto, Akihiro Hayashi
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Patent number: 11022923Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a housing part that is capable of housing a plurality of recording materials in such a manner that one recording material is put on another; a transport part that transports a recording material from the housing part; and a hardware processor that detects a kind of the recording material transported by the transport part, detects an amount of the recording materials housed in the housing part, detects replacement of recording materials housed in the housing part, or addition of recording materials in the housing part, on the basis of a result of the detection by the hardware processor, and, on the basis of a result of the detection by the hardware processor, switches whether or not to execute, by the hardware processor, the kind detection of the recording materials housed in the housing part.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2018Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Shota Igo, Masahiro Kamiya, Katsuyuki Ikuta, Toshio Tsuboi, Tatsuya Eguchi
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Publication number: 20210058529Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: a media sensor that detects a sheet type; a fixer that fixes the image on a sheet; a storage that stores a fixing temperature for each sheet type; and a hardware processor that controls power supplied to the fixer by pulse-width modulation (PWM) control and controls a temperature of the fixer to the fixing temperature corresponding to the sheet type detected by the media sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2020Publication date: February 25, 2021Inventors: Takahiro TSUJIMOTO, Takeshi TAMADA, Tianhua XU, Hiroaki TAKATSU, Katsuyuki IKUTA, Akihiro HAYASHI
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Patent number: 10659641Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, which may execute a job including printing an image. The disclosed image forming apparatus may include: a printer; a detector that may detect a property of a printing paper sheet, the printing paper sheet being a paper sheet used by the printer in the printing; and a determinator that may, on the basis of the property detected by the detector and a situation of the job, determine conditions for executing the printing.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2019Date of Patent: May 19, 2020Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Katsuyuki Ikuta, Masahiro Kamiya, Shota Igo
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Patent number: 10638010Abstract: A control device that controls an image former, includes: a second power supply that performs power feeding to a detector during a power feeding suspension period during which power feeding from a first power supply to the image former and the detector is not performed, the detector detecting an environment variable around the image former, the environment variable affecting quality of an image formed by the image former; and a determiner that determines a control condition for the image former in accordance with a result of detection performed by the detector during the power feeding suspension period, when power feeding from the first power supply to the image former is started at an end of the power feeding suspension period and the image former enters an image formation ready state in which the image former can perform image formation.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2018Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Katsuyuki Ikuta, Takeshi Tamada, Yoshihito Sasamoto, Masahiro Kamiya, Shota Igo
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Publication number: 20200120217Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a member controller that controls a drive prevented member that is prevented in advance from being driven in a standalone mode while an image processing operation is not being carried out, and a plurality of other normal members that are not the drive prevented member, and a hardware processor, wherein the hardware processor allows at least one of the plurality of normal members to be driven after an integrated signal indicating abnormality in at least one of the plurality of normal members is detected, and determines an abnormal member having abnormality from among the plurality of normal members based on presence or absence of the integrated signal with at least one of the plurality of normal members being driven.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2019Publication date: April 16, 2020Inventors: Tianhua XU, Hiroaki TAKATSU, Takeshi TAMADA, Takahiro TSUJIMOTO, Katsuyuki IKUTA
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Publication number: 20190373124Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, which may execute a job including printing an image. The disclosed image forming apparatus may include: a printer; a detector that may detect a property of a printing paper sheet, the printing paper sheet being a paper sheet used by the printer in the printing; and a determinator that may, on the basis of the property detected by the detector and a situation of the job, determine conditions for executing the printing.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2019Publication date: December 5, 2019Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Katsuyuki IKUTA, Masahiro KAMIYA, Shota IGO
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Publication number: 20190196381Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a housing part that is capable of housing a plurality of recording materials in such a manner that one recording material is put on another; a transport part that transports a recording material from the housing part; and a hardware processor that detects a kind of the recording material transported by the transport part, detects an amount of the recording materials housed in the housing part, detects replacement of recording materials housed in the housing part, or addition of recording materials in the housing part, on the basis of a result of the detection by the hardware processor, and, on the basis of a result of the detection by the hardware processor, switches whether or not to execute, by the hardware processor, the kind detection of the recording materials housed in the housing part.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2018Publication date: June 27, 2019Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Shota IGO, Masahiro KAMIYA, Katsuyuki IKUTA, Toshio TSUBOI, Tatsuya EGUCHI
