Patents by Inventor Kenichi Yokouchi

Kenichi Yokouchi 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: 20230419065
    Abstract: The inkjet printing apparatus is configured to be able to execute a batch adjustment process of performing a plurality of times of adjustment processes related to printing in succession based on one instruction from an outside. The conveyance control unit maintains the conveyance speed at a first speed in a period when a chart printing process is performed and a period when a chart imaging process is performed. The conveyance control unit decreases the conveyance speed from the first speed to the second speed after the end of the chart imaging process in an adjustment process except for an adjustment process that is performed last in the batch adjustment process, and increases the conveyance speed from the second speed to the first speed before the start of the chart printing process in an adjustment process that is performed next.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Shigenori ARIZONO, Kohei Ueda, Ryoko Sakurai, Yuya Takagi, Hiroki Endo, Kenichi Yokouchi, Tomotaka Kato, Asuka Muramatsu, Kensuke Usui
  • Patent number: 11659131
    Abstract: First relational equations which represent characteristics of respective sample colors are obtained, and for the respective sample colors, prediction values of spectral characteristics of characteristics-acquired gradation values for a prediction target color are obtained using the first relational equations. Difference values between the prediction values and actual measurement values are obtained, and a sample color for which a minimum difference value is obtained is selected as a reference color. A second relational equation that represents characteristics of the reference color is obtained, and a prediction value of spectral characteristics of a prediction target gradation value for the prediction target color is obtained using the second relational equation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20220368811
    Abstract: First relational equations which represent characteristics of respective sample colors are obtained, and for the respective sample colors, prediction values of spectral characteristics of characteristics-acquired gradation values for a prediction target color are obtained using the first relational equations. Difference values between the prediction values and actual measurement values are obtained, and a sample color for which a minimum difference value is obtained is selected as a reference color. A second relational equation that represents characteristics of the reference color is obtained, and a prediction value of spectral characteristics of a prediction target gradation value for the prediction target color is obtained using the second relational equation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 11410004
    Abstract: First, a color close to a prediction target color is selected as a first similar color from among a plurality of similar candidate colors. Next, a first relational expression representing a relationship of spectral reflectances of a solid patch between a reference medium and a prediction target medium is obtained for the first similar color. Then, spectral reflectances of the solid patch in the prediction target medium for the prediction target color are predicted by applying spectral reflectances of a solid patch in the reference medium for the prediction target color to the first relational expression. Finally, spectral reflectances of each halftone patch in the prediction target medium for the prediction target color are predicted based on the prediction result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20220092369
    Abstract: First, a color close to a prediction target color is selected as a first similar color from among a plurality of similar candidate colors. Next, a first relational expression representing a relationship of spectral reflectances of a solid patch between a reference medium and a prediction target medium is obtained for the first similar color. Then, spectral reflectances of the solid patch in the prediction target medium for the prediction target color are predicted by applying spectral reflectances of a solid patch in the reference medium for the prediction target color to the first relational expression. Finally, spectral reflectances of each halftone patch in the prediction target medium for the prediction target color are predicted based on the prediction result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 11044384
    Abstract: First, a color close to a prediction target color is selected as a similar color from among a plurality of sample colors for which spectral reflectances of a plurality of patches are obtained. Next, for a similar color, a relational equation representing the relationship between the spectral reflectances of a solid patch (a patch with the highest ink density) and the spectral reflectances of a color prediction target patch is obtained. Finally, the spectral reflectances of the solid patch for the prediction target color are applied to the relational equation, by which predicted values of spectral reflectances of the color prediction target patch for the prediction target color are obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 10990332
    Abstract: In a print control device 10, a page data correction portion 140 receives page data Dpg included in manuscript data Dd and, when the page data Dpg includes a predetermined type of barcode font with a data resolution different from a print resolution, corrects font data within barcode data while maintaining a barcode length, such that any bars and spaces included in a character represented by the barcode font have widths corresponding to natural numbers of pixels with a resolution that is a natural number multiple of the print resolution. A rasterization processing portion 160 rasterizes corrected page data with a high resolution and thereafter anti-aliases the rasterized page data, thereby generating print-resolution raster data Drs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 10978309
