Patents by Inventor Masaaki Sato

Masaaki Sato 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: 20230297024
    Abstract: A cartridge that is mountable to an apparatus main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the cartridge includes a developing roller; a frame supporting the developing roller; a movable part movably supported by the frame and movable to a first position and to a second position relative to the frame; and an elastic part provided between the frame and the movable part to urge the movable part. The movable part includes a first force receiving part that receives force from the apparatus main assembly, in a direction of moving from the first position to the second position, and a second force receiving part that receives force from the apparatus main assembly, in a direction of moving from the second position to the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Masaaki Sato, Yukio Kubo, Hiroyuki Munetsugu, Koji Wada
  • Publication number: 20230205857
    Abstract: An authentication terminal (2) includes a behavior information acquisition unit (232) that acquires a plurality of types of behavior information acquired on the basis of an action of a worker who is a subject of personal authentication, and an authentication unit (25) that performs identity authentication of the worker on the basis of a comprehensive evaluation obtained by comprehensively evaluating the plurality of types of the behavior information. The authentication terminal (2) performs the identity authentication of the worker on the basis of the comprehensive evaluation obtained by comprehensively evaluating the plurality of types of the behavior information, and thus can perform user-friendly personal authentication using the behavior information of an individual.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, AnchorZ Inc.
    Inventors: Kimiaki SATO, Hidematsu HAYASHI, Takashi SAEKI, Yuki KONO, Masaaki TOKUYAMA
  • Publication number: 20230195031
    Abstract: A process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, and a movable lever. The process cartridge also includes a coupling member operatively connected to the developing roller, with the coupling member being movable in response to a movement of the lever. The process cartridge is configured such that, when the process cartridge is oriented with the photosensitive drum and the developing roller positioned at a downward side of the process cartridge, an end of the lever is positioned lower than a rotational axis of the photosensitive drum and a rotational axis of the developing roller. A process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, and a movable lever. The process cartridge also includes a coupling member operatively connected to the developing roller, with the coupling member being movable in response to a movement of the lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Masaaki Sato, Kazuhiko Kanno, Satoshi Nishiya, Masatoshi Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11679742
    Abstract: A vehicular system includes a first in-vehicle sensor having a first cleaning target surface which is provided on a design part forming an appearance of a vehicle and arranged so as to face an exterior of the vehicle. The first cleaning target surface is arranged at an inner side of the vehicle than an immediate upper portion of the first cleaning target surface. The immediate upper portion is constituted by a protrusion provided in a rear bumper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Masaaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20230185234
    Abstract: In a cartridge structure employing an inclinable coupling member engaging with a rotational force transmitting portion of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the coupling member is unable to engage with the rotational force transmitting portion of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus when the mounting and dismounting direction and the developing/spacing direction relative to the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of different from each other. Under the circumstances, a coupling lever contacting and retracting relative to the coupling member in interrelation with the mounting and dismounting operation of a developing cartridge B1, and a coupling spring for the coupling lever to apply an urging force to the coupling member are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2023
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Yosuke Kashiide, Masaaki Sato, Hiroyuki Munetsugu
  • Publication number: 20230166610
    Abstract: A charging system of the present disclosure includes: an arm mechanism—configured to grasp a charging plug connected to a charging apparatus through a charging cable and automatically perform plugging/unplugging of the charging plug to and from a charge port of a vehicle located at a charging area; a sensor configured to detect whether or not a state of the charging cable meets predetermined safety conditions when the charging plug is inserted into the charge port of the vehicle; and a control unit configured to perform at least one of a process of making the arm mechanism operate to move the charging cable so that the state of the charging cable becomes one in which the predetermined safety conditions are met or a process of updating the predetermined safety conditions based on the state of the charging cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki SATO, Satoshi KONDO
  • Publication number: 20230166626
    Abstract: A charging system according to the present disclosure includes: a storage unit configured to store vehicle information including at least a type of a vehicle and information about a charge port of the vehicle; a charging schedule management unit configured to generate, based on the vehicle information of vehicles being charged and vehicles-to-be-charged, a charging schedule including respective parking sections and respective vehicle postures for parking in the respective parking sections according to which a moving time required for the arm mechanism to move in performing a charging operation of a plurality of vehicles is reduced to the minimum; and a vehicle position control unit configured to indicate the plurality of vehicles of the respective parking sections and the respective vehicle postures for parking in the respective parking sections based on the charging schedule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki SATO, Satoshi KONDO