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Publication number: 20180335821Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a first device and a second device, the first device includes a first power receiving member, a first switcher, a first power supply circuit, a failure detector, a second switcher, and a first electrical load, and the second device includes a second power receiving member, a second power supply circuit, a distributor, a third switcher, a second electrical load, and a hardware processor.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2018Publication date: November 22, 2018Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Masahiro Kamiya, Takeshi Tamada, Yoshihito Sasamoto, Katsuyuki Ikuta, Shota Igo
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Publication number: 20180270381Abstract: A control device that controls an image former, includes: a second power supply that performs power feeding to a detector during a power feeding suspension period during which power feeding from a first power supply to the image former and the detector is not performed, the detector detecting an environment variable around the image former, the environment variable affecting quality of an image formed by the image former; and a determiner that determines a control condition for the image former in accordance with a result of detection performed by the detector during the power feeding suspension period, when power feeding from the first power supply to the image former is started at an end of the power feeding suspension period and the image former enters an image formation ready state in which the image former can perform image formation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2018Publication date: September 20, 2018Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: KATSUYUKI IKUTA, TAKESHI TAMADA, YOSHIHITO SASAMOTO, MASAHIRO KAMIYA, SHOTA IGO
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Patent number: 9709931Abstract: An excessive heating protection circuit to be connected to a first temperature sensor being configured to output less voltage with a rise in temperature and a second temperature sensor being configured to output more voltage with a rise in temperature. The excessive heating protection circuit includes: a multiplexer having a plurality of channels capable of receiving reference voltages predetermined for the first and second temperature sensors, the multiplexer being configured to output one of the reference voltages by selecting one of the channels with reference to input selection signals; a first comparator being configured to compare the output voltage of the first temperature sensor to the output reference voltage of the multiplexer and to output a comparison result; and a second comparator being configured to compare the output voltage of the second temperature sensor to the output reference voltage of the multiplexer and to output a comparison result.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2016Date of Patent: July 18, 2017Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INCInventors: Katsuyuki Ikuta, Takeshi Tamada, Yoshihito Sasamoto, Hiroshi Eguchi
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Publication number: 20170038708Abstract: An excessive heating protection circuit to be connected to a first temperature sensor being configured to output less voltage with a rise in temperature and a second temperature sensor being configured to output more voltage with a rise in temperature. The excessive heating protection circuit includes: a multiplexer having a plurality of channels capable of receiving reference voltages predetermined for the first and second temperature sensors, the multiplexer being configured to output one of the reference voltages by selecting one of the channels with reference to input selection signals; a first comparator being configured to compare the output voltage of the first temperature sensor to the output reference voltage of the multiplexer and to output a comparison result; and a second comparator being configured to compare the output voltage of the second temperature sensor to the output reference voltage of the multiplexer and to output a comparison result.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2016Publication date: February 9, 2017Inventors: Katsuyuki IKUTA, Takeshi TAMADA, Yoshihito SASAMOTO, Hiroshi EGUCHI
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Patent number: 9182722Abstract: A serial tandem image forming system is described which is capable of inhibiting both the degradation of image quality and the reduction of the productivity. This system consists mainly of the control units of upstream and downstream apparatuses. When a preceding sheet differs from the subsequent sheet in sheet type, a control unit for controlling the image forming system has the subsequent sheet stand by at a paper stop roller of the upstream apparatus, and performs the operation of switching the operating states of the upstream and downstream apparatuses in accordance with the sheet type of the subsequent sheet. Also, the control unit predicts the timing of finishing the switching of the operating state, and then re-starts the conveyance of the subsequent sheet, in advance of finishing the switching of the operating state, by controlling the paper stop roller on the basis of the predicted finishing timing.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2014Date of Patent: November 10, 2015Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Katsuyuki Ikuta, Katsunori Takahashi, Kenichi Hayashi, Kazutoshi Yoshimura, Tatsuhiro Noutomi
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Publication number: 20150063848Abstract: A serial tandem image forming system is described which is capable of inhibiting both the degradation of image quality and the reduction of the productivity. This system consists mainly of the control units of upstream and downstream apparatuses. When a preceding sheet differs from the subsequent sheet in sheet type, a control unit for controlling the image forming system has the subsequent sheet stand by at a paper stop roller of the upstream apparatus, and performs the operation of switching the operating states of the upstream and downstream apparatuses in accordance with the sheet type of the subsequent sheet. Also, the control unit predicts the timing of finishing the switching of the operating state, and then re-starts the conveyance of the subsequent sheet, in advance of finishing the switching of the operating state, by controlling the paper stop roller on the basis of the predicted finishing timing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2014Publication date: March 5, 2015Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Katsuyuki IKUTA, Katsunori TAKAHASHI, Kenichi HAYASHI, Kazutoshi YOSHIMURA, Tatsuhiro NOUTOMI
