Patents by Inventor Kosuke Masumoto

Kosuke Masumoto 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: 20220116512
    Abstract: An electronic document managing apparatus for managing an electronic document includes a hardware processor. The hardware processor obtains the electronic document and manages an approval state of the obtained electronic document. In response to receiving an instruction to output the electronic document, the hardware processor refers to the approval state. The hardware processor permits the output of an approved electronic document only when all of a predesignated approver has approved the electronic document, the approved electronic document being the electronic document bearing a seal image of all of the approver. The hardware processor does not permit the output of the electronic document bearing any of the seal image when any of the approver has not approved the electronic document yet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Kosuke MASUMOTO
  • Patent number: 10740879
    Abstract: There are provided an image reader, a noise canceller, and an image processor. The image reader reads an image, outputs image data, and generates a horizontal synchronization signal. The noise canceller generates a noise-canceling signal to eliminate a noise entering a horizontal synchronization signal and eliminates a noise from a horizontal synchronization signal. The image processor captures effective image data out of image data transferred from the image reader correspondingly to a timing when the horizontal synchronization signal changes from a first signal level to a second signal level. The noise canceller generates a noise-canceling signal from a noise detection signal or image data generated in the image reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Kosuke Masumoto
  • Patent number: 10564904
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus causes an image forming portion to perform image forming processing based on a security job issued by an output-permitted user, in a case where an outsider-use-possibility calculated by an outsider-use-possibility calculation portion becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value on the basis of information of a movement trajectory of the output-permitted user and also the output-permitted user has been detected in an output-process-start area. Accordingly, it is possible to enhance the convenience for the output-permitted user while ensuring the security of the output product based on the security job issued by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Kosuke Masumoto
  • Publication number: 20190266707
    Abstract: There are provided an image reader, a noise canceller, and an image processor. The image reader reads an image, outputs image data, and generates a horizontal synchronization signal. The noise canceller generates a noise-canceling signal to eliminate a noise entering a horizontal synchronization signal and eliminates a noise from a horizontal synchronization signal. The image processor captures effective image data out of image data transferred from the image reader correspondingly to a timing when the horizontal synchronization signal changes from a first signal level to a second signal level. The noise canceller generates a noise-canceling signal from a noise detection signal or image data generated in the image reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Kosuke Masumoto
  • Patent number: 9986122
    Abstract: When other user is using an image forming apparatus before an output-permitted user having issued a security job reaches the image forming apparatus, security is lowered and also it takes some time until processing of security job is completed. The image forming apparatus notifies the output-permitted user of information indicating that other user is using the image forming apparatus in a case where the other user present near the image forming apparatus (own apparatus) is using the image forming apparatus. With this arrangement, the output-permitted user can know whether or not the other user is using the image forming apparatus before the output-permitted user reaches the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Kosuke Masumoto
  • Patent number: 9898211
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory control device performs data reading/writing control on partitions of a rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory. The device includes an erase cycle counting unit, a read cycle counting unit, a data reading/writing unit and a control unit. The erase cycle counting unit counts the number of erase cycles in total per partition. The read cycle counting unit counts the number of read cycles that same data is read per partition. When the number of erase cycles of a first partition is equal to or larger than a predetermined number of erase cycles, and a second partition having a smaller number of erase cycles and a larger number of read cycles than the first partition is present, the control unit controls the data reading/writing unit to exchange data in the first partition and data in the second partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kosuke Masumoto, Takashi Hasebe
  • Publication number: 20180004463
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present invention causes an image forming portion to perform image forming processing based on a security job issued by an output-permitted user, in a case where an outsider-use-possibility calculated by an outsider-use-possibility calculation portion becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value on the basis of information of a movement trajectory of the output-permitted user and also the output-permitted user has been detected in an output-process-start area. Accordingly, it is possible to enhance the convenience for the output-permitted user while ensuring the security of the output product based on the security job issued by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Kosuke MASUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170155793
    Abstract: When other user is using an image forming apparatus before an output-permitted user having issued a security job reaches the image forming apparatus, security is lowered and also it takes some time until processing of security job is completed. The image forming apparatus notifies the output-permitted user of information indicating that other user is using the image forming apparatus in a case where the other user present near the image forming apparatus (own apparatus) is using the image forming apparatus. With this arrangement, the output-permitted user can know whether or not the other user is using the image forming apparatus before the output-permitted user reaches the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Kosuke MASUMOTO
  • Patent number: 9529422
    Abstract: An image display and photographing system includes a display device configured to display a target image on a surface; a photographing device configured to photograph the surface; a first detector configured to detect that an object moves away from a space between the surface and the photographing device; a second detector configured to detect that, after the first detector detects that the object moves away from the space, the surface is touched at a predetermined position; a third detector configured to detect that, after the second detector detects that the surface is touched at the predetermined position, the object moves away from the space; and a photographing control portion configured to control, after the third detector detects that the object moves away from the space, the photographing device to photograph the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Yuji Kobayashi, Harumitsu Fujimori, Akihiro Hayashi, Shiro Umeda, Kosuke Masumoto, Yasuhiro Ishihara, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Isao Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9389552