    Abstract: A first flash heating is performed in which a flash lamp emits a first flashing light to a semiconductor wafer having been heated to a first preheating temperature equal to or lower than 650 degrees C. by a light emission from a halogen lamp so that the temperature of a surface of the semiconductor wafer reaches 1000 degrees C. or higher. Then, a second flash heating is performed in which a second flashing light is emitted to the semiconductor wafer having been further heated by a light emission of the halogen lamp. Performing the first flash heating can suppress diffusion of impurity in the subsequent second flash heating. In the second flash heating, the impurity is activated and introduced crystal defects are recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 10882322
    Abstract: An image data processing method for estimating an ink consumption amount includes: an image data compression step of compressing image data after RIP processing by run-length encoding; and an ink consumption amount estimation step of calculating a predicted ink consumption amount when printing based on image data is performed by an inkjet printing device based on information on the number of occurrences for each gradation value obtained when run-length encoding is applied to image data and information on an ink consumption amount for each gradation value held in an ink consumption amount table prepared in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Yokouchi, Rui Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10879072
    Abstract: First irradiation which causes an emission output from a flash lamp to reach its maximum value over a time period in the range of 1 to 20 milliseconds is performed to increase the temperature of a front surface of a semiconductor wafer from a preheating temperature to a target temperature for a time period in the range of 1 to 20 milliseconds. This achieves the activation of the impurities. Subsequently, second irradiation which gradually decreases the emission output from the maximum value over a time period in the range of 3 to 50 milliseconds is performed to maintain the temperature of the front surface within a ±25° C. range around the target temperature for a time period in the range of 3 to 50 milliseconds. This prevents the occurrence of process-induced damage while suppressing the diffusion of the impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Fuse, Shinichi Kato, Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 10836181
    Abstract: On the basis of a first calibration point corresponding to a reflectance of a state where a target ink or the like is applied on a transparent ink and a second calibration point corresponding to a reflectance of a state where the target ink is applied on a black ink that is applied on a base material, a third calibration point corresponding to a reflectance of a state where the target ink is solidly applied on a background having an average reflectance is obtained. A reflectance as a prediction value of a color corresponding to the reflectance of the entire background is obtained on the basis of the third calibration point and a fourth calibration point corresponding to a reflectance of a state where the target ink is applied on the base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20200314290
    Abstract: First, a color close to a prediction target color is selected as a similar color from among a plurality of sample colors for which spectral reflectances of a plurality of patches are obtained. Next, for a similar color, a relational equation representing the relationship between the spectral reflectances of a solid patch (a patch with the highest ink density) and the spectral reflectances of a color prediction target patch is obtained. Finally, the spectral reflectances of the solid patch for the prediction target color are applied to the relational equation, by which predicted values of spectral reflectances of the color prediction target patch for the prediction target color are obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20200031136
    Abstract: On the basis of a first calibration point corresponding to a reflectance of a state where a target ink or the like is applied on a transparent ink and a second calibration point corresponding to a reflectance of a state where the target ink is applied on a black ink that is applied on a base material, a third calibration point corresponding to a reflectance of a state where the target ink is solidly applied on a background having an average reflectance is obtained. A reflectance as a prediction value of a color corresponding to the reflectance of the entire background is obtained on the basis of the third calibration point and a fourth calibration point corresponding to a reflectance of a state where the target ink is applied on the base material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 10541150
    Abstract: Flash lamps connected to short-pulse circuits and flash lamps connected to long-pulse circuits are alternately arranged in a line. The duration of light emission from the flash lamps connected to the long-pulse circuits is longer than the duration of light emission from the flash lamps connected to the short-pulse circuits. A superimposing of a flash of light with a high peak intensity from the flash lamps that emit light for a short time and a flash of light with a gentle peak from the flash lamps that emit light for a long time can increase the temperature of even a deep portion of a substrate to an activation temperature or more without heating a shallow portion near the substrate surface more than necessary. This achieves the activation of deep junctions without causing substrate warpage or cracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20190369929