  • Publication number: 20230166625
    Abstract: A charging system includes: an arm mechanism configured to grasp a charging cable extending from the charging apparatus and connecting a charging cable to a vehicle-to-be-charged; and a control unit configured to indicate the vehicle-to-be-charged a charging position for connecting the charging cable thereto, in which the control unit is configured to give a parking position adjustment instruction to either one of the vehicle-to-be-charged or a parking-section-for-charging sliding mechanism for moving vehicles parked in the charging area so as to make a first spacing to be wider than a second spacing, the first spacing being a spacing between the vehicle-to-be-charged and an adjacent vehicle on a charge port side of the vehicle-to-be-charged and the second spacing being a spacing between the vehicle-to-be-charged and an adjacent vehicle on a side opposite the charge port side of the vehicle-to-be-charged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki SATO, Satoshi KONDO
  • Publication number: 20230171350
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus transmits a login request for logging into an external device to the external device, based on a short-range wireless communication being established between the information processing apparatus and the external device in a state where an application is operating in a background state on the information processing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventor: Masaaki Sato
  • Patent number: 11662687
    Abstract: In a cartridge structure employing an inclinable coupling member engaging with a rotational force transmitting portion of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the coupling member is unable to engage with the rotational force transmitting portion of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus when the mounting and dismounting direction and the developing/spacing direction relative to the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of different from each other. Under the circumstances, a coupling lever contacting and retracting relative to the coupling member in interrelation with the mounting and dismounting operation of a developing cartridge B1, and a coupling spring for the coupling lever to apply an urging force to the coupling member are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yosuke Kashiide, Masaaki Sato, Hiroyuki Munetsugu
  • Publication number: 20230134527
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable, the developer container including an accommodating portion, and a supporting portion, wherein the developer container includes a projection portion that is provided at one end portion thereof in the rotation axis direction of the developer bearing member and projects toward the supporting portion more than a center portion of the developer container in a crossing direction crossing the rotation axis direction, the projection portion communicates with the accommodating portion and includes, at a distal end portion thereof, an attachment portion configured such that the replenishment container is attachable thereto in a state of being exposed to the outside of the apparatus, and a replenishment port for replenishing the accommodating portion with developer from the replenishment container is defined in the attachment portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Koji Wada, Tsuyoshi Ogawa, Hiroshi Takarada, Kenji Matsuzaka, Takao Sameshima, Tomio Noguchi, Yuichiro Inaba, Kenichi Iida, Masaaki Sato
  • Patent number: 11630416
    Abstract: In a cartridge structure employing an inclinable coupling member engaging with a rotational force transmitting portion of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the coupling member is unable to engage with the rotational force transmitting portion of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus when the mounting and dismounting direction and the developing/spacing direction relative to the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of different from each other. Under the circumstances, a coupling lever contacting and retracting relative to the coupling member in interrelation with the mounting and dismounting operation of a developing cartridge B1, and a coupling spring for the coupling lever to apply an urging force to the coupling member are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yosuke Kashiide, Masaaki Sato, Hiroyuki Munetsugu
  • Publication number: 20230113779
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, an information processing apparatus comprises a memory and at least one processor in communication with the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform accepting an operation on an input field included in a web content obtained via a network and controlling whether or not a first on-screen keyboard used on the information processing apparatus is displayed if the operation is accepted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventor: Masaaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20230096202
    Abstract: A toner container includes a toner storage unit, a container base portion including a discharge port provided on an outer surface of the container base portion, the outer surface extending in a first direction, the discharge port communicating with the toner storage unit, and a container shutter configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a direction along the first direction between a shielding position and an open position. The container base portion includes an engaging portion configured to be engaged with an engaged portion of the image forming apparatus so that rotation of the container base portion with respect to the image forming apparatus about the rotation axis is restricted. At least a part of the engaging portion of the container base portion is exposed from the container shutter in a case where the container shutter is in the shielding position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Masaaki Sato, Hiroyuki Munetsugu, Isao Koishi, Hiroshi Takarada, Shoei Katsuya, Shunsuke Hijinkata, Goshi Ozaki, Mitsuhiro Sato