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet feeding unit configured to feed a plurality of sheets to an image forming unit one by one; the image forming unit configured to form a toner image based on image data; a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image formed on each sheet by the image forming unit with a fixing member, the fixing unit including the fixing member configured to be brought into contact with each sheet supplied from the image forming unit and heat each sheet; a measuring unit configured to measure a temperature of the fixing member; and a control unit configured to instruct the fixing unit to start and stop a temperature increasing operation, and provide the image data to the image forming unit, wherein the control unit includes: a temperature drop rate calculating unit; a temperature rise rate predicting unit; and an instructing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA INC.
    Inventors: Satoshi Chikazawa, Toshiaki Tanaka, Kosuke Masumoto, Yasuhiro Ishihara
  • Publication number: 20160170663
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory control device performs data reading/writing control on partitions of a rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory. The device includes an erase cycle counting unit, a read cycle counting unit, a data reading/writing unit and a control unit. The erase cycle counting unit counts the number of erase cycles in total per partition. The read cycle counting unit counts the number of read cycles that same data is read per partition. When the number of erase cycles of a first partition is equal to or larger than a predetermined number of erase cycles, and a second partition having a smaller number of erase cycles and a larger number of read cycles than the first partition is present, the control unit controls the data reading/writing unit to exchange data in the first partition and data in the second partition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Kosuke MASUMOTO, Takashi HASEBE
  • Patent number: 9335679
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form a toner image and transfer the toner image to a recording medium and a fixing section to heat the recording medium transferred with the toner image and further an image analyzing section to extract a density value or a size value of an imaging object included in an image, and a temperature determining section to determine a minimum fixing temperature based on the density value or size value of the imaging object included in a page image. The temperature determining section determines the minimum fixing temperature to be lower when a highest one of the density values is lower than when the highest value is higher or determines the minimum fixing temperature to be lower when a largest one of the size values is smaller than when the largest size value is larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Tanaka, Yasuhiro Ishihara, Kosuke Masumoto, Satoshi Chikazawa
  • Patent number: 9310727
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus forming toner images sequentially on recording sheets transported at intervals, and thermally fixing the toner images by passing the recording sheets through a fixing position on a heating roller. The target fixing temperature is determined according to information of an image on each page. When a first fixing temperature for a given page is higher than a second fixing temperature for the succeeding page and the difference therebetween is greater than a predefined value, part or all of a first period, during which the thermal fixing operation for the given page is performed, and a second period, which corresponds to an interval between the two pages, are reserved for raising the surface temperature by the difference, and temperature control is performed during the reserved periods such that the surface temperature reaches the second temperature before the thermal fixing operation for the succeeding page starts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kosuke Masumoto, Toshiaki Tanaka, Yasuhiro Ishihara, Satoshi Chikazawa
  • Publication number: 20150373283
    Abstract: A photographing system includes a photographing device configured to photograph a surface; a detector configured to detect a change in a position of an object in a space between the surface and the photographing device; and an obtaining portion configured to obtain an image of an area of the surface by the photographing device when the detector detects the change, the area being not viewed by the photographing device before the change due to interruption of the object and being viewed by the photographing device after the change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Akihiro HAYASHI, Yuji KOBAYASHI, Harumitsu FUJIMORI, Shiro UMEDA, Kosuke MASUMOTO, Yasuhiro ISHIHARA, Hiroshi YAMAGUCHI, Isao WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20150324005
    Abstract: An image display and photographing system includes a display device configured to display a target image on a surface; a photographing device configured to photograph the surface; a first detector configured to detect that an object moves away from a space between the surface and the photographing device; a second detector configured to detect that, after the first detector detects that the object moves away from the space, the surface is touched at a predetermined position; a third detector configured to detect that, after the second detector detects that the surface is touched at the predetermined position, the object moves away from the space; and a photographing control portion configured to control, after the third detector detects that the object moves away from the space, the photographing device to photograph the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Yuji KOBAYASHI, Harumitsu FUJIMORI, Akihiro HAYASHI, Shiro UMEDA, Kosuke MASUMOTO, Yasuhiro ISHIHARA, Hiroshi YAMAGUCHI, Isao WATANZABE
  • Publication number: 20150253706
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet feeding unit configured to feed a plurality of sheets to an image forming unit one by one; the image forming unit configured to form a toner image based on image data; a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image formed on each sheet by the image forming unit with a fixing member, the fixing unit including the fixing member configured to be brought into contact with each sheet supplied from the image forming unit and heat each sheet; a measuring unit configured to measure a temperature of the fixing member; and a control unit configured to instruct the fixing unit to start and stop a temperature increasing operation, and provide the image data to the image forming unit, wherein the control unit includes: a temperature drop rate calculating unit; a temperature rise rate predicting unit; and an instructing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA INC.
