Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Akiba

Kazuhiro Akiba 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: 11526097
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an attachment portion, an attachment detection unit, an output portion, a first cover, a first detection portion, a second cover, and a control unit. A control unit is configured to control opening movement of the first cover to open the first cover linked with movement that the second cover is opened when the output portion outputs information of replacing the developer accommodating container. After the first detection portion detects that the first cover is in a closed state after the first cover has been opened based on information output by the output portion, the first detection portion detects whether the developer accommodating container is attached to the attachment portion or not, and if the first detection portion detects that the developer accommodating container is not attached to the attachment portion, the control unit controls the first cover to open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenzo Kumagai, Kazuhiro Akiba, Yuichiro Maeda, Yohei Gamo
  • Publication number: 20200409288
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an attachment portion, an attachment detection unit, an output portion, a first cover, a first detection portion, a second cover, and a control unit. A control unit is configured to control opening movement of the first cover to open the first cover linked with movement that the second cover is opened when the output portion outputs information of replacing the developer accommodating container. After the first detection portion detects that the first cover is in a closed state after the first cover has been opened based on information output by the output portion, the first detection portion detects whether the developer accommodating container is attached to the attachment portion or not, and if the first detection portion detects that the developer accommodating container is not attached to the attachment portion, the control unit controls the first cover to open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Kenzo Kumagai, Kazuhiro Akiba, Yuichiro Maeda, Yohei Gamo
  • Patent number: 10768566
    Abstract: If a timing of outputting magnification correction data for first image data to form first electrostatic latent image for an (n+1)th print medium overlaps a timing of outputting magnification correction data for second image data to form an electrostatic latent image for an nth print medium having a size smaller than the (n+1)th print medium in a conveyance direction of the print medium, a CPU outputs the magnification correction data for the second image data to form the second electrostatic latent image for the nth print medium before the magnification correction data for the first image data to form the first electrostatic latent image for the (n+1)th print medium is output and outputs the magnification correction data for the (n+1)th print medium after a magnification correction process performed by a second data processing unit based on the magnification correction data for the nth print medium is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichiro Maeda, Kazuhiro Akiba
  • Patent number: 10551782
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first controller having an image processor that performs image processing on image data, the first controller configured to determine a first statistic value based on the image data, and output the first statistic value; an obtaining unit configured to obtain the image data; an image forming unit configured to form, based on the image data, an image by using toner; a supply unit configured to supply toner to the image forming unit; and a second controller configured to control the supply unit based on the first statistic value. In a case where the first statistic value is not outputted by the first controller in a predetermined period, the second controller controls the supply unit based on a second statistic value, the second statistic value being determined based on the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichiro Maeda, Kazuhiro Akiba
  • Patent number: 10295928
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image processing unit configured to perform image processing corresponding to an image forming mode on image data; a controller configured to control the image processing unit to perform the image processing corresponding to the image forming mode on measurement image data, control an image forming unit to form the measurement image based on the measurement image data, to control a measurement unit to measure the measurement image, and to control an image forming condition based on a measurement result. In a case where the measurement image is formed while the image forming apparatus consecutively forms a plurality of images in the second image forming mode, the controller controls the image forming unit to form the measurement image without performing the image processing corresponding to the second image forming mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Akiba
  • Publication number: 20190072890
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first controller having an image processor that performs image processing to image data, the first controller configured to determine a first statistic value based on the image data, and output the first statistic value; an obtaining unit configured to obtain the image data; an image forming unit configured to form, based on the image data, an image by using toner; a supply unit configured to supply toner to the image forming unit; and a second controller configured to control the supply unit based on the first statistic value. In a case where the first statistic value is not outputted by the first controller in a predetermined period, the second controller controls the supply unit based on a second statistic value, the second statistic value being determined based on the image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Yuichiro Maeda, Kazuhiro Akiba
  • Patent number: 10126693
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a first control unit and a second control unit. The second control unit is connected to the first control unit and controls a light source according to a video signal received from the first control unit. The first control unit generates a video signal according and commands, stores the commands, and sends commands according to an order of earliest to latest execution timing. The second control unit receives the video signal and the commands, generates a drive signal according to the video signal and the commands and drives the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Akiba
  • Publication number: 20180095378
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image processing unit configured to perform image processing corresponding to an image forming mode on image data; a controller configured to control the image processing unit to perform the image processing corresponding to the image forming mode on measurement image data, control an image forming unit to form the measurement image based on the measurement image data, to control a measurement unit to measure the measurement image, and to control an image forming condition based on a measurement result. In a case where the measurement image is formed while the image forming apparatus consecutively forms a plurality of images in the second image forming mode, the controller controls the image forming unit to form the measurement image without performing the image processing corresponding to the second image forming mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Akiba
  • Publication number: 20170357201
    Abstract: If a timing of outputting magnification correction data for first image data to form first electrostatic latent image for an (n+1)th print medium overlaps a timing of outputting magnification correction data for second image data to form an electrostatic latent image for an nth print medium having a size smaller than the (n+1)th print medium in a conveyance direction of the print medium, a CPU outputs the magnification correction data for the second image data to form the second electrostatic latent image for the nth print medium before the magnification correction data for the first image data to form the first electrostatic latent image for the (n+1)th print medium is output and outputs the magnification correction data for the (n+1)th print medium after a magnification correction process performed by a second data processing unit based on the magnification correction data for the nth print medium is completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Yuichiro Maeda, Kazuhiro Akiba
  • Publication number: 20170115612
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a first control unit and a second control unit. The second control unit is connected to the first control unit and controls a light source according to a video signal received from the first control unit. The first control unit generates a video signal according and commands, stores the commands, and sends commands according to an order of earliest to latest execution timing. The second control unit receives the video signal and the commands, generates a drive signal according to the video signal and the commands and drives the light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Akiba