  • Patent number: 11614710
    Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes a rotatable photosensitive drum; a rotatable developing roller configured to develop image formed on the drum, the developing roller being capable of contacting to and spacing from the drum; an urging force receiving portion configured to receive, from a main assembly side urging member, an urging force for spacing the developing roller from the drum; a cartridge side drive transmission member capable of the coupling with a main assembly side drive transmission member and configured to receive, from the main assembly side drive transmission member, a rotational force for rotating the developing roller; and a decoupling member capable of urging the cartridge side drive transmission member by the urging force received by the urging force receiving portion to decouple the cartridge side drive transmission member from the main assembly side drive transmission member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Sato, Kazuhiko Kanno, Satoshi Nishiya, Masatoshi Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20230093103
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a mounting portion for mounting a process cartridge, the process cartridge including a first unit having an image bearing drum, and a second unit having a developing roller, the second unit being movable between a contact position in which the roller contacts the drum and a spaced position in which they are mutually spaced; an engageable member engageable with a force receiving portion provided on the second unit; wherein the engageable member is movable between a first position for maintaining the second unit in the spaced position by engaging with the force receiving portion, a second position for permitting movement of the second unit from the spaced position to the contact position; and a third position for permitting the process cartridge to be mounted, by being pressed by the process cartridge to retract, when the process cartridge is mounted to the mounting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Akira Yoshimura, Tomio Noguchi, Yukio Kubo, Masaaki Sato, Satoshi Nishiya, Yosuke Kashiide
  • Publication number: 20230078527
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable and which includes an accommodating portion and a replenishment port, a transfer portion configured to transfer a developer image on an image bearing member onto a recording material, a supporting tray including a supporting surface configured to support the recording material thereon, and a discharge portion configured to discharge the recording material, onto which the developer image has been transferred, on the supporting surface, wherein the supporting surface has an opening portion opening such that the replenishment port is exposed through the supporting surface, and wherein an opening/closing member configured to be movable between a closed position where the opening/closing member covers the replenishment port and serves as a part of the supporting surface and an open position where the replenishment port is exposed is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Tomio Noguchi, Masaaki Sato, Kenji Matsuzaka, Koji Fujinaka, Takao Sameshima, Akitoshi Toyota, Yuichiro Inaba, Kenichi Iida
  • Patent number: 11599058
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a mounting portion for mounting a process cartridge, the process cartridge including a first unit having an image bearing drum, and a second unit having a developing roller, the second unit being movable between a contact position in which the roller contacts the drum and a spaced position in which they are mutually spaced; an engageable member engageable with a force receiving portion provided on the second unit; wherein the engageable member is movable between a first position for maintaining the second unit in the spaced position by engaging with the force receiving portion, a second position for permitting movement of the second unit from the spaced position to the contact position; and a third position for permitting the process cartridge to be mounted, by being pressed by the process cartridge to retract, when the process cartridge is mounted to the mounting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Yoshimura, Tomio Noguchi, Yukio Kubo, Masaaki Sato, Satoshi Nishiya, Yosuke Kashiide
  • Patent number: 11582357
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus transmits a login request for logging into an external device to the external device, based on a short-range wireless communication being established between the information processing apparatus and the external device in a state where an application is operating in a background state on the information processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaaki Sato
  • Patent number: 11573521
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable, the developer container including an accommodating portion, and a supporting portion, wherein the developer container includes a projection portion that is provided at one end portion thereof in the rotation axis direction of the developer bearing member and projects toward the supporting portion more than a center portion of the developer container in a crossing direction crossing the rotation axis direction, the projection portion communicates with the accommodating portion and includes, at a distal end portion thereof, an attachment portion configured such that the replenishment container is attachable thereto in a state of being exposed to the outside of the apparatus, and a replenishment port for replenishing the accommodating portion with developer from the replenishment container is defined in the attachment portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Wada, Tsuyoshi Ogawa, Hiroshi Takarada, Kenji Matsuzaka, Takao Sameshima, Tomio Noguchi, Yuichiro Inaba, Kenichi Iida, Masaaki Sato