    Inventors: SATOSHI CHIKAZAWA, TOSHIAKI TANAKA, KOSUKE MASUMOTO, YASUHIRO ISHIHARA
  • Patent number: 9116484
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: a piezoelectric sensor that produces an variable output signal depending on the amount of infrared energy; a human body detecting device having a lens that forms a detecting area serving for detecting if the person enters; a peak detector that detects a peak of an output signal produced when the person enters the detecting area; an offset voltage judgment portion that judges if the output signal falls to the offset voltage after the peak; a moving direction judgment portion that judges the direction in which the person moves in the detecting area; and a mode controller that switches the power supply mode to a first mode if the power supply mode is found to be a second mode requiring less power than the first mode while the moving direction judgment portion judges that the person moves toward the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Kosuke Masumoto, Mineo Yamamoto, Shiro Umeda, Shigeru Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20150168886
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form a toner image and transfer the toner image to a recording medium and a fixing section to heat the recording medium transferred with the toner image and further an image analyzing section to extract a density value or a size value of an imaging object included in an image, and a temperature determining section to determine a minimum fixing temperature based on the density value or size value of the imaging object included in a page image. The temperature determining section determines the minimum fixing temperature to be lower when a highest one of the density values is lower than when the highest value is higher or determines the minimum fixing temperature to be lower when a largest one of the size values is smaller than when the largest size value is larger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Toshiaki TANAKA, Yasuhiro ISHIHARA, Kosuke MASUMOTO, Satoshi CHIKAZAWA
  • Publication number: 20150160593
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus forming toner images sequentially on recording sheets transported at intervals, and thermally fixing the toner images by passing the recording sheets through a fixing position on a heating roller. The target fixing temperature is determined according to information of an image on each page. When a first fixing temperature for a given page is higher than a second fixing temperature for the succeeding page and the difference therebetween is greater than a predefined value, part or all of a first period, during which the thermal fixing operation for the given page is performed, and a second period, which corresponds to an interval between the two pages, are reserved for raising the surface temperature by the difference, and temperature control is performed during the reserved periods such that the surface temperature reaches the second temperature before the thermal fixing operation for the succeeding page starts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Inventors: Kosuke MASUMOTO, Toshiaki TANAKA, Yasuhiro ISHIHARA, Satoshi CHIKAZAWA
  • Patent number: 9035257
    Abstract: A human body sensing device comprises: an infrared sensor which detects a human body; a rotatable group of lenses having a plurality of lenses arranged around the sensor, the lenses being configured to: generate unit sensing zones defined by a sensing distance extending radially outwardly from the group and a small width extending in a rotation direction of the group; and form a plurality of alternating layers of a regional sensing zone including one or more than one of the unit sensing zones and a non-sensing zone not including any of the unit sensing zones, in a rotation direction of the group; a rotary drive which rotates the group; a rotation position sensor which detects a rotation position of the group; and a recognizer which recognizes the location and/or movement of a human body based on the output level indicated by the infrared sensor and the rotation position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kosuke Masumoto, Shiro Umeda, Toshiaki Tanaka