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Patent number: 8971745Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes first and second image-forming portions and an intermediate transporting portion. A control unit checks fixing units in the image-forming portions and determines whether or not the fixing unit in the first image-forming portion is a fixing unit for an envelope. If not, the control unit controls a manipulation and display unit to display guidance for urging a user to exchange the first fixing unit. If so, the control unit determines whether or not too fixing unit in the second image-forming portion is a fixing unit for an envelope. If not, the control portion controls a manipulation and display unit to display a guidance for urging a user to exchange the second fixing unit. If both of fixing units in the first and second image-forming portions are fixing units for the envelope, the control unit allows an envelope mode control operation.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2012Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Akifumi Isobe, Hiroyuki Futami, Akira Okamoto, Kenji Yamamoto, Hideki Nakamura, Katsuyuki Ikuta
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Patent number: 8965234Abstract: In a serial tandem image forming system having a plurality of image forming apparatuses, a double-side printing job can be performed in a way according to the needs of users by taking into consideration an adjustment operation. The serial tandem image forming system includes an upstream apparatus 200 and a downstream apparatus 300, as the image forming apparatuses, each of which is capable of forming images on both sides of a sheet. When receiving a double-side printing job while one of the image forming apparatuses is performing the adjustment operation, a control unit 260 displays information on a manipulation display 500 which prompts a user to select whether to immediately start the job by performing a single machine double-side printing process with the other image forming apparatus, or start the job by shifting to a tandem mode and performing a serial double-side printing process after the adjustment operation has finished.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2013Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Katsuyuki Ikuta, Akira Okamoto, Kenji Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Futami, Akifumi Isobe
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Patent number: 8936361Abstract: An image forming system has a first image forming section to form an image on a sheet, wherein the first image forming section heats the sheet to fix the image on the sheet, a second image forming section to form an image to the sheet on which the image has been formed by the first image forming section, and a transporting section to transport the sheet from first image forming section to the second image forming section. The transporting section has a first transporting part to transport the sheet to a predetermined position, and a second transporting part to reverse a surface of the sheet which has been transported by the first transporting part as transporting the sheet from the predetermined position to an area below the predetermined position.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2012Date of Patent: January 20, 2015Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Akira Okamoto, Hideki Nakamura, Kenji Yamamoto, Akifumi Isobe, Hiroyuki Futami, Katsuyuki Ikuta
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Patent number: 8611767Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to reduce the frequency of image defect occurrences to a level as lower as possible by detecting abnormalities generated with age on the photoreceptor member and/or in the cleaning section, so as to suppress an amount of spoiled paper sheets and material. The image forming apparatus includes: a light source that is disposed at a position located between a cleaning section and a charging section, to emit an inspection light, which is to be irradiated onto a photoreceptor member over a main-scanning direction thereof; a tight-contact type image sensor that has a line image sensor to receive the inspection light reflected from a surface of the photoreceptor member; and a control section to determine a status of a surface of the photoreceptor member, based on a result of analyzing the inspection light receive by the line image sensor.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2011Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Kenji Izumiya, Atsushi Takahashi, Hiroshi Oyama, Yumiko Higashi, Katsuyuki Ikuta
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Publication number: 20130243468Abstract: In a serial tandem image forming system having a plurality of image forming apparatuses, a double-side printing job can be performed in a way according to the needs of users by taking into consideration an adjustment operation. The serial tandem image forming system includes an upstream apparatus 200 and a downstream apparatus 300, as the image forming apparatuses, each of which is capable of forming images on both sides of a sheet. When receiving a double-side printing job while one of the image forming apparatuses is performing the adjustment operation, a control unit 260 displays information on a manipulation display 500 which prompts a user to select whether to immediately start the job by performing a single machine double-side printing process with the other image forming apparatus, or start the job by shifting to a tandem mode and performing a serial double-side printing process after the adjustment operation has finished.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2013Publication date: September 19, 2013Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Katsuyuki IKUTA, Akira OKAMOTO, Kenji YAMAMOTO, Hiroyuki FUTAMI, Akifumi ISOBE