    Abstract: In a print control device 10, a page data correction portion 140 receives page data Dpg included in manuscript data Dd and, when the page data Dpg includes a predetermined type of barcode font with a data resolution different from a print resolution, corrects font data within barcode data while maintaining a barcode length, such that any bars and spaces included in a character represented by the barcode font have widths corresponding to natural numbers of pixels with a resolution that is a natural number multiple of the print resolution. A rasterization processing portion 160 rasterizes corrected page data with a high resolution and thereafter anti-aliases the rasterized page data, thereby generating print-resolution raster data Drs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventor: Kenichi YOKOUCHI
  • Patent number: 10458923
    Abstract: A method for processing print data includes a matching processing step of performing pattern matching between a streak detection pattern including a streak pattern having a width of one pixel and print data after a RIP process, a length measurement step of determining, when matching is established in the matching processing step, a length of a streak candidate part including a part corresponding to the streak pattern in a region where matching is established and a part continuous in an extending direction of the streak pattern and having a same value as a data value of the streak pattern, in the print data, and a determination step of determining whether or not the streak candidate part is white streak data that possibly results in a streak, by comparing the length determined in the length measurement step against a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yohei Onuki, Kenichi Yokouchi, Hiroyuki Segawa
  • Patent number: 10462308
    Abstract: A file generation method for generating, based on an original file in a PDF format, a new file in a PDF format having a larger number of pages than the original file includes a reuse information creation step of creating, by taking the original file or a duplicate of the original file as one initial file and analyzing the initial file, reuse information for allowing specification of whether a use state of each resource is a shared state or a non-shared state, and a page duplication step of generating a page that constitutes the new file, by performing, based on the reuse information, duplication of a page in the initial file in such a way that the use state of each resource is same before duplication and after duplication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Segawa, Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20190283440
    Abstract: An image data processing method for estimating an ink consumption amount includes: an image data compression step of compressing image data after RIP processing by run-length encoding; and an ink consumption amount estimation step of calculating a predicted ink consumption amount when printing based on image data is performed by an inkjet printing device based on information on the number of occurrences for each gradation value obtained when run-length encoding is applied to image data and information on an ink consumption amount for each gradation value held in an ink consumption amount table prepared in advance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Kenichi Yokouchi, Rui YAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20190206687
    Abstract: First irradiation which causes an emission output from a flash lamp to reach its maximum value over a time period in the range of 1 to 20 milliseconds is performed to increase the temperature of a front surface of a semiconductor wafer from a preheating temperature to a target temperature for a time period in the range of 1 to 20 milliseconds. This achieves the activation of the impurities. Subsequently, second irradiation which gradually decreases the emission output from the maximum value over a time period in the range of 3 to 50 milliseconds is performed to maintain the temperature of the front surface within a ±25° C. range around the target temperature for a time period in the range of 3 to 50 milliseconds. This prevents the occurrence of process-induced damage while suppressing the diffusion of the impurities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventors: Kazuhiko FUSE, Shinichi KATO, Kenichi YOKOUCHI
  • Patent number: 10276385
    Abstract: First irradiation which causes an emission output from a flash lamp to reach its maximum value over a time period in the range of 1 to 20 milliseconds is performed to increase the temperature of a front surface of a semiconductor wafer from a preheating temperature to a target temperature for a time period in the range of 1 to 20 milliseconds. This achieves the activation of the impurities. Subsequently, second irradiation which gradually decreases the emission output from the maximum value over a time period in the range of 3 to 50 milliseconds is performed to maintain the temperature of the front surface within a ±25° C. range around the target temperature for a time period in the range of 3 to 50 milliseconds. This prevents the occurrence of process-induced damage while suppressing the diffusion of the impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Fuse, Shinichi Kato, Kenichi Yokouchi